Your best packing tips

[Ted and Holly]

I thought the transportation board would be a good place for this.

Does anyone have any packing tips to share, especially with the new FAA guidelines and checked luggage screenings??

I read on these boards a WONDERFUL suggestion to use 2 gal ziplock bags for clothes. We got some today and though they were hard to find, they work VERY well! Thanks to whomever suggested that!

Any other tips?

Holly

 

[denisenh]

I am packing on Monday for our Tuesday departure...I usually feel more secure about it than I do this time. I am worried that I will forget something obvious so I am putting a paper and pen on the kitchen desk (I walk by it 126 times a day) to jot down things that I don't want to forget.
The only packing tip that I can think of is that I use the pocket on the cover of the suit case (mine is see through net and zips completely shut) for all underclothes and socks. I figure that if my luggage gets searched, the searcher can see and feel that it is just clothes and won't have to toss the things all over the place. And it is easy to retrive these items and keep track of them when packed separately.

 

[ducklite]

For clothing that you don't want to have getting wrinkled, hang a plstic dry cleaners bag over a hanger. Then put the garment over that. Then pull another cleaners bag over the garment. This will keep 95% of the wrinkles at bay.

When I pack for our family, I take all the clothes and mix them beween the three suitcases so if one goes missing, everyone will still have some clothes.

I also put one of my business cards into each inside pocket of every suitcase, especially the mesh ones where I make sure it's facing out, making it very easy to contact me if they need to.

Anne

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

One piece of advice, make sure you don't put anything like scissors in your carryon. Dumbo here did this on my last flight.
I simply don't know where my head was. I normally pack my manicure scissors in my travel case for stuff like this and while packing for my return home, I totally phased out and put the entire case in my carryon. They found them during the scanning process used or carryons. I had to mail them back to myself. I guess I am thrilled that the scanners are so good, but not thrilled at my not paying attention.
Two of our bags were also searched, nothing was taken and they were in pretty much the same conditon as they were when we packed them. In fact, I doubt I would have known they were searched if it had not been for the little fliers they put in the bags.
They did not secure it with anything and it was unlocked to begin with. I don't lock my luggage ever. My thought is, take it, don't break it.
Go to your airlines site, they will have a list of what is allowed in your carryon and what to avoid in your checked bags.

 

[Ted and Holly]

Thanks for the tips! I'm really nervous about packing this time for some reason. We've checked the lists, used the zip locks, and will remember to label everything! I'm not worried about wrinkled luggage THIS time, I just want our bags to make it to our destination.

Denise, I took your suitcase pocket idea one step further. I am going to use that inside mesh pocket for shoes. They said they want shoes on top.....


Thanks again everyone! I feel like I have more of a handle on this.
Holly

 

[Sally Bradley]

Where do you get 2 gal ziplock bags? I've never seen them!

 

[Ted and Holly]

We finally found the 2 galllon ziplocks at Walmart, in with the other ZIplock bags. You REALLY have to look though, because they look just like the boxes of the 1 gal. I think a bag of 10 cost about $3.79.

We fit four pairs of shorts into one, six t-shirts into another....all adult clothes. If they have to search my bag, it should make repacking it VERY easy!

If everything is in ziplock, do you think they'll have to open the ziplocks to search???


Holly

 

[debster812]

We did the 2 gal ZIPLOCs too, (also found them only at WalMart). We used them for clothes. Used our 5YO to 'squish' all the air out, he thought it was a hoot! Also used them for sneakers, etc. TSA say they want shoes on top, and I don't want to put my grungy sneaks on top of nice clean clothes. I did shoes in the ZIPLOCS, and stuffed the sneakers with socks.

 

[Mark P.]

If everything is in ziplock, do you think they'll have to open the ziplocks to search???

I was wondering the same thing, and I like the zip-lock idea too, but if all items are to be searched, the only way to do it thoroughly, is to take everything out of the bags, right?
I'd hate to go through the trouble of packing things in the zip-locks nice and neat, only for them to be opened for searching, and things would really be messed up. Might not even fit!

