It’s no secret that I am Bring the team onlyrefuse to check bags at all costs.
Just this week, 30,000 flights in the US was delayed or canceled prior to the Fourth of July holiday, increasing the risk of checked baggage.
Even without a summer of flight problems, bag check only delays you as a tourist as you will have to wait to get that bag, if lucky, at the carousel.
With that in mind, here are seven tips from TPG experts to help you avoid carrying too much baggage and having to check baggage.
Use packing block
One of our most used categories at TPG is packing cubes, which many at TPG, including senior aviation reporter David Slotnick, consider “essential” for their ability to save money. save their space.
I’m also a fan of packing blocks because of their ability to hold lots of clothes and other items in your suitcase. TPG Content Director Summer Hull recommends this Calpak five-piece box set. She found it especially durable during various trips to theme parks, ski resorts and cruises.
“What makes Calpak a brand I’ve ordered with my cash not once – but twice – is how sustainable it is for extended real-world use,” Hull wrote. “Specifically, after Bring home bed bugs in my luggage from a trip a few years ago, I have forever changed the way I pack and open my luggage.”
Use compression bags
If you find that you need more space than is provided by the packing blocks, consider compression bags, such as those packing bags from Samsonite.
These bags allow you to squeeze air out of them without the need for a vacuum, which adds extra space in your suitcase.
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“After these bags helped me double the amount of clothes I could pack in my hand luggage to Japan, I became obsessed with these bags,” said Madison Blancaflor, senior editor of TPG, share. “Plus, I still have room for my makeup and toiletries.”
Roll your clothes
Regardless of whether you use packing blocks or compression bags, rolling your clothes is an effective way to save space.
This packing method has military roots and the technique is officially known as Ranger Rolling. Just fold your clothes tightly in the shape of a burrito. If you want to be really fancy, you can read the step-by-step instructions for this method This.
Jose Ventosa Rodriguez, TPG technical intern, said: “Ranger roll your shirt and socks together. “This creates space and if done well you can avoid wrinkles and your socks won’t have to roll up into a ball.”
Plan ahead
Costume organization
Instead of just tossing your entire wardrobe in a suitcase without a plan, consider pre-sorting all your potential outfits and organizing from there based on relevant factors, such as weather and itinerary.
“I organize all my outfits and plan each day, so I don’t carry too much luggage,” says Becky Blaine, TPG’s newsletter editor.
color scheme
Similarly, Erica Silverstein, TPG senior travel editor suggests travelers color-coordinate their outfits.
She explains: “Pick some neutral pants and shoe colors, such as black, and then match tops, accessories, etc with that color.
accessory
Jamie Page, senior vice president of content, suggests that if you’re worried about choosing the right outfit for every occasion, from a day out to an evening out, consider bringing plenty of jewelry. to “wear the basics”.
“If you’re like me, your work-from-home wardrobe stays mostly the same throughout the week, making it hard for me to wear a whole bunch of holiday outfits when I’m wearing leggings and a sports bra every day. day in life.”
Be strategic
“I try to be realistic about how much I actually go to the gym on a trip,” says Ashley Kosciolek, TPG senior travel writer. “Actually, I don’t need seven of my workout clothes, nor do I need my bulky running shoes. Cutting out most of those saves quite a bit of space.”
Instead, try limiting yourself to one item of each category, e.g. one pair of jeans, two pairs of shoes (including the ones you bring on the plane), one swimsuit, one sweater. , etc., according to Clint Henderson, TPG senior editor.
Laundry at your destination
I hate traveling with dirty clothes, especially gym clothes. That means I try to do my laundry while traveling at all costs, including on vacation.
To begin with, I often ask if my hotel has coin-operated laundry facilities that I can use or if they offer a paid laundry service. If none of those options were available, TPG senior technical director Mitchell Stoutin recommended Travelon Laundry Soap SheetSoluble in water and suitable for TSA .’s 3-1-1 fluid rule.
Page also recommends packing “tide pens to tackle spills and stains without packing spare clothing.”
Travel with makeup
If you intend to pack your toiletries and clothes in one suitcase, here it is Travel makeup from Subtl Beauty is essential, according to TPG family travel writer Tarah Chieffi. You can customize your travel makeup kit through their online quiz to create a personalized makeup kit, from concealer to highlighter and highlighter, vegan and cruelty-free. toxic.
Acknowledge that carrying too many children may be inevitable
“If you’re traveling with a baby, just let go of the concept of ‘packing too much’ and accept that this is how you live now,” advises Slotnick, a new dad.
Stoutin echoes this advice.
“I’m a very efficient person when traveling alone, but with young children the attitude is ‘take everything’,” he says. No one notices or cares.”
bottom line
With these tips, you can pack more than you think and avoid packing too much.
As you navigate the crowded airport crowds this summer, implementing these tips can make your travel experience a little less stressful by bringing only what you need.
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