The suitcase is one of the crucial points for the success or failure of your trip.
The life of a traveler, although glamorous, requires many decisions, especially where? When? In what way?
But after making the decision to travel, buying your ticket, other questions come.
What to take, what I can’t help but take, etc.
These tips will be of great help when packing your bags.
He probably asked the question before buying the ticket, due to the cost.
I take a carry-on bag or one or two checked bags.
See the article on how to travel with hand luggage and save up to 50% on tickets
1 - Know the baggage rules for the transport you will use.
Before reaching this stage of the journey, you have already made many other decisions.
See, everything you need to know to travel more and better.
One of the things you have already decided is what type of transport you will use, and what type of suitcase you will take.
However, to know this it is essential that you have a very clear view of the baggage rules and regulations.
See the items that cannot be taken in hand luggage (air).
On bus trips, there is generally no volume limit, but rather a weight limit.
The most common is 30 kilos maximum and 5 kilos as hand luggage.
On my bus trip through the Balkans, there were companies that didn’t charge anything and others that charged 1 to 2 euros for luggage.
In addition to knowing the piece limit, there are also size restrictions.
2 Buy the ideal suitcase.
As important as complying with luggage regulations is knowing how to choose the one that best suits your trip and style.
Most of the time people think of luggage as a suitcase, but there are many types of “suitcases”.
Having the right type of luggage, backpack or suitcase for your trips can make things easier and less stressful.
Packing your bags and boarding a plane or hitting the road is different.
But with so many styles to choose from, deciding which one is right for you can be a challenge.
The obvious advantage of suitcases with wheels is the ease of transport at the airport and on smooth streets and sidewalks.
The main advantage of Duffel Bags over other options is their simple design. They are easy to use and usually have a large space to store your equipment and clothes.
These travel-friendly backpacks excel where wheeled luggage can’t: on gravel, cobblestone streets, stairs and other uneven terrain.
See How to choose the perfect luggage for your trip.
3 Know what to take.
Knowing what to take, besides being an art, is the item that will make the difference between success and failure on your trip.
It’s really bad when you need something and don’t have it, but so is carrying clothes and utensils that haven’t been used.
On my trip around the world, after 1 month of traveling I realized that I wasn’t going to use many of the things I had taken, I had to spend money to send 5 kilos of things home.
On my trek to Everest base camp, I donated 4 sets of clothes that I simply didn’t use.
Some basic rules:
- Only take what you really need.
- Choose clothes with technical fabrics. See the article.
- Have travel equipment as they are smaller.
- Pack the suitcase for a week and then use it, after washing.
- Use neutral colors that match each other.
- I really like using the 1-2-3-4-5-6 ratio when packing:
1 hat, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants or skirts, 4 shirts, 5 pairs of socks and 6 sets of underwear.
4 Know how to pack clothes and equipment in your suitcase.
As space is always limited, making the most of every little bit of it is essential to carry everything in as little space as possible.
Regardless of whether you roll or fold the clothes, the most important thing is to do it firmly, to make it as compact as possible.
See the 3 secrets to choosing the right clothes for your trip.
Another important technique is to use all available spaces, such as inside shoes, where socks or bottles with liquid can go.
Place your shoes upside down, as they fit easier without leaving space between them.
5 - waterproof bag or cube packaging to stay organized.
Organizing your suitcase in a logical way helps a lot in both using the spaces and using your clothes during the trip.
This means you only get what you need at any given moment and don’t have to unpack and repack your suitcase all the time.
Always having a free space to place used clothes also avoids contaminating clean clothes, while speeding up washing time.
6 – Pack your suitcase in advance.
There’s a saying that haste is the enemy of perfection.
This applies to the travel bag.
So pack your suitcase well in advance, and check to see if you haven’t forgotten anything, or have something you won’t really need.
Make a list of everything you will take, and don’t put it on the list if you’re not 100% sure you’ll use it.
Choose your clothes that serve at least two purposes, and weigh less or take up less space.
This method, in addition to preventing you from forgetting anything, saves a lot of weight from carrying things you won’t need.
After the suitcase is completely separated, rethink each item and see what you can actually leave behind.
Doing this 3 or 4 times on different days will result in the perfect suitcase.
7 – Plan to do laundry.
For trips longer than two weeks, it is important to consider washing them instead of taking more clothes.
Nowadays, you can find places to wash clothes in every major city in the world.
Especially with the advent of Airbnb, many accommodations have washing machines.
On my trip through the Balkans, every apartment had a washing machine.
8 - Be careful with bottles of creams, lotions, hygiene and beauty products
Especially when traveling by air, there are many restrictions on what you can or cannot carry in each type of luggage.
Also the products you use are large sizes for your travel bag and many cannot be found or you don’t know what they are called in other countries.
With so many restrictions, finding the right size and right amount of space for all your serums, creams, and toiletries can be a challenge.
The solution is smaller pot kits to accommodate everything you need.
9 - Don't forget the vaporizer.
No matter how you pack—roll, fold, use cubes, airtight bags, be minimalist, whatever—your clothes will inevitably get wrinkled during travel.
For those who iron their clothes, having a steamer helps keep their travel clothes fresh and wrinkle-free.
Many accommodations have irons, but not only are they not available everywhere but they are also more difficult to use.
As I wear technical clothes, my use is very restricted, but on some business trips it made a difference.
10 - Take your luggage to the next level by rethinking your travel wardrobe.
All the techniques used in travel luggage can and should be applied to your everyday wardrobe, so when you go traveling, you will already have the products and clothes up to standard and you won’t need to spend more on them.
11 - Always leave space left over.
It is almost inevitable that you will return from your trip with something more than what you went with.
Do you have souvenirs, any items you want to buy, etc.
If you don’t have space available in your luggage, you will have to purchase more space and this will cost you.
12 - Prepare for lost bags.
Luggage may be delayed or lost. Be sure to keep essential items with you in your carry-on luggage: passport, money, glasses, and medication.
If you need to check a bag on your trip, have whatever you need in your hand luggage for a day or two in case the airline loses your luggage. Wear or carry the heaviest, bulkiest or most difficult-to-replace items, such as hiking boots and a cold coat.
On my trek through the Alta Dolomites via 1, the airline lost my luggage and it took 10 days to arrive, luckily using this tip I had all the equipment for the trail with me.
13 - Learn from your last trip.
Each trip brings you a new world of experiences and sensations.
But once you’re home, analyze what happened to your luggage and learn new lessons.
With this, you will become more and more expert in packing your suitcase.
I notice a lot of changes over time. One of my first 15-day trips, my backpack was 88 liters.
In 2022 I took a trip to Europe for 15 days with a 32-liter.
Let me know if you used any of these tips and how you got on with packing your suitcase.
