WHEN THE SUITCASE WON’T CLOSE

    Traveling again and a headache with packing… As a rule, we tend to open the wardrobe and throw everything we see on the bed, presuming that we will be needing all those things. But wait a minute… you won’t be able to wear all those clothes anyway. 

  In order not to lose your head when choosing what to pack, we recommend that you employ the method to be quite effective in the past, believe me.

 Well, you have finally decided what to pack and have separated the items of primary necessity, so there is nothing else left to   “exclude”. But your suitcase refuses to contain all that stuff!  No need to get mad or jump on the suitcase trying to close it with your body weight. Otherwise you will later face the trouble of withdrawing broken or crumpled things out of it. All you need is just to learn how to pack right.  

  You are just a few steps away from having a neatly packed suitcase!

*Firs of all, you need to pack your skirts, pants and jeans. But do not fold them too tightly; place them loosely at the bottom of the suitcase and leave the ends free so that you can put other clothes upon them. At the end, fold the loose ends over the remaining clothes and cover them all.

*Jerseys, light blouses and sportswear may be rolled like a tube and placed in the bag in a row.

*Some  suitcases are equipped with special inner pockets for shoes, but if you don’t  have such pockets, then you should place your footwear in a separate bag, preferably a cloth one so that  it can be washed, if needed. Those who would like to avoid additional labors can use disposable plastic bags.

*Boots can be used to fit rolled socks, belts or travel clocks. Shoes should be placed along the edges of the suitcase.

*It is advisable to wrap high heels in a cloth and then only tuck them, so that they do not damage the suitcase or any items in it.

 Remember, you should not travel with your shoes in their boxes, but if you are afraid that they may get crumpled and spoiled, there is an easy solution: to preserve the from of the shoes, just tuck in a few pairs of socks.

*Lingerie and bathing suits are never unnecessary. It seems that they occupy the least space. The question of their necessity can hardly be disputed but if you do not pack those items right they will take up a lot of space. Bras should be neatly folded in advance (I am sure ladies will know how), and silk or satin underpants should be packed in a separate bag and placed in-between the clothes.

* Accessories: jewelry and sunglasses, as well as items of personal hygiene and makeup, would be good to put in small bags and then only pack with the rest of your stuff. This way you will make it easier to unpack and then pack again when you return.

*To avoid crumpling your hats and caps, employ the method of a “matryoshka doll” , i. e. smaller ones in bigger ones.

*To transport photo or video cameras, it would be advisable to use special cases. That might require taking an additional suitcase, but at least that way you will be sure that your equipment reaches the destination point safe and sound.

If you have new personal acquisitions and intend to take them with you, do not spare the cardboard wrapper: tear the box open and pack the contents without the fancy wrapping. You will be discarding it at your destination point anyway, the frilly packaging that seemed so perfect to your eye a few hours ago. If you don’t you will be carrying needless boxes and packages from  country to country. Is that really what you need?

An alternate packing option:

The items that are dearer to you, i. e. innerwear, favorite beverage, etc., should be placed in the center of the suitcase. Other items like sweaters, sweatpants, and pullovers, in other words clothes that do not tend to rumple, should be placed around them. On top you may put books, notebooks or CDs. After that, the other clothing may be packed that crumples, e. g. shirts and suits. Spare the borders for solid and non fragile things like shoes.

 Last of all you should pack the items that you may need as soon as you arrive at the airport. That way you will not be compelled to turn the whole suitcase over to find something.

  While packing you may put plastic bags in between your clothing : doing so will make them slide and will prevent them from wrinkling.

                                               AND FINALLY…

Be optimistic. Even if none of the above turns out to be useful during your packing, do not get anxious. If the worst comes to the worst, you can always take a second suitcase.