We asked the staff at The Group Travel Leader: “What is your best space-saving tip when packing a suitcase?” Find out their best ideas below!
“I’m not sure if this is a space-saving tip, but I generally have shirts, slacks and maybe a sport coat that have been dry cleaned. I have to fit them into a carry-on suitcase, so I leave them on their hangers and combine them into one or two plastic wrappers and add them last. They fold over twice and sit on top of other clothes. When I get to my hotel room, I pull them out on the hangers and put them in the closet first thing. They generally arrive in very good condition.”
— Mac Lacy, Publisher
“When I have a lot of clothes to get in a suitcase, I roll them. You can pack a lot more in that way.”
— Donia Simmons, Creative Director
“Allowing my husband to take only one pair of shoes.”
— Stacey Bowman, National Sales Manager
“Shoes are the biggest space hogs in a suitcase, so I do everything I can to avoid packing them at all. That means using just one pair of shoes on a trip, so the shoes I wear when I leave my house are the same ones I wear for the duration of the journey. I travel in shoes that are comfortable and versatile and plan my clothing for the week to coordinate with a single pair of kicks. But if I must bring more than one pair of shoes, I wear the bulkiest pair to travel in and keep the smaller or more flexible ones in my suitcase.”
— Brian Jewell, Executive Editor
“I always travel with a camera bag so I pack an extra change or two of clothes in there. I roll my clothes and pack them in the open space around my camera and lenses, making use of every inch of available space and providing some extra padding to protect my gear.”
— Ashley Ricks, Circulation Manager
“Though I was dubious when it was first suggested to me, I found that rolling my clothes freed up a lot of room in my suitcase. As long as I roll them carefully, it doesn’t wrinkle the clothes any more than laying them flat does. It takes a few more minutes, but when you are tight on space, it really helps.”
— Eliza Myers, Online Editor
“I can’t offer one tip for how to save space! I not only check a suitcase but also bring a carry-on for every trip because I always over pack. I do rely on Stacey to bring her hair dryer to every trade show so I don’t have to pack that though!”
— Kelly Tyner, Director of Sales and Marketing
