Top 5 Holiday Packing Tips

No matter if you’re going on a weekend getaway or a 14 day visit to sunny Spain, some people absolutely love the idea of packing for their holidays. Choosing out bright colourful summer tops, denim shorts and swimming costumes. As well as buying the sun cream (not forgetting the after sun!), sunglasses and summer hats. Yet some of us loathe it… If you’re a loather; the suitcase worries are real. You get frustrated and don’t know if you’ve packed enough clothes and toiletries, if you’re over your weight allowance, and often if the suitcase will even shut! But, relax and take a deep breath - we’ve taken the stress out of your packing.

Pick a lightweight suitcase

Suitcases that have been passed down from our grandparents to our parents and then to us are no good these days. Not only will they have seen sat in the loft for years gathering dust but they’re so heavy! Times have changed and a lightweight case is a must-have. Benefits of a lightweight suitcase are that you’ll have extra weight to pack more things (yay), wheeling around huge airports will be a breeze and best of all, it’s easier on the body – the lighter the luggage, the less strain it puts on the body, making you less tired and more able to get excited for what’s ahead.

Tip: Try not to spend a fortune on a case, the way they are thrown around in baggage handling these days, you just know it will get scratched, knocked and banged.

Make a checklist

Stress. Excitement. Stress again. It's natural to have mixed feelings about packing for your sun-drenched holiday. But, we're all about the fun part and less of the faff part. So stop and think before you try to jam in 9 pairs of flip-flops for a seven-day break and go over our easy, breezy checklist. After all, arriving at your holiday destination to discover you’ve left something behind is one of the worst feelings, and will start your time away off on a major downer.

 Save on space

To save on space there are a few things you can do. 1, leave the big, bulky and probably quite expensive hair tools at home and invest in some cheaper travel size ones. 2. Plan your outfits based on the amount of days you are away for. Taking 10 tops, 10 bottoms and 10 pairs of shoes along with everything else is silly for a 7-night stay. I can guarantee you won’t get through it all and it’s just wasted space. Only take essentials. If your going on a summer holiday, what are the chances you can’t get hold of something you need or run out of? Zero. Unless your heading to the Australian outback then that’s a different story…

Tag it & lock it

A mini padlock attached to your case will give you peace of mind, particularly if you’re checking it in. Having unlocked luggage can open you up to things like your whole luggage being stolen or any of the contents being taken and if for any reason the zip breaks this will give it an extra barrier to break through.

In the digital age, are luggage tags still necessary on airlines? And do you I really need to tag my bag? YES! Tagging your case for when your stood at the baggage claim in an airport, watching suitcase after suitcase move past you on a baggage carousel with people piling up to claim theirs is a life saver! Whether you tag it so you know which one if yours or you tag it so you can mark it with some personal details if the worst happens, JUST TAG IT! Trust us on this one.

Get some luggage scales

Before you start trying on clothes and organising what to take and what not to take, get yourself familiar with the luggage allowances of the airline you’re travelling with. Each airline will allow different weights to be checked in on the day, usually this is between 15 and 25KG. But find out what yours is before you start packing.

There’s nothing worse than eagerly zipping up your suitcase (probably by sitting on it - we’ve all been there…) then realising you’re about 2kg over your allowance! Nightmare! Be patient though, because unless you pack incredibly light, you will almost definitely have to un-zip, empty some out and zip back up again a few times to get it just right.

Tip: Remember to take the scales with you on your holiday. Pop them in your suitcase so that on your return journey, all the gifts you have bought for family and loved ones doesn’t push you over the weight limit. The last thing you want is to be charged extra at the airport, you’ll be sad enough that your going home never mind extra charges!

Our scales feature a handy analogue faced baggage scale, with a weighing capacity of 32 kilograms and a 1 metre tape measure is included.

Handy hacks

Finally, look at our top ten handy hacks for keeping your belongings safe and in one piece as well as saving vital luggage space whilst travelling.

1. If your taking jewellery away with you, thread necklaces and bracelets through straws to stop them from getting tangled while you travel.
2. Hair accessories are hard to keep all together, so an old tic-tac case is the perfect size for storing clips and grips.
3. Placing cotton pads inside your compact make-up powders should stop the powder from shattering.
4. Old sunglasses or glasses cases make great storage for earphones, mobile phone or tablet chargers.
5. Shower caps are great for the bottom of your sandals and trainers to stop your clothes from getting dirty.
6. If you’re worried about liquid leaking, place cling film over the neck of bottles before securing the lid.
7. Store your socks inside of your shoes for extra space in your luggage.
8. Roll your clothes instead of folding them and put tumble dryer sheets in between your items to keep them smelling fresh.
9. In case you’re in a situation with no iron, place items which are more likely to crease inside out.
10. Pack the heaviest items closest to the wheels so weight is distributed evenly when the case is upright.

If you have any hacks you want to share, don’t forget to tag us @yorkshiretadingcompany

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