As we approach the end of the year, many of you might be getting into vacation planning mode.

Whether you’re travelling abroad or heading to a fun local spot, one thing is always tricky for many: knowing how to pack efficiently. Are you guilty of packing your entire closet? Or, do you find yourself having to buy emergency items on your trip because you forgot to pack them?

Or perhaps, packing is stressful because you never know what to pack. Will your outfits work for both sightseeing and dinner plans? And most importantly, are your shoes comfortable and versatile?

Don’t worry, because in this blog, we’re here to give you a guide!

Common Issues People Make When Packing Their Luggage

We understand, sometimes it’s hard not to make these mistakes, but these issues are costing you an easy-going vacation experience.

1. Not Planning Outfits

This is perhaps one of the most common issues that people have with packing. Simply throwing a bunch of clothes into your bag and calling it a day seems like the easy way to do things, but trust us, it can make your trip exhausting - and perhaps even cost you a small fortune to buy forgotten items.

Instead, try planning ahead. Take a quick moment to consider the weather during your stay and the type of activities you’ll be doing while on vacation, and plan your outfits accordingly. This way, you know that you’ll have something comfortable for those days you are out sightseeing on foot, as well as something dressy for a nice dinner out.

2. Leaving It To The Last Minute

Anything left to the last minute is simply a disaster waiting to happen! While you might have gotten lucky the first time, we promise you that the chaotic stress is just not worth it.

A good rule of thumb is to pack your bags at least 2 days before your trip. This ensures that firstly, you don’t get any dirty items that you were planning on taking with you, you have enough time to buy something that you hadn’t realised needs replacing, and you have enough time to tick off everything on the list without frantically forgetting something in a panic.

3. Packing The Wrong Clothes

If you are the ‘I’ll pack this just in case’ kind of person, your travel companions probably have a love-hate relationship with you.

Here’s our advice: packing items just in case works well for toiletries and safety measures, but not clothes. In this case, you want to avoid packing the wrong clothes (items that are difficult to style or don’t work with the climate of your destination).

Trust us, if you are checking the weather forecast and following steps 1 and 2, then you should have a pretty solid idea of what you need to wear and how best to mix and match these items.

Leave your more extravagant pieces for another time; that doesn’t require you to live out of a bag for a while.

4. Not Organising Your Items

Once again, if you are simply tossing in your items as you go down the list, there is a great chance that you are wasting valuable space in your luggage.

Opting for removable compartments is a complete game-changer. It allows you to organise your luggage neatly as well as look for items you might need without messing up the rest of your stuff.

5. Choosing Fashion Over Comfort

We hear you loud and clear: you want to pack for all those potential photo opportunities. We get it, in the age of Instagram, a good outfit is a must!

But, we are not suggesting that you sacrifice your style, simply that your planned outfits should consider both comfort and fashion. After all, what good is a smart outfit that leaves you feeling uncomfortable throughout the day's activiti

Which Rockports Should You Pack For Your Vacation

As we mentioned in the last point, comfort should never sacrifice style, which is why our Rockports designs are the perfect footwear choice for your vacation.

Designed with comfort in mind, our selection of footwear offers you that premium look and feel with the comfort of your best orthopaedic shoes.

Our Lukah, for example, is a classic sneaker that can be dressed both up and down. Featuring an adjustable lace-up front, a cushioned insole and truTECH® technology, this style is perfect for those vacation days that might end with a nice dinner somewhere in town.

However, if you prefer something that looks a little more trendy, then our DMX Colby is the perfect choice. This is another one of our classic sneaker styles, but its thick outsole offers a bit more edge. Featuring Reebok DMX™ Technology, this sneaker offers a unique springy feel underfoot that promises long-lasting cushioning.

These are simply two styles of note, but the best part about our range is that all of our styles are designed with these non-negotiables: all-day comfort, conveniences, and undeniable style.

Choose your very own pair of Rockports today, and look forward to a vacation where you’ll never need to rest your feet!