When packing for any trip, the first thought of every traveler is how to compactly pack things in a suitcase so that everything fits. And at the same time, do not forget the basic things that you cannot do without. And so that everything folded retains its decent appearance and does not become too wrinkled.
The number of things will depend on the season, purpose and duration of the trip. And it is important to balance the volume of things and the size of your travel bag or suitcase. If you have to fly to cold countries for two weeks, and you only have a compact bag the size of hand luggage, then perhaps you should think about a new thing.
Preparing to assemble a suitcase
This is the most important and difficult stage. You need to determine exactly what things you need to take on your trip.
A few steps will help with this:
- Make a list of things. This should be as detailed a list of all the things that need to be taken. It is worth taking into account all possible criteria - the climate in the city and country of travel, the time of year, what kind of transport you will be traveling with, etc. If it is difficult to decide on a specific list, you need to make at least an approximate list of things;
- After compiling a list, you can be distracted by more pleasant activities and, after some time, return to the list of things and edit it, think about whether there are unnecessary things in it that you can do without;
- Collect things from the list, look at their quantity, perhaps give up something else;
Be sure to put separately the clothes you plan to wear;
When traveling by air, divide your items into those that are checked in as luggage and those that you can take with you into the cabin. Carry-on luggage should contain those things that may be needed directly during the flight, as well as money, documents, and hygiene items.
List of required documents
- All-Russian passport (for travel within Russia or some nearby countries)
- Foreign passport (with visas if required)
- Insurance (if any)
- Ticket (train or plane)
- Vouchers (if package tour)
- Hotel reservation (if available)
- Excursion vouchers (if available)
- Powers of attorney (if required)
- Credit cards, checks, cash (I wrote about what kind of money is best to take abroad here, and about profitable credit cards here)
Also, I always recommend printing out in advance the emergency telephone numbers of your place of stay, insurance telephone numbers, short numbers of your operator (in case of replenishment or other situations), and bank telephone numbers.
In general, you need to think through and print out all the information that may be useful in a new place.
Folding luggage
When things are prepared, they need to be put in a suitcase so that everything on the list fits and things take up less space.
It is important to pack your luggage not chaotically or as it turns out if the need arises to quickly find and pull out the necessary item. Ultimately, the suitcase should not be too heavy and uncomfortable to transport.
How to fold clothes compactly without getting wrinkled
- Fold clothes in rolls if you don't want them to become wrinkled.
- Fold the suit trousers in half, then roll them up, starting from the fold.
- Denim pants fold in a slightly different way. The top needs to be turned out, then combine one pant leg with the other. Roll up your pants, starting from the bottom. Finally, wrap around the fold.
- Items with long sleeves and shirts must be placed on the back. Align the sleeves, placing them at an angle. Then bend them in the middle part. Similar to jeans, leave the bottom part turned out a little. Place the right edge in the middle of the jacket, cover it with the left. Start rolling the product into a roll, starting from the throat. At the end, wrap the roller with the folded part. Another way is to fold a long-sleeve sweater in half. Align the sleeves and place them on top. Roll the jacket.
- T-shirts fold similarly to shirts. To save time and space, first place several pieces on top of each other.
- We simply fold skirts and dresses in half, then roll them into a roll. However, if the latter has long sleeves, it is better to use the shirt folding method.
- The sweatshirt should be laid on the back. Mark the center and pull each edge towards it. Place the sleeves on top, parallel to each other. Fold the sweatshirt into three parts.
- Roll up the warm jacket. We do this as closely as possible. To prevent the roll from falling apart while traveling, secure it with rubber bands.
Note! If you have very little space in your suitcase, you can use compression bags. The main thing is not to forget to release any remaining air from it.
Packing shoes in a suitcase
Heavy and bulky items, such as shoes, are recommended to be placed at the bottom of the suitcase or to the sides of the compartment. To ensure that the space occupied by shoes is not useless, you can fold socks rolled up inside.
