Packing · August 31, 2026
What to pack first when moving
Pack the last-night kit first, not last
People pack essentials at 1 a.m. the night before the truck and then bury them. Pack the first-night box on day one and leave it closed in a closet you will not raid. Label it OPEN FIRST and keep it off the truck if you can.
What belongs in the first 72 hours
Beds you can sleep in, a bathroom that works, a way to make coffee or feed children, chargers, medications, pet supplies, and the documents you still need in the old town (IDs, closing papers). Everything else can wait in stacked boxes.
Never on the truck
Passports, cash, jewelry, irreplaceable media, prescriptions, and the bag you would grab in a fire. Owner-car is a handling flag for a reason. If it cannot be replaced this week, it should not be in a random BOX 40.