#ShareTheWorld Tips for packing

Hello from the other side!

I’m so excited to tell all you fellow wanderlusters that I have finally embarked on my very own round the world trip, so keep checking b**p for all my Share The World posts on what I’ve been up to.

All that excitement aside, after packing up all my stuff for a multi-country, 6 week adventure, moving from place to place and hostel to hostel, I’ve become quite the seasoned expert on packing lots of stuff into a small amount of space, so I thought I’d share with you all the top tips I have picked up along the way.

1. ROLL don’t fold! (Most of the time)
This is a great method that many travellers use to fit all their clothes into their luggage as rolling your clothes up into tight rolls saves a surprisingly large amount of space. And if you want to be extra vigilant then you can also buy a pack of hair bands or rubber bands to tightly secure your clothes in their rolls – every little helps! However, I would say if you’re not going to have access to an iron you may be better off folding items that crease easily as rolling wreaks havoc on your clothes – there are creases here, there and everywhere!

2. Stuff your shoes!
Whilst travelling Australia, a friend once told me that I could save room by filling any hollow holes in my bag – including my shoes. And he was right! Stuffing your shoes with things like socks and underwear is a really useful way to save space and to keep all your socks together in a space which otherwise wouldn’t have been used. Trust me, it works!
3. Don’t forget about your hand luggage
Most airlines will allow you to carry about 7 or 8kg in your hand luggage so this is a great way to carry those pesky items that simply won’t fit in your backpack or suitcase. What’s more, you’re actually allowed two pieces of hand luggage, which makes life so much easier- I carry a handbag with essentials like my iPad, travel documents and money, and also pull a small suitcase with things that did t fit in my backpack like my hair straighteners. So if you’re struggling for space, remember you’ve got 7kg worth of room to manoeuvre.

I know packing is a boring task, but hopefully these tips will make the task slightly easier for you.

Happy packing!
Nikki