8 Online Lists to Help You Get Packing Under Control

Help for Travelers Who Don’t Know What to Pack

Travel plans made – check!

Passport up to date – check!

Tickets booked – check!

Packing list at the ready? Errr – no!

If you’re one of those people who finds packing the worst part of travel and who always manages to forget something, then I’ve got just the thing for you. I usually keep a packing list handy, but when a computer error destroyed mine forever, I had to start from scratch, and I found these online tools to help me do it.

The Universal Packing List lets you input a whole bunch of variables (dates, gender, temperature, activities, transportation,  bag size and so on) so you can generate a trip-specific packing list. You can even say whether you will be traveling with kids and how old they will be. Before you generate your list, check the appropriate box to see other travelers’ comments on the items on your list – you never know – you might find a hidden gem! While the list is good, I’d like to see a neater format, with check boxes, but that’s just a personal preference.

That’s why PackWhiz looks like a good option. It works in a similar way to the UPL but you’ll need a Google Account to sign in and save your stuff. Alternatively, just search for one of the public lists that other users have uploaded or click on a tag to see all the lists in a particular category. I like the clean interface and the fact that it’s easy to add your own items to an existing list.

PackWhiz is a lot quicker than my next choice, Packing List Online. With this tool, you have to put in your dates and destination on the first page, your travel duration and means on the second page, your travel type, activities, vehicle and accommodation on the third page, and who you are packing for on the fourth page before you finally get a packing list with check boxes. It’s a pretty comprehensive list, but it seems a lot of bother to go through.

Less comprehensive, but definitely simpler is the packing list generator on Travel Sense. You can enter dates, who’s traveling, accommodation, activities and weather details on one page, then press a button to get a basic travel packing checklist. I also liked Independent Traveler’s interactive packing list, which takes a different approach. All the items they think you need are on a single page and you check the ones you want to create a personalized packing list – now that’s neat!

Other one page lists include the ones at Travellers Point and OneBag (great for those who like to travel light) and you can also generate a packing  list at Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush (though you’ll have to register first!).

I used a combination of these tools to help me generate a new packing list, but if I had to choose one of them, it would probably be PackWhiz? How do you handle packing for your trips?

Sharon Hurley Hall is a professional blogger who blogs about travel on the Taking Off Travel Blog. Follow her travel news posts on the Park Ride Fly USA Facebook page. Images by kantgirl.org