There's nothing I love more than stationary! omg! so when I got this fun packing list pad from a friend, I busted out my nine Muji erasable pens to complement it.
At this point, I more or less already have packing down to a science-most people aren't really that surprised to find out that my travel bag is always pre-packed with carry-on sized toiletries and space-saving gear-but that doesn't mean I haven't forgotten the occasional thing. (I did once forget my swimsuit on a resort trip to Cabos. My heart broke when I saw the infinity pool.)
After that, it was time to hit the road with this baby.
Enter the Pack This! Pad from a couple of designers. It's designed to be the essential packing list, so you never have to forget anything again. In fact, it might do its job a little bit too well. The Pack This! pad is generally so chock full of items regarding everything under the sun that I usually spend a good couple minutes crossing out all the unnecessary stuff. In fact, my main complaint about the pad is that-despite the fact that it will probably jar your memory about things you need to bring-it encourages you to commit the ultimate cardinal sin in traveling: overpacking.
On a weird side note, the strangest thing about the pad seems to be the fact that it includes some really weird and funky items that aren't really relevant anymore. When was the last time you used a traveler's check? Or, well, brought your PDA with you? Is this really that much more advanced than a Post-It?
Generally, though, the designers of the pad have included some smart things, like the ability to quantify how many items of clothing you should bring. After all, you should remember that you only need nine shirts, right? Some blank spaces are included as well so you can add your own items to the fray. This space, though, is somewhat limited because of the pad's design.
If we're rating the pad based on functionality alone, I would have to score the packing list at a 6.5 out of 10. For putting the fun factor in there? Well, it definitely puts a zing back into packing, which isn't generally a pleasurable activity, and scores a 9 out of 10. On a weighted scale, this means the pad would score a 7.75 out of 10. It's just a cool but completely unnecessary thing to have.
The 60-page pad (so, good for 60 trips!) is available for $6.50 through Knock Knock or for $7.19 through Amazon. On the plus side, it totally makes packing fun, which you may or may not be able to put a price on.
