Are you getting ready to travel for a vacation abroad? Packing for vacation is key! What I mean is how you pack your luggage for vacation is key. Some of the things that happen to travelers that don’t travel often are things like forgetting items that are essential and having to buy things that you could have brought from home. Packing too much stuff will burden you down with heavy bags and a shock at the terminal when you have to pay to bring all of those bags with you. Here are five tips from an upper valley travel agent to help make packing easier.
1 Don’t fold it, ROLL IT!
Travel experts that have interviewed frequent travelers have found that rolling your clothing is superior to folding it. Tightly rolled clothing takes up less space than folded clothing, which in turn allows you to pack more clothing or bring a smaller bag. Another benefit of rolling clothing is they are less prone to wrinkling.
2 Create a list
When you are getting ready for vacation, the last thing that you want to do is procrastinate. Procrastination is where most people fall short and often make mistakes. Before you even start packing make a list of everything that you are going to bring on your trip. Then as you pack your bags go down the list and check off everything to make sure you pack all of the essential items.
3 What’s the baggage-fee policy?
Another tip to know before you go on your trip is checking in on your airline’s baggage fee policies. The last thing that you want to deal with is an extra charge for baggage because you were not prepared. Most airlines permit you to check on bag onto the flight with you as a carry-on. One of the realities is airlines charge big money to check bags for domestic flights. Some of the airlines that are passenger friendly with checking bags are Southwest and JetBlue airlines.
4 Get familiar with TSA rules
The TSA has a rule called the 3-1-1 rule. Which basically states that all liquids brought onto the plane should be 3.4 ounces in size or smaller and inside of a clear zip-top plastic bag. You will also want to brush up on what the TSA considers liquids or gels. Items like pudding, peanut butter, and icing are considered gels. One of the exemptions to the rule is a liquid that is a prescription medication. You can learn more about their rules here.
5 Bag It!
One of the best ways to pack your bags is to bag everything small in zip lock bags. Things like toothpaste, shampoo, sunblock, lip balm and any other small item that could end up being messy if not put in a bag. For those large items like clothing or backpacks, bring a large garbage bag with you. You never know when you will need a large plastic bag when you are out and about on your adventures. Zip lock bags have saved more than one pair of jeans for frequent travelers.