How to Pack a Suitcase Efficiently To Maximise Space

Author: Nicole Mungo
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Last updated: 8 August 2017

We know the score: the list making, the packing, the realising your bag doesn’t shut, the re-packing… all to discover when you get to your hotel, that you’ve forgotten your travel adaptor.

At YOTEL, we get it. In our minimalist cabins you’ll find everything you need and nothing you don’t. Packing efficiently can do more for you than just reducing the weight of your luggage. It can minimise stress, improve your state of mind and make your trip more enjoyable.

How do we pack mindfully? Taking a few suggestions from the decluttering guru Marie Kondo is a good start. Author of ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’, Kondo has a few tips to improve the way that we pack.

(Photo via Austin Kirk)

The KonMari Method

Marie Kondo created the KonMari method to help those who find it hard to divide the essential from the emotional. Kondo is primarily concerned with helping people organise their homes, particularly in terms of assessing which items should be thrown away. Kondo suggests assessing which items ‘spark joy’ in your life. If it doesn’t bring you joy then do you really need it?

The same principle can apply to packing. Next time you’re putting that extra pair of ‘just in case’ shoes ask yourself: will they improve my holiday? Or just weigh me down? 

 

Rolling your clothes as opposed to folding them will mean they wrinkle less, and stacking them sideways in a case means you can see what’s inside without having to root around. It means you’re less likely to forget to pack that crucial item.

Packing Lists

New age packing techniques are all well and good, but sometimes you can’t beat a good old list. To exercise mindfulness, you need to remain in the moment. Creating a list makes you focus on completing your packing plan and means there will be less chance of forgetting items, adding extra items or having to rifle through your luggage to double-check you packed your phone charger.

(Photo via Craiglea123)

Once the list is complete, you’re better able to move on to the next task without distraction.

Change Your Ways

Try to change the way you pack! If you turn packing into an exercise in mindfulness, you can turn a stressful task into a meditative act. Not only will it make the whole experience more enjoyable but it means you will pack more efficiently and effectively.

Use packing as a way to forget about everything. Ditch distractions and find yourself fully in the moment with the task at hand.

If you’re planning a trip for work, check out our guide to packing for a business trip. When you check-in at YOTEL New York, you can leave your luggage in the capable “hands” of YOBOT, our friendly and efficient luggage storage robot. Bon Voyage!