Maybe it's the prison guard in me, but the word Search means alot, and there's only one way to do it - Thoroughly.

Just my thoughts

 

[denisenh]

I am going to use that inside mesh pocket for shoes. They said they want shoes on top.....

I didn't know that...thank goodness I haven't started packing yet. I think I will put our packed shoes, actually its sandals, in zip lock bags then. I better put a little more thought into this packing business.

 

[ncbyrne]

I have found the jumbp 2 gallon zip locks at my local grocery store. However, Hefty also makes a Jumbo 2.5 gal zip lock that is the perfect size for clothing. The only place I've ever seen these are at Walmart, but I'm sure they don't have exclusive rights!

 

[Bildmouse]

DH and I were in Mexico in January. They don't have the new luggage scanners set up yet and hand check all luggage. They did not open our ziplock bags. Also at O'hare in Chicago and in Mexico they told everyone to have their luggage unlocked. I used key rings to keep our suitcase zippers closed. Twist ties will work but sometimes they tend to shred after being twisted. The key rings kept things secure but are easily opened.

 

[Lilly's Dad]

Spacebags are heavy duty compressor bags...use them over and over for 10 years....sure beats ziplocks

 

[sueg]

I have a coffee question. I drink only 1 cup per day & it must be very good. Therefore, I bring my own coffee w/ us. But I've been thinking about the foil lining of almost all coffee bricks. I think I'm better off putting it in carry-on, but I'll be really upset if they insist on opening it. I plan on calling Delta, to see if they have a suggestion, but any ideas are appreciated.

 

[drogerstn]

If everything is in ziplock, do you think they'll have to open the ziplocks to search???

I suspect the TSA personnel are looking for relatively large explosive materials, chemical containers, and detonation devices which would be obvious if they were placed between someones clothes inside a clear bag. The following statement is included in Packing Tips at TSA's website:
"Consider putting personal belongings in clear plastic bags. This will reduce the chance that a TSA screener will have to handle them."

I'd expect shoes in a ziploc to be removed for inspection, but not clothes, unless they are jammed very tightly into the ziploc. The inside of a clear plastic bag with clothes can normally be inpsected by bending and squishing the clothes without removing them.

 

[pixie dust gal!]

Last summer I purchased a set of 'packmate' bags. They cam with 2 jumbo bags, 2 large, 3 med and 2small. They have a zipper seal and air chambers of the opposite side.

I cannot begin to tell you just how much you could pack in those bags. I have a 13 yr. old son and I put 4 pairs of basketball short and 4 tank tops in just one bag; then I gently sat on the bag to force that air out and the size of the bag w/o the air was so small. I saved so much room in my boys' suitcase doing that - that they were able to share a suitcase and we actually did without that third suitcase that I normally need to have. I did get so many compliments when going through security when they checked my carry-on (I had everyone's swimsuits and tank tops in one of the bags). The security guard actually called over other security guards to look at these bags (everyone else in line thought we were in trouble...... ) Security personnel said they wish others would have these bags because it made checking the bags so easy and quick - you could see through the bag and feel through it and it you needed to open it, it could easily be closed again and the air forced out. The best thing about it was the amount of room I had left in the suitcase - unbelievable!

Just my 2 cents........

PDG

 

[NotUrsula]

So, if you want to bring your coffee brick, put it on top where they can see it easily. If it sets off the scanner they can take it out and re-scan quickly. My preference would be to bring just enough pre-ground coffee for the number of days I'm on the trip, and keep it in my carry on in a loose bag. They can smell and feel it to know that it's just coffee. This rule is true for any foods; if it is still in a factory-sealed mfr. package with original labels, they accept it for what it is supposed to be.

BTW, if you use typical rolling suitcases that are packed while flat, and you put shoes on top, be prepared for the suitcase to fall over on its face every time you set it down. You'll have to prop it face-first against something if you want it to stay upright. I put our shoes in a bag, but I put them across what will be the bottom of the suitcase for weight. I try to put something rather large and flat next to them, so if the inspector removes them, everything else won't collapse before they are put back.