Amy Stone packs the essentials.
Simple Ways to Make Packing a Breeze
Here at SteamLine Luggage, we love to travel beautifully. But we know that traveling beautifully is sometimes easier said than done. When it comes to how to pack efficiently, many of us are often at a loss.
How many shirts do I need?
Better pack an extra [insert unnecessary item of your choice here].
I’m going to bring these boots just in case….
And all this is before you actually get the items into your luggage!
SteamLine Luggage is Designed to Help You Pack With Ease
Luckily, if you’re at a loss for how to pack, SteamLine Luggage is here to help.
Besides being beautiful aesthetically, our cases have been obsessively designed to provide durability, security, and ease of movement as you travel from place to place. Included in that obsessive design are some built-in organizational assistants, such as the inside zippered lid pocket and detachable door-hanger wash bag included in the Stowaways.
Our hanging travel kits serve as simple organization systems with dual purposes. First, you can stash small items in the zippered mesh pockets. Second, the kit then clips cleverly into the sides of your case, thus holding your belongings in place.
Hanging travel kits included in our Navy Entrepreneur, Sweetheart, and Red Entrepreneur Lip Print.
Our Favorite Tips on How to Pack Simply & Easily
Beyond the built-in organization systems in our cases, our team of road warriors and adventurous travelers have a few favorite hacks on how to pack simply and easily.
Create Your Own Packing List & Then Ask Whether Items Spark Joy
While you can certainly find plenty of packing lists and templates online, we recommend making a template of your own. Base it on previous trips you’ve taken, and analyze when you brought too much of one thing and not enough of another.
Once you have an outline, you can more effectively determine whether each piece you pack sparks joy, as Marie Kondo would say, or whether you don’t really need to tote it along.
Christine Csencsitz packs her Navy Entrepreneur Stowaway for a long weekend away.
Some people find they pack far too many shoes, for example, or choose pairs that are entirely out of line with the trip planned. There’s something in the excitement of preparing for a trip that makes one think, “Well, I haven’t worn this pair of heels in years because they always give me blisters, but this time will be different.” Spoiler alert: this time, it won’t be different. If you have a list—one pair of walking shoes, one pair of dress shoes, one pair of sandals for around the hotel…—then you’re less likely to stray from what you’ll actually wear.
Beyond using packing lists for clothing and toiletries, we find that this is a particularly useful tool for technology items. Create a list of all the chargers and cords you need for your devices and keep that in one of the pockets of your luggage; you’ll never be forced to pay exorbitant prices for a flimsy airport charger again.
Try the KonMari Folding Method to Save Space & Avoid Wrinkles
There is quite the debate online between whether folding or rolling one’s clothes is the most efficient way to pack. We like to combine this technique with the KonMari method of folding.
The idea is simple: fold items so they’re as small as possible in order to save space.
Employ the KonMari folding method for larger, thicker pieces. This way, the pieces can orderly line up either vertically or horizontally in your luggage. For thinner items, or items prone to wrinkling, try the rolling method to keep them crisp and ready to wear.
Need more inspiration? Check out this InStyle video to learn how to travel tidy from Marie Kondo.
Monica Francis demonstrates how KonMari folding saves space in her Starlet Carryon.
Invest in Packing Cubes or Small Organizational Pouches
Keep things orderly with pouches or packing cubes so everything you pack has is very own place.
Packing cubes or related pouches are simple products that are well worth pickin up. Generally, these pieces are made of mesh or some other see-through material and have zipper enclosures. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, but you can often find variety packs of different sizes online. Some even come in a compression design, meaning you can pack more pieces in a smaller space.
Jane Aldridge uses packing cube organizers to keep her things orderly in her Navy Anthropologist.
Packing cubes are useful from the start of the trip to the return flight. Besides keeping items separated and organized, they also are a great way to store dirty laundry separate from items that remain clean.
Need some inspiration? We love Julia Berolzheimer’s clear-pouch packing system. Julia uses cute but practical clear pouches that can easily be transferred from luggage to purse as needed. Keep beauty products in one bag and accessories in another, and you’ll never have to rummage through your clothes looking for that one missing item again.
Explore More Travel Inspiration & Packing Tips
- Find more tips on how to pack on our Packing Tips Pinterest board!
- And, while you’re there, explore travel inspiration with our Places to Go board.
- Find your new favorite rolling SteamLine Luggage case by size—Carryon, Stowaway, and Spinner.
- Learn about how to protect your beautiful luggage on the road with SteamLine’s Coordinated Ripstop Covers.
- Explore ways to use your SteamLine case as home decor between sojourns.
