real simple travel + leisure travel prep 101 your packing

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REAL SIMPLE AND TRAVEL + LEISURE PRESENT
TRAVEL PREP 101 | YOUR PACKING-MADE-EASIER CHECKLIST
INGENIOUS STR ATEGIES FOR TR AVELING LIGHT, SAVING SPACE, AND ARRIVING
AT YOUR DESTINATION WRINKLE-FREE AND READY FOR ANY ADVENTURE.
WHAT TO PACK
__ Go light on the clothing. Follow this
formula: three tops for every bottom.
(Trust us, you can get away with repeating pants or skirts.) As for footwear,
limit yourself to sneakers and two pairs
of shoes—one casual and one formal.
HOW TO PACK
__ Decide what to roll, and what to fold.
If you’re using a duffel, roll everything.
Otherwise, reserve that technique for
knits (T-shirts, light sweaters) and fold
garments that have more structure
(blazers and trousers).
__ Choose wrinkle-repellers. Blends
containing nylon, Lycra, or polyester can
be pulled out of your suitcase relatively
unscathed. If you prefer natural fibers,
go for wool or stretch cotton. Textured
fabrics (ruched jersey, seersucker) and
busy prints also help mask fold marks.
__ Get space-efficient. Packing cubes, like
Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Specter Cubes
(from $13; eaglecreek.com), keep swimsuits, gym clothes, delicates, and dirty
laundry separated. Squeeze out all the
air for extra compression.
__ Bring a just-in-case kit. Prepare for
emergencies (of the wardrobe variety) by
bringing Downy Wrinkle Releaser
Plus ($2 at drugstores) and Tide to Go
stain remover ($3 at drugstores).
__ Use trash bags to fight wrinkles.
Here’s how: line the bottom of your
luggage with a garbage bag; then, after
you’ve packed, add another on top.
The slippery surface keeps creases
from setting.
__ Keep tabs on your bag. Use a luggage
tracker like LugLoc ($70; lugloc.com) to
locate your suitcase in the event that it
gets lost. Also important: label your bag
tag with an e-mail address, rather than
a home address, so that you can be more
easily contacted in transit.
__ Arrange contents strategically. Stash
footwear and other heavy items near
the wheelbase; this prevents the suitcase
from tipping over. Then layer in this
order: packing cubes, rolled garments,
folded clothes, and bulky sweaters
or jackets. Leave crushables for last.
__ Prep your carry-on. Layers are essential for chilly airplane cabins. You’ll
also want a toothbrush and at least a
day’s worth of prescriptions in case your
luggage is delayed.
__ Maximize every nook. Snake belts
around the bag’s perimeter. Stuff shoes
with socks and fill the molded cups
of bras with underwear (this prevents the
foam from crinkling). Tuck jewelry and
ties (rolled inside out) in a side pocket—
you can store earrings in pill cases and
string delicate necklaces through drinking straws, taping the clasps to each end.
__ Invest in useful tech gear. The compact
Fuse Universal Dual USB adapter has
plugs for 150 countries and two built-in
USB ports ($30; fospower.com). The
Mophie Powerstation Plus simultaneously charges multiple gadgets at four
times the speed of a standard charger
($80; mophie.com). To make a long
flight more bearable, spring for noisecanceling headphones, such as Bose’s
QuietComfort 20i earbuds with tanglefree cords ($300; bose.com).
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T R AV E L + L E I S U R E / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5
SUITCASE SMARTS
Pick the bag that’s right for you.
1 Measure your carry-on. Remember
these dimensions: 21 by 14 by 9 inches.
That size is guaranteed to fit in any
overhead bin. We like the hard-sided
Quartermaster by Ebby Rane ($825;
ebbyrane.com), with built-in carryalls for
liquids, tech gear, laundry, and more.
2 Know the full-size-case rules. Fourwheeled hard-sided models are best—
they’re least likely to topple. Choose one
that has a sturdy handle and butterflies open (for easier packing), like the
Herringbone Luxe Hardside Extended
Journey Spinner by Hartmann
($399; hartmann.com) or the Victorinox
Spectra 2.0 ($380; victorinox.com).
ILLUSTRATION BY VALERO DOVAL