You can also put each of the shoes in an individual package or bag, then put them in such a way that the toe of one shoe is in contact with the heel of the second shoe, and their soles are directed in the opposite direction. Occupy the resulting zones between the stacked shoes with underwear and wrinkle-free clothing.
“Palms” - for short socks
This option is more suitable for sports socks that differ from a regular pair in length in the shin area. Their elastic band is located quite low, right on top of the heel.
Do the following:
- Place one sock on your right palm and the other on your left. Place your hands together so that your palms touch.
- With the thumb of your right hand, hook and secure the elastic band on your left hand.
- Continue to hold the second sock, and with your left hand help pull the left one over the right one. As a result, one must end up inside the other.
It is worth noting that if certain inconveniences occur, you can clamp the elastic band with your right hand and with your left.
Putting clothes in a suitcase
Items of clothing, depending on what kind of item they are, can be folded compactly in two ways:
Rolls. This method can be used to pack a T-shirt, pullover, jeans, and various shirts. Thus, they will take up much less space and will not be wrinkled. First, fold the T-shirt or shirt with the sleeves inward, and if it’s jeans, then pant leg to pant leg, then roll it into a tight roll;
Packs. This method is suitable for packing trousers, dresses, jackets, that is, those clothes that usually take up a lot of space. In this case, things are stacked. In the middle of the stack you need to place something that can form a dense base. Each item is folded towards the middle and the selected base is wrapped around it.
It is recommended to combine these methods of folding things, that is, roll some items in rollers, and fold others in bundles. Then you need to put the resulting rolls down, the packs on top.
Another secret
The list of effective ways to compactly pack a suitcase can be supplemented with one more item. To pack things before your trip quickly and without unnecessary problems, try to organize the process by dividing things into groups:
1. Cash and personal documents - something without which the trip may not take place at all. Keep this set with you at all times. Before traveling, make copies of all documents. If you lose, you will have at least something left that will help you cope with the problem of recovery.
2. Household appliances and cosmetics
Before you pack your things, pay attention to the hotel where you plan to stay. Do they provide cosmetics and toiletries? Otherwise, it’s better to stock up on compact versions of the products that suit you
3. Clothes. Try to approach the issue objectively. Don't take extra clothes that you may or may not wear. It’s better to create several sets that easily and correctly complement and replace each other. Give preference to lightweight fabrics that dry quickly and do not require ironing.
4. Shoes. Choose something simple and convenient.
5. Medicines. No trip is complete without an emergency medical supply. Take an antipyretic, analgesic, anti-allergies and anti-poisoning medicine. You should not take a whole pack, limit yourself to one blister of medicine.
6. Entertainment. No luggage is complete without a camera. It is better to prefer a tablet to a laptop; paper books can easily be replaced by a compact electronic version.
When wondering how to compactly pack things in a suitcase, try not to deviate from a thoughtful list. Check each group of things. Perhaps some of the above needs preparation (charging, changing batteries, repairing).
Recommendations for putting things in a suitcase
Necessary little things, for example, a belt, charger should be packed along the wall of the suitcase compartment, and socks, underwear, swimwear - in the free zones.
The main rule is that the tighter the clothes are, the lower the likelihood that they will wrinkle and fragile items will break.
- It is better to put fragile things on top. Liquids in luggage must be packed so that they do not leak.
- Before packaging, you need to check each bottle or tube to ensure that the cap is securely closed, place it in a tight package, and tie it well.
- It is better to place fragile objects so that softer things are located around them.
- Glass bottles must be wrapped in clothing.
After all these packing manipulations, you need to zip up the suitcase, you can press it down a little with your knee, but the main thing is not to overdo it.
How to pack a suitcase as efficiently as possible: advice from military personnel and travelers
To fully master the art of how to pack a suitcase, you should take the advice of travelers and people in the military profession:
- Well-known travel presenter Zhanna Badoeva recommends leaving a hair dryer, hair curlers, shower gels, and shampoos at home. If you are planning a vacation at a hotel, many of them have all these things.
