Packing Shortcuts

Traveling is oftentimes fun, sometimes necessary, and pretty much always stressful for at least part of it. Airports are hectic and busy places to be, airplanes are hard to sleep on, trains are noisy, buses are uncomfortable, and driving yourself is tiring. In short, no matter your mode of travel, the actual traveling part of travel tends to be hard, even if the destination is going to be tons of fun or really relaxing.

And one thing that certainly doesn’t help matters is the fact that packing is always, invariably, a chore. Choosing a limited supply of things to take with you is stressful in itself, and getting everything to fit neatly and safely within your suitcase and carry-on luggage isn’t what Vine Vera calls fun. As such, read on to see some of our favorite time and space saving packing hacks.

Be Creative to Save Space
For example, fold up underwear and socks into tiny packages and stuff your shoes with them, freeing up some space. If you’re brining any sort of container or anything with empty space in it at all, in fact, stuff it full of other things. In general, be creative and thrifty with the space you have allotted, and think outside the box.

Plastic Wrap Keeps Jewelry from Tangling
Want to avoid all of your jewelry ending up in one big snake’s nest by the time you arrive at your destination? Of course you do. Wrap each individual necklace, bracelet, etc tightly in plastic wrap to keep everything separate.

For smaller jewelry, like earrings, get some cheap pill organizers and use the convenient little compartments to store and keep everything separated!

Roll, Don’t Fold
Folding your clothes isn’t actually the best way to fit them all in your suitcase. Instead, roll them up into soft, squishy cylinders that can be easily compressed into your suitcase bed for maximum space-saving. An added bonus? Rolling is more likely to prevent wrinkles and creases than folding!

Keep Some Essentials in Carry-On
You hear about people losing their luggage at the airport all the time. Whether you’ve experienced this nightmare firsthand or not, it’s wise to be wary. It’s unlikely to happen, and even if it does, you should be able to get everything back…eventually, but if it happens to you, you’d best be prepared by securing some basic essentials—along with the most prized and valuable possessions you’re bringing with you and would be most scared to lose—in your carry-on. Fold up and carry a couple tops and a couple bottoms, with at least three pairs of underpants and socks. Then make sure you’ve got some small, travel-sized containers of the various products you need to wash and take care of your skin and hair, in a small toiletries bag, and be sure to check the airport’s regulations on the permitted size of liquid containers. This way, you’ll have everything that you absolutely need to get by while you wait for the airport so sort out the mistake.