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Gear Guides

Tips

  • 📚 These guides are free, public, and written by the Packlist PRO team — no account needed to read them.
  • 🛒 Guides include product picks from our curated catalog; links are click-tracked and may earn us a commission (each guide carries the full disclosure).
  • 👀 Want the interactive version? Try the demo trip — the app turns this advice into checklists.

Packing advice you can act on.

By the Packlist PRO team · Updated June 2026

Packlist PRO exists because packing well is a system, not a talent. These guides are the written-down version of that system — the same thinking behind the app's trip types and item catalog, with the specific gear picks we recommend. Read them free, no account required; when you're ready to turn advice into a checklist, the app is free too.

Packing systems

🧳 Packing Cubes 101

How cubes actually work, how to choose a set, and three packing systems that keep any suitcase organized.

🎒 Carry-On Only

The capsule-wardrobe math and the one-bag system that fits a full week into a carry-on.

🧴 Toiletry Kit & TSA 3-1-1

The liquids rule decoded, solid swaps that skip it entirely, and the standing kit you never unpack.

🔌 Travel Tech

Power bank sizing (and airline battery rules), adapters vs converters, and the one-charger setup.

By trip type

🏖️ Beach Vacation

The sun-protection trio, quick-dry fabric strategy, and sand-proofing for everything you own.

🥾 Day Hike

Water math, layers, and the two "never need it" items that turn wrong turns into stories instead of rescues.

🏕️ Camping Essentials

Shelter, sleep, kitchen, light, weather, safety — the camp kit organized by system, not by pile.

🌍 International Travel

Passport validity rules, document backups, money, power, phones, and medication rules abroad.

✈️ Long-Haul Flights

The seat-pocket kit, a real sleep strategy, hydration math, and the battery plan for 10+ hours in 34E.

☀️ Sun Protection

SPF decoded, mineral vs chemical (and reef-safe), how much to actually apply, and the gear beyond sunscreen.

How these guides work

Every guide is written by us, based on the same packing system that powers the app. Product picks come from our curated catalog — the same recommendations the app shows next to your packing list items. Some product links are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps keep Packlist PRO free. As an Amazon Associate, Packlist PRO earns from qualifying purchases. Our advice never depends on what a link pays — the picks are in the app whether you click them or not.

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