Pack Your Luggage The Proper Way

That amazing island vacation you planned a year ago is finally about to happen and you’re going crazy packing your luggage. It seems like you have way more stuff than your luggage can handle. How are you going to get everything packed without sacrificing essentials?

A lot of us have the idea that we’re good at packing our luggage with clothes. But did you also know that it’s better to roll the clothes instead of folding them because they’ll be less wrinkled. Folding clothes also means more room in your luggage. You also bring less if you color-coordinate. Tops and pants and shoes should be coordinated. It’s better for your items to mix and match as well as be coordinated with each other so that you can pack lightly. To protect shoes, try slipping a sock over each shoe to save it from getting all marked up in your luggage, and pack small items inside shoes for extra protection.

It’s important to put your phone number and return address to the electronics that you’re packing in your luggage like camcorders and cameras. You can also write your phone number and name on the insides of your children’s clothing before you pack their luggage. This way, should they get lost, the authorities would know who to contact.

It’s also smart to create an emergency information file which would include account numbers, passwords, etc. and pack it into your carry-on luggage. You can save it on a flash drive or disk and write-protect the document afterwards.

Don’t pack essential medications or other things into checked luggage, but in your carry-on luggage. Your carry-on luggage should also include a change of underwear, a copy of your passport, reading material, several heavy weight zip-lock bags and a high-energy food like trail mix or power bars.

Itemize the items in your luggage on a written list and take pictures of your luggage after it’s packed, this is proof that it’s your luggage. If your luggage is stolen you can prove what you packed. You should also put these in your carry-on luggage.

You might spend a lot of time reading when you’re traveling far away. You can begin with magazines then leave it behind for someone else when you’ve finished. Doing this will also lighten your carry-on load. Save book reading for later on in the trip and if there’s room in your luggage pack finished books into your luggage to further reduce your carry-on burden.

Interested in tips for living a healthy lifestyle? We’re your healthy living guide to eating well and living an active life.