Why Generic Packing Lists Don't Work (And What to Do Instead)

We've all been there. You're packing for a trip and decide to google "what to pack for a trip to..." for a bit of guidance. You find an article with 150 items organised into neat little categories. Toiletries. Electronics. Documents. Clothes for warm weather. Clothes for cold weather. Clothes for weather that can't make up its mind.

You scan through it, pick out the three things you hadn't thought of, and then pack the way you always do anyway.

Those lists aren't bad. They're just not yours.

The problem with someone else's packing list

A generic packing list is written for everyone and therefore useful for no one in particular. It tells you to pack "5 t-shirts" when you own three that you actually wear. It suggests "a light jacket" when you've got a very specific rain shell that you take on every trip. It reminds you to bring "toiletries" as if that word means the same thing to any two people on the planet.

The real issue isn't what's on the list — it's what's not on it. Your charging cable for that one camera battery. The specific adapter you need because half your gear uses USB-C and half doesn't. That tiny sewing kit you always throw in after the zip incident of 2019. No generic list will ever know about those things because they're yours.

And then there's the opposite problem: half the items on a generic list don't apply to you at all. You spend mental energy reading through "formal shoes", "travel pillow", "binoculars", and "laundry bag" just to decide — no, no, no, and no. That's not packing help. That's a quiz.

Why the "packing wizard" isn't much better

Some apps try to solve this by generating a list based on your destination, the weather forecast, and your trip type. You tell them you're going to Barcelona for five days, it's going to be warm, and you're planning some sightseeing and a beach day. They generate a list.

It feels more tailored, but it's still a list of suggestions from a rule-based algorithm. "3 pairs of shorts." Are they your shorts? Do you even own three pairs you'd take on holiday? The app doesn't know and doesn't care. You still end up mentally translating every line into what you actually own — or just ignoring half of it.

These tools are helpful the very first time you travel, maybe. By the third or fourth trip, you're working around the generated list more than you're working with it.

What actually works: packing from your own stuff

The packing system that actually saves time isn't someone else's list. It's your list, built from your belongings.

Think about how you actually pack when you're good at it. You don't think in generic categories. You think in specifics: "my blue duffel bag, the black trainers, the Kindle, that USB hub with four ports." You know what you own. You know what you like to bring. The problem was never a lack of information — it was not having it written down somewhere reusable.

That's why we built ezypack around a concept called Your Stuff — a personal catalogue of things you actually own. You add items once, and they're always there for any future packing list. No retyping. No scanning through someone else's suggestions. Just your gear, your clothes, your toiletries, ready to pick from every time.

The first time you use it, you spend a few minutes adding your things. Maybe you build out your catalogue over two or three trips as you remember items. But after that? Every packing list takes seconds. You're pulling from your own inventory, not translating a stranger's recommendations.

Specific beats generic, every time

There's a reason professional travellers — photographers, musicians, field researchers — don't use generic packing lists. They maintain their own gear lists because the stakes of forgetting something specific are too high. A photographer doesn't need "a camera." They need their specific body, two specific lenses, the charger that only works with their battery model, and the SD card reader that fits their laptop.

You might not be packing for a photo shoot, but the principle scales down perfectly. Your weekend camping trip isn't generic. You have a specific sleeping bag, a specific head torch that takes AAA batteries (so you need to pack AAAs), and a specific mess tin. You have a favourite hoodie for evenings. You have that one dry bag that fits everything for the walk to the shower block.

When your packing list reflects what you actually own, two things happen. First, you stop forgetting things — because the items on the list are real, specific objects in your home, not abstract categories. Second, you stop overpacking — because you're not adding items "just in case" from a generic recommendation. You know exactly what you're bringing and why.

Making it work in practice

If this approach appeals to you, here's a practical way to start:

Start with your next trip, not a master list. Don't try to catalogue everything you own in one sitting. Just pack for your next trip normally, and as you pack each item, add it to your catalogue. By the end of the trip, you'll have 20–40 items saved without any extra effort.

Use labels that match how you think. Maybe you think in terms of bags — "carry-on", "checked luggage", "day bag." Maybe you think in terms of activity — "hiking gear", "beach stuff", "evening out." Or maybe you just want the basics: "clothes", "electronics", "toiletries." There's no right system, only your system.

Add things between trips. Bought a new travel adapter? Add it to your catalogue while you're thinking about it. Discovered a packing trick that needs a specific item? Add it. Your catalogue should grow naturally over time, not in one big effort.

Don't forget the non-packing stuff. The things that stress people out before a trip aren't usually "did I pack enough socks." They're "did I book the airport parking" and "did I tell the neighbour about the cat." A good packing workflow includes tasks alongside items. Keep them in the same place so nothing falls through the cracks.

The bottom line

Generic packing lists are fine as inspiration. But the packing system that actually makes your life easier is one built from your own belongings, refined over time, and reusable without starting from zero.

That's exactly what ezypack is built for: your stuff, catalogued once, ready for every trip.

Download ezypack — free on iOS and Android.