My Epic Travel fail – Shoes vs Carry-on!
My Epic Travel fail – Shoes vs Carry-on!
The air travel chaos this summer brought mass cancellations, overwhelming lines, and mounds of lost luggage to airports around the world. Although departure schedules and crowds are not within a passenger’s control, many travellers have decided to act on the lost luggage front ? by vowing to never check a bag again.
For me personally, this is a challenge as I like to take shoes with me for each day! A lot of my clients tell me it is easy, this is not a challenge I think I will win!
Why not share your tips with us?
Wear your largest footwear on the flight!
Be strategic about your plane outfit. What you choose to wear can free up precious space in a carry-on, especially when it comes to shoes.
“You should always fly wearing your footwear that takes up the most amount of space,” “Certain shoes, boots, and other footwear can take up a ton of suitcase space, and most can’t be folded.”
He also advised limiting the footwear you pack to what you absolutely need for the trip.
Stick to a colour scheme
Always try to pack with a colour scheme in mind. With pieces in the same colour scheme, you can mix and match as much as you need.”
As you select clothes for the trip, try to visualize how each piece could work with multiple other garments to create a variety of cohesive outfits. You can mix things up with well-placed accessories that don’t take up as much space in a suitcase.
“I recommend packing clothing with neutral colors that can make a variety of different outfits That allows you to pack less and still not wear the same exact thing every day.”
Roll your clothes
“Rolling your clothing is the best way to maximize space in your carry-on,” “Additionally, your clothes will likely be less wrinkled than if you had folded them.”
He also suggested wrapping rubber bands around your rolled clothing to help keep things more organized and secure in the suitcase.
Choose accommodations with washer and dryer access
Before you even get to the packing stage ahead of a trip, you can help ensure you’ll only need a carry-on with your choice of accommodation.
“Staying at a hotel with a washer and dryer allows you to pack much lighter than you would otherwise have to, While many people do not want to do laundry on holiday, it allows you to take a potentially long trip with only a single carry-on.”
“In many places, especially internationally, laundry services are incredibly cheap, so for longer trips, plan a day where you can drop off some dirty laundry and enjoy clean, pressed clothes by dinnertime
Packing tips… I will never learn!
Make wise choices with the items you pack and the way you place them in the suitcase.
Take advantage of your personal item
In addition to luggage that goes in the overhead bin, major airlines typically allow passengers to travel with a “personal item” that must fit below the seat in front of them. This presents another opportunity to make use of extra space.
Use a standard backpack as your personal item. Use it to store extra shoes and toiletries. That allows more clothing in carry-on.
Use packing cubes.
Packing cubes bring a sense of order and organization to a suitcase, which helps prevent over-packing as there’s less temptation to mindlessly throw in items you don’t need.
Try vacuum-sealed bags.
“If you want to take it a step further [than packing cubes], there are vacuum-sealed packing bags you can use,” “Place your fluffiest items into them and use the hand pump to remove all of the air. It compresses your clothes so you can fit twice as much. Just make sure you’re ready to do the same on the way home.”
Ensure your bags are carry-on compliant.
It’s a terrible feeling to go through the process of packing what you think is carry-on luggage only to find out at the airport that you’re required to check it.
“Allowed carry-on and personal item bag sizes vary by airline, so check to see if your bags are compliant when booking your ticket.
Choose lightweight fabrics.
Instead of packing your chunky sweaters and fuzzy socks, consider how many more garments you could fit if you chose clothes made with thinner fabrics. You’ll also be better prepared for temperature fluctuations at your destination.
“Avoid packing heaving or thick materials and instead opt for items you can layer.
Swap full-size items for smaller versions.
“Instead of a heavy laptop, I travel with a mini tablet if you can. This goes for personal toiletries as well.
“For toiletries, I fill up some 100 ml travel containers.
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves
“The key to traveling carry-on is to pack light, Pac only the must haves and not the nice to haves.
Before you start putting items in your suitcase, take time to carefully consider each thing. Ask yourself, “Will I use this enough to justify taking it with me all this way?” Paring down may require some tough choices.
“Pack less than you think you need,” Lay it out, then put back 30% to 40%.”
Pack small items inside shoes
As you place items in your suitcase, be on the lookout for any empty vessels, which can mean wasted space. Then, place smaller items inside.
Electric razors, watches, pairs of socks ? all can fit inside the shoes you packed.
Wear your coat!
Like footwear, outerwear has the potential to make the difference between carry-on and checked luggage.
“Even small jackets take up a lot of space,” “Wear your coat or jacket on the plane even if it does not make sense temperature-wise. In some cases, there will be enough overhead bin space for it, but I recommend waiting until everyone has a chance to put their carry-on in a bin first.”
If there’s no overhead bin space available, simply take off your jacket and put it behind you for the duration of the flight.
Plan to buy toiletries at your destination.
“For toiletries, consider buying items like shampoo and conditioner, lotions, and toothpaste once you reach your destination to save room in your suitcase.
This might not be the most economical option, but if the bag space situation is getting desperate, you might want to remove your toiletries and plan to purchase new ones after you arrive.
Choose luggage that is lightweight.
In addition to size limits, carry-on luggage is also subject to weight limits. Even if you think it’s unlikely your bag will be weighed, no one likes to schlep an uber-heavy suitcase to and around the airport and back.
Hope these tips help and would love to hear what you packing tip is?