Luggages moving on airport conveyor belt. (iStock)
It’s understandable – packing a suitcase is boring, confusing and if you have any shampoo related disasters, it can even ruin your trip.
In an effort to make your travels a little bit smoother, we’ve rounded up the best packing hacks to help you fill your suitcase like an absolute pro.
1. Buy a lightweight suitcase
You want to be able to pack all the clothes you’ll need without going over the weight restrictions of your airline, which is made that much easier if you're suitcase isn't weighing you down before you've even packed your favorite sweater– so investing in a nice, lightweight version is your first step to packing success.
2. Double-bag your toiletries to stop any disasters
No one wants to recreate Ross’ major shampoo explosion on "Friends," so double bagging your toiletries is the best way to protect your clothes and valuables should there be any unexpected spills.
As a general rule, it’s always best to try and pack travel-sized toiletries that are three ounces or less-- this will also keep things light.
If you’re really looking to cut down on weight, it could be worth leaving out items like shampoo and conditioner and buying them at your destination – it might even be cheaper too.
3. Use pill containers to store your rings and jewellery
It saves space and stops small items like rings and earring getting lost among your luggage.
4. Place roll up socks inside your shoes
This one is sneaky as it saves space and helps your shoes maintain their shape – so it’s killing two birds with one stone.
5. Keep your clothes fresh with dryer sheets and laundry detergent
Placing dryer sheets in your suitcase is a really great way of stopping your clean clothes smelling dirty if you’re packing dirty items in your suitcase while you’re travelling.
Including a few individual packets of laundry detergent, or a small bottle of hand wash, means you can keep your clothes clean on the go-- which is also great if you forget to pack enough underwear!
Don’t fold your clothes, roll them! It saves much more space in your suitcase.
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6. Pack an empty tote or plastic bags
Whether you use them to store your dirty laundry or haul back all the souvenirs you buy on your trip, extra bags will always come in handy and don’t weigh much.
7. Protect your electrical wires by packing them in a glasses case
It keeps them all in one place, stops them from getting broken or tangled with the rest of your luggage and saves space. This also works well as a way to store makeup brushes while travelling.
8. Cover the soles of your shoes with shower caps
This will prevent dirty shoes from rubbing off on the rest of the clothing.
9. Roll clothing up and use air compression bags
Maximising the space in your suitcase is the key to packing success – by rolling up clothes you can fit much more in, while the plastic air compression bags will stop them from creasing.
10. Fold your underwear!
It sounds simple, but folding or rolling your underwear rather than stuffing it in your case saves much more space.
11. Put cotton pads in your powder-based makeup
It helps to prevent the makeup from breaking apart, so you’ll have everything you need to look great on your trip.
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