Travel Hacks
When we went to Montreal, we packed two suitcases. We checked the larger one and took the smaller one as a carry-on. The small suitcase contained our toothbrushes and toothpaste, one complete outfit for each person, and our pyjamas. If the main suitcase got lost, we bought ourselves at least 24 hours without losing anything from our trip. Hopefully enough time to be reunited with the main case.
I thought I was brilliant for doing that.
I’m probably not, but we’ve been compiling travel hacks like that because we have a bunch of big trips coming up. My favourite so far has been tips from the CIA. 95% of the statements in the article make me feel as if I am going to be attacked anywhere I go at any moment. But one idea is brilliant: “What does a CIA agent always pack for a trip? A doorstop. When you lock yourself into your hotel room at night, slip the doorstop under the door to keep intruders from being able to force the door open. The doorstop is effective even when the chain or other external locks give way.”
Isn’t that brilliant? And scary? But also brilliant?
On a less scary note, I’ve been collecting disposable shower caps to place shoes inside (so the dirty bottoms aren’t touching the clothes in the suitcase). And I’m totally mesmerized by videos like the one below. Who does this?
Do all of your clothes come out wrinkled? I can’t imagine that they aren’t wrinkled or creased when you unroll them. If you promise me that they look okay after being rolled up like that for a week, I’ll do it.
And what are your best travel hacks?
15 comments
My only travel hack is putting the destination into my phone’s weather app, so I can have a good idea of what to pack. Last time I went anywhere, it was completely useless, as the weather changed completely between the time I packed and the time I arrived. 🙁
I don’t know if this is a great hack but it’s one I always use. I always check my bag. That way all I have to worry about on the plane is my one backpack that’s with me at my seat. I never have to worry about the overhead bins. I don’t have to lug around a suitcase in the airport between gates or while eating. It’s just me and my backpack.
I’m not a frequent flyer. Maybe 4-5 plane trips a year but this has saved me so much anxiety.
So the rolling thing hasn’t helped me with the wrinkling but it does help compact clothes down.
Also if we’re going on a longer trip, we split each person’s clothes between suitcases (for the flight) so if one suitcase is lost, everyone still has some clothes to wear.
As for the shower cap – honestly, I’ve never understood that. I think I’m way more particular about shoes – they always have a separate plastic bag (usually grocery) to isolate them.
I don’t travel too often where I need more than a backpack, but I have heard of these Travel Cubes on amazon. You pack each cube and supposedly you can pack more stuff, and it’s also convenient if you re going to several cities that have different weather. Instead of unpacking an entire suitcase, you just grab a cube out. The shower cap thing is smart. You can get an entire huge pack of them at Sally’s for like $3. (I work in a hospital, you would think I know this hack (OR shoe covers and all), but I always put my shoes in the bottom of the suitcase it in a separate compartment all together!)
This rolling thing takes too much time to pack. By the time everything is rolled up I’d forget what it is. I lay clothes completely flat. Not only does it prevent wrinkling but I’m also able to find things quickly and there’s no lost space to folded air pockets.
Also: ZipLock bags are amazing. For toiletries. For underthings. For makeup or jewelry or anything. They’re clear, the closure is reliable, you can roll them to “vacuum seal” all the air out to compact even more. They aren’t expensive so you don’t feel bad tossing if it gets gross.
I also swear by Ziploc bags for so many things. I reuse them from trip to trip until they get worn out or grimy. I put some of my bottled/liquid toiletries (mouthwash, for example) inside them (even if they’re already inside a zippered toiletries bag), because I’ve had one too many bottles leak. :p When we travel with passports, I put them both inside a ziploc bag & put that in my purse, easy to pull out. Same thing with the restricted liquids & gels in my purse/carry-on — they have bags at the airport, of course, but I already have them in a ziploc, ready to pull out when I’m going through security. Same with all my keys; they always seem to trip me up when they sit at the bottom of my purse going through the X-ray machine, so I put them in a baggie & pull them out to show security.
I wouldn’t worry about collecting shower caps. Just put your shoes in plastic grocery bags, which you probably have around the house anyway.
CIA travel tips – that’s awesome and I am going to check them out 🙂 The one about the doorstop = love it! Maybe a little paranoid, but hey, you never know!
My travel tip – have a couple of those plastic shopping bags for consolidating garbage/junk. All those snack wrappers and banana peel… Works great if you are on a road trip, plane, train, or hiking.
Sometimes I pack a whole outfit in a grocery bag. Then if I have to head for a communal bathroom in a hostel or in someone’s house, I can just grab that bag and know I’ve got everything I need to emerge from the bathroom all dressed and decent.
One bag for each outfit on the trip.
