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packing

How to pack your carry on for travel

April 2, 2018 by Thomas Hedley

When heading aboard, you’ll check at least one piece of luggage, but no matter how many Samsonsite suitcases you put into the hold, you’ll almost certainly bring a carry on bag onto the plane.

Every travel and fashion blog worth their salt covers how to look good abroad, but not enough of these online publications help you understand how to properly pack your carry on. By becoming more efficient at fitting essential possessions in this smaller piece of luggage, travel will become far less cumbersome.

Below, we’ll run down a few tips which will help you become a packing pro…

1) Pick the right bag for your needs

Before you stow a single item in your carry on, you need to select the one which will best meet your needs. First, ensure that any bag you purchase will fit the requirements your airlines impose on carry ons.

For example, American Airlines does not allow carry ons bigger than 22x14x9 (45 linear inches), as does United and Delta. To be on the safe side, ensure it is smaller than these specifications, as there’s always a chance a legal bag may not fit into the sizing device at check-in, or to allow for tightening of regulations in the future.

After accounting for size, buy a bag that is durable – in-flight turbulence is getting worse thanks to climate change, so it is important yours will hold up against jostling in the overhead compartment and protect its contents.

Finally, make allowances for accessories if your budget permits – from packing cubes which maximize space available to stuff bags which avoids the need to constantly empty and repack your carry on every time you want to go to the beach, they will make your day-to-day life on the road much simpler.

2) Assess your needs while in transit

Now that you’ve got your bag, you may be tempted to jam it full of stuff. Before you do this, however, it is important to think ahead about what would make sense to make in your carry on as you travel from place to place.

A sweater is at the top of our list, as many modes of transport opt to run their air conditioners at full blast. Leave all your warm clothes in your main bag, and you’ll spend several miserable hours wishing you could break into the cargo hold to retrieve it.

Also, people tend to smell a touch on the ripe side after a long journey aboard a plane, train, or bus. By stowing deodorant and perfumes/colognes in your bag, you’ll be able to freshen up enough to avoid grossing people out at the baggage carousel.

3) Make sure its contents are TSA compliant

When accounting for the last point we brought up, don’t pack a full size bottle of your favorite eau de toilette, lest you end up losing it at a TSA check point. Shortly after the 9/11 era began, liquids were restricted to microscopic sizes, with bottles containing no more than 3.4 ounces being allowed.

Any liquid items you think you’ll need in transit need to be in compliance with this regulation, and must be stored in a quart-sized baggie. Anything else should be placed in your check-in luggage, or purchased at your destination.

4) Pack big, bulky items first

When you begin the process of packing your carry on, slip bigger items such as tablets, e-readers, and laptops in first.

If you wait until later, you’ll end up chucking out stuff you packed before to make room  for these items, only to repack them again. By prioritizing larger items, you’ll avoid time-consuming double work.

5) Store quick access items near the top

You will never have a reason to access some items (especially if you are practising carry on only travel) while you are en route from one destination to another. When packing your carry on bag, stow these items toward the bottom, or the part of your pack toughest to reach.

Conversely, stuff you need quick and easy access to should be placed near the top, or in exterior pockets. Tablets, books, sweaters, and passports are examples of these items, so don’t bury them in the bowels of your bag.

Filed Under: Travel Tips Tagged With: carry-on, packing, suitcase, travel

Don’t Over Pack – Tips From Long Term Travellers

August 8, 2017 by Thomas Hedley

Source

It’s almost inevitable – you have booked that one way ticket somewhere wild and exotic and you’re about to head off on the adventure of a lifetime. But what should you pack? So many travellers run afoul of the packing situation and pack far too much for their trip. The truth of the matter is you probably need half of what you’re packing, maybe less depending on the type of person you are. Have a read ahead for some tips and tricks on getting the most out of your packing so you don’t end up having to lug around a bag full of clothes you haven’t touched since you left.

A Medical Kit That Makes A Hospital Blush

Any traveller – short term or long term – will tell you that the number one thing you need to pack is a comprehensive medical kit. It’s sod’s law that you will forget to pack or overlook packing something in your medical kit and then run into a situation where you wished you had. Depending where you’re going, having a comprehensive medical kit is absolutely vital as not everything is always available in your country of destination. A couple of things to consider packing include Loperamide (Immodium), activated charcoal with probiotics, bandages of all sizes, gauze, medical tape, tiger balm, antiseptic liquid such as TCP or rubbing alcohol (or wipes), nail scissors or clippers (although scissors can be used for other things, not just nails!), ample pain killers for headaches or bumps and bruises and antihistamines in the event of allergic reactions to bites and stings. DEET bug spray at at least 40% will help keep biting bugs at bay, and packing your own sunscreen is a highly suggested idea as some countries don’t stock it much if at all and if they do they may charge an extremely high price for it. Anything to use after bites or stings is also ideal to relieve pain and itching. Yeast and fungus can grow on and inside the body in warm, humid climates so it’s a good idea to bring yeast/thrush infection medication as well as anti-fungal cream.

Clothing and Shoes

In this department, employ the “joy technique” when choosing what to pack. The joy technique is a technique that has become popular in recent years for removing clutter from a home or office where you hold each item you own and ask if it brings you joy and if not then you discard it. The same goes for clothes when heading out on a big trip – hold each item and ask “Am I really going to use this?” “Am I really going to go to a fancy restaurant where I need this dress/dressier clothes?” Chances are the answers are no, as when you’re moving around on the road frequently you start to favour the baggy, loose fitting and easy clothes over those that are fancier or more “acceptable” back home. A good example is fisherman pants – a staple for travellers and locals alike throughout South East Asia. Many travellers find that they end up wearing fisherman pants almost exclusively during their trips, and not even touching the capris or leggings they brought from home. If you’re ditching the fancy clothes, that means you can probably ditch the fancy shoes too.

Double The Usage

A final quick tip, especially for women to cut down on the amount of stuff they take abroad, is to bring clothes with two usages. Tank tops and t-shirts are prime examples of clothes that can be doubled up to be pyjamas as well!

There you have a couple of great tips on how to pack for a long trip without going overboard and the things that you absolutely must take with you. Remember to go easy on the packing if possible – it’s likely you will end up acquiring stuff on the road that you favour over your typical clothing as well, so save room!

Filed Under: Travel Tips Tagged With: holiday, packing, travel, travel tips

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