Travel Tips and Packing Ideas

Packing Suitcases and Carry-on

Are you planning a trip?  The magazines for this month have been filled with ideas for packing to travel light.  For instance some suggest you fold all your clothe (starting with the biggest item on bottom so it is on outside of bundle working into middle for smaller items) together in a big tight bundle to save space.  Others say fold outfits together into small bundles and still others say rolling clothes saves space and prevents wrinkles. 

Where do I stand on the packing thing? I’m a large item roller (it really does seem to reduce creasing you would get if folding) who air-compression packs smaller items I do not want people touching into zip-lock baggies.   This way if they have to inspect, they can see what’s in there without having to paw through it all.  Whatever the airport allows me to stuff into my carry-on goes in there as well as a tightly-rolled casual outfit.  Why?  If my suitcase does not make it to my destination with me, at least I have something to wear the next day while I find a laundry for the outfit I have on. 

If you have never traveled before and do not know what to expect, I’ve written some horror stories in travel posts for my business blog. Instead of repeating those here, I decided to provide the topics and links for those interested:
Travel Tricks 1: Driving Directions – get a GPS
Travel Tricks 2: Hotel, Motel, No Tell – you may not get what you want
Travel Tricks 3: Hunger Pangs – plan for sustenance
Travel Tricks 4: Kindness of Strangers – you may need this
Travel Tricks 5: Pay It Forward – be kind yourself
Travel Tricks 6: Lifting Luggage – packing and baggage tips
Travel Tricks 7: A Game Airlines Play – airline troubles
Travel Tricks 8: Prep and Communication are Important – airline too 

How about a few more packing tips?  Put heavy items and shoes on bottom near the wheel.  This keeps suitcase from tipping over and lighter items from getting crushed.  I already mentioned the baggy thing, but where to put them?  Put them in that mesh area in the suitcase lid.  This way they can be seen and often will not even be removed.  Always put hair dryers, curling irons, and things that may break or crush between clothing layers so they have padding and are more likely to arrive in tact. 
 
Always pack a charger for your phone in your carry-on.  Nothing is more frustrating than finding your phone dead when you need to call for a ride!  Especially since it is almost impossible to find a pay phone nowadays…  Even if you did, you probably won’t have change since that just weights down your wallet or is another thing to take out of pockets at the security check point.