How to Pack for a Trip

how to pack for a trip

Preparing for a trip is always great fun, isn’t it? The anticipation of all the things you’ll see and do is a big part of the vacation excitement. But preparing for a trip also includes packing and that is not fun for everyone. So here are some of my travel tips to help you pack for a trip.

How to Pack Clothes for a Trip

  • When it comes to clothes, I discovered that rolling up t-shirts, pants and other clothing is a good method to save space. And it also keeps your clothes from wrinkling. Once you’ve rolled things up, pack your pants and tops in your suitcase before your shoes and others items. Fill up unused space with socks and underwear. You can even place smaller items or socks inside your shoes to save space.
  • Put the first clothes you need at your destination on top in your bag or suitcase. That way you won’t have to unpack the whole suitcase immediately after you arrive. It’s a good idea to pack your toiletries on top too so you have them at hand as soon as you arrive.
  • I always put a spare change of clothes in my hand luggage too, just in case the worst happens and my suitcase gets lost or arrives with a delay.

How to Organize Your Suitcase

  • Pack heavy items like shoes at the bottom of your suitcase. And by bottom I mean close to the wheels when the suitcase is upright. This way, you suitcase is more stable and your lighter items won’t get squashed down when you put the suitcase in an upright position.
  • Pack a plastic bag or dry cleaning bag between items you want to protect from possible damage. As a bonus, that way you have a laundry bag at hand too.
  • Use packing cubes or reusable plastic bags with a zipper to organize your luggage. Put your shoes in a bag too. It will prevent them from staining clothes and makes it easier to pack them in unused spaces. There is no need to keep a pair of shoes together. If it makes sense, just put each shoe in a seperate bag and pack them in your suitcase in left-over spaces.

How to Pack Hand Luggage

  • To make sure you get through airport security easily, always pack your liguids in a separate see-through bag if you want them in your hand luggage. You can get a bag with airline-approved bottles here. Place any bigger liquids and liquids that you don’t need during the actual trip in your check-in luggage. Even there, it is best to put them in a zipper bag because – believe me – you do not want to open a suitcase after an accidental shampoo explosion. If you’re going on a long international trip or want to be able to freshen up while travelling, it is wise to pack a tooth brush and small tooth paste in your hand luggage too. And if you need them, remember to put things like contact lens liquid, lip balm, etc. in your hand luggage too.
  • If you need medication during you trip put it in your hand luggage. The same applies to pain killers and other medicine or supplements you may need. You may want to use small pill box for this.
  • Bring an empty reusable water bottle in your hand luggage. Remember not to fill it before you go through airport security though since it won’t be allowed through. You can fill it up inside the terminal. It will keep you hydrated, and it’s better for the environment than buying plastic bottles.
All items must be 100 ml or less and must fit in a 1 liter bag

The Essentials to Pack for a Trip

I hope these tips will help you next time you pack for a trip. It’s not all there is to say about packing, of course. It’s not possible to list everything because every trip is different. I did create a list of things that I think are essential every time I go on an international trip. I posted it here for your benefit. You can even download and print it for future reference, if you like. Do you have any great packing tips yourself? Click below and let me know!

Ready for your trip? You may like to know that travelling actually helps the world become a better place. Click here to find out how international travel benefits humanity.

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