What does a dream vacation look like? Does it involve beaches and remote islands? Or a trip to the mountains and valleys?

Mine looks like any of the two but only with a well-planned itinerary and well-packed luggage. If you’re like me who loves packing and considers it as the most exciting part of any trip, then you won’t have to worry about last-minute packing.

But if in any case you get invited to a vacation a few days before the travel date or you just happen to spoil your spontaneous spirit, well then, don’t panic. There are ways to still victoriously emerge from the stressful tendencies of last-minute packing.

Read up our list of tips to survive unplanned vacation packing and you can just thank us later.

1. Make a checklist

Even if the trip will happen in a few hours from the time you have to start packing, you will still have enough time to make a list. Snatch a pen and a paper, and start listing items down.

A checklist won’t take up an hour to accomplish. Just focus on the important things, list them down and then you can start putting items in your luggage. It’s not a hard task to do. Once you’re out, you’ll be thankful that you did this list, believe me.

There are travel checklist templates available online if you’re really worried about the time. It will give you an overview of what stuff to bring. You can just add or remove some items on that list if it doesn’t suit your needs.

2. Choose the right luggage

Identifying the right luggage for a certain trip is as equally important as to fill it up with your essentials. Ask yourself, do you need a big suitcase, or will a piece of carry-on luggage be enough? How would you know that? Adjust it according to the type of trip you’ll be making. If it’s a tour around a city, a carry-on might suffice. But if you’re staying for a week or a month, that’s when you’ll need your big suitcase.

Whatever bag you decide to bring, take note that it will determine whether it suits your needs or it’s suitable for the kind of trip you’re taking. Be wise about it.

3. Mix and Match

And since an unplanned vacation doesn’t give you enough time to plan for your outfits, the closest thing that you can do to look great is to mix and match your wardrobe pieces. Unleash the fashion expert in you and combine pieces that show your personality.

It’s fun to play around sometimes. Don’t be afraid to be creative.

If I say it will look good on photos, would you do it in a heartbeat? I bet you will.

4. Bring the essentials

Last-minute packing is not an excuse to forget all your essentials at home. Do you want to run back to your house when you’re already on your way to the airport because you left something vital?

That’s what the travel checklist is for. Make sure that you bring essential items. If it’s an international trip, don’t forget your passport. If it’s a domestic trip, bring an ID for identification purposes.

Prepare a pouch or a travel envelope filled with important documents. It’s easier to look for something if it’s organized.

5. Keep it rollin’

The best way to fit all your clothes in a carry-on luggage is to roll them. It’s a space-saving technique that will leave enough room for some take-home goodies during your trip.

It’s also one guaranteed way to ensure that your clothes will be free from wrinkles the moment you unpack them in your hotel room.

6. Wear bulky items

The items that take up the most space inside your luggage are your bulky clothing items. If you really have to bring them with you, then, by all means, wear them. Your suitcase will be spacious enough for some other important items that you need to bring with you.

Now, if you can skip the bulky items, then just leave it. You don’t want to be looking like a snowman if you’re headed to a summer destination. It’s only applicable when you really need to bring those items.

A spontaneous trip is one of the most awesome experiences that you can immerse yourself on. If you don’t have a planned itinerary for the trip, then at least prepare your luggage wisely. It will make or break the trip.

If in case you weren’t able to do it properly, then, just embrace the fact that you’re in for an adventure. The best thing that can happen in an unplanned trip are the surprises you’ll encounter along the way.

But again please, don’t let the surprise be forgetting something behind just because you didn’t pay much attention when you were packing. At least give that to yourself.