Daypacks and duffel bags for easy-access – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Use comfortable, soft-sided bags, such as gym bags, small daypacks, or duffel bags for easy-access and lightweight portability on a trip — just make sure to sort out your belongings properly inside the bag.

To maximize comfort and ease, find a duffel bag that has a wide opening with easy slide zippers and an adjustable strap. This will help reduce the strain of carrying a big suitcase.

In addition to increased comfort, duffel bags offer other advantages, as well. First, you won’t have to worry and wait around the terminal for your suitcase to show up at the baggage claim. Second, duffel bags can be tucked under your airline seat, shoved into overhead compartments, and opened quickly and easily during security checks.

Create a travel drawer – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Find yourself spending hours searching around the house for your voltage converter, mosquito net, and travel hairdryer before you leave for a trip? Consider emptying a drawer in your bureau or buying a plastic under-the-bed bin to store all these must-pack travel items.

You can also keep your drawer or bin stocked with travel-sized shampoos, first-aid kits, maps, spare earbuds, and photocopies of important documents like your driver’s license and passport.

Never again will you waste time digging through closets and suitcases looking for your adapter plug kit.

Zip your panties – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

No need to buy fancy vacuum-packed bags for space-saving packing. Use one gallon-sized Ziploc bag for underwear, another for bras, and another for socks.

Fold (or roll) the items and put them in the bags (I can fit a week’s worth of each in one bag). When all items are in the bag, squeeze to force the air out, and zip it.

I put these in the lid portion of my suitcase, so security sees the bags clearly if they open my suitcase. Of course, an added benefit is that my things take up much less room than they otherwise would.

Stuff your shoes – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Make use of the “dead space” within shoes by packing underwear, socks, or anything small inside them.

Shoes are bulky and take up precious suitcase space. However, this space shouldn’t be lost! To conserve even more space, chose underwear and socks made with lightweight fabric. Remember to roll underwear and socks tightly before placing them inside the shoe.

Also consider stuffing other smallish items — like batteries, phone charging cables, spare camera lenses, etc. — inside the shoe until it’s full.

Buy clothes there – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Depending on where you’re headed, it may be cheaper to pack fewer clothes and purchase new outfits upon arrival.

Destinations such as Bangkok, Thailand, for example, sell quality, fashionable clothes for low prices. For destinations such as these, pack about three outfits and plan to shop soon after you get there. This may not be advisable, however, for travel destinations such as London or Tokyo. In order to make the right decision, research your destination’s clothes prices before departure.

Further, shopping abroad gives you the opportunity to explore local cultures — and maybe even purchase some cool, wearable souvenirs.

Bonus: Saving space in your luggage may, in turn, result in less luggage — and fewer baggage charges!