The five steps to a perfectly packed bag:
By TravelSmith's Kiran Gowda
1. Determine the clothes you're going to wear on the plane, preferably the bulkiest and heaviest clothing
2. Place your heaviest items on the bottom and stuff socks into your shoes
3. Use a Pack It Folder for shirts and lay long items (pants, dresses, etc) lengthwise across the bag, leaving the excess length hanging over the edge, and alternating directions
4. Roll any knit items (t-shirts, polos, pajamas, or other items least likely to wrinkle) on top of that. Stash undies or toiletries here to create a slightly bulky center, but without too much weight. Continue wrapping layers in towards the center over the top of the bundle.
5. Finally, Use your suitcase's compression straps to gently cinch down contents, smoothing as you go to ensure there are no wrinkles. This will prevent your clothing from shifting.
More tips to pack smart and save money:
Start with a basic color like navy, black, or khaki, and accessorize from there. These are great colors because they go with pretty much everything, dress up or down, and don't show dirt easily. For a hot-weather destination, you might want to opt for light colors for better sun resistance. Women's Little Black Banded V-Neck Dress
Think in layers: pack camis, tees and long-sleeved items that can be worn together in different combinations for different looks. Use lightweight accessories to keep the look fresh - try a silk chiffon scarf, or some fun jewelry pieces (something you might even want to pick up while you're there!). Echo Summer Scarf
Go reversible: by packing reversible items you not only get two styles for the price of one, you also increase your options when combining them with each other. Women's Reversible Shell
Lay everything out on your bed, and start trimming: remove anything that does not go well with everything else, or that you are not sure you will wear. Packing smart is about learning to not try to plan for absolutely every possibility, while maximizing the versatility of the items you do pack.
Reign in the extras: Don't add extra weight at the last minute - keep shoes, heavy reading materials, and toiletries light. The new TSA guidelines for carrying on liquids can be viewed as a blessing in disguise - all that liquid rapidly adds weight. For many travelers, especially women, toiletries can end up being half your luggage weight. Look for small containers, teeny toiletries and dry versions of products you might normally carry as liquids (like hand soap). Women's Travel Care Kit
About Kiran Gowda
Kiran Gowda is a spokesperson for TravelSmith. TravelSmith is based in Novato, Calif. and the company has been providing customers with travel-tested apparel, gear and accessories for over 15 years. Their products can be ordered online (www.travelsmith.com), via catalog and available at their Berkeley outlet.
TravelSmith- Berkeley location
1324 10th St
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 528-9500
24-hour customer service line: 1-800-950-1600
www.travelsmith.com
