7 Travel Packing Hacks
Should I bring that? How can I fit all this stuff in my suitcase? Getting ready for a trip can be so stressful you need the trip just to recover! Over the years, I’ve gathered and invented a few tricks for travel packing that have proven to be time savers. They also keep things organized so less of that precious vacation time is wasted searching for that thing you’re sure you brought. Here they are, to help make your next trip easier.
Baggies
Who ever said baggies were just for the kitchen? These have become essential and have saved me from many messes and misplaced items. I always use the ziplock top variety. How I use them, by size of the baggie:
- Small – I use one for oral hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss) one for eye care (eye drops, case for contacts, and the little bottle of contact lens cleaner), and one for basic first aid (band aids, ibuprofen, and neosporin).
- Food Storage – The two gallon size work perfect for shoes. Now you don’t have to worry about soiled or damp shoes roaming around your suitcase. Not to mention that the pairs stay together. And take one or two extra for dirty clothes. The cloth laundry bags are fine, but they don’t contain the odor of dirty clothing like a baggie will.
Dealing with Jewelry
Since shoes and jewelry are my weaknesses . . . ok, two of my weaknesses . . . I’d struggled for years trying to travel with more than a couple pieces. Definitely one too many tangled necklaces, right? Then I came across this ingenious little box, pictured below. It’s only two inches by four inches by seven inches. So it’s small enough, yet has plenty of separate little compartments and all secure from spilling or tangling. There’s also secure places for rings and necklaces. I’d tried several others, and they never seemed to get the job done. This one does. Whatever your choice, find one that works for you and save yourself many headaches, and many worries about lost items.
Travel Size Items
I’ve seen all the suggestions for getting little empty bottles and filling them with your regular products. Have you tried that? What a mess! For a few bucks, make a trip to the store, like tomorrow, and stock in one or two of all the travel-size items you’d normally use. Then, when you’re ready to travel, it’s easy to pop them in your bags. And there will never be any questions from airport security about what’s in them.
USB Cords
Laptop. Smartphone. Tablet. And cords for all of them, so they can all charge overnight at the same time. Of course, you get to untangle them when they come out of hiding, because they have that same magical power that turns clothes inside out in the dryer. Solution: Use an old eyewear case and they stay neat, orderly, and at your command.
The Smell of Travel
Seems that no matter what brand of luggage you choose, after a few days on the road there’s the unmistakable fragrance that permeates everything in the bag. Take along, in a small baggie, of course, a couple of your favorite dryer sheets. One placed along side your shoe bags will keep all the contents smelling fresh and clean.
Snacks and Munchies
It’s so easy to grab all kinds of foods and snacks you don’t normally eat when you’re travelling. And it’s such a huge downer to get on the scale when you get back home! Plan ahead, make a trip to the nearest source of healthy snacks, or if you are more energetic use these great tips from Kelly Christiansen for nutritious and tasty travel treats.
I’ll Take Mine Regular, Please
By one estimate, as many as 40 percent of people experience constipation while they’re travelling. I’m one of them. If you’re like me, you know it’s not much fun. I finally found a 100% effective solution. On that same trip to the store you’re planning, grab a small container of powdered fiber. Two teaspoons in a half cup of water each morning will keep everything regular. Just the way we like it.
Invent Your Own Travel Packing Hacks
Seems that in the rush of getting ready, our creative juices are being spent on things other than coming up with great new ideas. So put a little tickler in the back of your mind. As you go about you daily routines, stay on the lookout for creative applications of things you commonly do. Soon, you’ll have some of your own travel packing hacks to make travel, and getting ready for it, much easier.
Images: Main Ubi Desperare Nescio Glasses Case sewmanyways
