Not every travel hack on the internet is a sound bet, my friend. I have in mind a recent post I read suggesting I carry bags of spices and cooking powders in clear baggies in my hand luggage. That seems like it might create some issues at customs, arguably!
Below are my tried and true tips that have seen me through living in 8 countries. I guarantee these are legit!
Packing cubes
If you aren’t yet using these babies your jaw will drop at their space-saving ability. I packed for a weekend in Sicily with just one of these and had everything I could need. They’re the perfect, neat container for separating everything and avoiding that ‘rummage around in embarrassment for half an hour looking for your toothbrush’ travel moment. YOU NEED THESE. I got mine from Amazon and they are a low budget brand that has lasted me around the world.
Laundry supplies in your pocket
Every hostel in the world needs a suspended clothes line- the perfect way is to tie it from the post of a top bunk bed across to the wall. This doubles your storage space inside, or move the line outside to dry your freshly-washed togs.
Velcro Pads
A handy dandy gadget from eBay that I never travel without. These are immensely cheap and light weight- just a humble velcro pad. They are fantastic for keeping unruly fringes out of the way and can’t be beaten. When it comes to other ‘nice-to-haves’ like this, try to keep them minimal and focus more on what you really need.
Mini Essential
Simple but bears mentioning: slide one of these babies into every bag you travel with and every pocket. Wherever you wash up, you will always want a mini toothbrush!
Bonus Tip
This beauty was only a few Euros from Amazon and is worth it’s weight in gold. Sure, you’re thinking, it’s nice to keep all your items in one place. But this is also waterproof plastic, and I lost my last passport to a leaky bottle of lucozade.
Notice how every wire and charger in my packing cubes is labelled? Mark all your wires and adaptors with colour-coded stickers signifying the region they can be used in, for example EU or Aus/NZ, for ease of switching. You’ll never blow the voltage on your hairdryer again!
Keen to save on those pesky flight fees? Find out how to skip hidden flight costs with the lovely ladies at the blog of Two Traveling Texans.
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I have resisted the packing cube trend until now. Might be time to give it a go!
Colour coding your wires is such a great idea! Even just to show what they are for…I am always digging around in a bag of cables looking for the right one for my phone / kindle etc! And I definitely need to invest in packing cubes…thanks for the reminder!
Traveling with “bags of spices and cooking powders in clear baggies in my hand luggage” has to be the worst advice ever! Can you imagine trying to explain that at customs? Or worse, have one of those bags rip open? I’ve been resistant to packing cubes for a while but maybe it’s time to start reconsidering it…
Im still on the fence about the travel cubes! I used the ziplock air compress bags which I thought were cool but sometimes they dont fit right. Husband just bought some travel cubes so Im gonna have to test them out and see what I think!
I need those packing cubes! My electricals are everywhere. Thanks for sharing!
These are great tips! For my upcoming 7 month long backpacking trip I am putting everything in packing cubes. Nothing will be loose in my backpack! Hadn’t considered a waterproof passport case though – that’s a fantastic idea.
I don’t go anywhere without my packing cubes! Also, a few of the photos aren’t loading – but I would love to see what your “laundry supplies in your pocket” one is. And lastly, love the concept of your blog!! You go girl!
Great round up! I also use packing cubes and organizers to keep everything in place and in easy access. 🙂
Awesome tips! Been hearing so many good things about packing cubes!!! Should definetly get some for my next travels ???
Packing cubes are the best! I really should make better use of them – thanks for sharing your tips!
Hey Danielle,
Gemma here! Your organisation always amazes me haha. I definitely need to get some packing cubes, they’ve been on my list now since you first showed them to me last year but I keep forgetting to buy them.
Love the travel organiser too 🙂
Xx
Thanks Gemma, hope you get them one day and sending big hugs your way!