Since I travel a lot, I’m always trying to find ways to make the packing process easier. Here’s some of the things I came up with: 1) I purchased two of those organizers used for daily pills. In one I put my vitamins, in the other I put small jewelry items such as earrings, necklaces and pins etc. 2) Wear your heaviest shoes on the airplane. In the winter I wear my boots even if I’m going to a warm spot. 3) Place your bulky necklaces inside a sock and slip them into your shoes. 4) Purchase sample sizes of your favorite toiletries and always keep them packed in a small cosmetic bag kept inside your suitcase. 5) Purchase a set of those Space Bag Luggage bags, they are great for packing underwear, socks etc, things that can be wrinkled. You just pack stuff in the bags and then roll to remove the air, it’s a great space saver in your suitcase. On my return trip home, I use them for my dirty clothes. 6) You can minimize creases and wrinkles by rolling 3 to 4 items together. For even better results, roll the items in a plastic dry-cleaning bag. 7) Tie a yellow ribbon (or any color besides red) around your luggage handle so you can spot your luggage amongst the variety of black luggage. Or, do what I did and purchase a new set of silver luggage from eBags and get $20 off when you spend over $100 at eBags.com.
8) Keep a small note pad and pen in your luggage so you can make note of all the things you wish you had packed, then leave it in your suitcase for your next trip. I added scissors to my list and I’m very glad I did! 9) Most hotels have hairdryers, check it out and then leave yours at home. 10) For those of you that want the unpacking process to be easier and you’re not too concerned about wrinkles, keep your clothes on their hangers inside your luggage and then just hang them up when you get to the hotel. 11) If you use a hanging bag, put a plastic dry-cleaning bag over every other clothing item to help prevent wrinkles and creases. 12) I always put bottles prone to leaking into plastic zip-lock baggies. They also come in handy at the hotel for various uses. 13) I keep a small Blank Book in my suitcase so I can jot down some of the fun things I do on my various trips, the memories are enjoyable to read later. 14) Then there’s the obvious, (but worth mentioning) pack one pair of black slacks, one pair of black shorts, one pair of black capri’s, two pair of black shoes, 7 tops, wear your jeans and jacket on the airplane… this wardrobe will take you through an entire week vacation.
Give me your unique suggestions and tips for packing!
I was browsing through the eBags website and I found a selection of over 200 different cosmetic luggage bags. You can go there and check them out yourself.
One of the coolest ones I saw is named Betseyville Glamour Girl. Okay, I admit that I may think that because my name is Betsi! I clicked on it and they have this great feature that you can Zoom in on the item and you can also see various views, inside, outside etc.. They also have a complete description of every item, which makes ordering online simple and worry free. The one I like is only $39.99, which is definitely within my price range, so I ordered it in red. I didn’t even have to pay for shipping because my order was over $25. I hate paying for shipping, but with eBags I didn’t have to pay! It comes in 3 different colors, but I decided on red because it’s my favorite color and it matches my new luggage that I recently ordered from eBags. They have a great warranty and will pay for shipping on returned items, you can’t beat that. Actually, I’ve never heard of a merchant offering that.
If you’re not the “Glamour girl” type, they have many many more styles. Check out the line Kipling, it’s practical without all the glitzy stuff. I even saw one cosmetic bag for as low as $26, and again, you won’t have to pay for shipping.
No More UGLY Bags
What is UBS and How Can You Help?
Nothing is more horrifying than watching business people, vacation travelers and Hollywood celebrities walking through an airport with mismatched luggage sets, suitcases with duck tape patches, bungee cords holding old worn out bags shut, or even worse–someone with such limited access to quality travel gear that they actually use plastic grocery bags for their carry-on items.
OMG! Tell us it is not true!
Oh, how we wish we could. But; through extensive investigation, exhaustive research and just a whole lot of time spent in airports–there is no denying the universal problem of travelers using ugly luggage also know as Ugly Baggage Syndrome (UBS).
The first thing that we need to do to defeat UBS is to learn how to recognize those suffering from this depressing yet very treatable affliction.
The tell tale signs:
- Broken Wheels
- Using cords to hold luggage closed
- Duct tape patches
- Old turquoise luggage made in the 60’s
- Carrying luggage in your arms because handles are broken
- Scrapped torn and worn
- Your luggage is a cardboard box!
How can you fight UBS?
This is pretty simple… start shopping. And, you don’t need to hop in the card and run down to the local department store. It is simple safe and secure to shop on line. I recommend you start here at luggage-that-travels.com.
–Robb
