Travel Organization: Packing 101
Don't waste valuable travel time dealing with tangled jewelry, leaking shampoo bottles, wrinkled clothing, or worse: clothing stained from your leaking shampoo. There are an abundance of products out there to simplify your sojourn whether it's business or fun. There are travel totes, 
cases, and bags that go far beyond standard luggage for toiletries, shirts, suits, ties, shoes, jewelry, even underwear. And remember, with heightened airport security, employees are more likely now than ever to rummage through your belongings. Take some extra precautionary measures before you take off so you can help prevent wrinkles, spills, and a picked-over suitcase.
For Your Clothing
Garment Bags are typically a carry-on item during travel. They either lay in your overhead or hang in a closet. They're meant to keep clothes from wrinkling the way hanging them in a closet would. Don't overstuff them. If a bag is too full, it won't lay flat when folded and in turn, clothes will wrinkle.
Important features
- Sturdy zippers
- A loop at one end through which you can attach a lock to protect your belongings in transit
- A separate set of short handles so you have the option of a carrying by hand or on your shoulder
- Detachable shoulder straps
- A clasp on the bottom so that the ends latch together
- A handle or hanger that will allow the bag to hang in a closet
What to look for
| Wheels |
|
The Country Club Leather Wheeled garment bag ($264.95) - Wheels on the bottom allow you to roll this bag behind you as you would a rolling suitcase.
- A retractable handle gives you the option of carrying it.
- This product is an ideal choice for anyone with back problems and has trouble carrying shoulder bags.
- Want a different color, style, brand? Check these out.
|
| Compartments |
|
Travelpro Crew Rolling garment bag ($600) makes keeping organized while traveling simple. - Separate compartments can help you arrange your belongings by category: toiletries, shirts, shoes, ties.
- Ideal for a quick business trip since it can hold all that you'd need for a few days.
- Take this as a carry-on piece to help you get though a day or two in the event that your checked luggage is lost.
- All garment bags have compartments but some have more than others. Online product details will specify what each garment bag includes.
|
| Shoulder straps |
|
The Victorinox Mobilizer NXT Collection Paratrooper Tri-Fold Garment Bag ($360) is sportier and easier to carry over the shoulder.
- It's compact and fits under airline seats. Toting it around over your shoulder is easy to do.
- Idea for people who find roll-alongs cumbersome.
- Be sure it has contoured, adjustable straps that go easy on your shoulder.
- Want a different color, style, brand? Check these out.
|
For Your Accessories
Trust that your scarves, pocketbooks, ties, shoes, and jewelry are not destined for organizational disaster. At least not with these super-convenient, 'why-didn't-i-think-of-that?' tools.
For all the in-betweens
