Pack Like a Pro: 5 expert tips to save space in your suitcase

With international travel beginning to open up for US citizens, many of us have plans to jet off this summer, while others are staying closer to home.

Wherever you’re traveling, the luggage experts at Bounce have provided their 5 top tips on how to save space when packing your suitcase.

1. Roll your clothes instead of folding - If you don’t know how to fold your clothes Marie Kondo style it’s time to learn, as folding your garments this way is one of the best packing hacks for saving space in your suitcase. Folding compresses clothing and enables clothing to be placed side by side, filling the case edge to edge, as well as stacked neatly on top of each other, in turn maximizing space in your bag.

2. Separate clothes using Ziploc bags - We’ve all heard of the packing cube, yet this travel tool can cost a small fortune to purchase. A budget alternative is the no-frills Ziploc bags. Not only do Ziploc bags make it easier to organize clothing in your case, but they also condense clothing even further to allow for more room in your suitcase! As they are fully transparent it is also much quicker to locate items of clothing you’re searching for compared to when using packing cubes!

3. Don’t pack full-size toiletries (or any at all!) - Full-size toiletries take up a lot of space in your suitcase and are often unnecessary for the length of your holiday. Plus, if you’re jetting off this summer with hand luggage only, products over 100ml aren’t allowed on the plane. Although travel-sized toiletries are available to buy, they are often uneconomical for the amount of product you receive. Instead, we recommend decanting your favorite toiletries into travel-sized containers, usually available from your local pharmacy or repurposed from old packaging, to save space (and money). Alternatively, if you’re not fussy about what products you use, toiletries can be purchased anywhere in the world, so just pop to the local pharmacy when you arrive at your destination!

4. Use your shoes to store your underwear - Shoes are often the biggest space taker, so we would recommend taking only one pair of multi-purpose shoes which should be worn on your journey. However, if you’re a shoe lover who can’t bear the thought of a holiday with only one pair of shoes, use your trainers, boots or sandals to pack your underwear! To keep it sanitary, simply roll your underwear and place in a light bag then stuff inside your shoes! This trick saves space in other parts of your suitcase for other items.

5. Preparation is key - Always pack in advance and make a packing list with everything you need beforehand. Plan your outfits, based on your itinerary and the weather forecast for your destination. Only pack the clothes you are actually going to wear and try to choose multi-purpose items that can transition between day to dinner, pool to bar to reduce the number of clothes you need to pack. We also recommend checking your accommodation inventory prior to packing. Hotels and Airbnb’s often provide free towels, hairdryers and toiletries, which means you don’t have waste space on such bulky items in your suitcase!