Packing is such a huge part of planning your trip abroad. Depending on where you are going, you may not always have access to purchase or easily obtain the items that you need for your time away from home. It can be stressful to ensure you have everything you need without bringing along too many suitcases and carry-on bags.

Packing your Suitcase the Right Way

Suitcases aren’t exactly cheap and we’re trusting them to keep our clothes and other precious holiday items safe. From actually packing your suitcase to navigating airport security and then beating jet lag, it can take a while to truly feel like you’re on holiday and a major source of stress can be the fear of our luggage getting damaged or lost.

Then try not to under pack your suitcase! Taking a large suitcase but only half packing it, leaving room for your new finds, seems a pretty savvy way of dodging those annoying excess baggage charges. This particular mistake will fast track you to a crushed suitcase, according to an airport baggage handler warning “use an appropriately sized suit case.

So, if you only have 6kgs of stuff, do not use an oversized suitcase. The suitcase will collapse if insufficiently full, leading to a baggage avalanche when bags are stacked on top of it. On the flip side, don’t go over-stuffing those suitcases either. Pack light if possible. Heavier bags, once they start moving, have more inertia. As a result, they’re more liable to accidentally get banged up while handling.

And to prevent your luggage getting damaged, invest in a suitcase with four good wheels, with soft lining on the inside and a hard outer shell. Try to avoid soft-shell suitcases, especially if you have anything fragile you’re taking away with you. You want a hard case to keep that stuff protected. So, it’s best to avoid soft cases to reduce the chances of your stuff getting damaged.

Avoid Wrapping Luggage in Plastic

People might do this to try and better protect their suitcases. But did you know that baggage handlers are more likely to throw these types of bags down the ramp because of the increase that they may get stuck while moving around the airport? Moreover, it’s generally not recommended to wrap bags in plastic, as it doesn’t provide any substantial benefits that can justify the added cost.

Other top tips include tagging your suitcase correctly, placing AirTags in your luggage and using clothing to cushion more fragile items that you’re carrying. And don’t forget to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes early so your suitcase actually makes it onto the flight!

 

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