I always roll my clothes, not in balls like that, but just…like a sleeping bag? It does prevent major lines and doesn’t wrinkle them as much (and fits more in a suitcase or a drawer). I have always made sure to carry on enough to get me through at least 24 hours. If its a beach trip make sure the swimsuits are carried on so you can go ahead and start having fun!
Shoes just go in plastic grocery bags for us…never had an issue. Double zip-lock any toiletries that may spill (learned this after shampoo bottle opened up in my suitcase….
I’ve been doing planning for long-term travel too –
For Packing, I do this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlLxQzR8axM
I just bought e-bags “travel cubes” for long-term family travel. I’m liking the cubes, but I haven’t used them enough to know if they are the perfect solution. My favorite thing about the cubes is that I got them in 4 colors so I can tell each person’s clothes apart quickly.
For “must haves” I’ve been taking notes from this:
I had a coworker who save socks with small holes and not so fabulous underwear for trips. She would wear them one day and then discard them. One less thing to bring home. I always thought this was brilliant.
Okay, your idea for a full outfit for everyone in your carry-on is excellent. I’ve never done this, and have always been a little worried waiting for my bags at the other end, knowing that I should, in fact, have packed at least one outfit in my carry-on. (Every time I flew into the Philippines, I would worry about this – as I am so much taller than the average Filipino! You’d think I’d learn. lol)
I don’t like the rolling ideas in the video, because the folding at the hems/edges (of a T-shirt for example) is just going to wrinkle the clothes at the hems. And I don’t roll things individually. However, I do roll anything that is going to wrinkle, and have travelled successfully with linen pants, which is the ultimate test! I roll all my pants or shirts tightly together, and smooth them all out before I make each turn. Otherwise I just fold flat.
Packing cubes (there are lots of lightweight, cheap ones online) are helpful. I’ve just recently started using these, and love them for organisation purposes. It’s easy to find things, and although I’ve used clear ziplock bags in the past, I like the cubes etc because they are bigger, and easier to open/close, and the ones I have are clear on the top. And yes to the different colours for different people too, as suggested above.
A large packing cube or simply a large plastic bag is good for dirty clothes, and another one (if you’ll be swimming for eg) for wet clothes.
I use plastic shopping bags for shoes. Stuff socks in the shoes to keep their shape.
And I carry my key power/charging cords on board, in a pouch. Thinking about multiboxes, or chargers with a multiple USB slots, is worthwhile.
If you’re travelling long haul, or multiple flights, then taking some wet wipes/facial wipes in carry-on can refresh you half-way if you can’t get a shower in a good airport.
We regularly take long haul trips, with multiple flights over 24 hours and more. There are lots of rules about jet lag, and when you should and shouldn’t sleep. My philosophy is that any sleep is good sleep. But if you can’t sleep, a shower is almost as good!
And do you want a TMI long haul travel tip? If you can’t shower/change clothes, then panty shields protect your clothes, and are easily changed. (Sorry! But we’ve all shared worse, haven’t we?)
Finally, know what roaming plans will cost at your destination for your phone provider (sometimes receiving calls are just as pricey as making one which is not always anticipated), ensure any websites etc on your phone won’t do PUSH updates, because it can cost you a fortune. Alter the settings till you can access wifi.
Also, consider getting a local SIM card when you arrive, or having a travel SIM (which is what I do, and ensure anyone who wants to contact us has the number before we leave).
-have a checklist of essentials you need for every trip. Eg nail clippers, glasses case, phone charger: usually little things. A friend shared hers with me years ago when I was a nube and it was such a help!
-keep a list of items you packed in case you forget what you packed. Then you don’t have to unpack whole suitcase to check if you have something
-for big trip, two small rolling suitcases instead of one. One in each hand. Especially important for Europe (lots of stairs)
-also for Europe, pack nicer more stylish clothes because dress is more formal than North America. Back packs and goretex jackets etc look kinda stupid in Athens or London
-lots of tips to avoid wrinkling here. I just look for fabrics that don’t wrinkle
-pack colours that go together many different ways. Usually can get away with less bottoms than tops
I’m an airport security obsessive. I visualize my every move in the line up. Carry on is packed so that items come in and out easily.
No lace shoes with socks if shoes have to come off. Slip on preferable.
Avoid jeans if you are going to high humidity climate. Bleah, the sweat. Also they are heavy. Definitely not on the plane.
What I struggle with is shoes. They are so heavy and bulky so less should be better but I need the right pair of shoes for each activity! Happy feet = happy day!
One thing we learned was to line our suitcase with black bags. Our poor suitcases sat on the tarmac outside the plane getting soaked. Everything inside was wet. Luckily for us it was on our way home. It would have been awful if we were on our way to our holiday.