One of your highest priorities while packing should be your go box, sometimes also called an essentials, travel or open-first box. Each member of your family will have his or her own go box that contains the fundamentals necessary to complete the travel portion of the move and potentially the first few nights in your new home.
In this blog, we list eight of the items that should go in your go box and the go boxes of every family member.
- Backups
You’ll include many individual objects in your go box. Once you’ve begun to make progress in this packing process, think about the items most likely to be lost, damaged or otherwise made nonfunctional. Then pack a backup.
For example, if your child is bringing a handheld game, his or her box should also have extra batteries. You may also want to include spare electronics chargers, basic toiletries like toothpaste and chapstick and so on in your box in case those objects don’t make it into a child’s go box.
- Comfort Item
Regardless of your age, moving can take its toll. Each person’s go box should include at least one item that evokes a feeling of safety, control or hopefulness.
Your children may want a familiar blanket or stuffed animal tucked into their boxes, while you may prioritize bringing your planner, lucky jewelry or current reading material.
- Entertainment
Whether your move takes you just out of town or across the country, you don’t want the trip there to become tedious. Each family member should pack at least one form of private entertainment for travel, like a book or music player.
Additionally, you may want to include several group entertainment options in your own box. These options could include a camera for recording memories, a book on tape, or the rules of your favorite on-the-road game.
- Family Records
While your important documents needn’t be divided among each of your family’s go boxes, these records must make it into one of the go boxes. Decide in advance which adult will keep track of which documents.
The family records you keep in your go box may include medical care information, vet records, important contact numbers and original personal documents like birth certificates.
- Medication
If any member of your family takes prescription medication, the medicine itself and any instruction information should go in his or her box.
If you handle your children’s medication, you may want to invest in small pill boxes to track each dosage or create a chart so you can check off who received which medication at a specific time. Staying organized will help safeguard your family’s health during this transition.
- Moving Documents
Most of the items in your home will be out of reach in boxes until you begin the unpacking process. Your go box should include any documents that relate to your move that you may need to reference or present to a company representative before you arrive.
For example, your moving day schedule and estimate, any storage unit or rental truck information and your new housing and utility documents should all stay in your go box. To make these items even more accessible, consider organizing them into folders or into a single binder.
- Personal Toiletries
Think about the toiletries you will use the first few nights and mornings in your new home. All of these toiletries should be placed in your go box. Your personal toiletries should include a toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, body wash or soap and any hair or skin products you use daily.
In addition to these fundamentals, you may also want to pack cosmetics, basic first aid items and shared toiletries like hand soap.
- Wallet
As you pack up your home, it’s easy for smaller items to get lost or misplaced, even important smaller items. Make a habit of putting your wallet in your go box or in your purse when it’s not on you to ensure that it leaves your home with you.
You may also want to include cash, multiple forms of personal identification and so on, even if these items aren’t being stored directly in your wallet.
Use this list as a starting place as you consider which items you will need access to as you travel to your new home. If you are moving long distance, you may need more essentials than fit in a single box. Learn more about this secondary go box category in our previous blog, “10 Essentials to Pack in Your Car — Moving Cross-Country.”
When packing your go box, be sure to keep it separate from the rest of the boxes being packed in your home so it doesn’t accidentally land on the moving truck.
For expert and personalized moving recommendations, including further fundamental guidelines for your upcoming residential move, trust Bekins Van Lines Inc.
