With traveling being my job and a favourite activity for my time off, I almost always have a bag packed! Here are my best packing hacks, tips and tricks.
Checking Luggage? Keep Some Spares in Carry On
When checking in a suitcase, I always like to keep a spare set of clothes in my carry on. This is important to do as you never know when you might need a change of clothes whilst traveling. In the worst case scenario your checked luggage might not make it to your destination so a change of clothes will tide you over until you can get some more. Packing clothes in your carry-on can also be helpful when traveling between hot and cold climates or in case your clothes get dirty when stuck on the plane.
Luggage Scale
These hand-held scales for your luggage are super handy to make sure you don’t go overweight on your bags. So far I’ve never had my hand luggage weighed but checked bags are almost always weighed. You can find these scales for fairly cheap on amazon and if you tend to overpack I’d definitely recommend them. They are also super small so they are easy to take with you for the way home.
My Favourite Liquid Containers
The liquid restrictions are many traveller’s biggest problem, but these travel containers from Amazon, are great for saving space. Unlike many other travel bottles these squeeze down super small so you can fit more in.
Solid Toiletries
Another great packing hack and solution for carrying more toiletries is to swap to some solid alternatives. Some popular brands are Ethique and Wild. These are also much more environmentally friendly!
Compression Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are quite well known for bag organization, but the real space savers are compression packing cubes. They have a double zip function to squeeze your clothes down. You can get lots of different sizes to keep clothes organized and save space.
Compression Sack
Similar to compression packing cubes, a compression sack is often used to pack sleeping bags down very small. However, this could be used for clothes too as the tight buckles on the side can help things pack down very small.
Fill Your Hats, Shoes and Bags
To save space and help your items keep shape you should pack small items inside others. For example, you could pack your socks in your shoes! or swimming costumes in a structured hat.
Cable Organizers
Spending some extra time organizing your cables and wires will probably save you more time in the long run as you won’t have to keep untangling them. You can buy organizer pouches online or simply use some hair ties or rubber bands to keep each cable separated.
Wear Your Biggest Items
Especially when travelling with hand luggage only you will want to wear your biggest items such as coats and boots. However, you only actually need to do this when boarding the aircraft as this is where they could check if your bags are the right size. If you don’t want to actually wear your coat in the airport I tend to carry it in an extra tote bag. Once I get to the gate I will put the coat on and tote bag in the pocket.
Stop Your Liquids From Leaking
To help stop liquids from leaking out of their bottles a helpful tip is to put some clingfilm/saran wrap under the lid over the bottle opening. I’d also recommend double bagging liquids just to keep your other items extra safe.
Shoe Bags ( Or Shower caps)
If you are packing an extra pair of shoes you will want to stop them from getting dirt on your other items. You can purchase some nice shoe bags or I generally just use some old carrier bags. Shower caps also normally fit nicely around a pair of shows to save some space.
Bring Extra Plastic and ziplock Bags
You can never go wrong with having some extra bags with you. Some extra ziplocks can be used to store snacks or a wet swimsuit and plastic bags can be used for shopping or dirty clothes.
Buy Big Liquid Products When You Arrive
Another tip for minimal packing is to buy big liquids when you get there. Every hot destination is going to have sunscreen available for you there so pick it up when you arrive instead of lugging it along the journey.
Multi-Purpose Items!
Scarf / Sarong
A small cover up item is can come in really handy when traveling. Other than their main purpose as an extra layer, they can be used as a pillow or blanket or even something to sit on at the beach.
Tote Bag
Another travel staple is a tote bag. As mentioned before this is great for carrying extra layers, shopping or dirty clothes.
2 in 1 Cross body Bum Bag
A recent purchase I love is my Kipling Abanu Multi which is a convertible cross-body to bum bag (Keep an eye out for discounts on other sites for these). This is great for traveling as there are multiple ways you can wear it all keeping your valuables close to your body.
Carabiners
And finally, many backpackers love carabiners! These can be used to attach items to your bag. Larger ones or S shape carabiners can also be great for hanging things up as well. For example, hanging your bag off a door or hanging your towel up to dry.
