How to Properly Pack Your Suitcase for a Trip

You will be able to arrive at your location with your clothes wrinkle free.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Suitcase
• Plastic bags with handles
• Plastic (Ziploc) bags
• Selection of outfits
• Necessities (swimsuit, undergarments, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.)

1. Select size of suitcase you'll need for amount of items you're taking on your trip.

2. Set aside the plastic bags with handles, plastic (Ziploc) bags, and toiletries (shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)

3. Figure out what outfits you'll need for your trip, pants, shorts, shirts, skirts, etc.

4. After figuring out the outfits you're taking on your trip, organize them by items, pants, shorts, skirts, shirts, socks, undergarments, jackets, or anything else you might be taking on your trip.

5. When folding your clothes your start with the heavier items on the bottom, such as jeans, or other pants, next shorts, or skirts, etc.

6. You fold you pants in half, zipper at top, legs on the bottom, laying them lengthwise on the ground near your suitcase. Then take the next pair of pants, or shorts and do the same thing.

7. As you add another pair of pants to the pile, you take the next pair of pants or shorts but do NOT put zipper to zipper. You face the pants on the opposite end. That makes the pile of clothes you're creating flatter. So the legs of the pants should be sticking out, then put the next pair of pants only half way, once again not zipper to zipper, but zipper to wear the leg of the pants starts, opposite ends. As you add the pants to pants, do NOT fold together. Just leave them open lengthwise as I mentioned in Step 6.

8. Once you start your pile of clothes, make sure that you keep all pants together, all shorts together, all skirts together and so on in your pile.

9. When you go to add a skirt, if that is what you're bringing, you might be able to fold the skirt lengthwise (just like the pants) if it's possible. If it's not, then just fold the skirt in half. When you are folding the skirt in half, do NOT fold in the sides of the skirt. Just leave them out, that folding in will come at the end just before you place the items into your suitcase.

10. As you add your shirts, fold them in half. The collars up, fold in the arms next, then fold up the bottom of the shirt. As you layer your shirts on your pile, do the same as you did with your pants or shorts. You should have your shirts facing the opposite way as you add it to the pile. It should be collar up, then the next shirt should be collar down. REMEMBER NOT to fold anything in that is already on the pile of clothes that you have created.

11. Once you're finished with your clothing pile that you'll be taking on your trip, the next thing to figure out is your socks, undergarments, and etc. (such as ties). You will be placing those items in the bottom of your suitcase, unless you have special pockets already in the suitcase that you'll be taking on your trip.

12. Then you need to figure out what shoes you'll be taking on your trip. Try to think if it's really necessary to take that extra pair of heels, or do you really need black and brown shoes to go with those outfits you packed. Try to take as few shoes as you can possibly take on your trip. You will putting ALL of your shoes in those plastic bags with the handles. That way your items in your suitcase will not get dirty from the bottom of your shoes when going or returning from your trip. Place the shoes, one pair in each bag, then gently tie them off.

13. The next thing you'll need to do is to figure out what toiletries you'll need for your trip. If you'll be staying a hotel, you may not need shampoo or conditioner, unless you prefer to use your own. If you are not going for a long period of time, then buy some travel sized items, such as a smaller toothpaste, or smaller containers of deodorant, or smaller containers of shampoo. You will putting these items in the plastic Ziploc bags. That way if something should open up it will spill into the plastic bag, and not get all over your clothes or shoes. You can also use smaller Ziploc bags if you prefer. Then you can put those smaller bags into the larger ones. Do not forget a comb, or a hairbrush, but do NOT put those in the plastic Ziploc bags. You should be able to just place those on the bottom of the suitcase, or in those special pockets if your suitcase has pockets. NEVER use the pockets that are on the outside of your suitcase. It is too easy for them to open up, then items are lost.

14. Once you have all your toiletries packed into your plastic Ziploc bags, they will be placed in the bottom of your suitcase, along with your shoe bags. You can also place the shoe bags on the sides of the suitcase, if it turns out that you are taking more than 2 or 3 pairs of shoes on your trip. This will help to save on space. You will be able to determine that when you add your clothing pile you've created to your suitcase.

15. The last step is look at the clothing pile that you've created. It should be all flat on the ground near your suitcase. The pants on the bottom (the heaviest items on the bottom). The next step is to take what is not folded in and start to fold. You will be folding the bottoms of your pants on top. When you start folding your pants legs will be folded onto your shirts. Your clothes will look like a puzzle, heavy items on the bottom, then folded onto the lightest items, such as your shirts, which should be on the top of your pile. The weight of your pants legs will help to flatten your pile of clothes.

16. Once you've folded all your clothes together, then pick up the pile of clothes and place it into your suitcase. This will allow you to take more clothing items with you on your trip. After you've placed the pile into your suitcase, then you can determine if you need to move a plastic bag of shoes to the side or the suitcase, or to the bottom of the suitcase. Don't worry if you have to move the bag of shoes, you should easily be able to remove your pile of clothing. Just make sure that you pick up the TOTAL pile of clothing all at once. It should easily be able to do that, if you've folded your clothing using the steps I told you to take when packing your suitcase.

17. If your toiletrie Ziploc bags are not fitting properly, then you can also move them to spaces they fit better in. Make sure that you double check to see that those bags are closed, so if they open they don't make a mess of your items.

18. Once you have your pile of clothes fitting properly in your suitcase, you can gently push down on the pile to make more room for last minute items. Or you can unfold your puzzle of clothes to add last minutes items. If it is an extra pair of pants, shorts, a heavy item, then just add it to the bottom of your pile. That will be easier than undoing the puzzle pile of clothing.

19. Your final step is to make sure that your suitcase is closing properly. If you took all the steps I told you to take, then you should have plenty of room in your suitcase for it to gently zipper or snap shut. Plus when you arrive to your destination your clothes should be wrinkle free. Make sure to hang the items that are more likely to wrinkle. Remember to unfold your pile of clothing the same way you folded it together, or you will cause wrinkles. Now that's a proper way to pack a suitcase. You'll be wrinkle free when you arrive, plus you'll be able to take as many items as you wish.

[sjvs]

on 8/1/2009 Finally a solution to arrive at your destination with a suitcase full of wrinkle-free clothes. I travel a lot, so this information will certainly pay off.