Travel Advice - Group packed items for ease of use

When you take a multi-stop vacation and will not need to unpack completely at each location, it pays to have the clothes in your luggage organized into categories of use. If you are looking for a particular pair of socks, you do not want to look through everything in your luggage to find them. Instead, pack all like objects either in close proximity (i.e. in the same area or by layer) or together in a clear plastic bag.

Proximity packing is based on logic.

• Place like things in the same areas of the suitcase (e.g. in pockets, in the bottom, around corners, etc.).
• Also, place complimentary clothing items in proximity (e.g. socks near underwear, t-shirts near shorts, blouses near skirts or slacks).
• Proximity packing may not be as space efficient as other forms of packing (like the good old cram-it-in method): however, you will discover that items are easy to find.

Many companies provide packing systems that are good solutions for organizing the clothes in your luggage.

• Eagle Creek offers “Pack-it cubes” for various clothing items.
• Magellan offers a similar product.
• Tumi provides a packing system using “Pack Cubes”.
  •  These types of solutions are relatively expensive but are durable and may be a good investment for you, depending on your style of travel.
  • These “bag within a bag” storage systems are great for packing shirts in a manner that prevents wrinkling, while taking up a minimum of luggage space.

Pack smaller, durable items in small plastic bags.

• For instance, we carry our toiletries in a clear plastic, gallon freezer bag (Ziploc), which allows us to identify the toiletries bag.
  • In addition, placing your toiletries in sealable plastic bag provides some security against leaking bottles.
• Use the same type of bag to store socks, undergarments and rolled t-shirts.
• Keep electronics (shavers, trimmers, cords, rechargers, memory cards, etc.) in a cloth bag with a cinch top for easy opening.
  • Cloth is more durable for items with sharp edges.

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