Here is a men’s guide to packing a suitcase. The idea here is to minimize wrinkles while maximizing space.
Pack heavy items such as shoes and shaving kits on the bottom. Make sure all liquids are securely closed and sealed in plastic to prevent leaks. Place your shoes into shoe bags. This will keep your shoes shiny and everything else clean. You can stuff socks into your shoes which helps keep their shape (like having shoe trees) while saving space in your bag.
Next pack your pants. What you want to do is pack your pants around the rest of your items. To do this, lay your pants out straight with half in your suitcase and the rest draped over the sides and onto the surface your suitcase is on. When you’re finished packing flip the rest of your pants over the top of the pile. This will avoid putting a crease in the middle of your pants.
Put sweaters and shirts in next. Fold to mimic how you see them in the store. Place in an alternating pattern in the bag to protect the collars and so your pile remains flat. Your dry cleaners can properly fold these items for you.
Suit coats/blazers go in next. Turn the coat inside out (leave the sleeves as normal) and fold down the center, then in half. This protects the outside of your jacket from spills and stains while traveling. If your coat is made of Super100’s or Super140’s wool, wrinkling should not be a problem. Otherwise, carefully use the hotel steamer or hang in the bathroom during a shower and gently shake out the wrinkles.
Belts and neckties should be rolled and not folded. Place these items where you have space. Alternatively you can lay them straight around the edges of your suitcase to save space.
Finally place the remaining portion of your pants around your other garments so they are on top of the big items at the bottom and sandwiching your shirts, sweaters, and sport coats.
Here are a few additional suggestions:
1. Add tissue or plastic between layers to prevent wrinkling due to other items moving around.
2. Pack an extra collapsible bag in case you have to bring home more than you brought with you.
3. Pack anything you might need in the event your suitcase is lost (toothbrush and medicine come to mind) in your carry on bag.
4. Hang all of your garments when you arrive to knock out any wrinkles that may have formed during travel and to prevent additional wrinkling.
What travel tips do you have? Discuss them in the comments section.
Photo credit: Uncleweed
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