The Best Way to Pack a Suitcase – 11 Helpful Tips

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After 22+ years of travel, I think I’ve got the knack for how to pack a suitcase efficiently down to a T.

But I wasn’t always that way, I was born without an organization gene. For over 17 years, I’ve only ever packed a suitcase one way – throw everything in the bag, sit on it, and then zip it up.

And then I curse myself for being disorganized three weeks later when I can’t find anything.

It wasn’t too bad when I had my backpack because the different compartments helped me stay a little organized, but, now we travel with the kids, we have more stuff to take, bigger cases, and need to access things quickly.

The disorganization was driving me insane, so I set about to discover the best way to pack a suitcase so that I could access everything, located what I needed quickly, and never loose a sock again.

Here’s my secret…

How to pack a suitcase efficiently

1. Get yourself some packing cells

Packing cells are bloody awesome. They are designed so you can separate garments, travel essentials, and smaller items, so you can easily access them and keep them separated.

In each packing cell, I have rolled up each item and arranged my clothes based on type and season.

• Cell 1: Dresses and skirts
• Cell 2: Tank tops and T-Shirts
• Cell 3: Shorts and work out gear
• Cell 4: Winter clothes
• Cell 5: Swimmers and sarongs

I’ve done similar packing arrangements for the girls. I have a mixture of large packing cells and smaller packing cells. You can get a pack of different sized packing cubes from Amazon – the different sizes and colors helps you to differentiate where each item is.

The top zipped section of the suitcase is where I put my underwear. On top of the packing cells, I lay out my folded jackets and shoes.

Not only has it made finding my clothes that much easier and faster, it also saves a lot of extra room in your suitcase.

2. Get an underwear organizer

I used to stuff underwear into the side of the bag or in the zipped compartment of the suitcase, and it really wasn’t a great place to keep my undergarments.

One of the best tricks I have found is to get an underwear orgnanizer, which is the ultimate packing solution for your underwear!

What makes this organizer unique is that it has a section for your bras, which ladies, we all know how annoying it is when the straps become tangles together.

You can then roll pairs of socks up and place them in the pockets on the lid, or use those for small items such as jewelry or accessories, or pairs of underwear.

3. Place shoes in shoe bags

Packing shoes is the worst part of packing because they take up so much space! Be selective about what shoes you bring and don’t pack too much.

You only need one pair of trainers, one pair of sandals, and maybe one more pair for going out in – that’s it.

Leave your shoes with a heel at home, you’ll be unlikely to get any use out of it.

Put them in plastic bags or a grocery bag so that they don’t get the rest of your items dirty once you’ve worn them. Or I love these travel shoe bags!

We spent many days backpacking with our trainers tied to the outside of our bag because we forgot that shoes get muddy. Here are tips from a podiatrist on what travel shoes to use.

4. Pack toiletries in a compression bag

Before my trip to Kathmandu, I also had my toiletries scattered across a few different bags, which was also driving me to the loony bin. I would have creams and makeup in one bag, and toothpaste and shampoo and other liquids in another – it was chaos.

Get one large toiletry bag and keep it all together. You can also get ones that have separate compartments so you can keep things organized.

Now it’s all in one place and I just pick it up and walk it down to the showers when it’s time to freshen up.

This is the current travel toiletry bag me and my two daughters have. We all love it!

5. Roll don’t fold

Ok, so quickly on my packing method, before I used to throw things in my case without much thought or care as to how I placed items in the bag.

I’ve since learned that rolling is better than folding as it takes up less space and it also creates less wrinkles in your clothes.

Things like sweaters, denim, wools, and anything with thicker fabrics, can get compressed when they are rolled rather than folded.

6. Avoid vacuum sealed bags

You may have seen people packing for vacation using vacuum sealed compression bags and thinking this is a great idea for saving space.

Umm yes, if you are moving abroad and not intending on returning.

Most hotels don’t have vacuums in your room, and if you are planning on visiting more than one destination, then you’ll need to vacuum seal every time you check out and have to move.

It will be a pain for you to have to organize this, so just pack less stuff.

7. Put items into piles before packing

Before you put items in your case, lay them out on your floor or bed in piles and assess whether you need everything you’ve selected.

Think about the climate of the place you’re going, think about the activities you plan to do, and make a call as to whether you need it all.

Think about your outfit. What tshirts go well with what bottoms? Pick a few items that go with each other so you can mix and match.

We’re all guilty of packing too many pairs of shoes. You only need one pair of sandals and one pair of sneakers, and maybe hiking boots if you know you’re going hiking.

8. Have a separate laundry bag

This bag will be empty when you leave, and full when you return. It’s always a good idea to have a separate bag for dirty clothes.

That way you can keep your clean clothes clean and have all your dirty laundry in one place. Laundry bags are an essential travel accessory.

9. Don’t pack jeans

Jeans take up far too much space and are really heavy. Try and pack only light clothing, and you will thank me later!

Another thing we don’t tend to pack is pajamas – just use a tshirt and a pair of shorts, and you can save even more space!

Here are some packing tips to maintain your vacation style!

10. Get a separate bag for chargers and electronics

We have a separate bag for all our electrical items and chargers. Our latest travel charger bag is well organized and minimal.

We tend to keep this in carry-on luggage as we use our laptop in the airport, but it’s a good idea to have a separate case for it so that you don’t have wires wrapping around all your things.

For carryon luggage we love the Tortuga carry on backpack and the Standard Luggage carry on backpack. Here are some top carry on suitcases you may like.

11. Get a jewelry organizer

Sick of having tangled necklaces? Get a jewelry organizer so you can keep them separate from all your other accessories.

At least then they will only get tangled around other necklaces.

Final Thoughts

It’s pretty easy to learn how to pack a suitcase efficiently. It’s best to spend the extra money for the packing cells to give you a little more sanity.

Before I could never find the shirt or pants I really needed as it was one tangled up mess – and finding the kids clothes was a constant shamble.

Not anymore! Hello organized suitcase and a return to sanity.

Trust me, after all my years of world travel, I’d say this is how it’s done!

More Packing Tips

• Packing List Tips for your Backpacking Travels
• Best suitcases for travel 
• The best backpacks for traveling
• The best carry-on suitcases