Travel Tips Packing Tips I'm a Travel Writer — and This Is the One Last-minute Packing Hack I Swear By Keep this bag locked and loaded for one more item off your last-minute-travel to-do list. By Skye Sherman Skye Sherman Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Skye Sherman is a freelance travel writer based in West Palm Beach, Florida, a (rare) fourth-generation Floridian. After completing an internship at Palm Beach Illustrated and graduating from college in 2016, she dove into travel writing, testing the waters by growing her own blog and Instagram. Upon embarking on a six-month trip around the world as a digital nomad — and eventually diving into freelance writing full-time — she began writing for major publications, soon seeing her byline in USA Today, Atlas Obscura, Matador Network, The Epoch Times, and various other print and digital publications. Skye began writing for Travel + Leisure in 2018 (her first assignment was to break the news about Florida's Brightline train between Miami and Orlando and was due back the same day). She has written for a wide variety of print and digital publications, penning everything from cover stories on up-and-coming actresses to travelogues of cross-country train rides to the Palm Beaches' 30 Under 30 to breaking news. Before pursuing travel writing, she worked as the influencer marketing manager at Monq, a wellness company. She has also edited a handful of independently published books. Aside from traveling, she's also a private pilot, scuba diver, and self-proclaimed bookworm. She has visited 45 countries so far and hopes to visit all 195 during her lifetime. When she's not writing, she's probably watching a documentary or laying in the sunshine reading a thriller. * 10+ years of experience working as an editor * 5+ years of experience working as a freelance writer covering travel and lifestyle topics * 5+ years of experience in SEO and content strategy * Former contributing editor at Palm Beach Illustrated (print) * Essay accepted for presentation at Sigma Tau Delta 2015 Convention * Named Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges in 2014 * Ongoing supporter of Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County * Received a bachelor's degree in English from Palm Beach Atlantic University, with a minor in psychology Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on March 9, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Getty Images Even though I'm a type-A travel editor who loves to plan in advance and lives for a detailed itinerary, I somehow always find myself on last-minute scrambles to pack for unplanned trips. (I blame my spontaneous, type-B, go-with-the-flow husband.) Instead of starting to plan ahead, which would be the obvious solution here, I've come up with a way to cope: the grab-and-go toiletry bag. It won't solve all your problems, but it crosses one major packing headache off the list — because forgetting a toiletry-bag item or having to throw it away because it's oversized can leave you without the most crucial travel items (from prescriptions to sunscreen). And it's easy to forget essentials, even those that should be obvious, when you're quickly throwing your bags together for a last-minute trip. Getty Images To pack like a travel editor, keep a ready-to-go toiletry bag forever stocked with travel-size minis of all your usual toiletries, plus an item like a special in-flight mask (or a tiny bottle of a super expensive perfume) to look forward to every time you travel. Make sure everything in this bag is TSA-approved and in-flight ready, and instead of buying drugstore travel toiletries, invest in travel-size versions of your usual at-home items. It should be packed with travel-size, TSA-approved items only, so you never have to worry about whether your bag is good to go for any and every situation. Don't touch this toiletry bag at home and you won't have to remember what to pack each time you jet off, because it's all in there already! There's an added perk if you're one of those people who takes weeks to unpack after a trip: the entire point of the grab-and-go toiletry bag is that you never have to unpack it. Keep your travel toiletry bag packed and ready to jet at any given time, and it crosses one more worry off your last-minute travel to-do list. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit