If there was ever a two-word horror story to describe a traveller’s nightmare, it would definitely be ‘excess baggage’! Not everyone can be a Type A meticulous packer with an enviable suitcase that looks straight out of a catalog; some of us need all the help we can get, and fit in all of our essentials in one place before we pull our hair out with frustration! Here are some ingenious packing hacks that will definitely help you out the next time you pack for a trip!
1. Use your shoes for your socks!
Roll your socks as tightly as you can, and use the elastic at the end to cover the entire roll at once. Once secured, simply store them inside your shoes!
2. Carry small amounts of lotion…
..in contact lens cases that you don’t use anymore. They have just the right amount of space and enough quantity to last you in your airplane carry-on, so that you don’t have to carry extra bottles over and above the ones that you’re already taking with you.
3. Reuse spare sunglass cases…
..and use them for your wires, cables, and chargers. Just neatly wrap them up, secure them with rubber bands, and slip it into your sunglasses’ case, so that you can access them easily, as well.
4. Go for travel-sized toiletries
They are the ultimate space-savers! And by reusing the bottles by just refilling them before every trip, you’ll be doing yourself, and the environment a huge favour!
5. Use old shower caps…
..to pack your shoes! Just simply stretch the elastic of the cap around to accommodate both your shoes and there you have it – no special storage bags needed whatsoever. And you can pack them along with your clothes without worrying about getting them dirty!
6. Use a sturdy binder clip…
..to cover the blade of your razor so that you don’t give yourself a nasty cut while you fumble around in your suitcase for your shaving necessities!
7. Take care of accidental leaks
Take a plastic wrap and cover the mouths of your shampoo and lotion bottles before screwing on the cap. You can also use masking tape in the same way, but ensure you don’t place it on too tight, or else the plastic/tape could tear and cause the shampoo to explode in your bag anyway!
8. Cling-film jewellery wrappers
Take a sizeable piece of cling-film, or plastic wrap and carefully place your delicate chains and bracelets, side by side, with enough space between them so that they don’t get entwined. Take another sheet and cover the laid out jewellery, so that the two sheets of the wrap are stuck to each other. Smoothen the air bubbles with your palms, roll up the sheets, and stow away the package safely.
9. Preserve your bras like a pro
Stack your bras on top of each other, so that each cup of every bra sits comfortably in the cups of the bras underneath. To go the extra mile, fold your underwear tightly enough to store them between the cups and voila! You just saved your bras from getting smushed and ruining their shape in your luggage!
10. Roll ‘em, don’t fold ‘em!
The tried, tested, and certified way of packing clothes, the rolls give you more space to stuff other things in your suitcase, and this way you also prevent wrinkles from setting into the clothes.
You can thank us later, ladies!
Images: Shutterstock, Giphy