You don’t have to be a master of perfection to pack your suitcase as efficiently as possible. But there are some easy ways to save space for your next trip. We’ve all been in a situation where we have too many things to put in our suitcase; we end up sitting on it and almost breaking the zip just to close it. We’ve put together some easy tips on how to pack your suitcase in the best way for your next holiday. How to fold your clothes to take up less space and how to make sure is doesn’t weight too much.
We also recommend that before travelling or before buying a new suitcase, you check the sizes which your airline allowed:
- Ryanair suitcase size 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm
- British Airways hand luggage size 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm
- Vueling hang luggage size 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm
- Easyjet suitcase sizes 56 x 45 x 25 cm
How to pack clothes in your suitcase
Believe it or not, the most traditional way to fold clothes in a suitcase is not the most efficient for saving space. You don’t make the most of all the space in your case and there are other ways which make it easier.
Roll your clothes in your case
If you roll up your clothes rather than folding them, they will take up much less space and you can use up every inch of your suitcase. For trousers, fold them in half once and then roll them. This trick also stops your clothes from getting creased when you’re travelling.
Pack your clothes in layers
Putting your clothes together in layers, for example putting a shirt inside a jumper, is another way to save on space. After you’ve layered all your clothes you can then place them on top of each other and put your socks and underwear around the edges.
Other tricks to create space in your case
- Choose clothes which work well with others, such as a pair of trousers which you can wear with several tops. This means you won’t have to wear so many different items and therefore can leave the other half of your wardrobe at home. Don’t think about what you want, but what you actually need, you probably won’t end up wearing half of what you take with you anyway.
- Carry your clothes in vacuum bags: this is the best way to take up every inch of space that you have. If you remove air, you reduce the volume and if you don’t have a proper vacuum bag you can just use a hoover and a plastic bag at home.
- Use microfiber towels (aka fast-drying towels) which are not only good because they dry super-fast, but they also take up much less space than regular bathroom towels. They don’t cost much and you can find them in most department stores.
- Don’t worry about the travel guides which take up a lot of weight in your case. Now there are so many travel apps you can check for things to do and most holiday rentals come with Wi-Fi! If not, you could visit a tourist office on arrival and get some advice from the locals.
- Take advantage of the space in between the bars in your suitcase to put things like flip-flops, socks, shoes or anything else small which can fit there.
- Don’t take things that you need ‘just in case’ in the worst case scenario, you can buy it once you’ve arrived to your destination. Only take the essentials
- When buying a suitcase, weigh it first. You don’t want to use weight which you could use for packing more just on the suitcase itself!
- Take advantage of the insides of your shoes or anything else you have which might have hidden space!
- Put any belts into the necks of your shirts so that they take up less space and keep your shirt neat.
- Keep hold of those mini bottles of shampoo you get in hotels and use them on your trip for less space!
How to organise your luggage
- Make a packing list of everything you need to take with you. Including chargers, money, your passport or other necessary documents. Take it with you on your trip so that you don’t forget anything when you return
- Take resalable bags to put dirty clothes in. It’s much more efficient than a plastic bag and stops your clean clothes from smelling.
- Use an old water bottle to store jewellery money or other small valuables.
- Buy a contact lenses holder or a pill organiser to put creams and toiletries inside.
- Put your valuables into an old sun cream tube and then no one will try to steal from you on the beach!
- Protect any blades with rubber clips
Do you have any personal tips when packing your suitcase? Let us know!
