THIS IS THE FUN BIT RIGHT?
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I don’t know about you? But packing my bag for the next trip is almost as exciting as booking it or boarding that plane. It means I am going somewhere and so I get to pack all of my ‘essentials’ and travel gear which you can find here.
But there is nothing more stressful than fitting it all into your bag!
Thats why I compiled my best top 10 hacks to making sure you fit everything you possibly need:
1. Roll your clothes
May seem like a simple idea, but it is actually super effective and reduces the amount of space your clothes make, therefore providing you with more space for other items such as trainers or twenty cans of bug spray and sun cream. It is best if you roll them as tightly as possible after folding them, as this also stops them from getting too badly wrinkled as well.
2. Vacuum Pack Bags
One of my little tricks after rolling my clothes is to then put them in vacuum pack backs to suck out any excess air and reducing space inside even more. You can buy these pretty much anywhere and I got mine on Amazon (a 3 pack) which also helps to seperate into different sections too, acting as packing cubes essentially.
Make sure you buy the ones where you can just roll the air out and not one that needs a hairdryer.
3. Surprise Storage
Remember when I said you had extra space for your trainers or shoes? Well this is also storage in itself as you can put any small items into them such as socks or valuables, thus maximising your bag space.
Try and pack everything in a logical order too. Its a bit like Tetris making everything fit, but it is definitely possible and once you work out an order it will run smoothly.
4. Plastic Bags
These come in super handy for so many different reasons. They keep items dry when it decides to pour down with rain suddenly and you can also store your dirty/sandy shoes in them too so it doesn’t spread into the rest of your bag.
They are also great for putting your toiletries in too just in case one of them decides to explode when you’re on a plane in transit somewhere.
5. Keep it minimal
Don’t overpack. Thats the worst thing you can do whilst travelling as it adds extra weight to your bag and also stops you from buying those exotic goodies you come across and want to keep. Check out my post about the bare essentials you should take to keep you happy whilst travelling.
6. Travel Adapters & Cables
Depending on how many devices you may have, it is best to try and keep the amount of cables down to not only save space but also weight too. Buy an adapter cable that can charge all of your devices with only one cables.
That being said, have a backup just incase anything happens to that one. You definitely don’t want to be left stranded!
7. Luggage Tags
Get yourself something super unique so that you won’t be left there standing at the airport waiting for you bag to come out and trying to figure out which one is. Get something bright and vibrant that will only be recognisable to you and therefore a smoother and speedier exit out of the airport and to your final destination.
8. Travel sized toiletries
Probably a bit of an obvious one, but still essential when wanting to save space in your bag. I found that I took a small shampoo, body wash bottle which I then topped up at different hotels or hostels. You tend to get given freebies anyway so not much point taking the large bottles with you taking up space and size.
Don’t forget your miniature hair product, toothpaste and other bits you will need.
9. Wear your heaviest stuff
When boarding the plane I tend to wear my heaviest items such as jeans, jumpers and coats. That way it not only frees up loads of space in my bag but it also makes it lighter too. On top of this its usually pretty cold on planes anyway so you will need those extra layers regardless. Win win!
10. Buy a lightweight bag
Whether you are buying a suitcase or a backpack, you can now buy them with lightweight frames and materials saving you even more weight and allowing you to pack that little bit extra and not incurring charges at the airport.
IT Luggage is one of the most lightweight out there and is a really good suitcase. Kathmandu also provide really lightweight backpacks and have proved to be super durable too.
