Packing tips for the suitcase - What should be considered?

Whether a long vacation, short break or professional trip, it always raises the same question: What garments and items should you put in your suitcase and what can be left at home? We all know that personal priorities, objects and the purpose of the journey do not always coincide and thus complicate the decision when packing. To pack without a plan, Haphazard or shortly before departure on the evening usually does not go well and ends often in missing or wrong clothes, to heavy luggage and frustration. It does not have to be this: I, Mik from Pack Easy, give you helpful tips for effective, space-saving and nerve-sparing suitcase packing.

The most important question before packing: suitcases or hand luggage?

It is not always easy to find out which part of the luggage should be packed where it should be. Most agree when it comes to essential travel essentials such as ID cards, apartment keys, mobile phones, cash and other means of payment: This is part of the hand luggage, because it is the safest kept and always at hand.

It is already difficult with some electronic devices. Although it is generally recommended to transport them in your hand luggage, there can be exceptions. Original packed, not too expensive consumer electronics, which takes up a lot of space, may well be taken in the normal luggage. However, loss or damage must always be expected. Everyone should decide individually here. 

Expensive electronic devices such as laptops or tablets are always in your hand luggage. After all, nobody wants to run the risk of finding a defective device in their suitcase upon arrival. Batteries and rechargeable batteries should be stowed away in your carry-on baggage as they are forbidden in the baggage.

Medicines you need during the journey are also in your hand luggage. When travelling by air, this also applies to medicines that are not suitable in the hold because of the very low temperatures. It is also good to know that on longer trips it is often not allowed to carry a large number of medicines in your hand luggage. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to use specially secured transport boxes for temperature-sensitive medical devices.

Important: The medicines you bring with you must be for you and must not exceed the monthly requirement. Since medications are sensitive, it is best to put them in the center of the case and pack them in soft clothes or towels

If you travel only with hand luggage, you can, of course, use the following tips for suitcases on smaller pieces of luggage.

Properly packing: The checklist ensures Overview

The question, what comes in the suitcase and what in the hand luggage, should now be clarified. Now it's time to pack. But before you start packing your bags, it makes sense to make a checklist. The best way to do this is to carry in your hand luggage the aforementioned documents, valuables and personal belongings and one for the large suitcase. 

This is especially helpful on air travel, where luggage cannot be accessed in the hold during the journey. Therefore, children's magazines, books, toys or stuffed animals, small snacks and sweets are included in your carry-on luggage for longer journeys.

The best way to create the packing list for large luggage is to answer the following questions:

• Where is it going and what is available at the final destination?
• What is the climate at the final destination?
• How long is the voyage?
• What do I need at my destination and what else can I buy locally if necessary?

These questions help you to decide what you really need at the destination. Because too often we pack things that would perhaps not necessary. This can be reduced by realizing what is really necessary on the ground. 

For example, bikinis, swimsuits and beach accessories are available in practically every tourist resorts in a large selection and at reasonable prices. But in the ski holidays, it can be difficult to find suitable bathing suits if you forget them and want to use the indoor pool.

If it is too time-consuming for you to create your own checklist, you can easily adapt my micro-packing list online to your individual wishes and pack your case step by step - feather-light!

Checklist tip: To never lose track of anything, tick each item you put into your suitcase directly on the list. Things that you need until just before departure are marked as "not yet packed" and will not be forgotten.

Practical tips for packing your suitcase

 

The destination and also the purpose of the trip determine the contents of the suitcase. However, the following packing tips apply to all trips, whether short or long journeys, small or large suitcases:

• Heavy pieces such as jackets, coats, shoes and books are stowed at the bottom, because they stabilize the case by their weight. Vacancies between these bulky things can be wonderfully filled with small, flexible garments such as socks or underwear.
• Towels, cosmetics and other not easily crumpled items are ideal for the middle layer of luggage. Again, vacancies can be filled up with handkerchiefs, rolled-up belts or similar.
• At the top are sensitive, slightly crumpled garments, such as shirts, blouses and dresses. At best they are loosely curled before packing to avoid wrinkles. Even underwired bras should be packed up, as the temples are likely to bend and go through the fabric.

Here is another general tip for carefree travel: Better to pack less than more!

Heavy, unwieldy luggage can be a torment, especially on longer trips with changes. It's about giving up things that you're not likely to use on the trip - even if it's hard. Of course, loading your travel information onto an e-reader also saves weight.

And finally, the weight of the suitcase can be reduced enormously by using multifunctional clothing and items. The best known example is probably the Mobile phone, which can replace the alarm clock, wristwatch, camera, flashlight, the navigation system, dictionary, and travelogue.

Tip: So that your Mobile phone bill does not become a nightmare after your vacation, be sure to pay attention to the roaming charges of your provider before you travel abroad.

Furthermore, thin, flexible tube scarves can be easily turned into headbands. Sunscreen, dust mask and cap transform, sarongs are used on the beach as a dressing room, beach towel, awning or blanket, multifunction tools can replace cutlery, can and bottle opener, nail care kit and much more.

Shoes that require a lot of space should always be packed individually and if possible in shoe bags. Not only can the interspaces be better utilized, but the other items of clothing in the suitcase do not get dirty either.

And you should not travel without a zip bag anyway: They are ideal for wrapping open food packaging and lightly leaking products such as shower gels and shampoos, thus preventing unsightly messiness in the suitcase. Sealable bags are also perfectly suitable to separate dirty clothes from the rest of clean clothes.

Pack for final destination and purpose of travel

When packing a suitcase for a destination and type of trip, it's all about the favorite clothes, because a substitute can rarely be found for a well-fitting outfit. My tip: pack an elegant base piece on business trips and combine it with several matching supplements. And bright colors are indeed lively, but they are harder to combine and should not be your first choice, especially with limited luggage - to be on the safe side, stay in the monotonous range. One, two accessories can be often taken to spice up an outfit.

The situation is different during holidays: The clothes should be comfortable and functional, the matching color scheme is not so important. It may be quiet sometimes, a piece or other can stay at home, because no one has something against a small shopping trip during the holidays. You should already plan before departure, so you do not go with a full suitcase and can not close it at the end of the holidays.

On short trips and city trips the carry-on luggage is usually sufficient. To still have space for travel souvenirs and souvenirs in the small trolleys, you can save well on cosmetics: Most drugstores offer toothpaste, skin creams and the like in practical mini format. The small care products require little space and are often used up until the return journey. Alternatively, it can be completely dispensed with shampoo, shower gel and Co., as most hotels offer these. If not, you can easily get these items almost everywhere.

On longer journeys into the distance, it takes a bit more of everything. Often there are climatic differences between the place of departure and the destination, which is why a layer system is worthwhile when it comes to clothing. T-shirts and long-sleeved cotton or other breathable materials, sportswear such as tracksuits and pants, light throws, ponchos, rain jackets and fleece jackets are particularly suitable. jackets with removable sleeves and various inner and outer pockets are equally beneficial.

Last but not least comes the weighing of the suitcase. Traveling by plane will prevent your baggage from exceeding the maximum allowed baggage weight. You should also measure carry-on trolleys, because if the permissible dimensions are exceeded, the practical companions will move into the hold and you will pay extra fees.

More tips and suitable products for your next trip can be found in our  shop.

I hope to have given you some helpful suitcase packing tips. Have fun on your next trip and good packing!