Travel Packing Tips: Checklist and How to Pack Food

Packing in an organised way saves time, cuts excess baggage charges and stops you from leaving important things behind. This guide collects practical tips for short trips, family holidays and long journeys, including how to pack food from home.

Travel packing tips before you start

1. Check your baggage allowance. The weight and size limits for cabin bags differ by airline and ticket type.
2. Check the weather at your destination. It decides what clothes and shoes you need.
3. Write a checklist. Use the list below and tick off each item.
4. Weigh your bag at home. A small luggage scale is cheap and saves you charges at the counter.

Travel packing checklist

Documents

• Passport (valid for at least 6 months), and a visa if needed
• Tickets, hotel confirmation and travel insurance, printed or saved on your phone
• Bank cards and a little cash in the local currency

Clothing

• Clothes for the number of days, minus one or two if there is a laundry
• A light jacket or sweater for the plane
• Comfortable shoes for long walks
• A telekung or a small prayer mat

Health and hygiene

• Daily medication and a copy of the prescription
• Basic medicine: fever, stomach ache, plasters
• Toiletries in 100ml containers if you carry them in the cabin

Electronics

• Chargers, cables and a power bank (the power bank must go in your cabin bag)
• A plug adaptor for your destination country

Food and snacks

• Dry snacks for the plane
• Ready-to-eat food for the first night or for emergencies
• An empty water bottle to fill after the security check

Travel packing tips to fit more in your bag

• Roll, do not fold. Rolled clothes take up less space and crease less.
• Use packing cubes. Separate clothes by family member or by type.
• Fill the empty spaces. Put socks and small items inside your shoes.
• Wear your heaviest items. Wear your jacket and thick shoes on the flight.
• Leave room for souvenirs. Bring an extra foldable bag.

Travel packing tips for food from home

Many Malaysian families bring their own food for the children, or as a backup in case halal options are hard to find. Here is how to pack it properly:

1. Choose long-lasting food that needs no fridge. Retort food, biscuits and nuts are safer than regular home-cooked dishes, which spoil quickly.
2. Dishes with gravy go in checked baggage. Liquids and gels over 100ml are usually not allowed in the cabin.
3. Wrap them in clothes. This protects the packs from being squashed.
4. Keep them in their original labelled packaging. It makes customs checks easier.
5. Check the rules of your destination country. Korea, Japan and Australia are strict about meat and chicken products. Read our guide on halal food in Korea before you go there.

Common packing mistakes

1. Putting the power bank in checked baggage. It should be in your cabin bag.
2. Bringing large bottles of lotion or sauce in the cabin, then having to throw them away.
3. Putting medicine and documents in checked baggage. If the bag is delayed, you cannot get to them.
4. Bringing so many clothes that there is no room for souvenirs.
5. Bringing meat dishes to a country that bans them, and then getting fined.

Travel packing tips for umrah and haji

For pilgrims, add ihram clothing, a telekung, shoes that are comfortable for long walks, and a small bag to carry to the mosque. Meat dishes are not recommended for Saudi Arabia because of SFDA rules, so if you want a back-up, choose meat-free items such as packed white rice and put them in checked luggage. Read our guide on bringing food to Saudi Arabia. Check the guidelines of your agency and airline on baggage limits and food, for example the Malaysia Airlines baggage page.

For cabin rules, read our guide on bringing food on a plane. A list of food that suits travel is in our guide on travel food.

FAQ about travel packing tips