1 Traditional Flat Packing
The theory is that clothes stay crease-free. If you put the tops of clothes, the neck of a shirt or dress, against the short side of a suitcase, you can then fold the garment exactly to fit. Shoes go in a separate bag, or are forced down the edges or corners later.
Socks are packed inside sandals, shoes or boots to make use of that space and keep co0ordinating colour together and ensure you have no shoes without suitable socks.
Why do you need socks? To stop sandals rubbing your feet and creating blisters.
Variations:
2 Interleaved Flat Packing
I used to pack all whites together, all blacks together, all coloured clothes together. I separated the whites from the blacks with a see-through plastic bag.
Another system is to pack each garment in its own bag. I wanted to ensure no damage such as damp coloured or black clothes staining white clothes. You could have bottles of alcohol, or water, or lotions, leaking inside the case. Or cases left outdoors in the rain on a trolley next to the plane waiting to be loaded. Or sequinned clothes and belts with buckles making holes in delicate silk clothes.
Complete Outfits Together
Dress or trousers (Americans say pants) with jackets, matching underwear, socks, even shoes or sandals. Ski suits with gloves and knitted brimmed hats and socks, or thick socks inside the boots. Necklaces to match evening dresses.
3 Hanger Packing
A man's suit can be packed inside a black suit cover on a hanger. A bride's dress can be packed on a white hanger labelled Bride. (You can buy sets marked bride and groom.)
I like to pack outfits on hangers, the thin wire hangers from dry cleaners. My clothes are ready to hang straight up on arrival at a hotel or conference centre, or family, no delay. Clothes pack straight back into the suitcase, and hang up immediately on unpacking.
Packing Night Clothes
Night clothes on top if reaching destination late. Night clothes on top if returning home late.
Swimsuit on top or in wheel-on bag or shoulder bag if arriving late at hotel destination. No need to wait for the porter to deliver your luggage to the room. No risk of reaching the swimming pool just as it is closing. (In the Canary islands at the Parador hotel on La Palma, we arrived from the ferry and drive up the mountain at 5 pm, just as the outdoor swimming pool closed.)
4 Roll up clothes.
Laundry Bag For Dirty Clothes
Dirty clothes in laundry bag. Maybe a separate bag for shoes. They are separate so the smell or dirt from shoes does not affect clean clothes or those which are worn many times.
No Dirty Clothes - All Cleaned
If you stay at a big hotel with a big budget, are on expenses, you can have all your clothes sent to the laundry. This works well if you send one garment every day. Once, I had to send a week's laundry for two people, and it took an hour to put everything in the bag and tick all the boxes, phone down to get the bag collected before the noon deadline, so I missed the morning tour of the city.
I like all my clothes washed overnight. Then, if you should be in a car accident or plane crash, neither you nor anybody else will receive a suitcase containing clothes which were dirty three months ago.
Swimsuit Packing
A wet swimsuit can be squeezed to damp by a towel, then left hanging freely on top of suitcase. Packed in when dry. Some cars have a hook on the inside roof behind the driver's seat, meant for hanging a suit jacket so that it arrives uncreased. this could be used to hang up a wet swimsuit, especially when you are stopped for lunch and the car is parked beside your outdoor table. We don't leave clothes or other items visible in parked cars in foreign cities where tourists and thieves are known.
Or pack a swimsuit in a waterproof bag. I have a waterproof base compartment of a gym bag. It also takes wet umbrellas.
5 Separate Souvenirs Bag
Clothes you came in inside main suitcase. Souvenirs in second bag previously inside main bag which leaves more room.
6 Expanding zipped suitcases.
Leave home with it done up tightly. Then you can expand it at the destination.
One year I left home with it already expanded to make a bigger space. Big mistake. No room to expand it to take guidebooks bought on holiday, souvenirs and new shoes.
7 Quick, Instant, Throw It All In, Packing
Throw everything in the big suitcase. Lay it flat. Close it up. Sit on top.
I run my hand around the inside of the zip or join to ensure nothing is sticking out and impeding the closure.
If your suitcase is not deep with a flat lid, but in two equal halves, you find, when you try to close it, that everything falls out of the top half. You need elastic X shape closure over the inside of both halves. Some suitcases come with this. Small items such as socks and zip up bags can still fall out.
An alternative is a complete cover the size of a pillowcase, which zips up, or tucks in.
I saved the inserts from a suitcase which was discarded when both the wheels and the zips went. In theory I could stick one side to the inside of the suitcase to create a pocket. However, at the moment I am satisfied with it tucked in like a bedsheet.
Overflow Clothes In Carrier Bags
When the suitcase is full, put the overflow in a carrier bag. Or two bags. Or three.
This works when family are fetching you by car with an empty car boot. (Americans say car trunk.)
When travelling by train, or a plane with a small luggage allowance, in the past I have resorted to wearing two sets of underwear, two reversible dresses, two jackets.
On one occasion, I even wore three reversible dresses. They were light, chiffon.
You can buy multi-pocket jackets, cargo pants with large pockets, reversible jackets with pockets both sides. Some C-shape neck pillows unzip and can be filled with soft clothes, instead of air.
You can wear a scarf under or over a matching baseball cap or other hat. A knitted scarf and matching hat can be worn attached together with a safety pin or sewn up.
Crease-free Coats & Jackets
If you are travelling first class or business class or frequent flyer on a plane you might be able to take a heavy coat or jacket on the plane. Wear it whilst boarding. Then ask the steward to hang it up for you during the journey.
8 Postbox method.
I invented this method or at least the name today.
Out of desperation!
Place your suitcase upright. Pack the overflow bag. Then pack the suitcase. Zip it up and stand it upright. Unzip slightly and feed in the overflow.
Please share links to your favourite posts. Send comments about what works well for you.
