Packing for a trip can be a daunting task. How much do you pack? What’s the best packing technique? Do packing cubes really save you space? All of these are valid questions and can be tricky to answer. So right now let’s talk about how to pack clothes to save space – and go over some of the packing tips that make for stress-free travel packing!
HOW TO PACK CLOTHES TO SAVE SPACE:
- Packing techniques
- Do packing cubes work?
- Types of clothes to pack
- More packing tips
- My exact packing strategy
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Packing Techniques
1) Rolling clothes
There’s always a debate about whether to roll or fold clothes.
Throughout the years, Julien and I (but mostly me 😉 have learned that it really depends on the situation.
Rolling clothes is great if you don’t want them to wrinkle as much. Plus you can roll valuable items inside to protect them – like delicate souvenirs or bottles of wine 😛
Rolling is also great for putting multiple pieces together – just lay a shirt, pants, and underwear on top of each other, then roll them up and you have a full outfit bundle!
Then you can put that in a backpack or other small area as an extra change of clothes.
Rolling also makes it so.much.easier to see what you actually packed – since everything isn’t piled on top of each other!
2) Laying clothes flat
When I pack a carry on, I mostly lay clothes flat – unless I’m using the clothing to protect something valuable or I know that it will wrinkle.
Honestly, laying clothes flat seems like it actually saves the most amount of space..in my opinion.
Especially when it comes to shirts and other thin items, they take up almost no space when laid flat on top of each other.
Just watch out for the bulky parts of items.
So don’t lay 2 pairs of jeans right on top of each other (because the waist part with zippers and buttons is usually thicker than the legs part)
But you could lay down one pair of jeans (pair A), then flip the other pair (pair B) so that the legs from pair A are under the waist from pair B and vice versa.
Does that make sense? I had to think about it for a minute 😉
But you get it…okay, moving on…
3) finding wasted space
You would be surprised by how much wasted space there is in your suitcase!
Think of things like:
- the insides of shoes
- inside purses (my personal favorite)
- inside sunglass cases
- the outer pockets and zippers of the bag
Look out for any place you can add accessories or even small clothing items.
For example, my head scarves make great bows on the handles of the purse I’m carrying.
And my blanket scarves (one of my essential travel items) goes in the front pocket of my duffel bag instead of taking up space inside – plus it’s within reach when I need it on the plane!
4) wear your heaviest items
I know, I know. Wearing your clothes isn’t really “packing them.”
But hear me out…
If you make it a point to always wear your heaviest and bulkiest items, then you save the space inside your suitcase for the things you can pack a lot of.
Instead of packing that one pair of jeans, you can pack about 3 pairs of leggings or shorts. And if you really don’t want to wear jeans during the plane ride, you can always change once you get on board!
This is one of my favorites ways to pack light and it saves you money on baggage fees too!
You deserve to travel more!
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Use Packing Cubes!!
Packing cubes are one of the best ways to pack light and save space! They help keep your clothes organized and actually force you to pack less – if you use them correctly.
What Are Packing Cubes
Basically they are just pouches with zippers that come in different sizes. You organize all your stuff into them and then pop the cubes into your luggage and voila! You’re fully packed!
DO PACKING CUBES WORK?
Omgosh yes!
I completely underestimated the value of packing cubes at first. But then Julien gave me this set for Christmas one year and I’ve never looked back.
They can actually help you stay sane while traveling by making it super easy to pack, unpack, and repack at the end of your trip.
The best way to use PACKING CUBES
Okay, so I’ve already said that there’s a right way and a wrong way to use packing cubes.
The wrong way would be to just cram all your stuff into the cubes and put it in your suitcase without any other thought.
Now for the right way.
The goal is to save space, so you need to decide which size packing cubes you’re going to need.
Most sets come with 3 or 4 different sizes – which is perfect so you don’t get them confused.
This is how I divide mine up:
- small – undergarments and accessories
- medium – pajamas and daytime clothes like t-shirts and shorts
- large – any formal clothes, dresses, sweaters and the bulkiest items
Types of Clothes to Pack
mini capsule wardrobe
When I travel I like to have all my items be reusable for multiple outfits.
I try to take only neutral or solid colored items that I can dress up or down, depending on the occasion.
I might bring a patterned dress or two also, just as long as I can make them work with multiple outfits during the trip.
accessorize!
Accessories will be your best friend when you travel!
And I’m not just talking about jewelry.
Think cute head bands, bright colored belts, head scarves, sunglasses, and small travel purses.
These will allow you to make many more outfits from the limited clothes you take with you – which means you can pack less and save space.
Lightweight clothing
Another thing to consider is the actual clothing.
The lighter the material, the faster it air-dries if you wash it on your trip, and the more space you save!
Try to pack clothes that are lightweight and aren’t made from a heavy material.
More Packing Tips
1) Leave room for other items
Even though this post is mostly about how to pack clothes to save space , don’t forget to leave room for other items like shoes, toiletry bags, souvenirs, etc.
The last thing you want is to have to repack at the last minute when you realize you’re over-packed.
2) When in doubt - leave it
There have been so many times that I can’t decide if I should pack a certain shirt or a certain pair of shoes.
In those instances, I tend to leave it behind and not think about it any more – after all, if I really was going to use it then I probably wouldn’t have been on the fence.
3) don't forget the essentials
Anything that you really, really need to pack should be on you “To Pack” list ahead of time.
I keep this list on my phone and any time that I remember something I absolutely can’t afford to forget, I add it to my list.
Of course, half the battle is remembering to look at the list while you’re packing, but that’s another story 😛
My Exact Packing Strategy
When it comes down to packing our bags, I use a combination of all the things listed above.
- I pull out my essentials list and gather up all the items I absolutely need to pack
- Decide what clothes/shoes/accessories I’m packing
- I decide which size packing cubes I need for the trip based on what I’m taking
- Divide the clothes into 2 piles – laying flat and rolling
- I add the flat lay items to the packing cubes and add the cubes to the luggage
- Fill in the gaps with the rolled clothes, toiletry bag, hair stuff, shoes, accessories, scarves, electronics and chargers.
- Use this little device to weigh the suitcase and make sure you haven’t overpacked!!
With all these packing tips hopefully you’ve learned how to pack clothes to save space! So now all that’s left to do is actually get packing!
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Happy travels!
– Veronica
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