It’s only April, but this is a great time to start planning your Memorial Day weekend. Do you always find that you clutter up your car with too many suitcases? Or you end up with bags that you can barely close because they’re so stuffed?
You always vow that you’ll take much less on your next trip, but somehow, you find that your car always ends up just as jam-packed as it was in previous years. Or you end up with checked bags that have no room for souvenirs that you might find along the way.
Yes, you want to have some choices available to you, but let’s face it – you don’t need to have a complete selection of every item that makes your life enjoyable.
So why not pack with purpose this year? Here are some tips to help you use luggage space efficiently. And if you need packing materials, visit us at Browning Park Mini Storage in Benton, AR.
Make a Packing Plan
With busy schedules in modern lives, many people don’t take time to plan what they’ll take on their trip. They wait until it’s almost time to leave before starting to pack.
Is that what you do? If you’re one of those people who waits until the last minute and then throws items into your suitcase without a strategy, you’re likely to end up with items that make you wonder where your brain was when you did your packing.
Instead, take some time well in advance of your trip to decide how many bags you will take. If flying, just a carry on or a carry on and a checked bag. If driving, how much space you’ll use for luggage and how many bags will fit into that space
Then, make a list of the essential items you’ll need for the number of days you’ll be traveling and the activities you’ve planned.
Be Versatile
Once you start to choose the items to fill your luggage, select colors that can mix and match with each other. Choose items that can be worn more than once, and bring some small items like scarves or vests to accessorize those items. Doing this will make repeated outfits seem fresh and different.
Do you have clothing items that you’re planning to donate? Why not pack these items to use one last time and then donate them in the city you visit? You’ll end up with lots of space in your suitcase for souvenirs to bring back home.
Perhaps you have underwear that you’re planning to discard. You can do almost the same thing. Wear them one last time on your trip, and then throw them into the trash, again making extra space in your luggage. Those items don’t take up a lot of space, but every little bit counts.
Be Strategic
If you’re flying, be strategic about when you wear your bulkiest, heaviest clothing and jewelry. Wear those items on the plane so they don’t take up lots of space in your luggage.
To utilize your luggage space best, roll your clothing instead of folding it. Fill your shoes with socks, jewelry, and other small items.
If you’ll be staying at a hotel, call the hotel in advance to find out what kind of complimentary amenities you’ll have in your room. You may not have to bring along any shampoo or mouthwash. For any toiletries that you need to bring anyway, get travel size items that won’t take up much space or buy small, leakproof containers to make your own travel size toiletries.
No matter where you’re going or how you’ll get there, packing strategically is a certain way to free up space and make your trip more enjoyable.
Visit us at Browning Park Mini Storage in Benton, AR, for other packing tips and materials for transporting your items on your Memorial Day trip.