Favorite Packing Tip

[LauraS]

You can never have enough plastic bags; either the ziplock variety or even just plastic grocery bags. I fill them up w/ things when packing, and for good measure I shove extra bags wherever there is extra space.

These are great for messy clothes and shoes, and of course the first thing you thought of -- wet bathing suites!

Laura

[Host Lisa]

I love ziploc bags for traveling too! Sunscreen is another item that I always pack in a ziploc - the last thing I want is to find a leaky tube or spray bottle of sunscreen all over our clothes.

Lisa

[HostColleen]

Continuing on the idea of bags, it can often be helpful to pack a small, yet sturdy bag that fits easily inside your luggage so that if you need extra space for souvenirs etc. when heading back home, that little extra bag can come in handy. If flying and it's small it should work easily as a carry on.

Another packing tip I swear by is sticking home address labels INSIDE the suitcases (the kind you might use for an envelope) so that in the unfortunate event your luggage is lost, it won't end up in the place where they sell unclaimed bags. That used to be in Alabama but now I believe there is a reality show about selling stuff from lost luggage. It's happened to me twice and my bags were always delivered in spite of the bar code system and all. The luggage can never be deemed lost if there is an address inside the bag and it matches the info from the bar code! Even before all the hoopla about TSA locks, locks....I never did because really, the only luggage locks I'd ever seen always looked like they could be snipped with a decent pair of pliers. I just never put anything valuable in the checked baggage. Clothes ARE valuable but, well may none of our bags end up in Alabama or on a reality show. Use labels

[JackHorn]

Originally Posted by HostColleen

Another packing tip I swear by is sticking home address labels INSIDE the suitcases (the kind you might use for an envelope)

I can only agree that this is a great tip! I use this every time I pack our bags or I even use it when I send letters or packages. (in this case I put in the sender and receiver as well)

You never know what can happen..

[Host Young Gang Mom]

I have always included an itinerary inside each of our suitcases so if it is found while we are on vacation they know where we are. The home address is the last stop on the trip.

[HostColleen]

Thank you Jack Horn! Indeed there's no way to know where our things may go but usually, they get back to us. The traditional strap on luggage tags can easily get tugged off, fall off or something - despite buying really great ones!

I'd never thought about putting in an itinerary in my suitcase but Host Young Gang Mom brings up another great idea to ensure one's address is indeed "in the bag" and it'll get home if it gets detoured.

There is another thing I do when packing for flight and that is to use packing tape to seal all bottles (shampoo, lotion, body wash - any liquid item, even if it's in a ziploc) so that it's less likely I get the bags and anything DID open. Taping tops shut gives me added peace of mind, especially if it's a long trip and due to the regulations about bringing larger bottles of liquids on the plane.

I'm sure we have it here listed in our website resources, but when traveling internationally, it's always important to make copies of all passports and plane/train tickets so that if anything is lost or stolen, they are easier to replace when there are copies but keep these copies in the carry-on bag when flying, and keep them separate from your actual passports/tickets once travel is underway - if there is a safe in the hotel room or hotel, place them there.

Lastly, bring a disposable digital camera with you for when you wish to be all together in the same photo. The quality is still good and there's no worrying about cameras....even if you feel comfortable with whom you might hand your camera too, it's happened often that I get terrible photos from asking people to take pics with our camera because they may not use it correctly.

Happy Summer Travels to all!