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Make the most of your holiday packing

Submitted by Editor on June 30, 2012 – 6:00 amOne Comment

When it comes to the Summer holidays, organisation is the key to successfully planning and packing for a trip. We asked leading luggage retailer, SportsDirect.com, to share their top tips for making the most of any type of suitcase, for any type of holiday!

Save room with miniatures
People rarely need a full bottle of shower gel when travelling abroad for less than a week; save room in the suitcase by substituting the family sized bottles for miniature versions which can be easily rolled up in socks, or packed tightly into the appropriate compartment.

Roll instead of fold
Although the majority of UK holiday goers prefer to fold their clothes, rolling allows for more items to be packed into even the smallest of cases, this can also prevent some items from creasing too much.

Remove items from bulky packaging
Shoeboxes can be sacrificed; packing shoes and toiletries separately rather than altogether in packaging will not only allow extra room for essentials, but smaller items- or items which can be worn creased such as underwear and socks, can be stuffed into shoes and wrapped up around bottles (handy for providing extra packaging for perfume bottles or ladies make up items).

Make use of hand luggage
Many of the major airlines such as Virgin Atlantic and British Airways allow up to 6kgs of hand luggage to be taken aboard the cabin. To avoid any nasty charges at check in, packing heavier items such as beach towels, books and hair brushes in hand luggage will free up the weight allowance and room in the main suitcase. (NB Do check all airline luggage restrictions before check in)

Optimise suitcase compartments
Many suitcases come with extra zip compartments for security and protection: fill these with toiletries, chargers and items which require immediate access upon arrival. This can prevent toiletry spillages on clothing items, as well as making space in the main suitcase compartment.

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One Comment »

  • Myfanwy says:

    These tips are not really ground-breaking, are they? And surely nobody would consider packing shoe-boxes.
    If you’re short of space and/or tight on the weight limit my tips would be:
    If you need a beach towel (heavy and bulky), buy one when you get to your destination. You can normally get one very cheaply for the equivalent of a few pounds in seaside places, and leave it behind when you go.
    Hairbrushes don’t weigh much, but shoes do. Pack shoes in your hand luggage.
    To save the weight of shower gel, take a small bar of soap which also lasts longer and won’t spill.
    Books? Get a Kindle.
    There was no mention of wrapping your toiletries in plastic. Don’t stint on the number of plastic bags you wrap them in! Sooner or later, on this trip or the next, something will break or spill. Even if you do stuff your suntan cream in your socks, you really don’t want your socks covered in it. On the return journey you can use the bags for your dirty washing and recycle them when you get home.

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