SUMMER! It's a record-breaking travel season!
All that pent-up claustrophobia from years of covid has exploded.
If you haven’t flown for a while, you may be shocked at how airlines are handling baggage.
That is, say goodbye to free checked baggage! Many airlines are charging extra for this, and some even add fees to carry-on bags. (Don’t get me started about having to pay seat fees – isn’t that what we bought with our ticket???).
Savvy travelers trying to save a buck look for ways to pack less and lighter, to avoid those outrageous extra fees. Here are some ways to pack with ease and efficiency – and maybe avoid that extra luggage!
File Folding
You may have heard of Marie Kondo’s method of folding clothes so that they stand up,
and can be “filed,” saving space and making our drawers very tidy! (Here’s a video if you want to learn how). This is a great way to save valuable space in your bags, so check it out.
Packing Cubes
You’ve probably seen these advertised – packing cubes to organize your suitcase. They are an absolute must if you’re traveling for any length of time.
You can put all your tops, T-shirts in one cube, underwear and socks in another, and all your bottoms (pants, shorts, skirts) in another. Use the file folding method to make the most of the space – an added benefit is that your clothes end up being “pressed” so they look good when you’re ready to wear everything.
Why cubes? They make living out of a suitcase a breeze, because you can easily access each category of clothing. Cubes are great for summer travel, as we usually have more casual clothes and less suits and formal business attire that need more horizontal packing.
And – you can fit more into the suitcase!
The alternative, as you probably have experienced, is that the suitcase becomes a jumble of clothes, crammed in willy-nilly. It’s impossible to find anything without emptying the whole thing out, everything gets messed up, and that takes time you’d rather spend enjoying your trip!
Special Cases for Toiletries
If you’re traveling for less than a week or so, you can get those plastic bottles (available on Amazon or Target) to hold shampoo, conditioner, lotions, etc. instead of carting the whole bottle. Make sure you put them into a waterproof case (like this or this) just in case things decide to leak or explode on the trip.
Keep to cases that are rectangular in order to fit in with the other cubes.
Organizing Your Documents
Keep your tickets, boarding passes, ID cards, passports, etc. (include your vaccine cards, just in case) in one special container that is easily accessible.
There are great neck holders and small organizers that fit into a purse or backpack, or can be worn under or over your clothes. Look for the ones with RFID protection – that’s a special system that uses a layer of carbon fiber or aluminum to block the electromagnetic signal emitted from your credit cards, preventing thieves from stealing money from your credit cards remotely.
Now – have fun! Wishing you a safe and happy summer travel season!
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