The best trips start with well-packed luggage. Discover five hacks that’ll make your prepping process – and journey – a little smoother.
Travelling with a suit jacket? Protect the inner lining from wrinkles by flipping the suit inside out, with the sleeves on the inside. Then lay the jacket down flat on its back and fold it into quarters at full width. Place at the bottom of your suitcase and layer other items on top to prevent it from moving and creasing.
Roll up garments that don’t wrinkle easily, such as cotton t-shirts, denim jeans and gym gear, and fold clothing that does, such as dress shirts and silk and linen pieces. After putting your shoes at the bottom of the suitcase near the wheels (and layering your suit jacket if you have one) add lines of rolled-up garments. Layer your folded pieces on top of those.
Be heavy-handed with bags – use a toiletry
pouch that’s lined with a plastic material to contain any spills, along with another small case
for chargers, adaptors and other electrical items.
Use shoe bags to keep dirt from
transferring onto your clothes, and throw an extra bag in for dirty laundry.
Once your suitcase is almost packed, fill up any leftover spaces with small items – roll up underwear, socks, ties and other small soft accessories and stuff them inside your shoes, or use them like pillars to secure stacks of folded clothes.
If you’re not carrying the right carry-on bag at an airport, chances are you’ll find yourself struggling at security checkpoints to find your tickets and ID. (Worst-case scenario – opening up your entire carry-on luggage on the floor to search for what you need.) Instead, opt for styles with plenty of easy-access side pockets, and keep items in the same spots every trip so you’ll instinctively remember where to reach.
