Essential packing hacks travel experts swear by

Packing styles are like snowflakes: each one is different. Some people fold their clothes, and some people roll. As it gets colder and you book vacations to warmer places, consider these tips for packing efficiently by travel expert Natalie Preddie. Become a packing expert yourself through these tips below, and watch the video above to hear how Natalie fits a week’s worth of clothes into one carry-on luggage!

PICK A COLOUR SCHEME

Packing versatile outfits becomes easier when you pack for a certain colour scheme. Keep it simple for all your basic clothing items, and then pack some statement pieces – like a fuschia scarf or funky necklace – to change up your outfits.

WEAR YOUR HEAVIEST ITEMS

If you’re packing your carry-on luggage to avoid extra baggage fees, don’t pack your coat. Wear layers and heavy shoes that will free up more space in your bag.

SEE WHAT YOU CAN GET AT THE DESTINATION

Along with knowing what clothes or items you can buy from the travel destination, make sure you have somewhere to wash those clothes. Check the area or your accommodations to make sure that you can do laundry – and pack even less.You can also choose to ship items (like diapers) to your travel location so that you don’t have to waste space by packing them.

MUST-HAVE SUITCASE ITEMS

PACKING CUBES

These are perfect for easy organization and compression, and it makes unpacking easy too.

JEWELLERY CARRIER

This holds all your earrings and necklaces so you don’t spend your whole vacation untangling them. It’s also great to organize the charging cables of your devices, or even your wired earphones.

ZIPLOC BAGS

These can be used for your pills and other small items. It’s never a bad idea to pack extra Ziploc bags – you will probably end up needing them.

SHIRTS AND PANTS THAT FIT COLOUR SCHEME

White and grey are great basic colours for shirts. When packing your shirts and pants, fold them into thirds or quarters– whatever makes them as flat as possible.Three pairs of pants should be enough for a week-long vacation – and make sure to pack clothes that can be used for multiple occasions, like leggings which can be worn for comfort or if you want to hit up the gym.

LAUNDRY BAG AND TOILETRIES

A laundry bag is one of those essential items that are easy to forget. Throw your laundry bag on top of your packed clothes, as well as a clear bag full of your toiletries. The clear bag is perfect for going through airport security, so you can see – and they can see – that all your products are 100ml or less.[video_embed id= '4107585870001']RELATED: This one simple trick will change how you pack your luggage forever[/video_embed]