Packing Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Luggage
Packing isn’t fun for a lot of people, but for me I get so excited doing it. With these tips, you can make your luggage space go a longer way and may help packing be more fun! :)
Tip 1: Lay Everything Out First By Outfit
This tip is the number one thing for me, personally. I have to lay out each outfit separately on my bed with the appropriate undergarments so that I absolutely know I have everything I need and won’t forget anything. Then on my fingers I count how many days I will be gone, and make sure I have enough outfits.. Does anyone else do this!? Another thing that doesn’t really fit into any of my tips, but I think is a good mention is that I try to limit myself to at most two pairs of shoes. I pair of tennis shoes and sandals, anything more takes up too much space for me!
Tip 2: Make A Packing List On Your Phone
Forgetting something you absolutely need for a trip, is the worst feeling... I also hate the stress of on the way to the airport, like did I forget anything?? This tip helps SO much with that stress and those feelings! Making a packing list on your phone is something that I learned from my boyfriend. He is a person that needs the exact same things every time and has ritual to everything (I love him for it!). Here is a screenshot of what part of his list looks like. I really really like this idea, and want to adopt it myself. It is so easy and he packs, he can check off each item, and he will know that he won’t forget anything! Each time we go on a new trip, he can just uncheck everything and do it all again! So convenient :)
Tip 3: Roll Your Clothes
Okay.. So a couple people on Instagram recommended this to me and honestly, I have never ever done it before. However, I decided to test it out with my packing for my trip this weekend, and let me tell ya, it sure does save some room! You can see from the first picture, my luggage was almost all the way full when I folded the clothes normally. I then redid it all with rolling them up (in the second picture) and I saved at least 35% capacity with doing this! We have to bring some podcast items with us, and now I can actually fit some of it in my bag! I also was reading online that a benefit of rolling is that you don’t get the distinguishable crease marks that you would get if you folded your clothes. I am going to try this rolling method this trip and see if they are wrinkled when I get there! I will report back :P
Tip 4: Use Packing Cubes
This is also something I haven’t done before, but I asked for some for Christmas and am looking forward to trying them out (Click here for the ones I am getting)! The number one benefit I am most looking forward to with these is organization. I can keep all my day outfits, PJs, etc. separated by the different cubes, and it will make things so much simpler when unpacking or just grabbing and outfit quickly! It is nice you can also still roll clothes in them to save room! Another awesome benefit is since they are stackable, you most likely will be able to fit more in your luggage. You can put these bags in your luggage, and fit items around them if needed! Lastly, while reading reviews online, it sounds like these cubes keep your clothes wrinkle free (no matter if you are a folder or a roller), how awesome!
Tip 5: Keep Your Clothes Fresh
Okay, so I have to admit, I have never heard of this before doing some research for this blog. The other tips, I somehow use it my life (or had plans to use), but this one really is something new to me! One tip says to put them between your clothes to keep them smelling fresh. Another tip said to put one in each of your shoes to keep the odors from getting to your other clothes in your bag, I thought this was a really helpful tip! I plan on doing this to see if it helps at all :) It is so awesome that they hardly take up any room, and can keep your clothes smelling so fresh!
Tip 6: Wear Your Thickest Layers On The Plane
This is something I have always done, and I think it works out well for me! I found this picture online, and I thought it was so funny, they sure were able to bring a lot of clothes this way!! :D Although I don’t go to this extent, one item that I always like to wear is a sweatshirt, because these normally take up a lot of space in my luggage due to how bulky they are. Something else my boyfriend and I plan on doing for our upcoming trip to Wyoming is to wear our winter boots on the plane. By boyfriend has size 13 feet, and his thick boots would take up half his luggage! Where as putting his tennis shoes in his luggage, will take up a lot less room. Lastly, I usually have some extra room in my backpack, so I throw another sweatshirt at the bottom of that to save some extra space in my luggage. It doesn’t weigh much in my backpack, and worth the extra space.
Tip 7: Save A Little Room For a Souvenir or Two
Not everyone is a souvenir type of person, but I definitely love a good souvenir on a trip :) One thing we love to get is a Starbucks mug wherever we go (the state travel mugs - as seen in the picture! The box always takes up some room in my luggage, so now I try to carve out a space knowing we probably will get one :P Also, if you saw my story yesterday, I normally like to get an ornament from my trips. When I am putting up my tree and putting the ornaments on, I always love remembering my trips this way! Although, its a little weird buying an ornament somewhere in the middle of summer, ha! Anyways, souvenirs are something that a lot of us expect to get on trips, and make sure you save a little room for your trip back for these because if not, it can be a little stressful trying to figure out how you are going to get it all to fit!
Bonus: My Favorite Travel Accessories (Click Photo For Direct Link to Website)
Dot & Dot - 4 Leak Proof Travel Bottles - 3 oz Travel Containers for Travel Size Toiletries with TSA Quart Bag
These are perfect for a week of travel. You can buy travel size of items, but with these you know you can use the shampoo, soap, etc. that you normally use everyday. And they are more sustainable!
Travel Containers, Silicone Cream Jars - LEAK-PROOF - TSA Approved Small Travel Containers (3 Pack)
This is another item I use for face creams, lotions, etc. Normally I don’t need a whole lot of these items on trips, so these are the perfect size. They also can be easily washed and can be used for many trips to come!
Herschel 10347-02077-OS Chapter Toiletry Kit, Ash Rose, Carry-On 3L
I am a low maintenance person when it comes to travel toiletries, so this bag is perfect for me. The one compartment is all I would need! I don’t wear make-up ever, so I don’t need a big complex bag to store all the make-up items!