I was always terrible at packing for holidays until I discovered these three things

I love going on holiday. I love researching where to go, how to get there and what to do once I arrive. I love reading up on the best bars, restaurants and galleries to visit and which historical landmarks are worth checking out. I love buying clothes and planning holiday outfits as I imagine the adventures that "holiday me" might have whilst wearing them.

But you know what I do not love? Do you know what fills me with a level of existential dread that should only be reserved for someone about to cut their own bangs?

Packing.

I loathe packing.

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It makes me feel anxious and unprepared and, weirdly, it gives me a sense of FOMO about the things I might miss out on doing while I'm on holiday because I didn't pack for the occasion.

"But what if we end up getting invited to some kind of gala while we are there and we can't go because I didn't pack this evening gown," I might stress to my partner.

"Probably not going to be an issue at a beachside camping site," might be his reply.

So, yes. My hatred of packing borders on irrational, but I have found three things that have helped.

Get a great suitcase

Years of using sub-par suitcases have well and truly taught me my lesson.

For example, I once overpacked a fabric suitcase so badly that, upon arriving in Sydney, I found my underwear strewn on the baggage carousel - happily dispersed amongst the suitcases of people who had not been as foolish and my luggage which had predictably burst open and was now being held together by a bike strap.

The Antler Stamford 2.0 was the perfect answer to my over-packing problem. Its hard outer shell protects your belongings from rough baggage handlers and gives you a stricter (and sturdier) frame to work with.

The Stamford also has three 3 internal zipped compartments and a D-zip mesh lid pocket so it's easier to keep your clothes/shoes/toiletries/underwear separate which, in turn, makes it easier to see what you've packed and what else you might need.

And, if you've ever thrown a wrinkled shirt or dress in thinking that you can iron it at your destination' only to let it languish in your bag, the Stamford has a handy removable packing divider designed to keep clothes flat. So, you can iron them before you go and then simply hang them up at your destination.

The case is also a breeze to manoeuvre and features a TSA lock, so you don't have to worry about padlocks and those dinky little keys that almost always go missing.

Of course, like any suitcase worth its salt, the Stamford also has an expander - so you can throw that ball gown in, just in case.

Bonus points go to this suitcase for keeping my underwear safely tucked away instead of rudely turfing it out for all to see at baggage claim.

Only pack items that you can wear with at least two other things in your case

If you can make at least two outfits from one item of clothing then it's going to help with limiting the number of things you pack and also decision fatigue once you're at your destination.

For my most recent trip to the US, I tried sticking to a fairly neutral colour palette to get maximum 'fits out of the few pieces I packed. It may sound a bit boring but it worked a treat. I also lay out each piece before they all went into the case to make sure my fashion math was mathing and, truly, I'll never go back to my chaotic "throw everything I own into my suitcase" ways again.

Packing cubes for the win

I know I'm not re-inventing the wheel here but I really can't sing the praises of packing cubes enough.

Usually when I am going away, it's with my two-year-old son so packing cubes are very helpful in keeping his clothes separate from mine and for keeping all of his little t-shirts, shorts and jumpers organised so we can just pull them from each cube as we need it.

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But even when travelling solo I find packing cubes to be really helpful in keeping things clean and organised. They come in different sizes so you can pack t-shirts/tops in one, pants/jeans in another or even use one for underwear or shoes.

The beauty of packing cubes is that when you get to your hotel or Airbnb, you can just take them out of your case and there's no need to completely unpack (unless you want to). They’re also fantastic for staying organised on multi-stop trips too, and for keeping your accommodation tidy - no more throwing everything you've packed out onto the floor to find that one errant sock!

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