39 Things to Do Before Leaving on Vacation: A Handy Dandy Checklist
800 The Art of Manliness / by Brett and Kate McKay / 5 hours ago
system
As I’m writing this, the McKay family is about to head off for our annual family vacation.
There’s a surprising number of to-dos that need to be crossed off before heading out for any trip, and prior to every vacation, I generate the same mental checklist of things that need to be taken care of. But every single time, I procrastinate, try to cram too many tasks into the morning of our trip, and end up forgetting things to do and items to pack.
So taking a lesson from the post I wrote on the power of checklists, I finally decided to create a pre-travel checklist to get all my ducks in a row.
I figured others might find it helpful to either copy or remix it for their own travel use. I hope you find it useful and please add your own suggestions in the comments!
Leaving for Vacation Checklist
A Week to 48 Hours Before:
Put a hold on the delivery of your mail, or ask someone to collect it for you (same goes for any packages that might be coming your way)
Put a hold on the delivery of your newspapers
Arrange pet sitter or kennel stay
Pay bills
Check toiletry/gear/clothes supply — buy new items as needed
Load up on reading material — buy magazines and books, check out books from library, download books on Kindle/iPad
Order and pick-up a refill on your medication if it’ll run out while you’re on your trip
Let friends and family know about travel itinerary
Arrange for a ride to the airport, or reserve a parking spot (if your airport is big enough for that to be needed — not the case here in Tulsa!)
The Day Before:
Throw away perishable food items from fridge, as well as any fruit/veggies that might go bad while you’re away
Notify alarm company that you’ll be away
Get all laundry done (including bed sheets — nothing better than coming home to fresh sheets!)
Check-in for flight online and print off boarding passes
Print off driving directions (yeah, you can look these up on your phone, but there are plenty of times when your digital map of choice doesn’t work properly)
Write down/print off destination addresses
Check weather of destination
Confirm hotel reservations
Confirm rental car reservations
Program phone numbers you’ll need into phone
Download apps, music, and movies/shows for yourself and the kids
Set up email away message
Fully charge phone/tablet/laptop
Withdraw cash and change it for single dollar bills in case you need to tip shuttle drivers, skycaps, hotel valets, etc.
Call bank to let them know you’re traveling
Run the dishwasher
Pack everything (minus what you’ll be using on travel day) in your suitcase and carry-on bag
Morning of Departure:
Note: If you have a very early flight, some of these things should be done the night before. Just grab a protein bar and head out the door.
Pack dopp kit after getting ready for the day
Make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked
Make sure the garbage disposable is clear of food scraps
Take out last bag of trash to garbage can
Wash any dishes you used for breakfast by hand and put away (really, protein bars are the way to go)
Turn off lights and turn on timer for lights
Unplug electronics
Water house plants
Set thermostat for away temperature (upper 70s in summer, upper 50s in winter — the rule of thumb is 4 degrees off of what your normal temperature is)
Close blinds and curtains
Double-check bags/clothing for loose ammunition
Be sure your EDC is TSA compliant; pack into suitcase the forbidden items that you normally carry on your person (pocket knife, gun, etc.)
Double check that you have IDs and itinerary packed in carry-on bag
Check for items you often use right up until leaving, and end up forgetting:
Medicine
Sunglasses
Wallet
Phone
Suggested Packing Checklists
Dopp Kit:
Travel bottle of shampoo
Bar of your favorite soap
Deodorant
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Shaving supplies: razor, brush, and cream
Nail clippers
Lip balm
Band aids
Safety pins
Aspirin or Tylenol
Lint roller
$20 bill
Extra pair of contact lenses
Cologne
Medications
Carry-on:
Itinerary
Smartphone power cords and adapter
Paperback book/magazines
Tablet/laptop and power cords
Paper copy of driving directions
A change of clean underwear
Pens/pencils
Notebooks
Headphones
Snacks
Baby/Toddler Bag:
Diapers
Diaper disposal bags
Wipes
Snacks
Books (way, way more than you might think you’ll need — they’ll go through ‘em quick)
Small toys
Bottle/cup with built-in straw (sucking will help pop their ears)
Benadryl and/or Tylenol (see here for proper dosing)
Toddler headphones
Tablet with downloaded movies/shows
For more tips on traveling with babies and toddlers, check out this post.
Click here to download a PDF of these checklists.
