With spring break approaching, many students may be making plans to travel home or go on vacation. When traveling, it is helpful to optimize space in your luggage and pack your belongings in the most efficient manner. There are obvious tips you may be familiar with, like resisting packing excess items and solely taking the items you need — not want — to bring or packing a pair of shoes that can go with all of your outfits. However, here are some packing tips and tricks that are unique and proficient in saving space in your luggage.
Roll your clothes
Roll your clothes instead of folding them. This may sound peculiar, but tightly rolling clothing pieces can make them more compact, allowing you to fit more from edge to edge in your luggage. Additionally, it prevents the possibility of creases or wrinkles, as it is found that when clothes are folded, creases and wrinkles will appear where the item is folded. Who wants creases or wrinkles in their clothes? To prevent wrinkles and save space, roll and don’t fold.
Pack with dryer sheets
Another tip is to stick dryer sheets in your luggage. This can be useful for both traveling to your destination or traveling back. Luggages may have an odd smell, dirty laundry may become overpowering or shoe odors may spread to other items. However, simply place a couple dryer sheets in between your clothes — or inside your shoes — and your luggage will be smelling nice and fresh.
Organize chargers
This next tip is beneficial for those who struggle to find small items or wires, such as chargers, in their luggage. Instead of creating a mess and emptying your entire luggage just to find one charger, take a case for glasses and place your chargers in there. That way, it will be easier to access them when you need to. Almost all glasses cases contain a strong magnetic closure, so no need to worry about your charger possibly falling out. Your chargers will be safely secured and still easily accessible.
Packing cubes
This final tip will ensure very neat and organized luggage: packing cubes. Packing cubes can be found at various retailers — Amazon, Target and Nordstrom, for example — and come in a variety of colors. Organize your clothes by putting them in different colored cubes. For example, when you know you need a pair of jeans, you know to grab the blue cube because you placed all of your jeans in the blue cube — a bright and colorful way to neatly organize and access your belongings.
There you have it — four packing tips and tricks that you may have not heard or thought of before, but will greatly assist you in taking your luggage space to its full ability while maintaining organization throughout. Before leaving to get on the plane, don’t just “wing” it and throw all your items together last minute, take advantage of these tips and tricks and pack as soon as possible so your luggage can be as stress free as your vacation.
Photo: S. Brown
