For many people, packing a suitcase or a backpack is one of the less pleasant elements of travel and also - a source of stress. We don’t know if we won’t forget something in the rush of preparations, and when we manage to collect all the necessary items, it may turn out that they don’t fit into our luggage. Fortunately, there are many handy techniques that can improve the packaging process. In this article you will learn the best tips and tricks that will help you save time and space in your suitcase - check them out!
Why are packing techniques worth learning?
-
Lighter luggage - if we travel by plane, it may often turn out that our suitcase is already full, but the suitcase is very light - and we could easily add 3 or 5 kilograms. In addition, it may turn out that you can easily pack into a smaller suitcase or backpack.
-
Everything at hand - better packed luggage means that the most needed items are always at hand - we don’t have to dig through clothes and towels to reach the phone charger or sunscreen.
-
Stress-free packaging - you will avoid a situation in which you have to change your plans at the last minute and give up the items you planned to pack.
Proper packing order
The tips you’ll learn here are so universal that you can easily apply them to all your travels. You will learn what to put on the bottom, what should be easily accessible on top, and how to ensure the stability of the suitcase and relieve your back. You can find even more information on this topic here! (https://myluggage.io/en/blog/article/how-to-fold-clothes-in-a-suitcase-in-4-steps)
Step 1: Packing clothes
Shoes
-
Put the shoes on the bottom of your suitcase or backpack.
-
Wear the bulky or heaviest shoes while traveling, and pack the smaller and lighter ones in your luggage.
-
Additionally, inside the shoes you can put rolled up socks or small, secured items that you don’t need to have easy access to.
-
Take a special foil bag for your shoes to secure your luggage.
Shirts and T-shirts, pants, jackets, underwear
Depending on the length of your trip, how big luggage you have and what means of transport you choose - choose the appropriate technique for packing clothes. Thanks to this, you will save space and there will be less creasing on your clothes. Find some useful techniques for planning clothes to pack here! (https://myluggage.io/en/blog/article/10-tips-to-pack-a-suitcase)
Folding
By far the most popular packaging technique. It means folding clothes in the same way as we do when folding clothes in the wardrobe after laundry. It's common, but not necessarily the most cost-effective in terms of saving space. Our luggage then consists of many larger and smaller rectangles arranged on top of each other.
Pros of folding:
-
If you plan to take your clothes out of the suitcase and put them in a wardrobe immediately after arriving at your vacation destination - this is a good technique for you.
-
This way, you can conveniently plan and pack the outfits that you will wear every day. Just choose underwear, T-shirt and pants for the day and put them together in one set.
-
This is a good technique when we take clothes similar to each other, for example during a summer trip, because our rectangles will then be one sized and we will not waste much space.
The downsides of folding:
-
Unfortunately, folding doesn't save too much space - especially when we have clothes of different sizes.
-
Creases appear on shirts, dresses or trousers folded with this method.
Folded back-to-front
This is a type of folding where the clothes are folded into rectangles are arranged vertically, not horizontally.
Pros of back-to-front method:
-
This way we can easily see the clothes we’ve packed without having to go through the horizontally arranged layers.
-
This method saves a lot of space, especially when we pack a lot of clothes such as t-shirts.
Cons of back-to-front method:
-
Creases are an issue that also occurs with this packaging method.
Bundling
If you take a lot of clothes with you that can get creased - this is an interesting method for you. It means arranging all the clothes on each other and wrapping them one by one. It sounds not very intuitive, but if you look at the video illustrating it - you will quickly understand everything!
Pros of bundling method:
-
Saves a lot of space in your suitcase.
-
It is a good choice when you pack clothes of different sizes - then you can wrap the smaller ones with larger ones, such as jackets or sweatshirts.
-
There is the least amount of creases on clothes such as dresses or shirts.
Cons of bundling method:
-
Getting to one specific piece of clothing hidden inside the package is quite time-consuming and inconvenient.
-
This technique requires a bit of practice and more thought about the order in which the clothes are packed.
Rolling
This is one of the best techniques when we need to save a lot of space. It means tightly rolling the clothes and putting them in a suitcase in the form of rolls.
Pros of rolling:
-
A great technique when you need to pack a lot of clothes - for example tshirts. You will save a lot of space.
Cons of rolling:
-
Creases can appear on more delicate clothes.
Vacuum packing
If you need to pack a lot of irregular, space-consuming items, such as sweaters - vacuum packing with special bags is a great idea for you. It consists in "squeezing" air out of luggage, thanks to which you gain up to three times more space.
Pros of vacuum packing:
-
The space savings are huge!
Cons of vacuum packing:
-
Requires investment in special accessories.
-
Packed clothes may not be easily visible in luggage.
-
Packing is a bit more time consuming.
Step 2: Packing everyday items
Cosmetics
Packing cosmetics can be stressful - I think each of us had to throw away too large a bottle of shampoo at the airport, forgetting the 100 ml limit, or opened luggage in which shower gel was spilled. Fortunately, the packing of everyday items can be smoother and more stress-free.
