Packing tips

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)

  • Anonymous
    Guest

    AlexAndersson
    Participant

    Any inventive insider tips on how to keep your suitcase well-equipped and in order when on the road? So far we’ve got: put liquids in waterproof bags, roll garments instead of folding, pack a universal plug adapter….


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I use a wash bag from Qatar to keep a spare set of adapters, chargers for iPad, Samsung etc. one item I do keep is a three way plug splitter bought in France many years ago. It’s quite small but so useful when contending with one plug socket in holt rooms when you have several items to charge.

    To save space I pack items such as handkerchiefs, belts and socks in my shoes, which I always pack into a shoe bag. Some people then toe and heel the pair for packing while I put mine side to side, then upside down with the heel end packed to the side of the case. You’d be surprised just how much space this saves.


    FormerlyDoS
    Participant

    “To save space I pack items such as handkerchiefs, belts and socks in my shoes, which I always pack into a shoe bag. Some people then toe and heel the pair for packing while I put mine side to side, then upside down with the heel end packed to the side of the case. You’d be surprised just how much space this saves.”

    +1

    Also, when choosing clothes, think of utility, e.g. a thin long sleeve T-shirt makes a very good light sweater on aircraft, buy poly-cotton polo shirts, instead of pure cotton, as they dry very quickly, if you need to wash them on longer trips, same applies for underwear, always poly-cotton. Hang the polos carefully and they will not require ironing.

    I carry a tube of Dr Beckmanns travel wash and find I can get away with packing only 1 polo (also wear one on the outbound journey) and half the boxers I need, as a quick wash everday takes no more than 5 mins the polo/boxers will dry off overnight – socks are more problematic, but take up less space, per LP’s great tip above.

    Same applies for shirts, if I’m on a 2 week trip, with 8 days work, I’ll typically pack no more than 5 shirts (maybe as few as 3, depending on the itinerary), again poly cotton shirts (and spend a decent amount, as the higher quality brands are worth it), they dry overnight and require little ironing.

    http://www.dr-beckmann.co.uk/products/laundry-products/travel-wash/

    It’s also worth carrying a couple of wire hangers, as they take up virtually no space and allow you to hang the washing in the shower/bathroom, if the hotel hangers are the secure type that only work in the wardrobe.

    I used to use hotel laundry services, but the prices have been subject to super inflation and I’d rather spend 5-10 minutes each evening and trouser the difference. The last time I used a hotel laundry, as I was asked to extend my stay by a week, the laundry service cost me over £100, just for shirts, underwear/socks etc.

    Edited to add, when choosing suitcases, look for boring rectangular boxes, rather than fashionable shapes, with elegant curves. Boring means more available space.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    In places I visit regularly I take my own stuff to a local laundry. The place use in Dubai is literally 60 seconds from the hotel and 20% of the price.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    “In places I visit regularly I take my own stuff” – and leave it in the hotel who clean and store for me…


    FormerlyDoS
    Participant

    That works really well, when you visit the same places regularly.


    handbag
    Participant

    If I am going to be away on a longer trip and have a lot of clothes, then I transfer them all onto wire hangers before I put them into the suitcase.

    When I arrive, I can just lift them straight out and hang up. Also never then have a shortage of hangers.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    another tip – pack clothes in carrier bags as tight as possible then arrange for everything to be pressed on arrival. Works well where pressing is cheap / free, no so well when its $10 an item….


    FormerlyDoS
    Participant

    I find that rolling = no pressing required, for many items.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Another option is to pack shirts etc in one of those vacuum sealed bags. Keeps them in good shape.


    ImissConcorde
    Participant

    Bought myself a “man bag” to ensure that passport, wallet, phone, glasses, iPad, iPod were all together. Worked well but should have checked that the glasses were actually in the case before boarding in Phuket!


    esselle
    Participant

    Has anybody risked the pressing of a £3.5k Savile Row in any hotel?


    IanFromHKG
    Participant

    For longer trips, a small combination iron/steamer works wonders.

    Being a tea-lover cursed by the world’s obsession with coffee – which so often means a coffee-maker rather than a kettle in the room – I take a travel kettle which rather cleverly features containers for loose-leaf tea, sugar, and a tea filter with two cups in one handy package. No more tea-tasting-of-coffee for me!

    I keep separate zip packs (old amenity bags are good for this) containing assorted electrical connectors. One for connecting iPad/iPhone to TV/aircraft IFE etc, one for computer peripherals, and so on. Then I can just take whichever kit I need for a particular trip.

    Best buys I made were:
    (1) a four-port USB charger with two high-output sockets for iDevices. Care needs to be taken not to overload it though! However, it does mean I just need this one charger for everything, and again I have a zip bag with the assorted USB cables.
    (2) a USB battery pack

    Finally, one more zip bag – to hold passport, wallet, boarding passes, and everything else I might need if there is an accident en route. That way, if anything happens, there is just one thing I need to grab. I keep it next to me on the airplane seat or in a small fabric bag elsewhere. Just in case…


    Henryp1
    Participant

    I find it very challenging to pack light and don’t have a travel type of ‘uniform’ which I wear for business trips. Also prefer not to be seen in the ‘same’ at different meetings. And always pack extra in case of delays anything from 1 to 3 days depending on the location. If I have to use the hotel laundry I will, but prefer not too.

    Suit pressing in hotels can be a pitfall one came back with razor pressing all over.

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