I know I always do my best work when I’ve seen an example, so I thought I would share with you how I used my Vacation Capsule Planner to figure out what I need to make and then ultimately pack for our road trip in late July.

The first page is pretty easy. The first prompts ask you to record the details of your trip including activities you will definitely be doing, will probably be doing, and might be doing. I like to be ready for all three of these categories, but save most of my packing space for the looks I know I am for sure going to need.

The bottom table has you figure out how many you need of each piece. You can estimate on your own, or, if you’re a nerd like me, you can use my handy calculator spreadsheet here . (The link will ask you to make your own copy in order to open it – this way you can plug in your own details and not mess with the original!)

Page 2 is about the looks you’re going to put together. Start combining garments to make outfits for each activity you’ll be doing. Try your best to use the same garments as much as possible. You’ll notice that lower down, I have one look called “layers,” which is mostly a placeholder to remind me to pack some warmer stuff just in case it gets cool. I’ve also got one “just in case” outfit, which is usually something a little nicer in the event that we get the chance to do something a little fancy. My general rule for this looks is that I am only allowed to bring one extra item to complete this look, so most of it needs to be garments I’ll be bringing anyway. I’m not going to waste precious space on an outfit I might not even wear.

Pages 3-6 are categorized lists for all the items you’ll need to bring. On the right, you’ll see columns labeled, “have, ” “borrow,” “make,” and “buy.” These are meant to help you start thinking about what you need to acquire and how you’re going to do it. Be realistic here and try to incorporate as much as you can from your currently existing closet.

Anyway, here’s my example to help you get started: