Avoid decision fatigue. Use clear packing cubes.

Stuffing your luggage full with everything but the kitchen sink and thinking you're ready to serve on your mission is a rookie mistake. Don't make this mistake.

The only thing reckless and thoughtless packing will do is give you decision fatigue. Trust us (and all the elders before you), with everything else you have to do on your mission, it’s something you want to avoid at all costs.

One smart way of packing for a mission trip is to use clear packing cubes, such as EzPacking's Complete Bundle. Because you can see through the inside of each cube, you're forced to put more thought into every item that goes in your luggage.

Jumpstart your packing with an "Elder Clothing Package"

Two years away is a long time to be away from home, which makes the process of packing for your long-term mission trip inevitably overwhelming. Most likely, you will end up procrastinating to the point that you don't even attempt to start packing.

A simple trick to overcome this is to purchase an Elder Clothing Package and use it as a starting point in which to build your own packing list.

You can also download our FREE Sample Mission Trip Packing List for inspiration to get you started.

Master all the grooming basics.

First, two things:

1. You owe it to yourself to learn the basics of grooming and dressing up, because adulting.

2. Sure, it's going to make your life easier while you're serving, but let's be real, it shouldn't take you going on a mission to learn how to do these basic skills.

Now that we got that out of the way, we can talk about how you can gain mastery of these life skills.

ASK:

• It doesn't matter if it's Google, YouTube, your family members, your girlfriend, or other elders, the best way to learn how to do anything, including how to tie a necktie, how to iron a shirt, and how to shine your shoes is to ask.

PRACTICE:

• The more you practice, the faster you'll be better at it. The next thing you know, you're tying your tie 20 different ways, ironing your shirt in record time, and looking your proselytizing best in no time.

SHARE:

• Once you've reached a level of mastery, make sure to pay your knowledge forward to a new batch of elders going on their first mission.

So what does this have to do with packing? Well, just about everything.

Knowing the basics also means packing only what you need to make the process easier and faster to accomplish.

A Dress Cube, for example, does double duty in keeping your dress shirts and suits wrinkle-free in transit. These clear cubes can also double and  transform into a closet organizer or traveling drawers, which saves you loads of ironing time in the process.

Looking for more missionary trip packing hacks? Make sure to check out our post on Smart Packing Tips for LDS Missionary Sisters for all-inclusive packing advice that's applicable to all missionaries.

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