Travelympics: How to Pack in Under 3 Minutes

You woke up late. Your alarm didn’t go off in time (it was probably set for PM instead of AM), and your trans-Atlantic flight leaves in three hours. Since you’re supposed to check in for international flights two hours in advance, and with the airport being a solid 45 minutes away, you’ve got a grand total of 15 minutes to get out the door.
It will take you four minutes to get dressed, three minutes to guzzle a latte and eat a bowl of cereal, two minutes to brush your teeth, and another three minutes to call an Uber.
And you still haven’t packed your bags.
With the Rio Olympics in full swing, why not use these last-minute packing tips to turn your very unfortunate mistake into something a little more fun and challenging—The Travelympics!
Think you can pack in three minutes or less? It’s easier than it sounds.
Heat: Pick the largest piece of luggage you own. There’s no time to roll your clothes or to carefully organize your suitcase—this is going to be a messy job. And I hope you weren’t planning on traveling carry-on only. That type of thing takes planning.
If you have compression sacs, that’s great news. Stuff your clothes in, squeeze the air out, and repeat as many times as necessary. If not, bring some packing cubes since they don’t take up much space. You’ll just have to organise everything when you arrive at your hotel.
Quarter Final: Toiletries. The only things you need to take are prescription medications or contact lenses. You’ll have to buy everything else en route. It’s more expensive and inconvenient, but that’s the price you pay for waking up late!
Semi Final:You don’t have time to pack snacks in your carry-on—you’re going to have to spend the $8 at the airport for a bottle of water and a bag of nuts. Just grab your tablet, laptop, digital camera, and whatever chargers you’ll need. You’re running out of time!
It helps to have a carry-on bag with a padded laptop sleeve, so you don’t have to worry about breaking your screen in the midst of a mad rush. Grab some twist ties or plastic bags so you can organize your cables once you get on the plane. I always use Cord Tacos to keep things neat.
Final: Go! Get out of here! What are you waiting for? Call your Uber now, grab your bags, and make the final dash to the finish line!
And there you have it! You’ve won the Travelympics – your gold medal awaits you on the plane!
 
Jeremy Scott Foster
Jeremy Scott Foster is an adrenaline junkie, culture vulture and eater of dumplings. He has been traveling for many years, flying around the world, jumping off bridges and climbing volcanoes. You can check out his adventures on Travel Freak now!