I absolutely can't wait until I go flying again! Besides exploring new places, I find traveling really expands my perspective on everything and I learn so much every time. Oh, and I also buy so much every time! I have friends who travel to Europe with just a backpack. Um, no. I'm lucky if I don't have to pay extra for another suitcase on the way back!
After a couple of times of trial and error, I think I've finally figured out the best way to pack that works for me. If you're the same type of traveler as me, hopefully you'll find these tips useful!
1. Space is everything
Credit: Timur Weber
I actually don't bring a lot on my way to my destination, so on my way there, I have loads of room in my suitcases. Where I run into trouble is on the way back. I love buying souvenirs for both myself and my family, and I love shopping wherever I go. But with every airline imposing both a size and weight limit on checked luggage, I really needed a strategy to max both out.
Not exaggerating, but packing cubes are life-changing. You probably heard the tip of rolling your clothes and not folding, but I find that just helps with keeping wrinkles out, it doesn't really help save space. Packing cubes help squish everything into smaller packages so that they take up less space. Plus, another huge benefit – ever had the staff at check-in tell you that your suitcase is 5 lb over and you needed to take something out? And then you had to open it on the spot? Yup, a bit embarrassing to have everyone in line see your frumpy underwear and balled up socks spilling out everywhere. Those packing cubes can hide all that!
2. Stuff your suitcase with bubble wrap
Credit: stux
Because I rather save space for bringing home stuff that I buy on my trips, I try to bring as little as possible on my way there. But I don't want stuff sloshing around in my nearly empty suitcase, especially my toiletries (remember that episode of Friends where Ross couldn't get his leather pants back up? Lotion doesn't mix well with anything!).
Well, I now take a tip from all the online stores I shop from – bubble wrap! I save all the bubble wrap (which I'm a bit embarrassed to say I've accumulated a lot of in a very short amount of time!) and stuff them into my suitcase to fill up the extra space. Not only do they stop stuff from moving around too much, you can reuse them to wrap up any breakables that you buy on your trip. Just remember to bring along a roll of tape and a pair of scissors.
3. Sometimes a small suitcase may be a better option
Credit: Daria Shevtsova
I like to max out what I'm allowed to bring onto the plane, which is usually 2 large suitcases and 1 carry-on. But if I don't think I'll have enough hands to carry everything, then I'll usually bring 1 large suitcase, 1 small suitcase, and use a backpack instead as my carry-on which frees up both my hands.
You might be thinking, a small suitcase? I thought you wanted more space! Yes, I do, but at the same time, I'm mindful of the 50 lb weight limit. That's where a small suitcase comes in handy. One time, I went to Hawaii and bought a ton of ukulele music books (as an aside, ukuleles are super fun and quite easy to learn!). Even though they didn't take up a lot of room space wise, they were super heavy and it didn't take many of them to reach 50 lb. So if you end up buying a lot of heavier items on your trip, just put them all into your small suitcase. You'll find that you'll probably reach that 50 lb limit pretty soon anyway, and you can save your larger suitcase for the lighter stuff that takes up more space.
I need to think about where to go next! Have you planned your next trip yet? Let me know where you're going!
Products You May Like
