Depending on your temperament and travel frequency, packing a suitcase can be frustrating, fun, time-consuming or a breeze (sometimes all of them at various points in one session). Luckily, the internet has several ideas on the best ways to arrange your suitcase.
Here are six tried-and-tested methods to level up your packing game.
This should be the first thing you do before packing as airlines set their own weight limits. Once you begin packing you will be more mindful of the items you include or decide to do away with. Buy or borrow a portable luggage scale to note the bag’s weight once you’re done. Try to get under the maximum weight so that you can stash souvenirs and other items from your trip.
Wearing your heaviest clothes on the plane saves on luggage space and keeps you warm on the flight. Stow your jacket and sweater in the overhead compartment if wearing them is uncomfortable. Slip off your chunky boots and slip on some compression socks for further comfort.
If you aren’t already wearing your bulkiest items on the flight, place them by the wheeled end of your suitcase. This helps your bag stay stable and stops other items from getting squashed.
Before you get packing it’s best to plan your outfits rather than think you will mix and match everything. The latter only works if you are a minimalist traveller, in which case a capsule wardrobe of neutral pants, jeans and t-shirts can be worn with one another. Those looking to add more colour to their wardrobe should pair their clothes with the accessories and shoes they plan to wear. This ensures you’re only bringing things you’ll actually use.
Roll any breakables like wine glasses inside a few layers of clothing to prevent damage. For instance, rolling your fragile item into a sock, scarf or towel, and wrapping a sweater over it cushions it from scratches and breaks. Place your soft items in the bottom middle of the suitcase thereby ensuring they're surrounded by other softer items such as clothes, which act as padding. Or, you can opt to pack the breakable in your carry-on.
There are two ways to go about ensuring (mostly) wrinkle-free clothes. The first involves placing cotton, linen or crinkle-prone pieces separately inside dry-cleaning plastic bags—one outfit per bag—and putting them in your luggage. Plastic reduces friction thereby eliminating wrinkles. You can also layer empty dry-cleaning bags among your clothes.
The second tip is a process called bundle wrapping. Wrap your wardrobe around a bundle of wrinkle-resistant clothing with the most delicate clothes, like dresses and jackets, on the outside. This ensures that larger and wrinkle-prone garments end up on the outside of the bundle where the wrapping has a larger radius of curvature. Check out YouTube videos on how to do this.