Lading

First-night box checklist

The box you'll want first is the one you pack last. Print this page, tape it inside the lid, and tick things off as they go in.

What goes in

  • Phone chargers and a power strip
  • Medications, glasses and contact lenses
  • Toilet paper, hand soap and a towel
  • Toothbrushes, toothpaste and a change of clothes
  • Bedding and pillows for tonight
  • A kettle or coffee maker and two mugs
  • Snacks, water and a few paper plates
  • Scissors or a box cutter
  • A flashlight
  • Trash bags and a roll of paper towels
  • A screwdriver and the hardware for the bed
  • Pet food and bowls, if you have pets
  • Keys, ID and your moving paperwork

Three rules

  1. Pack it yourself, and pack it last. Everything in it is something you'll use until moving day.
  2. Write OPEN FIRST on every side, not just the top, so it's visible in a stack.
  3. Bring it in your own car, not the truck. If the truck is late, you still have tonight covered.

Tracking the rest of your boxes? Lading is an iPhone app that numbers and photographs each box, prints a label in its room's color, and scans boxes onto the truck and off again, so you can see what didn't arrive. Flag your first-night box Priority and the flag prints on its label. Free to try: 1 room and 20 boxes with the core features. Lading Pro is a one-time $6.99 and removes the limits. iPhone only, iOS 26 or later. Get it on the App Store.

More moving tips: how to label moving boxes with QR codes.

From jeaneselatiolais.com/lading/first-night-box · Lading, the moving box tracker for iPhone