Packing Tips and Tricks for the Road Scholar Traveler
- Road Scholar Nancy Monson is an experienced traveler and offers some of her packing tips learned from experience.
- Among these tips, Nancy suggests packing light so you can easily manage your bags while traveling.
- Nancy also recommends packing cubes, which can help keep your belongings organized within your bag and can help you to more easily find your items once you reach your destination.
- Don’t forget about travel insurance — Nancy advises that insurance can be helpful for reimbursement if your bags are lost in transit and you need to purchase new clothes while you wait for them.
When it comes to packing, less is more. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that I often don’t need as many outfits as I think I do. And as our society has leaned into more casual wear, there’s less of a need to pack dressy clothing and shoes.
Here are some tips for packing smart so you don’t struggle with your luggage.
Check Your Bag or Carry-On Only?
There’s much debate about checking bags today versus minimizing with just a carry-on bag. If I’m going on a short trip, I try to limit myself to a carry-on because there’s less hassle. But on longer trips or those where I don’t have a direct flight, I often opt to check my bag (and leave extra room in it for mementos and gifts I might buy on vacation). Airlines have gotten much more high tech with baggage transport, so it may not be as risky to check a bag as it once was. (I once had a bag stay in Italy longer than I did and our travels never once coincided!) If you do decide to check a bag, be sure to download the airline’s app so you can follow its trip. You might also want to purchase an electronic tag to put inside your suitcase.
To Lock or Not to Lock?
If you opt to check your bag, you might consider locking it. Just be sure to choose a TSA-approved lock in case your luggage needs to be opened at the airport as you go through security.
Only Pack as Much as You Can Handle on Your Own
Consider a carry-on bag with wheels but be sure it will fit in the overhead bin (check airline websites for size restrictions). Of course, these days, a checked bag will typically have wheels but try not to get a suitcase that is so big that you can’t manage it without help.
Leave Expensive Items at Home
You don’t want to lose anything valuable on your trip, so don’t pack jewelry or other valuable items in your checked baggage. Leave expensive jewelry at home!
Use Packing Cubes, Which Can Help You Stay Organized
If you haven’t discovered packing cubes yet, you’re in for a revelation. These zippered bags come in all sizes and shapes, so you can pack your undergarments and pajamas in one, your shirts in another and your bottoms in a third. Or you can pack the cubes by outfits or activities. You can also pack a small overnight cube to keep in your carry-on luggage in case a checked bag doesn’t arrive at your destination when you do. This carry-on cube should contain a change of underwear and socks, pajamas and one outfit. Of course, you should also pack anything you find essential, including medications, toiletries and electronics, in your carry-on.
I really like compression packing cubes, which have two zippers — one to close the cube and a second one to suck air out of the cube. I find they allow you to pack more in a smaller space and they keep your clothes smoother. You can also designate one of the cubes for worn clothing. A downside: Because you can fit more clothing in compression cubes, they can make your luggage heavier and harder to lift and place in an overhead bin.
Pack Socks Inside Shoes
Look for any spaces you can fill with other items, like your shoes, purses, etc.
Bring Detergent Sheets So You Can Launder Some Items While Away
Rather than packing underwear for every day you’re away, why not plan to wash and wear while away?
Avoid Using Dresser Drawers at Your Destination
Many travel experts recommend not putting your clothing into hotel dresser drawers because you don’t know how often they’re cleaned and, worse still, they may have bedbugs! Using packing cubes makes it easy to use your suitcase as a dresser, so you can skip unpacking.
Bring Along Plastic Bags and Plastic Containers
Since many hotels now have refrigerators, I find these invaluable for saving leftovers and other types of food while I’m traveling. I also like to put my makeup and toiletry bags into plastic bags in case anything leaks in transit.
Buy Travel Insurance and Keep Your Receipts
While my bag was touring Italy without me, I went shopping for a hat, sunscreen, a new outfit and other needed items. Luckily, I had purchased travel insurance that included baggage delay coverage. When I got home, I submitted my receipts to the insurer and I was reimbursed within a couple of weeks.
Nancy Monson is a travel writer, artist and health and creativity coach who frequently writes about travel, wellness and creativity. She is the author of “Craft to Heal: Soothing Your Soul with Sewing, Painting, and Other Pastimes.”