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Travel Like a Pro: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Luggage and Packing

Cleaning & Organizing

Dana Eisenberg

Tips

Heed these packing tips and travel confidently.

Traveling can be stressful but also simultaneously exciting. Packing, on the other hand, is mostly just stressful. You need to pack enough without bringing too much, have the right size toiletries, consider inclement weather, and ultimately, make sure your suitcase isn’t so cumbersome that you can’t get it from one place to another on your own.

We talked to Barbara Reich, a New York City–based professional organizer at <a href="https://www.resourcefulconsultants.com/" target="_new">Resourceful Consultants</a>, who knows all too well the headaches of packing. Here, she shares expert tips on luggage selection, paring down, and what to bring along for pain-free travel.

Luggage

Three is the magic number of pieces, according to Reich. “You should have one large piece of luggage, a carry-on roller, and a collapsible piece,” she says. “For luggage on wheels, spinners are great.”

“There are also trackers you can buy to put on or in your luggage,” says Reich. “It will never get lost again!”

As far as storage, there aren’t many rules. “Put luggage under the bed, at the top of your closet, in basement storage lockers—wherever you can find room!” says Reich. “Fold the collapsible duffle, and store it inside another piece to save space.”

Packing Tips

Separate your clothing: “For airline travel, employ ‘the rule of fractions,’” says Reich. “If there are four people in your family, pack a fourth of each person’s clothing in each piece of luggage. If your luggage is lost or stolen, everyone will have enough to wear until it’s found.”

Simplify your shoe situation: Reich says: “If you can, plan your wardrobe around three pairs of shoes: one pair of sneakers, and one pair of shoes for daytime and another pair for all your nighttime outfits.” Store rarely used items separately: “If you have clothes that are specific to a type of vacation, such as a skiing trip, separate it at home. By keeping the gear separate, in one spot, you’ll stay organized (making repacking easier) and save on drawer space.

Remember laundry: “Consider traveling with pop-up laundry hampers for your whites and colors; your hotel room will look much neater,” she says. “At the end of the vacation, pack the dirty laundry into separate bags and fold up the hampers. It will be ready to wash when you get home!”

Keep valuables and medications with you: “Carry prescription medicines, cameras, laptops, and any expensive jewelry on board with you,” Reich says.

Shop Like a Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Party

family & you

Wedding

Gifts

Bachelorette parties are a great way of getting your gal pals together for one last hurrah before the big day. The importance of girl time cannot be overstated. Whether you&rsquo;re traveling, going out on the town, or staying at home for the bachelorette party, here are a few things you need to make it a success.

Cheers!

Bachelorette parties (and wedding-related events, in general) typically involve a good amount of toasting. Make sure to stock up on champagne and have flutes at the ready! Fun bride and bride squad&ndash;themed wine glasses are never a bad idea either.

Pics or It Didn’t Happen

You&rsquo;re going to be taking a lot of photos. Mark the occasion with a step and repeat, and commemorate it with personalized photo frames. These make great favors for all of the bridesmaids, friends, and family members who came out to celebrate.

Games

Games are fun, but they also serve an important purpose: pre-wedding bonding. Your group is likely made up of friends and family from all phases of the bride&rsquo;s life, so not everyone will know each other well. Games help break the ice and get things going, plus it&rsquo;s a fun way to reminisce and share stories. Some easy, low-cost games include &ldquo;How well do you know the bride?&rdquo; trivia. A scavenger hunt, with challenges like &ldquo;find another bachelorette and buy her a drink!&rdquo; is another idea.

Decor

Whether you&rsquo;re hosting the party at home or away, dressing up the space is always a good idea. Photos of the bride and groom as well as pics of the bride and her squad make great temporary wall art, and balloons and glitter make everything better. This kit makes it easy with a banner to hang on the wall, coasters, paper straws, cups, and cookie bags.

Novelty Props

If there&rsquo;s ever a time to make your friend wear a sash, it&rsquo;s now. If there&rsquo;s ever a time to walk around town with a mini flask, it&rsquo;s also now. Bachelorette parties are a great opportunity to be silly, and, of course, props are also fun for the aforementioned pictures.

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Travel Like a Pro: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Luggage and Packing

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Shop Like a Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Party

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