SPACE SAVING IDEAS FOR THE NON LIGHT TRAVELER

If you’re a typical 20-some-year-old girl like me, we like to bring our whole life with us wherever we go. It’s not easy deciding what to leave behind when packing for your dream holiday (such a first world problem, I know). Mascara is a must, but you also need a waterproof tube. Not to mention only bringing one dress is a total bummer. I always find myself at a crossroads when it comes to filling up my suit case (but not too full if you want to bring back some souvenirs!). So I thought I would share some tips on how to make the most of every square inch in your bag:

2 in 1

I have prescription lenses, however, I don’t have prescription sunglasses.  So I’m always carrying around 2 pairs. So I came up with the brilliant idea of putting both pairs in 1 case, and they fit! One less bulky item in my luggage.

Roll your clothes

You may have heard of this classic trick before, but it’s a good one. Rolling your clothes as tight as you can is the best way to make room for more in your suitcase. I’ve been using this technique for nearly 2 years and it’s the only way I travel.

(There are another 2 rows of clothes under there)

Vacuum seal bags

If you want to take it a step further, put all of your ROLLED UP (not folded) clothes in a zip lock back, and squeeze all of the air out of it. Using vacuum sealed bags can decrease the amount of room needed by up to 50%.

Leave some panties behind

When I went on a 12-day trip, I packed 14 pairs of underwear. That was totally unnecessary because I believe I ran out of clean panties on day 8. Small items like underwear and socks are easy to wash by hand in the sink, so from now on, I only pack half of what I actually need. For example, an eight-day trip only needs 4 pairs of knickers.

Do a double check

I once read a great piece of advice “pack half of what you think you need”, and it couldn’t be truer. I usually end up wearing the same clothes anyway, and the other half doesn’t come out of my bag for the whole trip. But if you’re not that drastic, go through your suitcase the night before and ask yourself “do I really need this?”. I usually make a couple of “sacrifices”, as I like to call it, just to make my bag slightly less of a burden.

The more you travel, the more you’ll realize not to pack useless items, and discover some of your own tricks. Practice makes perfect!

Another trip done, makes you wiser for the next one 😉