1. Have a packing list – that will pretty much eliminate any chance of forgetting something. Leave your list inside your suitcase when you get home and empty it (that will save you time every time you travel!).
2. Roll your clothes – it helps eliminate wrinkles and actually saves space in your suitcase
3. Use plastic reusable bags for liquids in your suitcase (you just never know when a bottle will leak) and smaller items like socks and underwear (that way if your case is opened for a search it’s less likely any of your items will fly all over the airport floor).
4. Use your carry-on for essentials – stuff you can’t live without if your suitcase ends up on another flight to the other side of the world.
5. Bring extra bags for shopping or laundry – we use a big garbage bag to keep our dirty clothes in for the trip home.
6. Pack your essentials first – nothing worse than packing your clothes and forgetting about your deodorant/toothpaste and underwear!
7. Photocopy your important travel documents – also keep a copy on your mobile phone and/or a jump drive.
8. Stuff your shoes (to take advantage of all the space in your luggage) – or put fragile things in there for extra protection.
9. Pack light – now everyone has to with the strict airline regulations these days. You might even be able to eliminate your checked baggage altogether! (Just don’t go overboard and choose a huge carry on that isn’t meant for in-cabin storage – you only aggravate your fellow passengers and risk wrecking your back trying to get it in the overhead bins!)
10. Destination address – the last thing you put into your suitcase should be a nice large sheet of paper with your name, phone number and destination address (have another one for the return journey). If your suitcase gets lost and there are no tags on it, whoever opens it will find the information they need right away. That could be the difference between getting your stuff back or not.

What do you think about these packing tips – did we miss one that you would recommend? Tells us about it!

About TravelBloggers.ca
Iain Shankland & Gail Shankland started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money, travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.

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