Practical Travel Packing Tips
What To Pack And How To Pack It

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Here you will find practical vacation packing tips for all aspects of the packing process.

What To Pack - Our Travel Packing Tips give details on what to have in mind when choosing clothes, toiletries, travel gear and gadgets to pack for your trip

How To Pack It - Our travel tips for packing luggage explains the different Packing Luggage Methods and shows you how each method works in practice

What To Pack It In - We provide advice about different Types of Luggage available and how to Choose Luggage that suits your travel needs

What To Pack Is Important

We have all heard about the importance of travelling light, because of the airlines luggage restrictions but also since travelling light makes travelling easier in many respects. Most air travel packing tips therefore firmly advice you to pack as light as possible. Those that are best in travelling light usually travel with carry-on luggage only.

Travelling light is though not for everyone. You might want to pack more than is absolutely necessary or because you want to take some luxury items on your journey.

You might also have to pack more because the purpose of your trip requires it, e.g. when going on a long journey, visiting family and friends and bringing lot of gifts, etc.

It doesn't matter if you travel light or not, the first travel tips for packing luggage is to start with what you know you will need. If you have free space / weight allowance, you should feel free to use it for your optional extras.

When packing clothes you might want to pack enough to last you throughout your trip if feasible. To make your clothes last longer and get different outfits from fewer items of clothing... choose colors that mix well together, reversible clothes and use layers to deal with variations in temperatures.

To minimize wrinkling you should choose your packing method wisely but also consider the fabric in the clothes you choose to take with you. Clothes that are lightweight, wrinkle resistant and dry quickly are the ideal choice for all travelers. Most specialized modern travel clothes fulfill these criteria.

When packing toiletries it makes sense to minimize toiletries as much as you can. Just pack what you will need during your trip - no need to travel back with unused toiletries. You might even consider buying some toiletries at your travel destination, especially if you are flying with carry-on only (so you do not have to worry about the strict liquid rules at airports).

When packing travel gadgets and travel gear you need to consider carefully what to bring and what to leave behind. Not only space and weight matter. Many travel gadgets and travel gears are expensive and you do not want to risk losing them. At least make sure your insurance covers adequately those gadgets you decide to take with you.

But How to Pack It Is Even More Important

It is important how to pack but it is even more important how you pack it. Travel packing is all about making the most use of the space you have available.

There are three main packing luggage methods and they are explained in detail in this packing article How To Pack Your Bags:

Folding - This is the most traditional and common way to pack but the clothes tend to crease more than if using the other packing luggage methods below

Rolling - Clothes are less likely to crease if you roll, rather than fold them. They also take less space this way, making this a popular packing method with backpackers

Bundle Wrapping - This is the best way to pack your bags. As the name suggests bundle wrapping involves wrapping your clothes around a central core object

Packing Cubes And Packing Organizers can make packing easier in most cases. They allow you to fit more in your bags and help you to stay organized during your trip.

They are especially useful if you are moving around a lot, i.e. packing and unpacking number of times while travelling.

Eagle Creek offers wide range of packing solution systems, so if that is of interest to you, check our Review Of Eagle Creek Packing Cubes.

Benefits Of Travel Packing Checklists

Some say that if an item is not on your packing checklists you should not pack it. Others are not bothered at all and still manage to pack their bags somehow.

Packing checklists should though be useful for all travelers. They remind you of items that might be good to bring with you on your travels.

They also reduce the risk of forgetting any “must haves” - like your passport for example.

Packing checklists however do not eliminate the good old common sense. If something is not on any of your travel packing checklists, you should still take it if you need it - or even if you just want to bring it along.

Our view is that packing checklists are strictly not necessary but they can be helpful when packing for your trip.

Top Travel Tips
Free Downloadable Packing Checklists

Top Travel Tips offers packing advice and 10 free packing checklists for the following occasions:

• Vacation Packing List - General packing list suitable for adults on most trips
• Packing Checklist For Babies - Infants do not travel light, this list helps you to remember everything they need
• Toddlers Packing List For Travel - This list will help you to keep your toddler safe and content when travelling, it includes all the items they need and want when away from home
• Vacation Packing Checklist For School Age Children - Older children still have some special packing needs and this packing list addresses them
• Packing List For Teenagers - For the vacation to be a success your teen must be satisfied, this packing list helps you to keep your teens happy
• Business Travel Packing List - Most business travelers don't want to spend too much time packing, this checklist will help them with exactly that
• Cruise Packing List - It can be a long way to the nearest shop when you are on a cruise ship so it is important to bring what you need with you, this list will help you with that
• Alaska Cruise Packing List - This is special packing list for those cruising in colder climate
• Packing List For Ski Trips - Skiing trips require some special clothes and equipments and this packing list helps you to identify those items
• Packing Checklists For Diabetics - Packing Checklists For Diabetics - Some health conditions, like diabetics, require special equipments and supplies that are vital to remember, this packing list could save lives

Other Practical Travel Packing Tips

You will find many additional practical packing tips in this section. Like...

How can tissue reduce wrinkles in clothes? How can you weigh your bag at home? How best to pack travel gadgets safely? How can you use socks and underwear as fillers? Practical air travel packing tips, travel tips for packing luggage for business trips and much more here at Top Travel Tips.

Ps. You can download our Vacation Packing Lists and Packing Guides for free. Website owners can also make the packing guides available to their users free of charge (all we ask then is an acknowledgement for our work in putting these guides together).