Going on a trip to a different is definitely fun. But, packing isn’t. You need to stuff clothes, toiletries, and basically everything you need for a couple of weeks into a tiny space. The baggage limit by the airline isn’t also helping.
But, if you know some tips and tricks, it will make packing for a trip hassle-free. Luckily, we compiled 52 tips and tricks shared by a flight attendant to save space and with ease.
1.) Use Shower Caps to Cover Your Shoes
Shoes are dirty by their nature. They stomp through so much dirt, that it’s gross to think of packing them with all your other stuff. A shower cap can help keep your other things clean, however. Just put your shoes in one!
2.) Necklaces can be Kept in Straws
Just thread the chain into a straw and clasp it on the other side. It’ll stop the necklace from tangling!
3.) You Can Fit So Much Into A Pair Of Shoes
Shoes take up a lot of room in a suitcase, yet they’re an essential item. But you can use a pair of shoes to your advantage easily. Just fold up some of your stuff really tight (socks, pantyhose, and bras for example) and stuff them inside.
4.) Create Little Packets of Shampoo by Burning Straws
Simply put a lighter to one end of a straw until the two ends melt together. Let it cool. Pour some shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste in and then melt together the other end. You’ve got a one day dose of shampoo in the tiniest possible container!
5.) Shirts Can Seal Themselves up
Use the same theory as packing jeans. Fold the bottom of the shirt upwards slightly, fold in half, roll to over the first fold and then seal it up!
6.) Fold All Your Clothes Into A One Big Neat Bundle
If your clothes are always bursting out of the suitcase, that’s because you’re packing them wrong. The most efficient way is to fold them all together into a cube.
7.) Shirts and Underwear Can Be Rolled and Stuffed Into Socks
One shirt and a pair of underwear folded together take up the space of a pair of socks. And if you fold a pair of socks over them, then they’ll stay packed like that throughout your journey.
8.) Put Hair Straighteners/Curling Irons in an Oven Mitt
Not only will it protect the hair straightener, but it will also be a handy surface that the straighteners can rest on at the hotel.
9.) If You’re Carrying-On, Wear Your Heavier Items
If you’re only taking a small carry-on bag with you, be sure to wear the bulkier items while you travel so that they don’t take up space in your bag. For example, if you’re taking boots and a heavy jacket, wear them on the plane. It might be a bit of a pain going through security, but it will save you so much space in your bag.
10.) Square Fold Your Shirt and Then Use A Belt To Keep It Firm
Traveling with button-up shirts can be annoying. They always get wrinkled, meaning that they have to be ironed when you get to your destination. But if you fold it like how shirts come in packages and line the collar with a belt, they stay smooth.
11.) Put a Cotton Pad in Compacts
It stops the product from crumbling away.
12.) Put Glass Bottles in a Sock/Panty Hose
It gives the item extra protection. And should the glass break, then it won’t get everywhere.
13.) Put a Rubber Band Over a Book to Stop It Getting Bent
Two rubber bands, one for length and one for width, do wonders.
14.) Put Foundation and Makeup Remover Into Contact Cases
The liquid size restrictions on planes are a real headache. Some stuff is hard to find in travel-friendly bottles! One easy way of getting around this is squirting a bit of your vital liquid beauty products into contact cases. They’ll keep it secure and plane friendly!
15.) Put Thin Plastic Sheets Between a Bottle and Its Cap
Some supposedly travel-friendly bottles still manage to leak like crazy. But a thin sheet of plastic placed over the opening of the bottle and underneath the screw on top stops this from happening!
16.) Keep Snacks Cold with a Frozen Sponge
“Frozen sponges are a great way to keep your plane snacks cold. Not to mention, you’ll get through security without an hassle. Just put the frozen sponge and your snack in a Ziploc bag together and you’ve got you’re own portable freezer,” recommends Hopscotch the Globe.
17.) Conditioner Is Versatile
Instead of packing multiple toiletries or items, ask yourself if your hair conditioner can accomplish the same thing. For example, condition can be used as shoe polish, shaving cream, and makeup remover.
18.) Put Jewelry in a Pill Case
You won’t need to worry about your jewelry getting damaged when it’s in this.
19.) Jeans can Seal Themselves up
Just fold out the waist of a pair of jeans, fold the legs over each other, roll up the legs over one end of the fold and unfold the other half.
20.) Underwear Can Also Seal Itself
Using the same method as the shirts and jeans folding, seal up underwear. Only this time you have to fold it from the waist opening over the leg holes without making that little first fold. Then fold the two ends in on the underwear and roll the crotch flap over the folds. You’ll see an opening from the waist hole. Hold that over the entire underwear, and it’ll be sealed up good!
