There is nothing better than heading to our favorite vacation destinations. After purchasing flight tickets and booking hotel rooms, it’s time to dust off those bags and start packing for the next trip.
Here are my 10 favorite strategies my family uses to pack our bags in an organized manner, maximizing all the available space allotted.
Pre-plan lost baggage If you are traveling with your family members, pack a few of your clothes in their suitcase and vice versa. If you’re traveling alone, keep a simple change of clothes and a toothbrush in your hand luggage. Since the majority of misplaced bags are found within 24 hours, this tip will ensure you have an outfit or two to get you through until your bag is returned to you.
Items to be packed in your hand luggage- Prescriptions, jewelry, money, cameras, keys, cell phone chargers, itineraries, passports and tickets should be packed in your hand luggage and not in your bag. Think about the future and ask yourself, “What would I miss most if I lost my belongings?” It is best to keep them near you at all times.
Plastic can help reduce wrinkles. As you fold and pack your clothes neatly, place them in plastic bags, preferably dry-cleaning bags. These bags help protect clothes from wrinkling.
Keep shoes to a minimum: Shoes can be heavy and bulky – just pack at least two pairs and put them in the bottom of your bag. On the subject of shoes – consider buying cheap flip flops to use around your hotel room and pool area and throw them on before you go home.
Space saving tipsJeans, T-shirts, pajamas, socks, underwear and other casual wear can be easily folded and tucked away to fit into small spaces. Socks can also be stuffed into shoes to maximize available space!
Place the items you’ll need immediately on top of your bag. Our family loves to travel to Walt Disney World in the winter months. Upon arrival, we can’t wait to change into t-shirts and jeans and into t-shirts, shorts, and a swimsuit. Placing a quick change of clothes and sunscreen at the top of the bag allowed us to quickly change and hit the parks or pools in no time.
Cut your toiletries in half: Leave the big bottles behind and invest in smaller, travel-sized versions of your favorite shampoo, body wash, etc. If you can’t decide your favorite products in sample sizes, purchase small travel-sized containers and fill them with your favorite shampoos, lotions, and creams. Make sure to take the guess work out of what’s in each of these containers by gluing them on. To prevent these items from leaking while traveling, put them in Ziploc bags.
Ziploc bags are our best friends. Always pack a few different sized Ziploc bags to keep dirty clothes and wet bathing suits separate from the rest of your belongings.
Check the weather forecast for your travel destination. The day before you leave, check the extended weather forecast for the area you’ll be traveling to and adjust your clothing accordingly. If your destination is as warm at night as it is during the day, there’s no need to pack jackets or coats. Raindrops in the forecast? Pack an umbrella or a light jacket.
Additional items the Genie never leaves without: A small flashlight (which you can get for about $1.00 in most camping sections of any store), a small foldable poncho, a built-in repair kit for my husband’s eyeglasses, batteries, and an extra foldable bag for items we buy on our trip or to hold dirty laundry.
These 10 tips will ensure that your suitcase is packed and ready for an organized and magical trip!