travel
Holiday Packing: Perfect Preparation Tips For Your Next Trip
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It’s fair to say that
packing your main suitcase for a holiday is rarely a welcome task. Sure,
there’s a sense of excitement, something that makes it feel as if your holiday
is more “real” and just around the corner - but the actual packing process
always tends to feel like a chore.
However, if you are
venturing away from home, packing is an undeniable necessity, so it’s worth
considering how you can ensure the process is both effective and easy for you
to manage. Below, we’ve separated the process of packing your main suitcase
into three phases and provided tips to help you through each one; so here’s
what you need to know…
Phase One: Supplies
and equipment
The first step to
successful packing is supplies - but not in terms of clothes or items you need
to remember to take. Instead, focus first on supplies that will make packing
itself easier, such as:
- Packing
cubes are a very basic concept - they’re essentially fabric pouches that
can be zipped closed - but anyone who tries them tends to find them
revelationary. Not only do cubes help to organise items in your suitcase,
they can also make “settling in” to your hotel or hostel incredibly simple. Rather
than having to unpack each item in turn, you can just remove each cube and
store it in a designated area (for example, a packing cube containing your
toiletries can be placed in the bathroom) and then remove each item as
needed. You can buy packing cubes anywhere online, and they are usually
relatively inexpensive too.
- Small
plastic storage boxes can also be helpful for items such items that might
become tangled or lost if they were stored individually, such as
jewellery, or items that need a little more protection than the fabric of
packing cubes can provide. You can usually buy inexpensive small boxes
online or even at hardware stores.
- Elastic
bands can also be useful for a variety of purposes, such as grouping
together documents or keeping items that need to be worn or used in pairs
together, so it’s helpful to make sure you have a few to hand.
- Finally,
it could be worth buying or making scented drawer liners - while not
an essential, drawer liners are a great way of adding a pleasant scent to
your clothes and can be transferred to your hotel room’s drawers when you
arrive.
When you have all of
your supplies, you’re ready to move onto…
Phase Two:
Non-clothing items
Many people start the
packing process by focusing on their clothes, but prioritising non-clothing can
actually be the better choice. Clothes can be folded and squeezed around other
items as they have more “give” than, for example, a shampoo bottle or digital
camera.
You’ll first need to
make a list of all the non-clothing-related items you’ll need for your trip,
but that you do not expect to need to access before you arrive at your
hotel:
- Think
first about your health, such as sunscreen with a good SPF, tablets to stop you contracting malaria
if you’re visiting a country where malaria is a known risk, sunglasses
with a good UV rating, and so on.
- Next,
consider your digital and electronic needs, such as your digital camera,
USB cables, memory cards, and so on.
- You
can then add everyday essentials such as toiletries, makeup, hair bobbles,
and similar items to your list.
You should now have a
list of all the non-clothes items you will need for your trip, so you can start
gathering them together. For items that you need to buy, place the orders as
soon as possible, and wait until you have absolutely everything you need
before you start to pack. Doing this helps to ensure you can keep track of each
item and that you will be able to make space for everything you will
need, which helps to avoid needing to repack to add items you may have
initially overlooked.
When you have
everything you need to hand, start sorting items into your packing cubes or
storage boxes and place these in your suitcase. As you do so, cross each item
off your original list. When everything is in place, you should have an idea of
how much space you have left available for the final phase…
Phase Three: Clothes
and shoes
Deciding the shoes
and clothes that you want to take with you on holiday is entirely subjective,
influenced by factors such as the
weather at your destination and your willingness to upgrade your baggage
allowance if necessary. However, if you - like many people - want to cut down
how many clothes you take, here’s a few techniques to consider:
- One
option is to choose your clothes and shoes as if you have no restrictions
at all; just what you would pack instinctively, based on what you think
you are most likely to wear… and then cut the number of items chosen by a
third.
- Alternatively,
you could create a hierarchy that allows you to trim your selection if,
when it comes to actually placing items into your suitcase, you find that
you’re running short on space. When you choose a piece of clothing or a
pair of shoes, give the item a “likelihood” rating of between one and 10 -
one meaning that you think it’s fairly unlikely you will wear it, and 10
meaning that you definitely will wear it. Any item that receives a
five or below can be removed if necessary.
- As a
final option, it’s often possible to reduce the number of clothes you are
taking by considering how well they will travel. Synthetic fabrics are far
more likely to wrinkle than natural fabrics such as wool or cotton, so
remembering this can make it easier to persuade yourself to leave an item
at home.
When you’ve narrowed
down your selection, you’ll need to place these items in your suitcase:
- Shoes,
as with many non-clothing items, cannot change shape or be compressed if
you find yourself short on space, so it’s best to pack your shoes first
and clothes second.
- There
are two schools of thought on how clothes should be packed. One argues
that folding is the most space efficient, while others say that rolling is
preferable as it helps to save creases. However, what tends to work best
in practice is actually a combination of the two. For thicker items,
rolling can actually increase the overall size, so folding may be
preferable. For everything else, rolling does tend to help save space and
will make it far easier to insert items into packing cubes.
- However,
as useful as packing cubes can be, it’s helpful to reserve a few garments
to be packed on their own. Doing this gives you the opportunity to
“squeeze” an individual item in wherever there is space, which is
next-to-impossible if everything is arranged in cubes.
- Weigh
your suitcase when it is half full and then at three-quarters full just to
check progress. If you are closing in on your allowance at either of these
checks, then reassess the number of shoes you have chosen as a first
priority. If you still need to save weight, clothes made from heavier
fabrics (such as jeans) are the next best bet.
When everything has
been packed and you’re sure your suitcase is within airline limits, you’re all
done!
In conclusion
By following the
above, packing your main suitcase should be relatively straightforward - so all
you need to do is prepare your hand
luggage, and then you can relax and anticipate all the fun your future holiday
will bring.
1 comments
These suggestions are so fabulous! This post has definitely inspired me to be more organized and prepared!
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I really appreciate the comments I get. Please leave your blog url so I can check out your blog :-)