12 Tips on How to Pack Your Suitcase to Make It Look Like the Hermione’s Purse, and Not Like a Sack of Garbage

It’s time for a vacation. You grab the suitcase, lock the door, get into the taxi, and go to the airport. After checking the timetable and checking in for the flight, you get the news that your suitcase is too heavy and you have to pay an extra 30$. The trip hasn’t even started yet, and you’ve already paid more than you had to.

In order not to carry extra stuff, the CHEERY team has prepared a list of 12 life hacks for you. They will help you keep your suitcase neat and get you rid of the extra pounds.

1. Use the “54321” method.

The most space of the suitcase is usually taken with clothes. We often pack some additional pieces to have options during the trip. But in fact, most of them usually remain in the suitcase. The “54321” method will help you. The idea is that you pack only:

• 5 pairs of socks and 5 pieces of underwear;
• 4 tops;
• 3 bottoms:
• 2 pairs of shoes;
• 1 hat, 1 bag, and 1 additional accessory.

This method will help you minimize the amount of clothes for a week-long trip.

2. Use packing cubes.

Packing cubes help systemize the things inside your suitcase and fill the space evenly. They come in different shapes and colors that helps you categorize things easily. You can sort them by type of clothes, color, or days. You can put sets of clothes for certain occasions — the theater, restaurant, or a walk.

Also, each family member can have a certain color of cubes, so the clothes don’t get mixed up. You will save a ton of time looking for what you need. You can know what is where.

Don’t worry about the weight. Packing cubes are made from light materials, and special zippers help get rid of the extra air and decrease the volume inside.

3. Plan a wash.

Check if you can wash the clothes in the place where you are staying. If yes, you can pack fewer pieces of clothes and just wash them.

If you are staying at a hotel with a laundry, you don’t need anything else. If you are renting a place with a washing machine, take some detergent or a capsule for washing with you. You won’t have to shop for detergent and buy a big pack when you don’t need it.

4. Pack a small bottle of perfume.

Big bottles should stay at home. It’s unlikely that you will need the entire bottle on your trip. Instead, you can buy your favorite perfume in a small bottle, pour it into a different bottle, or use some test samples for a few days.

5. Use bar shampoo and conditioner.

If you are worried the hotel won’t have shampoo or conditioner, or some of bad quality, you can invest in bar products. You can buy them for a trip, and you won’t have to make extra space for big bottles.

Some brands even sell deodorants, washing gels and shower gels in bars.

6. Pack your socks in a hat.

Hats, especially straw hats, are very fragile. In a tight space, they can lose their shape. Fortunately, there’s a trick to solve 2 problems: save space and keep the hat intact. Fill the hat with small pieces of clothes, such as socks.

7. Put panties into the bras.

Bras with thick cups, like hats, may lose their shape. To avoid this, fold them, put one cup into the other, and place some panties inside them. Ideally, the panties should be from this set, in order not to unpack another pair. This way you will save time choose the underwear, and protect the bra from losing shape.

8. Put jewelry in between layers of wrap.

If you take your jewelry box with you on a trip, you will see that all the earrings, necklaces and other pieces are mixed up and entangled. So, you will waste an hour, trying to separate them.

Use a layer of plastic wrap and put the jewelry on it. Cover them with another layer. Carefully press the edges against each other and pack the jewelry.

9. Buy a universal charging device.

Instead of taking chargers for each device you have, buy a universal one. It works if most of your devices have the same charging port.

10. Replace your towels with lighter ones.

If you are staying at a hotel or renting an apartment, you will definitely find towels there. No need to pack your own. But if you know there are no towels, take a light one with you, instead of a big fluffy one. For example, a cotton, linen, or microfiber towel. It’s very light but still gets the job done, and doesn’t take up lots of space.

11. Wear the heaviest stuff.

If you are traveling with several pairs of shoes, wear the ones that take the most space. Like, if you are packing sandals and sneakers, wear sneakers and put the sandals into the suitcase.

The same goes for clothes. You’re going on a tour to Europe in September. You have a light shirt, a hoodie, a leather jacket, and a light jacket in case it gets cold. It seems that you should wear the shirt because you will spend most of the time in the airport and the place. And you can take a jacket with you when you go outside. But in fact, the shirt and the jacket are light. It’s better to wear the hoodie and take the leather jacket with you. They are heavier. Besides, the hoodie might come in handy on the plane — it’s often cold during flights.

12. Put a change of clothes into carry-on luggage.

Pack a change of clothes into a separate bag and put it into the carry-on luggage. This way, you will unload the suitcase a little and have some clothes in case of emergency. For example, if you spill some organge juice on yourself on the plane, you can change to clean clothes. And if your suitcase gets lost and arrives 1 day later, you will have an extra change with you.

What other tricks do you know that can help with saving space in the suitcase?