I wish I could just throw things in a bag and leave (and when we spontaneously go away for the weekend I do) but for bigger trips (or anything that involves a plane ride) I make very detailed packing lists. I have a small notepad, and have a separate page for each category (like "E clothes" "D clothes" "Toiletries" "Misc" "Foodstuff" etc). One of my co-workers thought I was being stupidly organized when I was making lists for our beach trip during lunch Monday, but without them I'd stress out, way over-pack and/or forgot silly things like phone chargers!