The desire to travel was going to peek out sooner or later. Now that you can travel with more freedom, how to pack your luggage with confidence? We have searched and put in practice smart tips that will change once and for all the way you prepare your suitcase.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova, Pexels

Travelling is an enjoyable experience but getting ready to reach your destination can be rather stressful. Packing your luggage is not always as straightforward but with these 15 tips, you are going to pack like a pro traveller.

Maybe you are not used anymore to pack for long distances, maybe you wish to bring all your wardrobe with you or you want to fly with peace of mind. Between strict regulations and security checks, without mentioning airlines' endless policies, packing your suitcases is never that easy. The tip list unrolled in this blog will show you how to pack your luggage as a game. 'Playing Tetris' turns your luggage into an easy-to-solve puzzle and also allows you to save some space for extra souvenirs. Shall we play Tetris?

1) Find The Right Luggage

Photo by Max Vakhtbovych, Pexels

If you plan to travel by plane, your suitcase may need to have specific dimensions to fit properly and safely inside a cabin. In any case, hard-shell luggage is the most reliable and lasting choice. It is an investment over time that will protect your belongings and also suggests you when much is too much. 4-wheel models are the easiest suitcases to carry around. A little push goes a long way!

2) Make A List And Check It
This game needs some logic. Exactly like you do your usual grocery list, write down a list of essentials and clothing you will need. As the packing day approaches, do a final check to make sure you do not forget important items on your way.

3) Lay Everything On Your Bed
This elementary tip will prevent you to throw everything instinctively in your bag. Place your essentials, toiletries bag and especially your clothing selection flat on your bed. Now you have a clearer view of what you want to bring and what you need. From here you can start your final selection.

Photo by Monstera, Pexels

4) Build Your Outfit Ahead
Much depends on your travel destination but always try to pack as light as possible. Wear your bulkiest clothes on the plane and pack garments that you can layer up for the breeziest nights. Plan your underwear based on the days of vacation and include a 'fancier' outfit. Remember: never bring too much with you. Most of the time, those 'just in case' outfits will sit undisturbed at the bottom of your luggage.

5) 'Shoe Tetris'
Let's the game begin! You will soon realise that packing your suitcase is like Tetris: once you know your pieces, you can turn them to stuck them neatly. You can save extra space if you put your shoes heel to toe and stuff them with your socks. Make sure to wrap them in a plastic bag and place them at the bottom of your suitcase to keep dirt away from your nice clothes.

6) The Heaviest First
It may sound obvious but the heaviest belongings should be placed at the bottom of your suitcase or backpack. The gravity will push them down naturally anyway. With this tip, you will not squish or break anything else.

7) Rolls And Cubes

Photo by Vlada Karpovich, Pexels

Roll your clothes to gain more space and use packing cubes or cheaper Ziplock bags to keep everything well organised and protected.

8) Dirty Business
The joy of packing is dealing with clean and nicely folded clothes but you will need to pack your dirty outfits at some point. Bring with you some spare plastic bags to store used clothes away.

9) Extra Bag: Allowed

Photo by Bagpad

You may want to bring with you a nice pochette to match that fancy outfit mentioned earlier. Stuff your handbag with soft clothes or use special paddings that will prevent your leather and vegan handbag to crease or lose its original shape. You can try a bag padding like Bagpad that matches your signature handbag dimensions. 

10) Makeup Made Easy
'Less is more' applies to makeup when travelling. Minimise your makeup allowance by selecting multipurpose cosmetics and crayons that can work on eyes, lips and cheeks. Slim down your list and forget the most valuable palette in your stash and big liquid products. Opt for a compact face & eyes palette with versatile and neutral shades you can use day to night. 

11) Protect Your Beauty
Invest in a padded makeup pouch as makeup artists will do or recycle bubble wraps from other packagings. This cheap quick fix will protect your compacts from impacts and damages whether you are travelling by plane, train, coach or car.

12) The Toiletries Dilemma
It is crucial to know in which bag you are going to store your toiletries: is it your hold luggage or your carry-on?
Hold luggage offers more freedom for what concerns the size of your liquids, excluding nail polishes which are forbidden. Although this should be the rule, always check your airline company policies and list of prohibited items on board. Your carry-on or hand luggage toiletries need to comply with air travel safety regulations: each liquid item must be no more than 10 0ml and must fit in a clear and resealable plastic bag with a max volume of 1 litre, measuring around 20x20cm.

13) Smart Travel Sizes

Photo by Sarah Chai, Pexels

Of course, none of your regular liquid treatments or personal care products will fit the above requirements. The bad news is that you cannot take with you your half-used bottles as they will be rejected at the checking area. Travel sizes are the solution but we guess you want to travel both light and smart. Cosmetic travel-size products are easy to find in any drugstore but they are expensive compared to the full-size version. Creating your own travel sizes is cheap and very easy, you can turn any treatment, liquid makeup or personal care product into a travel size with mini containers or sustainable travel sets like this we have tested for you.

14) Toliteries Come First
Now that you have cut down the size of your essential toiletries and prepared your pouch ready for inspection, keep it at the very top of your hand luggage, so that it is easy to reach before entering the safety check area.

15) Tandem Travel, Safe X2

Photo by Mikhail Nilov, Pexels

A fight being cancelled is a nightmare but losing a big suitcase is equally frightening. Here, travelling as a couple is safer for both. Have a spare outfit of your travel companion in your hand luggage and so your friend or partner. In the worst scenario ever, both will have something for a quick change while waiting to retrieve the missing bag.

Photo by Shopify Partners, Burst

Solo traveller? If you are travelling alone with two pieces of luggage, save your trip by having always at least one complete spare outfit in your hand luggage in case your hold suitcase gets lost. Also keep your medications, documents and power charger in your hand suitcase to protect the most valuable items closer to you and keep your mobile always charged.

These tested 15 smart packing tips will drastically cut the time you need to pack your bags so that you can enjoy your journey, seat back and relax.