Ditch the Paper: Digital Packing Lists Will Change How You Travel Forever
Let’s talk about something that’s revolutionized the way I travel: digital packing lists. Now, I know what you might be thinking: a packing list is a packing list, right? Whether it’s on paper or your phone, what’s the big deal? Well, after years of experience, I can tell you that making the switch to digital has been transformative.
For years, I did what many of us do: grabbed a piece of scrap paper and a pen or pencil, then scribbled down the things I absolutely couldn’t leave behind. It worked, sort of. But here’s the thing, that approach came with some serious drawbacks that I didn’t really appreciate until I found a better way.
The problems with paper lists
First, let’s talk about why paper lists are holding you back. Unless you’re the type to carefully file away every packing list from every trip (and who really does that?), you’re forced to start completely from scratch every single time you plan a new trip. Even if you are diligent enough to save your paper lists, you still have to rewrite them, at least partially, for each new trip. I don’t know about you, but I ain’t got time for that.
And here’s another headache: for your packing list to be useful both during your trip and when you’re getting ready to pack for your return home, you have to remember to pack the actual list with you. It’s just one more thing to keep track of and let’s be honest, making the packing list creation process this labor-intensive is a great way to make it easy to dismiss altogether. Again, we don’t have time for that.
Reasons to use digital packing lists
About ten years ago, I made the switch to digital packing lists, and I’ve never looked back. These days, I use Notion almost exclusively, but the benefits of going digital extend to any good list-making app or tool.
The game-changing advantages of digital packing lists are clear:
First, they’re incredibly easy to save and access. Your lists are always there when you need them, safely stored in the cloud, ready to be pulled up on any device. No more digging through folders or drawers looking for that one perfect list you made last summer.
Second, you can reorder items without starting over or making your list messy, something that’s particularly important for us neurodivergent and Type-A folks who appreciate a clean, organized approach. Want to group all your toiletries after initially listing them scattered throughout? Just drag and drop.
But probably the biggest advantage is how easy they are to duplicate and modify. With just a few clicks and a few minutes of editing, rearranging, and deleting, you can transform a packing list from your beach vacation into one perfect for your business trip.
You’re not reinventing the wheel each time you travel, you’re just making small adjustments to a proven template.
The real time-saver
What this all means in practice is that you can literally create comprehensive packing lists in minutes rather than starting from scratch each time.
Think about it: all those items you always pack, regardless of destination – your phone charger, toiletries, medications – they’re already there in your digital template. You just need to adjust for the specific needs of each trip.
Remember all those drawbacks I mentioned about paper lists? None of them exist with digital packing lists. No more rewriting. No more losing lists. No more messy cross-outs and arrows trying to reorganize items. Just clean, efficient, reusable lists that make packing less of a chore and more of a quick pre-travel checklist.
The bottom line is this: if you’re still using paper packing lists, you’re making travel preparation harder than it needs to be.
I teach my exact digital packing list strategy in my $9 mini-course Quick Copy Packing.
This course will prepare you for success with digital packing lists, so you will never have to make a new packing list from scratch again.
