Dump Your Bag’s Junk

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 467
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People who plan trips carefully through the review of cheap travel options such as cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, and cheap vacation packages often end up paying excess baggage fees and wasting time trying to find things in messy suitcases.

Clutter can affect a traveler’s mood, causing the person to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Careful planning and ruthless purging will get rid of items not needed on trips.

The following are steps recommended by Smarter Travel that will streamline your suitcase and lighten your load:

• A fresh hygienic bag is the best foundation for organized packing. Experts advise wiping down suitcases with Lysol every time a bag is used. Suck up crumbs with a hand held vac or vacuum attachment and spritz Febreze inside your bag to deodorize it.

• Clean out your wallet, purse, and pockets of your travel jacket and remove any credit cards and other material that will not be used during your trip.

• Determine the amount of luggage you want to take on your trip before starting to pack. Before deciding take into account airline ...
... baggage fees, the length of your trip, the weather at your destination, the activities you will be participating in, and how much luggage you can comfortably manage.

• Set aside a couple of hours one to two days prior to your trip to pack and organize your possessions. Slow and steady is the way to achieve a best packed bag.

• Make a packing list then arrange the list in order of what you need most to what you need least. Ask yourself:
1. Can I travel without the things towards the end of the list?
2. Can I purchase certain items at affordable prices on the road?
3. Will this take up a lot of space in my bag?
4. If I packed this for a prior trip, did I use it?

• Purchase quality travel supplies so that you are less likely to pack junk. Maximize minimal bag space by investing in the right gear, such as lightweight bags, quality walking shoes, breathable travel clothes, and multipurpose toiletries. E-readers eliminate the need to pack bulky books. Smart multipurpose travel clothes should be packed.

• Consider purchasing packing organizers such as packing cubes, packing envelopes, or other such bag organizers widely available at travel supply stores almost everywhere. Otherwise be creative and use rubber bands, plastic grocery bags, pillow cases, bubble wrap, tissue paper, lightweight Tupperware, trash bags and Zip lock bags. Save zippered cubes when purchasing new bedding. They tend to be sturdy and clear; making it easy to see what is inside.

• Create a dedicated space for each item you will pack. Place preplanned outfits in packing cubes or bags. Place clothes for the first leg of your trip in one cube and clothes for the second leg in another cube. Alternatively keep socks with socks, shirts with shirts, and so on.

• Identify a dedicated spot for your passport, wallet, keys, identification, boarding pass, medications, and other essential items in addition to anything you might want to access easily while in transit.
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