Keep it fresh

Suitcases live a sad life. They sit in our cold dusty wardrobes for months, and sometimes years between holidays. As a result, they can get a little musty. Additionally, if you're travelling with shoes or similar items in your bags, you may find that your clothes haven't absorbed the nicest odour by the time you reach your destination. A great way to avoid this is to keep a little bag of potpourri, or a bar of scented soap in your suitcase. You can also use scented drawer liners and line your suitcase with them. This ensures your clothes smell fresh on arrival. 

Make it yours

Baggage collection is the airport equivalent of gladiatorial combat. There is enormous suspense as you wait for the baggage to start coming down, and then when you finally spot what you think is your bag, you need to fight your way to the front of the crowd, and wrestle your bag from your ultimate opponent: the baggage carousel. There's nothing worse than fighting through a crowd only to discover you were eyeing someone else's black, rectangular suitcase, instead of your own black, rectangular suitcase. An easy way to ensure you always know which bag is yours is to decorate it and make it distinct. While a thick, bright string of ribbon is sometimes enough, there are other options for those looking to go the extra mile. Firebox sells custom suitcase covers that are printed with an enormous photo of your face, so that your suitcase is unmissable. 

Keep it clean

We love our shoes, but that doesn't mean they aren't extremely dirty. Save your clothes from getting caked with mud, or sprinkled with year old dirt or sand by bagging your shoes when you pack them. A great way to do this is actually to stretch a shower cap over the soles of the shoes; the elastic of the cap will secure it to your shoes.

Don't pack outfits

While your pink crop top, acid wash jeans, and leopard print heels may be a great look for a night out, none of those items are particularly functional on their own. Instead of packing a collection of outfits, pack individual items that are easy to interchange, like a few shirts and singlets, a couple of pairs of pants, a light jacket, and something heavier depending on where you're going. Versatility is key, because you want to be able to get the most wear out of the fewest items. 

Leave the salon at home

Of course we all have our favourite shampoos, conditioners, and body lotions, but having half a dozen bulky bottles of product is going to increase your chance of leaks, and decrease precious space in your bag. Unless you have particularly troubled hair or skin, take a chance on the hotel hair care and shower options. While they aren't as luxurious as your salon hair care, they will do the trick. Compensate for these missing items by packing a few smaller key products. For instance, my hair is flat and dull, but instead of packing my bulky volumising shampoo and conditioner, I'd opt for a travel sized dry shampoo, and a 100ml bottle of sea salt spray to add texture. These are items I would have packed anyway, but by removing the less necessary shampoos, and other items, you're gaining a lot of real estate in your suitcase.

Money matters

The modern world is amazing, and because of our wonderful technology, we can often travel cash free, with money stored on bank cards, or international money cards instead. If you're opting for the digital option, more power to you. But that being said, it never hurts to have a little cash on you before you arrive in a foreign country. You can usually head to a post office, or currency conversion outlet to grab foreign currency and we'd recommend doing this before you leave your homeland. This means if you arrive overseas and grab a cab to your hotel, you're not going to be stuck in a jam when the driver reveals they only take cash. 

Don't pack towels

This shouldn't need to be said, but unless you're heading for a beach destination and absolutely can't live without your lucky beach towel, please leave towels at home. The same goes for blankets and pillows. While hotel towels and linen may not have the same soft feel as your favourites at home, no one ever died from using a hotel towel, and you won't either. If you absolutely can't bare to use the towels or touch the linen in a hotel, at least be smart about your choices. Grab a compact or mini microfiber towel designed to save space while travelling, and a sleeping cocoon to protect you from unfamiliar sheets. 

Dress smart

We're not talking about smart casual, we're talking about using that brain of yours before you fly to make good choices about your packing. One of those good choices is wearing your bulkiest items on the plane, and on travel days. This includes your chunky boots, and very stylish, but very enormous teddy bear coat. By keeping these items out of your suitcase you're freeing up a massive amount of space for what's really important; all of the stuff you're going to buy overseas. 

Make your undies last

We've all been there; you're living it up overseas, without a care in the world when you realise you've done no washing, and you're wearing your last pair of clean undies. While many campers have told me that turning your worn undies inside out for a second day of wear is a great option, I wholeheartedly disagree. If you've got limited clothing or access to laundry services overseas, and want to make your undies last, panty liners are an essential item to take. They don't take up much space, and changing them out can significantly extend the wear time, and freshness, of your underwear.