21.) Be Careful with Your Cords
Phone chargers, laptop charging cords, and headphones are often tossed in our luggage haphazardly at the very end. Please don’t do that–it can cause them to break at the seam near the surge protector. Instead, use a small makeup bag or purse to keep them all wrapped and separate from all of your other clothes and toiletries.
22.) Keep All Liquids Together
It’s probably tempting to keep some face wash in your carry-on and some contact solution in your purse, but make it easier on yourself by keeping liquids all in one spot–especially if you’re carrying on. By keeping liquids together in one area, it will make it so much easier to go through security.
23.) Pack Stuff Into a Hat
Hats are other items that, depending on the design, take up too much space. But if you fill the hat with soft items, such as underwear or socks, then it will use more space, and the socks will protect its shape.
24.) Get a Light Case
It’s obvious when you think about it. The less a case weighs, the more stuff you can take with you! Weight restrictions on airlines are way too small, so a lighter case can make all the difference.
25.) Put the Heavy Stuff Next to the Wheels
It’s a lesson in gravity that most packers forget, but your bag’s wheels will be on the ground when you’re walking. That means all your items will press down on that area. You don’t want delicate things there! Put them at the top of the bag.
26.) Don’t Worry About Packing Soap
Nearly every hotel, motel, or hostel offers soap or shower gel. So, there’s no need to take up space in your bag by bringing your own. The only exception to this would be if you require special soap for sensitive skin or if you plan on camping.
27.) Buy a Luggage Scale
Nothing is worse than going to check a bag and they tell you that it’s over the weight limit. Each pound that is over the limit can cost an exorbitant amount of money. Prevent this stressful fiasco by purchasing a small luggage scale. That way, you know exactly how much weight you’ll be bringing.
28.) Fold Your Clothing Inside Out
The odds of getting a stain on your clothes is reduced if the clothes are inside out. It’s still a risk, but it’s much less likely to seep through to the front.
29.) Match Clothes to Your Itinerary
To save on bringing clothes that you won’t even wear, look at what you’ve got planned to do. Then you should only pack clothes that match those activities.
30.) Place Clothes Inside Dry Cleaning Bags Before Folding
You can fold clothes after they’re in a dry cleaning bag. This allows you to keep the item from wrinkling.
31.) Put Underwear in a Bra Cup
It saves space and will let the cups maintain their form.
32.) Write ‘Fragile’ in English and the Language of Where You’re Going to
It doesn’t hurt to remind airline workers and others that your items are precious!
33.) Mark As Fragile–Even If It’s Not
If you’re worried that the luggage handlers aren’t going to be very gentle with your bag, mark it as “fragile” and it’s possible they’ll be a bit more careful. Even if nothing in the bag is actually fragile, it may cause them to be nicer to your belongings.
34.) Fold Soap in a Wash Cloth
Even though we advise against packing your own soap (there’s just no need), we suggest to fold your bar of soap in a wash cloth if you have to bring it. This way, it will prevent it from getting all yucky in a plastic bag.
35.) Always Bring a Sarong (or Two!)
Sarongs are a godsend when it comes to traveling–they are so incredibly useful! You can use them as light blankets on the plane or in a freezing airport, cover your shoulders when visiting temples or churches, and, of course, you can use them while at the beach or the pool. No matter where you go–pack your sarong.
36.) Invest in Some Packing Cubes
If you’re an avid traveler and haven’t been using packing cubes–you’re totally missing out. Packing cubes can help keep things organized and tidy; for example, pack only shirts in one and pants in another. That way, you know exactly what to grab from your bag without unfolding everything inside.
37.) Use Glad ‘Press’n Seal’ to Keep Jewelry Organized
Lay out your jewelry on a sheet of Glad Press’n Seal then seal it all in place with another sheet. It’s almost like vacuum-packing but without the need for a vacuum sealer. It will prevent your necklaces from becoming tangled and your earrings from becoming separated.
38.) Or Use an Empty Mint Container
Another great way to keep jewelry separate and organized is by placing them in an empty plastic mint container. This won’t prevent any tangling, but it will keep all of your jewelry safe and sound in one spot.
39.) If You’re Backpacking, Don’t Forget a Rain Cover
If a backpack is what you’re carrying for luggage, you’ll want to be sure to invest in a rain cover if it didn’t come with one already. The last thing you’ll want is to be caught in a downpour only to have the rain seep through the bag getting everything wet.
40.) Consider Your Medications
This is important for international travel. Before packing your non-prescription or prescription medications, make sure that they are legal and allowed in the country you are visiting. Be sure to look up any documentation that they may require or you could end up finding yourself in big trouble.