As an airline pilot, you get pretty used to living out of a suitcase. It can be quite time consuming having to constantly pack and unpack your bag. However with a few little rules, you can make life a lot easier.
1. Have a pre-packed wash-bag
There’s nothing more annoying than getting to your hotel to find out that you’ve left your most important toiletry item next to the sink at home. To stop this happening again, make up a separate wash-bag and use that only for your trips. To make life even easier, just buy a prepared wash bag ready with all your travel essentials, such as those from Chack Pack. Leave the wash-bag in your suitcase when you get home and you’ll never come up short in the bathroom again.
2. You don’t need as much as you think.
Do you really need 5 shirts for a 2 day trip? No. Take a few minutes to think about what you’re actually going to be doing on this trip and what you’ll actually need as a result. Also, think how you can mix and match outfits. I appreciate that many men will roll their eyes at this. However, by pairing up one pair of trousers with 3 different shirts, you’ve now created enough space to pack your gym gear. No excuses now!
3. Check the weather
Following on from above, there’s no point in packing flip-flops if it’s going to be -10C. Check the weather forecast for you destination and pack accordingly. Cold weather destinations can be a pain, especially when travelling from warmer climes as jackets often take up a massive amount of space in your case. Get yourself a lightweight jacket like the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket which conveniently packs down small, taking up minimal space in your case.
4. It’s all about volume, not space
You may think these are the same thing but they’re not quite. Put two pairs of shoes into a carry-on case and you may think you’ve suddenly used up half your packing space. Not true. The inside of those shoes provides a perfect haven for smaller items such as underwear and socks, freeing up space for your larger items. Roll your smalls up tight then slide them into the footwear. You can even coil up a belt and top them off inside a boot. Once each shoe is full, then place it into your case. Voila, look at all that extra space you’ve created!
5. Keep travel docs separate
Getting through airports these days isn’t easy, we all know that. So you need to do what you can to make life as simple as possible for yourself. There’s nothing more stressful than trying to juggle all your bags, coats, and bottles of water whilst rooting through your bottomless bag trying to find your passport and boarding card for what feels like the 47th time in the last hour. Get yourself a little travel wallet, such as this beautifully designed number from emerging British accessory company Lorton & Horn, and keep your important items easily and stylishly at hand, creating an oasis of calm around you as you breeze through the airport.
