Efficient & Mindful Packing Tips
Be Mindful & Enjoy the Journey
How to Pack Efficiently and Mindfully
When it comes to traveling sometimes the most difficult part is packing efficiently and mindfully. This is especially true when you are flying to your destination. Traveling through airports and planes can be challenging if you do not have the right travel gear. This can become especially cumbersome if your suitcase is on the heavy side and not very versatile. The following article will go into depth about specific brands and travel gear that my wife and I have used over the years when traveling. We feel that the brands, and specifically the types of suitcases we use have aided us in having more relaxed trips through airports, in planes, and during the check-in process. We hope that this article will help you pack more efficiently and mindfully.
What to look for in luggage
Durability
When investing in luggage, you want a suitcase that can withstand the test of time and also be able to take a beating. Let’s face it, with today’s globalization patterns travel has only increased. This puts the burden on organizing and placing luggage on the correct plane and luggage ramp more and more chaotic. Often luggage goes through a series of neglectful and even violent checkpoints to make it to the same location you are heading to. This only puts more emphasis on having quality luggage that can withstand this type of treatment.
Mobility
When traveling, you do not want to have to man handle your luggage through the 1,000s of feet of airport corridors to find your gate. This will not only put you in a physically exhaustive state but also impact your mood and dilute what could be a very memorable experience for you and your loved ones. Therefore, we would recommend getting luggage with wheels that can rotate effortlessly. This will help you navigate the crowds that many of the airports produce daily. Sure, a duffle bag can be functional for shorter trips, but having had to drag my duffle bag through multiple airports, I can attest that it is an exhaustive experience. I ended up with bruises on my shoulders and blisters on my hands. This is no way to start a vacation. Especially, since we live in a time where many carry-on bags come with wheels.
Lightweight
Luggage should be lightweight for many reasons. The first being the weight factor at baggage check-in. When it is time to weigh your suitcase at the check-in kiosk, the more it weighs the less you can pack into it. This can be challenging for those extended vacations when you might need a little more room for souvenirs and clothes in general. We all hate it when we run out of socks or underwear. Also, nobody wants to have to do laundry when away on their vacation. Secondly, a suitcase that is lighter in weight also means it will be much easier for the luggage to balance when you are waiting in lines such as at check-in, the gate, or when organizing your car’s trunk space.
The Best Luggage and Travel Gear
Samsonite luggage has been around for over 100 years and its quality in luggage has withstood the test of time. Samsonite luggage is also one of the leaders when it comes to travel gear. We believe this is one of the best options when shopping for suitcases as they make products that last, function the way you need them to and create a much more pleasant travel experience. Samsonite has always been the leaders in innovation, reliability, and convenience. If you plan to travel efficiently, then you are going to want to invest in a Samsonite suitcase. Here is some of our favorite travel gear that has made our travel experience a lot more enjoyable and simplified.
Samsonite Bartlett Large Spinner
This is a great option for a larger suitcase that needs to be checked in. This bag has 4 wheels, which makes it multi-directional for easy mobility to and from the check-in line, hotel parking lot, and any other location the bag may need to go. The Samsonite Bartlett is lightweight, weighing less than 10lbs allowing you more space and weight for packing the essentials and then some. This suitcase has several features such as being able to expand up to 2 inches just in case you pack more on the way back than on the way there. The bag also features rubberized corner protectors to prevent additional wear and tear. Moreover, the dimensions of the bag focus on more interior room without compromising durability.
Samsonite Xenon 3.0 Large Backpack
This is by far my favorite carry-on bag, and I have been using this model bag for over 10 years now. This carry-on backpack is literally a mobile office. The backpack has three main compartments, the first being storage for a laptop up to 15.6 inches. The second compartment is storage and a folder system for documents. The third storage area can hold a jacket and a couple shirts for traveling from warmer to cooler climate or vice versa. The final compartment is an organizer that holds pens, notepads, and other smaller items you may need with you to get work done.
Additional features on this model include two mesh pockets that can store a water bottle or thermos, and a couple quick storage pockets for sunglasses, watches, etc. In addition to storage, this backpack also has padded straps to ease the weight on your shoulders, an air channel system on the back of the bag to reduce heat buildup and lumbar support through supplementary padding that alleviates heavy material pressing on your back as you travel to and from your destinations.
Travel Packing Gear
Travel cubes are a great way to pack efficiently and also to keep you organized. I personally love my travel cubes as they not only keep me organized but also help me stay organized when I arrive at the hotel, and when I am unpacking. The cubes come in several sizes that can accommodate underwear, socks, pants, tee shirts, long pants, etc. My wife uses the cubes to preserve the shape of her bras and hats, as clothes tend to be squeezed inside a suitcase, which can cause them to lose their shape.
When I arrive at a hotel, I just remove my cube that has socks, underwear and tees shirts and place them in one drawer and do the same with the others making packing and unpacking extremely simple. The cubes fit perfectly into a rectangle sized interior suitcase the best, but their Nylon material makes them easily moldable. Some of the features the Bagail packing cubes have are a zipper closure, lightweight nylon material and mesh top panel for easy identification and ventilation.
