How Fold builds your list
It starts from the weather. Fold finds your destination, then pulls the daily highs, lows and rain for your dates: the forecast if you leave within two weeks, otherwise the real weather on those dates over the last three years. A trip that averages 12°C with rain on half the days gets a warm layer, a rain jacket and shoes that cope with puddles. A trip that tops 28°C gets the sun hat and sandals instead.
Then it sizes the list. Counts follow the number of nights and whether you can do laundry, and each kind of trip adds its own section: swimwear and after-sun for the beach, goggles and base layers for skiing, a laptop and smart shoes for work.
A typical list for four nights in a European city in spring
Clothes
- Underwear ×5
- Socks ×5
- Tops ×4
- Trousers or jeans ×3
- Jumper or fleece ×1
- Something to sleep in ×1
- Comfortable walking shoes ×1
- One nicer outfit for dinner
For the weather
- Light jacket
- Sunglasses
- Rain jacket
- Shoes that cope with puddles
Out and about
- Day bag
- Reusable shopping bag
- Refillable water bottle
- Saved list of places to go
Wash bag
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Skincare
- Razor
- Hairbrush
- Glasses or contact lenses
- Your medicines, with a few spare days
- Painkillers and plasters
Tech
- Phone charger
- Power bank
- Headphones
- Plug adapter (check the socket type)
Papers and money
- Passport or ID card
- Tickets and booking confirmations
- Bank card and a backup card
- A little local cash
- Travel insurance details
- House keys
Questions
Where does the weather come from?
From Open-Meteo. If your trip starts within the next two weeks, Fold uses the forecast for those exact days. Further out, no forecast is honest, so Fold looks up what the weather actually did on the same dates in each of the last three years and packs for that.
How does it decide how many of each thing?
Underwear and socks are one per day plus a spare. Tops are about two for every three days, trousers one for every three. Tick “I can do laundry” and everything is capped at a week's worth, which is how most people travel light for longer trips.
What counts as cold, wet or hot?
Average daytime highs of 25°C and up count as hot. Nights near freezing bring the coat, hat and gloves. If it rained a millimetre or more on at least three days in ten, you get a rain jacket, and an umbrella when it's every other day.
Can I change the list?
Yes. Remove anything with the cross, add your own items to any section, and tick things off as they go in the bag. The list is saved in your browser, so it's still there when you come back tonight.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Free, no account, no ads. Your trip stays on your device. Share link puts the trip settings inside the link itself, not on our server.
Does it work for carry-on only?
Choose Carry-on and Fold swaps in travel-size toiletries and reminds you about the 100 ml liquids bag. Pair it with laundry to keep a two-week trip in one cabin bag.
More packing lists
The list, the morning you leave
We're building reminders: your list in your inbox the morning of the trip, with anything still unticked at the top. Leave your email and we'll tell you when it's ready.