Five Packing Tips for Minimalist Travels 

 

Whether you’re a hard-core neat-freak or more flexible in your packing style, you don’t want to arrive at your dream destination with your case looking like Nightmare on Elm Street. 

 

As much as the writer of this blog would love to share her packing tips with you, her suitcases are anything but a showcase of packing efficiency. Generally, beginning the task with the KIT (keep it tidy) principle in mind – the just-in-case phenomenon sets in halfway through the pack – “Let me take another jacket just in case…”

That’s why for the purpose of this article let’s look to the experts for sound advice...

According to The New York Times Travel, “Packing may seem simple, but it is a science with rules that travelers often learn the hard way over thousands of miles on the road… Here’s our shortcut to packing the right way: how to find the best suitcase, minimize your load, pack what you need on a beach trip or a business trip, and cut down on wrinkles.

  1. Do the clothing countdown: If you need a mantra to help streamline your wardrobe, use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule for a weeklong trip: Limit yourself to no more than five sets of socks and underwear, four tops, three bottoms, two pairs of shoes and one hat. The list should be adjusted to suit your needs. 

  2. Lay out what you think you’ll need, then edit ruthlessly: “Think twice about everything you want to put in your bag,” said Ben Nickel-D’Andrea, who writes about flying first-class…“Fully get rid of the ‘just in case I need it’ category,” he said. “If and when you need it, you can buy it.”

  3. Think Tetris: The best way to fit everything into one bag: Fill every inch of space. For example, footwear should be stuffed with socks. Then lay your shoes together heel to toe at the bottom of your suitcase in a plastic shopping bag to protect clothes from dirt. 

How exactly you arrange everything in your suitcase is a matter of personal preference. Here are some popular strategies:

  • Roll your clothes. This helps to maximize space and minimize wrinkles.
  • Use packing cubes. These smaller bags help you keep your clothes compact and your outfits ordered. 
  1. Never unpack your toiletries: “I recommend keeping a separate toiletry kit for traveling,” said Marie Kondo, author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Keeping a set of bathroom products already packed also ensures that you don’t forget a toothbrush or contact lens case that you might use the morning of take-off, she said.”

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/how-to-pack-a-suitcase

But that’s not all. Our final pack hack is…

  1. The Cellini Optimised Packing System our very own Inside Story –  with all the, zips straps, and structure you need – to pack like a pro.
    Inside story packing