PACKING is by far one of the worst aspects of going on holiday.
Worrying about how much stuff to take, where to put it all and how much it’s going to weigh can really affect your mood before jetting off.
However, there are some methods you can use that will help ease the stress levels when getting your suitcase ready for your trip away.
Luggage experts at Cath Kidston have revealed four of their favourite tips to send stress packing this summer.
Keep your essentials in your carry-on
If you’re checking in a bag as well as taking a carry-on, make sure you keep your all-important items with you on the plane.
This gets rid of the risk of losing something especially important, if your main luggage gets lost.
It also means you’ll have some essentials until you’re able to stock up again.
That means you should keep the following in your hand luggage:
● any medication you need
● your phone charger
● skincare essentials like lip balm
● wet wipes
● ID documents
● a light change of clothes
● toothbrush and toothpaste
● entertainment, like a tablet, book, or headphones
If you’re travelling light and only taking hand luggage on your trip, keep a small tote bag in your bag with the essentials separated out for easy access.
When you get on the plane, store your main hand luggage away and keep that one handy.
Think outfits, not individual pieces
When trying to keep your luggage light and your packing stress-free, it’s important to only take what you’ll need and nothing else.
Visualise the outfits you can put together from a few simple separate items.
When it comes to cover-ups for the beach and poolside lounging, you’ll only need a couple that you can rotate throughout your holiday.
The same goes for swimwear – chances are, you’ll be rinsing this off each day anyway.
For evenings and daytime outings, build a core collection of outfits that you can wear and rotate individual pieces around.
One pair each of trainers, sandals, and a dressier shoe will complement a range of outfits, and take separates that you can mix and match.
Dresses can be worn a couple of times and look brand new with a simple switch-up in shoes or accessories.
A casual and a dressier top can both look great with lightweight trousers, skirts, or shorts.
Putting thought into how you’ll style each item of clothing means you won’t pack too many then arrive not knowing how to put them together.
Space-saving packing hacks
Whether you’re just taking a carry-on or you’ve gone for an additional luggage check-in, packing optimally will save you space, stress, and from aching arms.
Many of us now know that rolling up our clothes gives us much more room to play with than folding them, and some have even taken this hack further to incorporate an entire outfit into one neat little roll.
You could even take it beyond that and pop your rolled up clothes into a vacuum bag to save even more space!
Roll up smaller items of clothing, like socks and underwear, into your shoes to save some extra space. You could also use your socks to cover your essential toiletries and keep them tightly packed together, then slip them into your shoes.
It’s all about thinking how you can combine items of your luggage to make sure you’ve got enough room for everything.
And if there’s a little wiggle room, you can fit in some treats from duty free or gifts for your loved ones on the way back.
Keep your items safe from spillages
For liquid or cream items that have screw-top lids, simply cover the top of the pot or bottle with some clingfilm and screw the lid over that.
It’ll keep all the good stuff inside your packaging, protecting your clothes and saving your valuable moisturiser and conditioners from going to waste.
For added protection, you can store electricals and delicate clothing in clear ziplock bags.
This professional organiser has a packing method of her own to save time prepping for her holidays.
These tips will help families prepare for trips away.
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