Jetting off on holiday this summer? Lucky you! Now wouldn’t it be nice if your suitcase would just pack itself and save you all the fuss of folding and cramming?
Unfortunately we’re not quite at a point where self-packing suitcases have been invented (watch this space), but there are a few ways to make the whole process a bit less of a chore. Once you’ve learnt these handy tricks, gone will be the days of wrinkled clothing, tangled jewellery and toiletry leakages. Now doesn’t that sound like a dream come true? Ok, we can’t promise these things won’t EVER happen, but they’ll be kept to a minimum. We’re not miracle workers after all.
So if you’re currently staring at an empty suitcase with dread, here are some of our top packing tips to make the most of your space and keep things as neat and tidy as possible.
As Diane Von Furstenberg once said, “When you figure out your suitcase, you figure out your life”.
Plan ahead
To avoid forgetting your essentials, or heaven forbid, your favourite top, make a checklist of everything you’re going to need, from clothing and jewellery, to toiletries and electricals. By having an idea of what you’re going to wear each day you can avoid over packing and ensure you have everything you want with you. It will also help to prevent leaving behind important items such as medication or travel documents.
Roll your clothes
If your ‘go to’ packing technique is folding your clothes, you may want to try the rolling instead. You’ll probably find that you get far more use out of the space you have, as each garment is much more compact and can be stacked and slotted in around each other. If you perfect your rolling, you may also find that your clothes become less creased this way too, which is a bonus!
Use shoes for storage
If you’re running low on space to put things, don’t forget that your shoes can be quite a handy little storing device. Try stuffing socks, underwear and small toiletries that won’t leak inside your shoes to optimise suitcase space.
Protect breakables by storing inside socks
To avoid losing your favourite perfume or aftershave to a suitcase disaster, try slipping the bottle inside a sock for a bit of extra protection. Hopefully it will work as padding, if your suitcase has a bit of a rocky journey.
Don’t over or under pack
Try to find a happy medium when selecting what you want to take with you, as the more squashed your suitcase is, the more likely it is that your clothing will become wrinkled; however an empty suitcase can have the same effect thanks to unravelling.
Stack bras on top of each other
Bras can often become misshapen when they’re squashed into a suitcase, so to help them maintain their form try stacking them inside each other, folding them in half and padding out with a pair of socks. Not only will this hold their shape, but it will also save a bit of valuable space, meaning you can take that extra top that you may or may not actually wear!
Use cling film to prevent spillages
If you’ve ever had a bottle of shampoo explode all over your clothes inside your suitcase, you’ll know how important it is to take precautions to avoid leakages when travelling. One trick is to unscrew the lid of your toiletries and place a strip of cling film over the top of the bottle and then replace the lid tightly. This way if the lid pops off, nothing can spill out. To be extra careful, place all toiletries inside plastic bags.
