Fit More “stuff” In Your Bags

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 468
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If taking an affordable trip is important, then a meticulous review of cheap travel options, such as cheap fares, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discount travel deals, cheap auto rentals, and cheap vacation packages, can help keep a trip on budget. However, packing wisely can also help ensure that you do not needlessly pay extra baggage fees.

The following are packing tips from Smarter Travel:

• Buy an expandable suitcase that can double as two bags in one, particularly that starts off as a carry-on but can expand to a bigger bag when needed.

• Use packing folders to help you fold clothing efficiently and compact multiple items to save space, making your bag neater and seem emptier.

• Another packing approach is to roll packed clothes instead of folding them. Rolling clothes is the best way to fit the most in a bag. Rolled clothes tend to wrinkle less than folded clothes.

• Sometimes you can add extra items to a supposedly full packed bag by first zipping the bag closed and then reopening the bag. Often once a bag has been compressed, there is a little room when opened ...
... again particularly in corners and spaces between larger items.

• Consider the bundle packing method whereby a small pouch is filled with soft items, such as socks and underwear, and then larger clothing items are wrapped around the pouch to form a bundle.

• Given that shoes takes up a lot of space in bags, make them do double duty in your bag by stuffing shoes full of small items such as jewelry (in a zip lock bag), ties (rolled up), or socks, and underwear.

• Pack your shoes in shower caps to keep the rest of your clothes clean. Pack shoes on their sides to maximize space.

• Be smart when selecting which shoes to take in a trip. Try to pack lighter weight shoes, and if you need to bring a heavier pair, then wear them while in transit.

• Save space by using plastic bags which can also help keep your clothes organized and wrinkle free. Such bags do not have to require a vacuum. Regular zip lock bags in assorted sizes can be used for a similar effect much cheaper.

• Make a point of packing dirty clothes separately in a pillow case or laundry bag. When first packing, use such a bag to store socks and underwear.

• To avoid having to deal with tangled chains, string necklaces through straws and fasten them so they do not get tangled, then put them in a zipped bag.

• Place a few dryer sheets in your luggage to remove static cling. These sheets can do double duty by later stuffing them in shoes or a dirty laundry bag to minimize odors. By rubbing dryer sheets, which contain chemicals to help prevent static cling, rub them on whatever (be in clothes or hair) needs fixing.

• Create a package jewelry organizer by placing jewelry in an egg carton. Egg cartons look unappealing to thieves and people who might for whatever reason search your luggage.

• Protect breakables (such as wine or snow globe souvenirs) and prevent fruit from bruising by using bubble wrap. A stapled sleeve of bubble wrap can help protect an iPad or iPhone.

• Do what higher end retailers do and wrap your clothes in tissue paper to help protect them and prevent wrinkles. Use balled up tissue paper or newspaper to keep the shape of items such as purses, boots, and bras.

• Travel with flat little packets of samples that often come with purchase from beauty and skin care companies such as Aveda, Sephora and Smashbox. Alternatively you can sign up for a beauty product sampling service such as Birchbox or Glossybox which ships packs of sample size products to members who pay a subscription fee.

• Select a color theme for your travel clothes to cut down on any unnecessary extras. If you will be packing two suitcases, pack evenly between the two so that you can get by if one suitcase is lost.

• Pack your batteries separately so that your battery powered devices do not turn on after being jostled around and drawing the attention of security.
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