Are you a serial overpacker? Do you stuff your suitcase to the limit, only to spend your entire holiday in your swimsuit? Is travelling light an impossible goal? Well, we’re here to help you change your ways. Take a look at our top hacks, and get ready to become a packing pro…
1. Make a list
We’ve all heard the old saying – fail to plan, plan to fail. Ok, so that might be a little bit overdramatic, but it’s definitely worth making a list before you start packing. That way, you’ll have something to look at when the temptation to pack your entire wardrobe strikes. Plus, when you’re packing to come home you can remind yourself what you need to track down from under your hotel bed. Or, you can download and print our ready-made packing list. We’ve thought of all the essentials, so you won’t miss a thing.
2. Get yourself a hard shell case
This one’s a must for overpackers. Hard shell cases aren’t as forgiving as soft cases when it comes to overstuffing. Hopefully, sticking to this type of suitcase should stop you needing to recruit family members/friends/strangers to sit on your suitcase to get it closed.
3. Pack heavy items near the wheels
Make sure you pack heavier items like pairs of shoes and bottles of shampoo at the bottom of your suitcase. This way, when you’re wheeling your case around, they won’t squish your other clothes. No one wants to get the iron out on holiday.
4. Roll your clothes
We’ve heard plenty of debating about whether you should fold and stack or roll your clothes. But the verdict’s in – get rolling and you’ll save storage space.
5. Use every bit of space
Tuck your smaller pieces of clothing – like socks and underwear – around your packed clothes to make sure you’re using all the space that you can.
6. Organise your jewellery
Spending hours untangling jewellery isn’t our idea of holiday fun. So, we recommend threading your necklaces through drinking straws to stop them from tangling. For earrings, you can use a tic-tac box to keep your pairs together.
7. Control your cables
Make sure you wrap your cables up properly – they can take up lots of space and get damaged if you just stuff them in your case. Old sunglasses cases work well as cable containers, or you can stump for sealed plastic bags.
8. Make sure your toiletries don’t leak
We’ve got a couple of hacks for this one. Unscrew the lids of your bottles and pop a piece of clingfilm over the neck before you screw it back on, and you’ve got an extra layer of protection. Or, if you’re super scared of leaks, invest in bar shampoo and conditioner – Lush have a great leak-free range.
9. Pack a couple of pillowcases for laundry
We know you don’t want to be thinking about washing when you’re jetting off, but trust us, it’s worth it. Pillowcases pack down nice and small, which saves space. Pack two, and separate your colour and white washing inside each throughout your holiday. It’ll make your life much easier when you get home – you can just shove one in the machine and get back to your holiday blues.
10. Leave room for souvenirs
If you’re the type of person who can’t resist a memento from your holiday, or have to buy a gift for every member of your extended family, make sure you leave enough space when you’re packing.
11. Hold on to disposable hotel shower caps
Sand-covered shoes + suitcase = gritty clothes, so make sure you hold on to the disposable shower caps you get from your hotel. Snap one over the bottom of each pair of shoes, and you’ll be sand free.
12. Edit your packing
Once you’ve packed your case, wait a day or so then go and check your choices – do you really need that extra pair of trousers? See if you can cut a few pieces of clothing.
