Another opportunity has come to travel and you are totally confused about what to pack for your trip. Learning how to pack a suitcase is easier than you think. No matter your destination or purpose of your travel, there is one basic rule for packing a functional travel luggage; it should be easy to pack and it should be orderly. There is nothing as priceless as having an organized suitcase when you arrive at your destination. Also, knowing how to pack your suitcase properly will ensure that you remain organized from the duration of your trip to your return flight.
The most important thing to do is to let the nature of your trip guide your packing decisions. Are you going for a leisurely vacation? Will you be spending days at the beach? Are you going on a business trip? This will help you decide on what type of garments to bring. The next thing to consider is the weather at the location you’re travelling to; if it will be warm or cold. This will determine what type of clothing to take with you. After that, consider how long you will be staying there to know the exact number of clothing to take with you.
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Clothing
For example, three bottoms are enough to pack for a one-week trip. Selecting your bottoms in a variety of colors and textures ensures that each outfit you’ll be putting together will look like a brand-new outfit each day you wear it. Take care to consider day-to-night temperatures at the place you’re travelling to, so that you can easily transition from a short bottom in the day and something longer at night to keep you warm when it gets colder in the evenings.
Pack about four tops for a seven-day trip. If you are travelling to a warmer climate, pack some dresses as well. Select tops that can be easily layered or worn again to create a different look each time you wear it. In the same vein, if you are travelling to a cooler climate, add a jacket, a sweater and button downs to protect you from the elements.
When packing undergarments for your trip, be generous. Pack at least eight underwear for a one-week trip. Pack seven pairs of socks and two bras. If you’re travelling to a tropical location, you are most likely to sweat a lot. Your underwear will absorb most of the sweat. If you are not comfortable washing and airing your underwear in a hotel or dropping it for the hotel housekeeping to launder, then it’s best you wrap them up and keep them aside. You can launder them when you return home. That’s why you need to generously pack your underwear so that you can wear a fresh one each day. However, if you’re travelling to a place where you’ll be wearing more of sandals and flipflops, you may want to pack fewer socks.
Pack two to three pairs of shoes to serve you for different functions; sneakers for the days when you’re travelling and exploring and fancy shoes for outings and business meetings. For ladies, packing your delicate cosmetics, makeup and toiletries so that they all arrive in one piece is quite essential.
Now that you know what to pack, the next thing is how to pack. They are several packing methods. There is the Rolling Method where clothes are rolled tightly into a log shape and placed in your suitcase. It helps every piece of clothing stay in place right next to each other. This method works best for t-shirts, sweaters and pants. However, this method is not recommended for formal wear or business attires as it could wrinkle them. Next, is the Wrapping Method which works best for formal wear because they will not crease. You start by folding the larger items first, placing them at the bottom of the suitcase and layering it up with smaller items as you go. The Bundling Method is accomplished by folding larger items around smaller ones. For example, if you plan to wear a pair of pants with a blouse, you wrap the blouse inside the pants and place them in your suitcase as one outfit. Some people prefer to use Packing Cubes to compartmentalize the different types of items they are packing for their trip. Each packing cube contains a certain category of items; like tops in one cube, bottoms in another, socks and ties in another. This is helpful if your suitcase has enough space for it. The Compression Method works wonders for bulky items like heavy sweaters and ski pants. This method saves space and keeps your clothes wrinkle free. Simply roll your clothing to get the air out and pack them up in your luggage.
Shoes and Accessories
Pack your shoes at the bottom of the roller side of your suitcase. That way, they are separated from your clothing when they get dirty. Stash your jewellery in portable cases or designated bags above your shoes. Using a travel organizer to pack your jewellery is an excellent idea. Larger accessories like purses, hats and belts could also be stored on the roller side of your suitcase.
Beauty Products and Liquids
Packing a cosmetic/makeup bag for travel could be quite tricky. In addition to figuring out how much products to pack according to the duration of your stay, you have to also worry about travel regulations concerning liquids and fragrances; as well as your liquids leaking into your suitcase or palettes squashed. Whether you are a minimalist who loves to travel light or a maximalist who packs trunks and trunks of luggage in readiness for any eventuality, this guide is suitable to help you pack for travel. It is always important to be prepared ahead and plan what is needed for your trip.
Prepack your hand luggage liquids in a TSA compliant reusable airport bag. This will take the stress completely away and makes clearing easy as the last thing you need is to be rummaging through your handbag or carry-on bag for products scattered in there. Ensure that you have found all your makeup and liquids before joining the busy security queue.
If you’re not sure what the current liquid allowances are, find out which beauty products you can fly with before hand so that you are airport security ready.
If you are the maximalist who loves to take all your makeup with you, squashing your items into your travel makeup bag and struggling to zip it shut will not do you any good. You could accidentally break a lid, crack a bottle or spill foundation all over your carefully packed clothes. So, your best bet is to choose a larger water proof makeup bag with compartments. It is even better if those compartments are detachable.
Planning the outfits that you want to take with you on the trip gives you a rough idea of the makeup look that should go with it. This helps you pack exactly what you need and gives you room to pack more essentials.
Finally, don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for dirty clothes which could be stashed on the roller side of your suitcase. It’s okay to pack a travel size laundry bag to keep dirty and clean clothes separate so you can launder them when you get home.