Spring Break is here, which means it’s time for swimsuits, beach towels, and lots of sunscreen.
Dare I say I prefer this time of year over summer? It’s not too hot yet and you get a much needed break from the stresses of everyday life. Not that we as adults get Spring Breaks, but thankfully for those of us with kids, it’s a forced week off – not complaining over here! Since packing for the family can be stressful, I thought I’d focus this post on packing tips for your upcoming travels.
Packing Cubes
These little squares have been HUGE helpers for my family lately. You can assign each cube to a category, i.e. socks & undergarments, pajamas & loungewear, swimsuits & coverups, shorts, tops, toiletries, etc. I can’t begin to explain how helpful this is when you arrive at your destination and begin to unpack. The kids (and let’s be honest, hubby too!) don’t have to ask you where everything is in their suitcase. Every item is organized in a sensible way and it prevents clothing flying around the room looking like a tornado hit it while the kids search for their favorite swimsuit. Go ahead with that big sigh of relief – you’ll actually be able to enjoy day one of your trip!
Roll vs. Fold Packing Techniques
I feel like the roll vs. fold debate has been going on forever amongst travelers. Well, I’m here to tell you that rolling wins! Why? Despite taking up less space and being able to fit more in each cube or suitcase, rolling your clothes allows you to see everything you’ve packed from the get-go. No more undoing all of your pretty folded piles while searching underneath layers and layers of shirts trying to find a specific one. Rolling your clothes and stacking them next to each other gives you more visibility to what you’ve actually packed. We’ve all been guilty of getting home from a trip, unpacking, and realizing you didn’t wear a few outfits because you forgot about or couldn’t find certain items. All that suitcase stuffing and paying for an overweight bag was for nothing! Using the rolling technique while packing a suitcase puts an end to this and allows you to get more out of the items you spent so long shopping for.
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How To Pack Hats in a Suitcase
Quite possibly one of the most difficult items to pack, but also one of the most important to bring along to help prevent sun damage, are hats – they are a pain! How many of you have packed away a hat only to find it crumpled and bent beyond repair upon arrival? Or, better yet, how many of you have been the “hat lady” at the airport? Two floppy sunhats on your head, a visor and ballcap hooked to your bag, and another in hand. LOL – I’ve been there! While I’d hate to never see hat lady again, (she is my comic relief while traveling with the whole family, after all) I have an easy packing technique that will allow you to pack as many hats as you please. I recently had a friend travel to Bali and back with 4+ hats using this strategy, and every single one was intact and perfectly structured throughout her travels!
Start by stacking your hats out of the suitcase. All of the smaller ones go inside one another, with the largest head at the bottom. If you have ballcaps, those will go inside the floppy sunhats. Use their bills to your advantage by outlining the structure of the other hats. Next, stuff the inside of the head area with any extra items you may have to prevent gaping or caving. I prefer soft items that can take up extra space, like head scarves, socks, swimsuits, etc. Flip your hat upside down and place against the structured wall of one side of the suitcase.
There should be nothing between the brim of the hat(s) and the siding of your suitcase. What you’ll see is the head part sticking up. Place solid items like packing cubes, books, sandals, etc. on top of the brim to keep it flat and in place during travel. Make sure it’s really secured; you’ll want to cover all spaces to keep the hat from moving. The last bit is key: do not put anything on top of the head part! You don’t want it to be crushed and lose form. When you fold your suitcase together, the head part will essentially be in the middle of your suitcase. That’s ok! Naturally, your head will help reshape the hats upon arrival, but you don’t want to purposefully squish it down with extra items while traveling. Protect it best you can.
Have a Great Trip!
I hope this blog post is useful for your upcoming travels! I’d love to hear where you vacationed and if you utilized these tips. Have other packing tricks of your own? Let me know – leave a comment here or reach out to me anytime at info@sortedout.com. Happy travels!
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Tonia
