It’s currently late October and that means the Holidays are coming up. That also means that a lot of us will be traveling. So in this post (and in the video I linked here) I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite packing hacks. Since the holiday season is almost here, that also means the holiday travel season is almost here. So whether it’s by plane, train or automobile, chances are you’ll be needing to pack a bag at some point in the next few months. So let’s jump right in with some of my favorite packing hacks.
Roll your clothes.
I’ve talked about this before in a few other videos which I can link down below. But, you can fit a lot more items onto a bag or suitcase by rolling them into a nice, compact bundle. You also avoid heavy creases that happen when you flat-fold your items and stack heavy stuff on top. A side benefit to rolling is if you’re transporting breakables (like wine) you can roll it up and protect it from damage.
Use a sunglasses case for cables.
Use an empty sunglasses case for miscellaneous cables like phone chargers, adapters or small headphones.
Heavy items at the bottom.
Put your heavy items at the bottom of your bag or suitcase, and if you have a rolling suitcase, put the heavy stuff towards the wheels. This way when it’s upright, the heavy stuff won’t crush everything.
Use conditioner for shave cream.
If you’re only gone for a few days and don’t want to pack your shaving cream, use hair conditioner. It lubricates really well so you’ll get a great shave, and it won’t dry your skin like using regular soap or body wash.
Use Ziplock bags.
Use a zip lock freezer bag or smaller sandwich bags to enclose small liquids that might explode or leak. This saved my butt one time when I had a small bottle of purple shampoo leak. Why did I feel the need to pack purple shampoo, I don’t know, it was stupid and it won’t happen again. But I’m glad I had it in a ziplock bag.
Keep necessities in your carry-on.
If you’re checking a bag and also have a carry-on, try to put your valuables, some toiletries and a change of clothes in your carry on. This way if the airline loses your checked bag, you’ll at least have clean clothes for the next day while you try to sort out why your suitcase ended up in Costa Rica.
Speaking of bags, the one I’m using in the video is from MAHI Leather and it’s the Raleigh Holdall. I’ve talked about MAHI once before and I’m a legit fan of their bags. This one in particular is cool because it has a reinforced compartment at the bottom to keep stuff from getting crushed. You can also use it for dirty laundry, shoes, toiletries or any liquids that might leak.
MAHI Leather is giving 40OverFashion viewers a discount that’s good for 30 days when you hit this link and use the discount code; 40FASHIONOCT19. Their bags come with a 1-year warranty and a 30-day money back or replacement guarantee if absolutely anything is wrong with the bag. They’re made to order using premium leather, it comes in several different colors and you can even customize it with your initials or someone else’s initials if you’re giving it as a gift. This would make a great gift by the way. Another cool thing is, a portion of all sales are donated to clean water charities in India. Now, if that’s not enough to like this company, they also inspect their workshop and leather tannery on a regular basis to ensure impeccable working conditions and an eco-responsible approach to leather preparation.
Use small travel containers.
Next, use small rubber or plastic travel tubes for your shampoo, conditioner lotion and body wash. They’re usually all under 100 milliliters to meet TSA requirements, and if you put them all in a ziplock bag, they can be visible and won’t ruin everything else in your bag if one decides to leak. Also, if you stay at a hotel that uses good quality shampoo, conditioner and body wash, keep that stuff for your next trip. Ask the front desk or housekeeping to bring you more the day before you check out and bring that on your next trip.
Bring a power strip.
If you’re bringing a lot of electronics, maybe think about getting a power strip. You can get a long one with like 6 outlets, or a smaller one with 3. This way, you can plug everything in while only occupying one outlet in your hotel.
Wear your jacket on the plane.
If your destination is a colder climate, wear your heaviest jacket on the plane. You can always take it off, but having it on you saves space in your bag.
Use a shoe bag.
Pack your shoes in a bag and bring an extra plastic bag or two for your dirty clothes or wet swim suits.
Bring a slim wallet.
Also, bring a small, thin wallet with only the essential cards you’ll need. This way, you can put your wallet in your front pocket to help avoid theft and to help avoid your wallet from falling out of your back pocket on the plane. There’s been several occasions where the guy next to me on the plane had his wallet fall out of his back pocket and I had to grab it and give it back to him.
Stay healthy with Vitamins.
Now, these aren’t necessarily packing related, but load up on Vitamin C before you go to help boost your immune system so hopefully you don’t get sick from traveling. Also, if you’re a movie watcher on the plane, give yourself time the day before you leave to download any movies or shows you want to watch on the plane. This way you’re not rushing around the morning you’re leaving trying to download movies.
Bring an empty water bottle.
Next, bring an empty water bottle with you and fill it up once you get past security. That way you don’t have to buy the expensive bottles of water in the airport and you’ll have something to drink on the plane.
By the way, feel free to blast away at that subscribe button over on YouTube and join me on a regular basis because I’m here twice a week on Sunday’s and Thursday’s. Also, leave a comment down below and let me know if I missed anything, or post some of your own personal packing hacks. Guys, be sure to check out MAHI Leather and I’ll see you in a few days for a brand new video.
Great info!!! Thanks! Though, a week or two earlier would have been helpful….????