- If you still need some special shampoos or gels, Zhanna advises pouring them into miniature containers . Which should then be carefully sealed.
IMPORTANT: All traveler reviews say that it is necessary to gather in silence. Distractions can cause you to end up with a couple of extra items in your suitcase.
- The power of imagination is a serious thing. Sometimes you just need to imagine how hard it will be to drag a suitcase. After that, there will immediately be a couple of items that can be crossed off the list.
It’s worth imagining yourself with a heavy suitcase. I wanted to pack it as little as possible
- All experienced travelers know that things that may be needed on the road first are placed on top. For example, an umbrella, a change of jacket. But pajamas, for example, which you will definitely need already at the hotel, can be placed closer to the bottom of the suitcase.
- Military personnel often practice assembling and disassembling a suitcase. If you practice before hour X, you will be able to pack your things at the right time as quickly as possible.
- Rolls of clothing can be tied with some kind of braid. This way they definitely won’t turn around and get wrinkled.
- Those in the military profession know that strategic weight distribution is an important decision. To make carrying your suitcase as comfortable as possible, the heaviest items should be placed in the center. It makes more sense to put things that are medium in weight at the bottom.
IMPORTANT: It is better to put the lightest items in the upper part of the suitcase.
- It is recommended to choose clothes that do not wrinkle and are difficult to get dirty.
- You definitely need to imagine how each item will be useful on your trip. If you can't imagine using it frequently, it's best to cross it off the list.
When packing your suitcase, you don’t need to be afraid to cross out unnecessary items.
Life hacks when packing a suitcase
There are also ways to organize your space and what to use when packing your luggage. You can use vacuum bags. They are often used at home so that winter clothes in the closet are not located in such a large space.
They put things in them, then create a vacuum, as a result, the package becomes smaller in volume. They can also be used when traveling, only the air can be pumped out by twisting the bag.
To save space, organizer covers are suitable. They are rectangular covers that hold a lot of luggage. When a large family or company travels, it is worth writing the name on the covers to avoid confusion. The choice of such cases is now varied.
When planning an active holiday, luggage should be packed in compression tourist bags, they are tightened with straps. When relaxing outdoors, they are more convenient to use, do not tear, unlike bags, they can also be useful when traveling around the city.
- Collecting luggage and then packing it seems like a long and boring task.
- But if you approach this process responsibly and take advantage of the competent advice of experienced travelers, it will not take much time.
- This will allow you, if necessary, to quickly find the item you need and pull it out without dismantling the entire suitcase.
- Thanks to this, you won’t have to pay for excess weight when flying, and you won’t have to leave items prohibited for transportation.
This will allow you to travel without problems without buying necessary but forgotten things at home; the suitcase will weigh less if the space inside it is properly organized. As a result, you will only have positive impressions from the trip.
Use of vacuum bags and sealing bags
If there are too many things or they are bulky, then you can use vacuum bags. Due to sealing, each item is reduced by three times, and the suitcase will fit 20-30% more clothes. In addition, they protect property from dust, dirt, insects, fungus and foreign odors.
There are certain packaging rules:
- All clothing must be dry. If you seal a wet item, the next time you open the bag you may notice an unpleasant odor.
- Massive carved buttons, buckles, zippers and locks must be hidden inside the fabric and only then the air must be pumped out so that the bag does not tear.
- If a small hole or cut occurs, it can easily be sealed with adhesive tape or tape. The main thing is to immediately notice the gap before the air escapes completely.
- Don't pack a lot of things in one big bag. It's better to use several small ones.
- Before you start packing, you should smooth out the item to prevent any bulges from forming. Subsequently, a flat bag will be easier to place in a suitcase.
For certain sealing bags, a vacuum cleaner is used to remove the air. It is worth thinking in advance about what to do if the procedure has to be repeated. Otherwise, you won’t be able to pack your clothes compactly into your suitcase on the way back.