-
A great solution is to buy small packages of frequently used cosmetics, such as conditioner, shower gel or shampoo. Thanks to this we will save a lot of space in the luggage.
-
A good, more profitable version of the previous advice is a one-time purchase of small glass packaging for cosmetics, which we will fill with the products we already have at home.
-
If you find a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 product that you like - this is another way to save space in your suitcase! Note - cosmetics such as shampoo + conditioner can often weigh your hair down and it is usually better to take these cosmetics separately.
-
You can arrange with your travel companions to share frequently used products such as soap and hand cream. Thanks to this, instead of five packages - you will pack one.
-
It is a good idea to buy sachets in which we’ll pack the cosmetics by their category.
-
Divide cosmetics into cosmetic bags - in one, these products that we must have at hand, and in the other, these that we will use during holidays.
-
If you have space in your shoes or between clothes, you can put such smaller cosmetics there. Remember to secure them!
Everyday items
There are many everyday items that we want to take on a trip - especially the longer one. These include, but are not limited, to brushes, hairbrushes, clothes roller, razors and more.
-
You can protect the razor blade with a glue gun - you just take the protective layer off the razor before use.
-
It is worth investing in a toothbrush bristle protector.
-
Instead of shaving gel, you can apply a hair conditioner to the calves or thighs - it will also soften the hair and protect the skin.
Towels
This is one of the most space-consuming items.
-
Rolling is believed to be the best way to pack your towels.
-
Towels can provide great cushioning for smaller and delicate items.
-
A special travel towel can be a good purchase - it is lighter, thinner and quick-drying.
-
You can wrap something damp in a towel if you urgently need to pack it before departure.
Fragile items
-
It's a good idea to wrap delicate items in towels or t-shirts.
-
If you are looking for a more professional solution - consider purchasing an aviation foam that protects the glass from damage, or a bubble wrap.
Step 3: Packing the carry-on bag
Carry-on bag must be packed in a particularly thoughtful way, so that it will be handy and comfortable at the same time, and also - provides good access to all necessary items.
Clothes for a carry-on bag
-
For a carry-on bag, pack one set of clothes for the whole day, in case you spend the night at the airport or spill coffee on your clothes.
-
Let's also pack a sweatshirt and a raincoat - something warm in case of cool weather or staying outside after dark.
Cosmetics for a carry-on bag
Think about what will be useful for us when traveling and pack only the absolute minimum, but let's not forget about a few important details.
-
Antibacterial gel - in case we won’t be able to wash our hands comfortably.
-
Hand cream - air-conditioned areas of airports or hours on the bus can be a big challenge for our skin and make it very dry.
-
Face mist - a great way to feel fresh even after hours on the road.
-
Lip balm - a long journey, dehydration or conditioned air - all of this dries your lips.
-
Wipes - a must-have for a travel bag!
-
A lens box and lens solution - if you wear them, of course. There is nothing worse than not being able to safely remove your lenses after many hours!
Electronics
One of the most delicate elements of our carry-on luggage.
-
Consider whether you really need to take all the planned electronics with you. If your phone takes pictures as good as a camera, and you will only use your laptop to watch movies that you could watch on a tablet anyway - this way you can minimize the volume of your luggage.
-
Flat power banks are more convenient and handy than wide and shapeless ones.
-
Take universal cables and charger adapters with you, for example 5 in 1.
Accessories
-
When packing chargers, cables or headphones - you can fasten them with an elastic band so that they do not get tangled.
-
Make the most of the potential of pockets and loops in your carry-on luggage to sort small items.
-
Do you want to be sure that you won’t forget about all the necessary accessories and gadgets? Check out this checklist! (https://myluggage.io/en/blog/article/what-to-pack-for-holidays-checklist-for-2020)
Documents and other important things
-
One of the most important pieces of luggage! The key is to secure them properly - for example, keeping them in a waterproof, plastic pocket. It is equally important to protect these items against theft. Keep them close to the body, in an accessible place for you.
-
Keep your documents in one place, but in your main baggage pack a spare passport photo, photos of tickets, documents or hotel booking confirmation.
Useful Packaging Accessories
There are a number of useful accessories that can improve your packaging process.
-
Packing cubes - a hit among travelers in recent years. These are special luggage organizers where you can keep things thematically. Such an organizer will be perfect for trips where you will have to keep order and have easy access to various types of luggage.
-
Sachets - for example for cosmetics. They allow you to protect your luggage against any leakage of the cosmetics. We can’t forget about the comfort we gain during airport security checks when we already have cosmetics in sachets.
-
Vacuum bags - they will significantly save space when packing - especially when packing sweaters or towels. Remember that you need to be able to use the bags on the way back too!
-
Luggage scale - you will make sure that your luggage is not too heavy to go through the boarding without any problems, or that it won’t be uncomfortable to walk with.
-
Travel cosmetics bags with a mirror and a hook for hanging - often when traveling we have nowhere to safely place the cosmetic bags so that they don’t get wet. The solution are comfortable travel cosmetics bags equipped with a hook and a mirror.
