5 Mobile Apps to Help you Pack for your Next Vacation {Guest Post}
I just recently got back from a trip to the beautiful Greek Islands. I hopped a plane to Athens, took a quick ferry to Mykonos where I stayed for four luxurious, sun and olive-filled days. Then it was another week of island hopping—Crete, Santorini, Paros, Patmos, and finally a glimpse of Kusadasi and the famous bazaars of Turkey.
One reason why I enjoyed my trip so much was because I was well prepared this time around. You see a trip is more than the location, the hotel amenities, and the new culture you’re about to experience—it’s also about what you have in your suitcase, or lack thereof. You see this was a very valuable lesson that I learned on my previous trip to France. I’d packed last minute for that trip and was so ill prepared that I’d forgotten to pack some important necessities—like a single pair of warm socks because even though its warm during the day, Mimizan (it’s right on the water) nights dipped to chilly, windy temps. I also found that I packed too much in certain areas (toiletries) and not enough in others (prescription medications). In fact, my trip ended up costing me a bundle due to the fact that I neglected to pack enough of an important prescription medication, and wasted a bunch of time and money finding a pharmacy to fax my medical doctor in order to fill a prescription overseas.
So in preparation for my trip to Greece, and to ensure I didn’t forget anything this time; I enlisted the help of a series of mobile packing apps to help me keep my luggage stocked with necessities and organized. Here are a collection of five handy mobile apps to help you pack for your next vacation…assuming you’ve already packed your smart phone, of course!
1. PackingPro ($2.99 – for iPhone)
Oftentimes, packing your suitcase for a trip is more time consuming and arduous than planning the actual trip itself. That’s where a tool like PackingPro can help. This app will help you pack for trips for the rest of your life. All you need to do is build a trip profile in the app user-interface (which takes seconds) and create a checklist of essentials to pack. Tip: I built my list ahead of time so that I had time to look through and remove things I’d probably never take out of my suitcase.
2. Packing List (Free – for iPhone)
You mind is occupied before a trip—spinning with hundreds of things you must take with you, do before you go, and tasks to take care of at work before you forget. The Packing List app reminds you to do all of the things you’d otherwise forget before you get on that plane, train, or automobile. For instance, to get a pet sitter, empty your refrigerator, pack the necessary clothes for varying temps, remember to fill and bring medications, oh, and that electronic plug adapter I always forget so you can actually use T-Mobile wifi calling to find that museum you really wanted to see! The Packing List app will remind you of 120 items in 6 categories so you can lock up and leave home with peace of mind.
3. Pack TM (Free – for iPhone & iPad)
If you need a basic app to help you pack your bags, the Pack TM app provides a clear suitcase inventory based on type of trip (i.e., all inclusive, tour, backpacking, and so forth) so you can catalogue and keep track of all items as you pack.
4. Packing TO DO! ($0.99 – for iPhone & iPad)
I went on a business trip last year only to find out that I left behind my toothbrush—not a good first impression on my client, but luckily there was a drug store near the hotel. The Packing TO DO! app helps you stay organized as you pack for a trip and also as you leave for home. This way you won’t leave your favorite pair of chandelier earrings behind that your husband gave you for your anniversary. Oops!
5. Pack the Bag (Free – for iPhone & iPad)
The Pack the Bag app breaks luggage necessities down into categories, such as beach essentials (i.e., sunscreen, bathing suit, and sunglasses). But what I truly love about this particular app is that you can set it to automatically remind you to start packing. I also used it to send a packing list to my girl friends before our last wine tour so we didn’t all bring a universal cell phone charger, mega bottles of conditioner, or flat irons (it’s great for narrowing down items to share).
*{Original photo source}
Author bio:
Anna Quinn is a staff writer for AndGeeks.com and a woman who admits she's addicted to her smart phone, video gaming, and really any new and neat consumer electronic. Anna decided to put her passion to pen and earn a living writing about technology, handy apps, and consumer electronic reviews to help the average person make a smart purchase. When she's not obsessed with a new gadget, Anna likes to balance her type-A personality with a little hot yoga.
1. PackingPro ($2.99 – for iPhone)
Oftentimes, packing your suitcase for a trip is more time consuming and arduous than planning the actual trip itself. That’s where a tool like PackingPro can help. This app will help you pack for trips for the rest of your life. All you need to do is build a trip profile in the app user-interface (which takes seconds) and create a checklist of essentials to pack. Tip: I built my list ahead of time so that I had time to look through and remove things I’d probably never take out of my suitcase.
2. Packing List (Free – for iPhone)
You mind is occupied before a trip—spinning with hundreds of things you must take with you, do before you go, and tasks to take care of at work before you forget. The Packing List app reminds you to do all of the things you’d otherwise forget before you get on that plane, train, or automobile. For instance, to get a pet sitter, empty your refrigerator, pack the necessary clothes for varying temps, remember to fill and bring medications, oh, and that electronic plug adapter I always forget so you can actually use T-Mobile wifi calling to find that museum you really wanted to see! The Packing List app will remind you of 120 items in 6 categories so you can lock up and leave home with peace of mind.
3. Pack TM (Free – for iPhone & iPad)
If you need a basic app to help you pack your bags, the Pack TM app provides a clear suitcase inventory based on type of trip (i.e., all inclusive, tour, backpacking, and so forth) so you can catalogue and keep track of all items as you pack.
4. Packing TO DO! ($0.99 – for iPhone & iPad)
I went on a business trip last year only to find out that I left behind my toothbrush—not a good first impression on my client, but luckily there was a drug store near the hotel. The Packing TO DO! app helps you stay organized as you pack for a trip and also as you leave for home. This way you won’t leave your favorite pair of chandelier earrings behind that your husband gave you for your anniversary. Oops!
5. Pack the Bag (Free – for iPhone & iPad)
The Pack the Bag app breaks luggage necessities down into categories, such as beach essentials (i.e., sunscreen, bathing suit, and sunglasses). But what I truly love about this particular app is that you can set it to automatically remind you to start packing. I also used it to send a packing list to my girl friends before our last wine tour so we didn’t all bring a universal cell phone charger, mega bottles of conditioner, or flat irons (it’s great for narrowing down items to share).
*{Original photo source}
Author bio:
Anna Quinn is a staff writer for AndGeeks.com and a woman who admits she's addicted to her smart phone, video gaming, and really any new and neat consumer electronic. Anna decided to put her passion to pen and earn a living writing about technology, handy apps, and consumer electronic reviews to help the average person make a smart purchase. When she's not obsessed with a new gadget, Anna likes to balance her type-A personality with a little hot yoga.
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