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8 Tips to Quickly and Efficiently Pack Your Luggage
Nothing spoils a well planned vacation or
business trip faster than finding out you forgot some essential
item in your luggage. It happens all too often and it can be
very easily avoided.
Packing luggage is a skill that is too often
learned by trial and error. And since most of us do not travel
every week, it is a skill that often fades away to zero before
our next trip. There are several simple steps you can take to
ensure that your next travel packing adventure will be stress
free.
- Make a list in advance. By making
a list of everything you want to pack before you start packing,
you will know that you packed everything you need in your
luggage. To make this work, prepare the list before you pack a
single item. Then as you place each item in your luggage, check
it off the list. And as a last minute check, review your list to
be sure every item is checked and that there are no additional
items you wish to add to your luggage.
- Create a documentation pouch. Place all your important
travel papers in a separate easy to reach pouch so you always
know where they are. Include items like your tickets, hotel and
car reservations, passport, etc.
- Know your weights and counts. Every airline has limits on
how many bags you can check in, how many you can carry on and
what they all weight. Be sure all of your bags meet the
regulations to make check in a snap. And if you think you need
to take extra bags (or return with more than allowed), be sure
to find out the cost of each extra bag in advance so there is no
last minute sticker shock.
- Pack with
security in mind. With current security, your bags will be
X-rayed. If the operator sees something that can't be
identified, your bag will be opened and searched. Items that
often cause a failure tend to be dense and oddly shaped items
that the X-rays cannot penetrate very well. Pack your bags with
this in mind. Place any potentially problem objects in an easy
to position in your luggage so the operator can find and verify
that they are harmless quickly. This will let you get on your
way quickly.
- Luggage sometimes gets lost. Plan
for this by packing all your critical items in your carry on
bags. This includes items like medicines, your glasses,
traveler's checks, etc.
- Pack what you
need and no more. Depending on how long you are traveling and
the purpose of your travel, you may find that you really don't
need to pack 7 pairs of shoes or 3 business suits. Know what
amenities are available at your destination to clean your
clothes. This will allow you to pack only what you need and
leave extra room for souvenirs and such on your return trip.
Remember hotels often have irons and ironing boards, laundry and
dry cleaning services available.
- Your travel
toiletries kit. While it is a bit more expensive, consider
getting travel sized containers of toothpaste, hand cream,
shampoo and conditioner, throw away toothbrushes, etc. This has many positive
benefits. First, every container will be brand new and you don't
need to worry about leaks in your luggage. Second, if you need
extra room on the return flight, you can just dispose of all
those little containers and not feel bad about throwing away an
almost unused full-sized bottle of shampoo.
- Pack and wear for the weather. Be sure you know what the
weather at your destination is going to be like. You don't want
to have just summer clothing only to find out that the weather
is quite brisk in your destination. Also if you are traveling
from a warm to a cold location, dress appropriate for the
arrival point of your trip so you are not cold running to your
car.
Follow these
tips and you will be well on your way to a perfect vacation.
About the author:
Alan Jenks is a natural traveler and does freelance writing
assignments for MyCityTravelGuide
(
http://www.mycitytravelguide.com)
This article may be reproduced on websites and in ezines as long
as the resource box and link to MyCityTravelGuide.com remain.
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