The following bags work great as a way to separate your dirty laundry into categories. They are also able to keep your clothes separated when you are washing them with other items. On trips I tend to go through more socks and underwear than clothes. This starts to accumulate a dirty pile rather quickly and can become increasingly unorganized. These small mesh laundry bags are a great way to stay organized and keep items separated until we get home and are able to wash our dirty clothes pile. Once we are home and doing laundry, we simply pull the bag out and toss it into the laundry with the correct color load. This makes the dreaded job of washing your family’s clothes after an extended trip a little less burdensome. These mesh bags are especially great for smaller items such as socks, underwear, bras and lingerie, as they allow the items to be washed without getting tangled up with other larger items that are also being washed. My wife raves about how the bags help prevent her bras from becoming misshaped when washing them.
This cosmetic bag will keep your makeup organized and easily accessible. The neat thing about this bag is that it comes with its own hook so you can hang it in the closet, towel rack, or pretty much anywhere that allows for a hook. This is great as now you can fully extend your bag and see all the compartments permitting easy accessibility. The bag is also waterproof, which will help contain spills, not letting any fluids leave the bag and onto your clothes in your luggage.
It is always a good idea to have your toiletries in one location. This keeps you organized and limits a mess in case something leaks or comes undone. The bag is water resistant which helps contain spills and makes it easier to clean if spills do occur. Furthermore, the bag is spacious and moldable making it easier to pack inside more confined spaces. In addition, the interior of the bag has multiple elastic straps to help keep bottles upright therefore reducing leaky caps and keeping things organized. A very nice travel bag for a gentleman who wants to stay clean and polished when traveling.
Throughout our trips we will build up quite the pile of dirty laundry. This can increase quickly when we put children into the mix. The Homest XL Wash Me bag is a great option to help separate the dirty clothes from the clean clothes when traveling. The bag is large enough to accommodate 3 to 4 loads of laundry and has a drawstring top to help secure the articles of clothing when transporting the bag while keeping the smell of dirty clothes contained. In addition, the bag is lightweight, only weighing 7 ounces and is made with extra thick nylon that helps eliminate tears and increases the bags longevity.
Sleeping Lamb 54” Gusseted Garment Bags
If you are traveling and need to bring with you a little fancier attire such as a dress or suit, than the Sleeping Lamb 54” Gusseted Garment Bag might just be for you. This bag is approximately 54 inches in length, which will accommodate most dresses and suits with ease. The bag has a nice top strap for carrying it and hanging on a door frame or closet. Additionally, the bag features a clear plastic window, which will help you in navigating which suit or long sleeve shirt you may want to use at that time.
Diommell Transparent Shoe bags
Shoe bags are important, especially if you are bringing more than one pair of shoes on your trip. I do not know about you, but I do not want the dirty soles of my shoes to get all over my clean clothes or worse leave smudges and marks. That is why we use Diommell Transparent shoe bag. These bags are transparent so you can easily identify your different shoes. They also help to maintain cleaner and a more organized luggage when you travel.
Sometimes it is just a good idea to have some silverware on hand when you are traveling. This can be especially advantageous when you are utilizing the takeout option at the restaurant and the staff forgets to put in silverware. Other reasons may vary but could include you being a germaphobe, not liking plastic, or are an environmentalist. Either way it is always a good idea to have some utensils in your room for snacks and other meals that might require them.
That is why we recommend the Devico portable utensils for several reasons. The first being, they are made of stainless steel, are easy to clean and will maintain their polished look much longer. The second would be they come in a large array of different polishes, which gives them a more aesthetically pleasing look. Each set comes with 8 different parts such as knife, spoon, fork, two straws, chopsticks, and a straw cleaner. Finally, they come with a very convenient carry pouch that helps keep the utensils organized and in one convenient location. This is great for traveling as it fits in your suitcase easily without taking up much space.
Travel Insights
Helpful Tip # 1 – Protect your valuables such as sunglasses
We do not have a particular sunglass case that you should have, we just recommend you travel with one to help protect those delicate lenses. As we talked about in our article, The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Mindful Tropical Vacation sunglasses are very important especially if you are traveling to a sunnier location.
Helpful Tip # 2 – Always check in all fluids with baggage claim
When traveling by plane we recommend that you place all your fluids into your checked bag. This will help you at the security check point. Over the years I had to witness my expensive cologne being tossed into the garbage with pain staking sadness. The fluid requirements are constantly changing and it’s one less thing you need to worry about. Furthermore, cologne and other items cost money and are things we enjoy or need. So, why chance losing these items when all you need to do is make a little more room in your checked bag.
Helpful Tip #3 – Attach a display tag before you check in your bag for baggage claim.
As luggage companies are producing more and more luggage that is similar in appearance, sometimes it can be helpful to have a colorful band or display tag that will help you identify your luggage from the countless others on the conveyor belt. Over the years, I have seen my bag get picked up by others and once I picked up the wrong bag myself. So, to avoid this mishap and also help others not make the mistakes of taking your bag, we recommend making a tag or even tying some neon-colored tape around your bag handle. This will stand out and be much easier to identify your bag in crowded areas such as a baggage claim conveyor belt.
Conclusion
So, there you have it the best ways to pack Efficiently and Mindfully. Traveling should be a fun experience from beginning to end. Sometimes having the right gear and items can greatly impact how you travel and reduce unnecessary time organizing clothes in hotel rooms or in the laundry room when you get home. We hope this guide helps you travel more efficiently and mindfully. I know this has helped us travel both efficiently and mindfully. I remember when we first started traveling, I was anything but efficient or mindful and it made for some very not so fun experiences, especially when it came to transporting luggage in between locations. Let our tips, resources and collective wisdom over the years help you travel more efficiently and mindfully.
Be Mindful & Enjoy the Journey
The product descriptions in this article were partially obtained from Amazon.com.
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