TWEET VISIT WEBSITE
800 The Art of Manliness / by Brett and Kate McKay / 5 hours ago
system
As I’m writing this, the McKay family is about to head off for our annual family vacation.
There’s a surprising number of to-dos that need to be crossed off before heading out for any trip, and prior to every vacation, I generate the same mental checklist of things that need to be taken care of. But every single time, I procrastinate, try to cram too many tasks into the morning of our trip, and end up forgetting things to do and items to pack.
So taking a lesson from the post I wrote on the power of checklists, I finally decided to create a pre-travel checklist to get all my ducks in a row.
I figured others might find it helpful to either copy or remix it for their own travel use. I hope you find it useful and please add your own suggestions in the comments!
Leaving for Vacation Checklist
A Week to 48 Hours Before:
Put a hold on the delivery of your mail, or ask someone to collect it for you (same goes for any packages that might be coming your way)
Put a hold on the delivery of your newspapers
Arrange pet sitter or kennel stay
Pay bills
Check toiletry/gear/clothes supply — buy new items as needed
Load up on reading material — buy magazines and books, check out books from library, download books on Kindle/iPad
Order and pick-up a refill on your medication if it’ll run out while you’re on your trip
Let friends and family know about travel itinerary
Arrange for a ride to the airport, or reserve a parking spot (if your airport is big enough for that to be needed — not the case here in Tulsa!)
The Day Before:
Throw away perishable food items from fridge, as well as any fruit/veggies that might go bad while you’re away
Notify alarm company that you’ll be away
Get all laundry done (including bed sheets — nothing better than coming home to fresh sheets!)
Check-in for flight online and print off boarding passes
Print off driving directions (yeah, you can look these up on your phone, but there are plenty of times when your digital map of choice doesn’t work properly)
Write down/print off destination addresses
Check weather of destination
Confirm hotel reservations
Confirm rental car reservations
Program phone numbers you’ll need into phone
Download apps, music, and movies/shows for yourself and the kids
Set up email away message
Fully charge phone/tablet/laptop
Withdraw cash and change it for single dollar bills in case you need to tip shuttle drivers, skycaps, hotel valets, etc.
Call bank to let them know you’re traveling
Run the dishwasher
Pack everything (minus what you’ll be using on travel day) in your suitcase and carry-on bag
Morning of Departure:
Note: If you have a very early flight, some of these things should be done the night before. Just grab a protein bar and head out the door.
Pack dopp kit after getting ready for the day
Make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked
Make sure the garbage disposable is clear of food scraps
Take out last bag of trash to garbage can
Wash any dishes you used for breakfast by hand and put away (really, protein bars are the way to go)
Turn off lights and turn on timer for lights
Unplug electronics
Water house plants
Set thermostat for away temperature (upper 70s in summer, upper 50s in winter — the rule of thumb is 4 degrees off of what your normal temperature is)
Close blinds and curtains
Double-check bags/clothing for loose ammunition
Be sure your EDC is TSA compliant; pack into suitcase the forbidden items that you normally carry on your person (pocket knife, gun, etc.)
Double check that you have IDs and itinerary packed in carry-on bag
Check for items you often use right up until leaving, and end up forgetting:
Medicine
Sunglasses
Wallet
Phone
Suggested Packing Checklists
Dopp Kit:
Travel bottle of shampoo
Bar of your favorite soap
Deodorant
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Shaving supplies: razor, brush, and cream
Nail clippers
Lip balm
Band aids
Safety pins
Aspirin or Tylenol
Lint roller
$20 bill
Extra pair of contact lenses
Cologne
Medications
Carry-on:
Itinerary
Smartphone power cords and adapter
Paperback book/magazines
Tablet/laptop and power cords
Paper copy of driving directions
A change of clean underwear
Pens/pencils
Notebooks
Headphones
Snacks
Baby/Toddler Bag:
Diapers
Diaper disposal bags
Wipes
Snacks
Books (way, way more than you might think you’ll need — they’ll go through ‘em quick)
Small toys
Bottle/cup with built-in straw (sucking will help pop their ears)
Benadryl and/or Tylenol (see here for proper dosing)
Toddler headphones
Tablet with downloaded movies/shows
For more tips on traveling with babies and toddlers, check out this post.
Click here to download a PDF of these checklists.
TWEET VISIT WEBSITE
