Travel Packing Tips

Hi, I’m Vania (vah-nee-ah)! A frequent, solo traveler despite working a 9-5 job! Over the years of going on both domestic and international travel, I have some general travel packing tips that I would love to share with you! I have sorted by suggestions based how frequently you travel, and please note these are not exhaustive lists. If you have your own advice to share, I would love to hear it so please comment below!

General

• Important, expensive, and/or fragile items go into your personal item (purse, backpack, etc.).
  • Rule of thumb: If you don’t want to lose or break it, you should personally take it with you.
• Roll clothes to reduce wrinkling.
  • Note: I have not had success reducing space by rolling, only with reducing wrinkling.
• Liquid restrictions when flying (carry-on suitcases):
  • 3.4 oz per container
  • Applies to liquids, aerosols, creams, gels, etc.
  • All must fit in (roughly) a quart-sized bag
  • Put your liquids in a Ziploc bag, in case they leak.
• Wear your bulkiest clothing and shoes when going to the airport (save luggage space).
• Pack the heaviest items at the bottom.
• Put small items into your shoes (socks, underwear, etc.).
• Stuff your hats and shoes with small items to help them keep their shape.
• Always pack one extra outfit.
  • You never know what might happen (flight delays/cancellations, weather changes, clothes get ruined), so you’ll want to pack one extra outfit (or at least underwear) just in case.
• Keep your daily outfit sets together, so it’s easy to remove an entire outfit when you want it.
• Place a dryer sheet into your luggage to keep your clothes smelling fresh!
• International travel: make copies of your reservations.
  • If you’re going on international travel, print out as many of your reservations and confirmations as possible. It would be awful to lose your smartphone or other devices while traveling, so having backup of your documentation and information will be helpful.
• Check your destination’s weather before you travel.
  • This will help you pack appropriately and determine if you need to bring additional, seasonal items like an umbrella or snow attire.

Packing tips for the overpacker

• Use compression and/or space saver bags.
  • You can purchase portable air pumps to re-compress bags during your travels.
• If you want greater outfit variety, bring an extra clothing item(s) that you can easily mix and match with other pieces you’ve already packed.
  • This also applies to shoes, which generally are quite bulky! You can plan your outfits around your footwear, to bring the least amount of shoes as possible.
• Pack only one or two coats in the colder seasons.
  • Wear a coat with you on the plane to save space in your suitcase.
  • Plan outfits to match those coats, instead of the other way around.

Packing tips for frequent flyers

• Buy doubles of all your essential items.
  • If you travel often, it can be a hassle to constantly repack your bags with your essential items (toiletries, electronic chargers, etc.). So if it is within your means, I highly recommend you slowly start to purchase duplicates of items you own. For example, you can start off by getting extra toiletries (e.g. toothbrush) or phone charger cable to exclusively keep in your suitcase. This way you never have to remember (or forget) to pack it.
• Get tracking tags for your items. If the airport loses your suitcase, you’ll know where it is.