Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.
The art of packing is so much more than ensuring your clothes make a successful journey from A to B. However, there are countless ways to get stuck into this essential part of the holiday process. Some travellers are more concerned with keeping their load lightweight whilst others have a ‘baggage fees be damned’ mentality. Some make countless lists far in advance to ensure they forget nothing important whilst others need the pressure of a looming deadline to take the job seriously. And some will throw the most fragile of fabrics into a bag without a second thought whilst others would rather add a travel iron to their burden than allow creased clothes to ruin their holiday snaps.
In fact, whilst arriving at a destination with creased clothing might scream "first world problems" to some, there’s no doubt it’s one of the chief travel bugbears for those who might wish to avoid the ironing whilst away. Despite the fact that shoe-horning a sizeable chunk of your wardrobe into a bag and carting it off around the world is a bona fide recipe for wrinkles, we’ve collected a few top tips to help minimise the damage and give you the best chance of arriving at your destination crease-free…
1. Roll Your Clothes
An oldie but a goodie, this tip really does work and is so simple to put into effect. Keep your clothing taut when you roll – you don’t want to stretch items but to ensure they are rolled smoothly, otherwise, your efforts could be counter-productive. Rolling your clothes not only helps minimise creasing but saves space, so you can fit in a few extra outfits, too.
2. Pack Methodically
If your clothes are crammed into your suitcase willy-nilly, you can expect more than a few wrinkles to greet you once you reach your hotel room. The key is to pack your bag in a methodical fashion, slotting the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. This will decrease the chance of items shifting in transit. Ensure you place heavier items, such as toiletries and shoes, into the bottom of your bag so that they won’t crush your clothes. Then stack your neatly rolled clothing as close together as possible – the fewer gaps, the more successful your crease-free packing should be.
3. Use Tissue
When it comes to items such as suits and formal wear, one of the most foolproof ways of crease-free packing requires a little more care. Hang the item in a dry-cleaning bag with layers of tissue cushioning each fold inside the bag. The tissue reduces the friction that causes wrinkles to form and prevents the material from getting crushed into unnatural shapes – the wonders of science to the rescue!
4. Pack Less
Sometimes the best course of action is the simplest one. If your suitcase is fit to burst, you can guarantee that some of your clothing is going to take a beating, especially on a long-haul journey. Give your wardrobe space to breathe and take a good hard look at what you can cut from the list. Do you really need that extra pair of shoes? Your tastes won’t change that drastically when you’re on holiday and it’s not generally worth taking an item halfway around the world on the off-chance you might wear it once – unless it’s for a wedding or a big occasion. Lose the excess and your remaining clothing may well survive.
5. Unpack Quickly
To keep clothes as smooth as possible, don’t delay unpacking on arrival at your destination. Even if the beach is calling, the pool is looking tempting or the hotel bar has offered you a free drink on arrival, make it a priority to quickly unpack and hang the clothing most likely to crease. You’ll give yourself a pat on the back later.
Creased clothing is an inconvenience you can do your best to avoid, but accidents can and do happen. In fact, unprecedented events can occur on any trip, from lost luggage to a fall requiring medical treatment. That’s why ensuring you have the right travel insurance policy is essential.