Packing Tips (Luggage Comparison, Tips & Comments)

Member Name: Little Miss

Product:	Luggage Comparison, Tips & Comments
Date:	08/03/01 (3814 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: no excess luggage costs, easier to carry, easier to unpack

Disadvantages: takes a little longer to pack

I travel quite often for both work and pleasure and have therefore had to alter the way in which I pack. I'd like to share my secrets with you.

I used to be one of those people who always had a suitcase twice as big as me. I could be seen waddeling through the airport red hot and flustered. It was full with a selection of clothes, shoes and accessories for every occassion I could possibly come across whilst I was away. Most of which returned having never seen the light of day.

You'll now see me pulling along a rather small trolley and looking a lot less flustered, plus I can usually take it on the plane with me which means I don't have to wait for luggage when I get to my destination.

Firstly start with a good suitcase (wheels are best, check out my opinion on Samsonite Trolleys) or backpack depending on what meets your needs. With suitcases easy wheelability is vital, with backpacks bigger is not better, there is only so much weight you can carry, make sure you can adjust the fastenings to your height and they fit comfortably.

Firstly preparing to pack.

Alter your shopping habbits, don't buy 5 different coloured cheap t-shirts, spend a bit more on just a couple of well chosen t-shirts that will go with serveral other items in your wardrobe. Taking 2 or 3 tops which you can mix and match with 2 or 3 bottoms leaves much more space in your suitcase than packing a complete outfit for everyday.

When you recieve free samples of toiletries through the door or in magazines save them for when your going away they take up much less room in your suitcase than full size bottles, also remember most hotels give you soap, shampoo and towels so don't pack these.

Are you travelling with a friend? Compare your packing lists do you both really need to take travel irons and hairdryers or can you share?

Most people buy new things to take on holiday, remove packaging as it tends to be bu
lky and make more weight. The one exception being perfume, keep it in it's box and if possible pack it inside a shoe to protect it.

Packing a Suitcase

When packing a suitcase bulky items first, this way you can pack smaller items around them. Use towels or sweaters to protect more fragile items or if possible put fragile items inside shoes. If your suitcase has a divider keep shoes seperate in one side. If not wrap them in carrier bags so not to dirty your clothes and use them to fill gaps around the edges of your case. Pack under wear together in a carrier bag, it saves pulling everything out of your case in search for your favourite black bra, also if customs search your case they don't end up display your undies to the whole airport. A spare carrier bag is also handy to keep dirty laundry seperate, no matter how well you pack you usually come home with some clean clothes and unpacking is so much easier if the clean and dirty are seperate.

Packing a Backpack

When packing a backpack think which things you will need most often. These are generally the things you think of first when packing and throw them in the bottom of your bag. Not the best place for something you may want to get to 2 or 3 times a day. These are the things you should pack in the outside pockets of your backpack, depending on the person these could be things like maps and travel guides or toiletries and makeup. Other things to pack in outside pockets are things which may leak. You may also find with backpacks that they have a pocket on the lid which is rather flat and an odd shape, this is a good place to pack under wear and socks. When packing your clothes it's often a good idea to roll things up, this supposedly stops them creasing of course this depends on the fabric, if it's going to crease it's going to crease no matter what you do. But rolling things means you can fit them into spaces better. Finally when packing a backpack
pack some plastic bags, these will come in useful if something decides to leak or for keeping wet or dirty clothes seperate. Now your backpack is packed there is one final thing to do, attach all other items you are taking ie sleeping bag, tent, saucepan and put it on. No I don't just mean pick it up and see how heavy it is and put it back down. I mean fasten it properly on your back, then go outside and take a walk around the block. If you get back and it's still comfy then you've done very well, if you don't even make it to the end of the garden path you have some rethinking to do. A piece of advice at this point is to remove several items of clothing and any extra shoes you may have sipped in there and replace them with a small bottle of handwash detergent.

Checking in Luggage

If you are going to check your luggage in please remember don't put your holiday currency, credit cards, or valuable Jewelery in your suitcase in case it gets lost. Talking of lost luggage if you are travelling with a friend it's a good idea to each pack a spare outfit in each others cases. That way if your case is lost you'll still have a change of clothes in your friends case.

Frequent Travellers

If you travel often, you may find you spend a lot of time packing and unpacking, which is really not the best use of anyones time, and if your like me you end up with a half unpacked suitcase in the middle of your bedroom floor for about a week. To avoid this I have my travel washbag, this remains packed at all times, it contains a spare toothbrush, toothpaste, travel size conditioner, make-up remover, razor etc (note no soap or other items which hotels supply). Not only does this save time when packing it means no running around just before you leave checking you've got your toothbrush, as you can never pack it the night before as you need it in the morning. I also have my travel PJ's which are kept in my suitcase
, even if you don't normally wear PJ's there good to take when you travel, remember hotels don't always have dressing gowns. Now imagine the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night, hopefully it will be a false alarm but do you want to waste time looking for your jeans? Or do you want to end up stood outside surrounded by strangers in a little black lacey number?

Speaking of fire alarms this is not a packing tip but I feel it's a very useful tip when staying in hotels. When you first arrive in your room, check for your nearest emergency exit, if there's a fire alarm you may not be able to exit the way you came in ie the lift.

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