Packing suitcases made easy: Ingenious tips and checklist

Block out the stress of everyday life and be unavailable to employers for a fortnight. We all like to go on holiday. But if you want one thing, you’ll have to do other things too, for better or worse. Be honest: Do you like packing your suitcase before a trip? If so, you probably belong to a very rare breed. After all, a large part of society finds it stressful to gather the right utensils before setting off. Long journeys to remote places around the world in particular increase the pressure to take everything important. 

Once the suitcases are packed, many travellers start to feel uneasy as soon as they click the luggage locks. The question “Do we have everything with us?” keeps nagging you. To help you avoid this stress, we have put together a few practical tips for packing your suitcase. These include a checklist for packing your suitcase, which will ensure that you don’t forget anything. This way you can start your next holiday with the spirit of “pack your suitcase and go”.

What should be in the suitcase for the trip?

Can my suitcase hold all my essential vacation and travel gadgets? This question is often asked by travelers. To avoid taking random things with you on your travels due to time pressure, you should start packing early. Stress can abound here, and it is not uncommon to forget essential things. A checklist can help. Of course, this cannot be applied across the board for every holiday. For example, you will certainly need fewer thick winter clothes in the Caribbean than on a weekend trip to the snowy forests of Lapland. The first question is therefore what the climatic conditions are at the destination. This will determine whether you take summer or winter clothes. You should also consider what activities are planned for the destination. Is it an active holiday that consists mainly of sporting activities? 

Or are you going on a city trip where you would like to go out for a fancy dinner in the evening? While the former requires practical outdoor clothing, in the latter case you should leave room in your suitcase for a dress or shirt. If it is a mixture of both, you have to find the middle ground. With that, the items of clothing are already ticked off. Now, however, you have to think about further aids. If these are already on site, you can save on taking them with you and thus also save a lot of space in your suitcase. A classic example of this is the hotel’s furnishings. For example, take a close look at whether things such as a bathrobe, hairdryer, or care products are already provided in the hotel room. If this is the case, you don’t even have to take them with you. 

Last but not least, it is important not to forget everyday items. In particular, your smartphone and charger, headphones for the plane, a good book, your wallet, and so on. Here you need to keep in mind what you need in everyday life. What is indispensable at home, you will also need it on holiday. You should attach great importance to your checklist, primarily when you travel to remote regions of the world. While you can easily buy additional items of clothing or technical equipment in a big city, this is not quite so easy in the jungle. To take some of the work off your shoulders, we have put together a few practical checklists for packing your suitcase. These are divided according to travel destinations.

Packing your suitcase – Your checklist

There is no single checklist for packing your suitcase. It depends a lot on where you are going and what activities you are planning. We have put together a few checklists for common types of travel. You can easily pick the one that suits you best.

• Beach holiday

Do you want to get away from stressful everyday life and just lie on a white sandy beach for a few days? In most cases, a mini suitcase will suffice. After all, you don’t need a lot of luggage for such a relaxing holiday in high temperatures and without a lot of activities. The basic equipment undoubtedly includes swimming trunks, a swimming costume or a bikini. Optionally, you can also pack a suitable head covering to avoid sunstroke. However, straw hats or other accessories that protect the head from the sun’s rays, as it were, are always also welcome souvenirs that you can buy on the spot. 

While we’re on the subject of protection from the sun, be sure not to forget your sunscreen. Since you have to get up from the sun lounger once in a while even on the most relaxed beach holiday, don’t forget the right footwear either. Nothing suits a summer holiday better than sandals or flip-flops. To avoid being looked down upon at dinner, it is better not to wear a swimsuit or bikini. Light summer dresses or airy shirts are more suitable. Pack several of these, and you’ll be ready for the perfect beach holiday.

• City trip

If you are using your holiday to explore new cities, you should usually go for a larger suitcase. This is at least the case if it is not just a weekend trip, but a full-blown holiday lasting several days. Since city trips are not usually spent in a hotel room, but consist of several hours of walking, reliable and comfortable footwear is essential. Otherwise, there is a risk of blisters already on the first evening. It is important not to wear brand-new shoes that you have not yet tested for comfort. 

Save them for a fancy dinner in the city centre. Depending on the weather, you should also go for a mix of good looks but also practicality when it comes to the rest of your clothes. Everything from short shorts and a T-shirt or summer dress to a thick down jacket is possible here. If it’s not too warm, a jacket with practical inner pockets that can be zipped up if necessary is worthwhile. This is where valuables such as wallets and smartphones can be stored to protect them from thieves.

• Active holidays

More and more people are using their holidays to do something for their physical fitness and to switch off. In particular, hiking holidays in mountainous regions are becoming increasingly popular among the young population. But here, too, the right luggage is advisable. Otherwise, an active holiday can quickly turn into a stay in the local hospital. The right footwear in particular should not be underestimated. It’s best to leave the light sneakers at home and instead keep the space free for reliable, high walking shoes that prevent cracked ankles. The rest of your clothing should also be ideally suited to hiking. A breathable T-shirt and matching jacket are essential. As experience shows that temperatures drop with increasing altitude, you should also take a pullover with you. 

If you decide to go on an active holiday, you should think of all eventualities. In some regions, the lack of network coverage means that it is not much you can do with your smartphone. But you can skillfully replace the Swiss army knife of the 21st century with time-honoured items. For example, you should put a map and compass in your luggage for emergencies. Last but not least, we recommend a backpack that can be taken on the plane as hand luggage. There is room for water and snacks for the daily challenge. As with all other holidays, you should not forget your first-aid kit for hiking or other active holidays. It can be used to treat small wounds quickly. 

When should you start packing your suitcase?

One of the biggest enemies when packing a suitcase is probably time pressure. The closer the holiday gets, the bigger the anxiety to finally start packing. But you can easily pack your suitcase the day before departure. To make sure you don’t forget anything, a handwritten checklist is the best helper you can have. This is the guarantee for success if you want to follow the approach “suitcase packing made easy”. It is best to prepare it one or two weeks before you travel. After all, you can check whether your first-aid kit is still complete or whether your swimming trunks from last summer’s holiday still fit. 

How do you pack a suitcase to save space?

For many people, the challenge when packing a suitcase is not necessarily finding the necessary utensils and clothes. Rather, it is often the space available in the suitcase that is a problem. This makes it all the more important to be able to pack a suitcase in a space-saving way. Often you don’t have to leave anything at home. It is more a question of technique. There are a few practical tricks you can keep in mind when packing your suitcase.

Pack your suitcase like a pro – our tips

One trick that is unfortunately used far too rarely is folding clothes. If you stow trousers, T-shirts, and pullovers in the suitcase when folded, however, they take up far more space than if you roll them up without further ado. You can even pack shirts in suitcases this way. Even though it may sound surprising, in this case they wrinkle less than if you stack them on top of each other. Nevertheless, to prevent annoying creases, you can take a space-saving travel iron with you. Another trick that is not ecological, but extremely space-saving, is vacuuming the clothes. 

Underwear in particular can be shrunk to a vanishingly small size in small vacuum bags. However, you should not forget that you will also need suitable vacuum bags and a vacuum cleaner for the return journey. Otherwise, you will not be able to close the suitcase before the return flight. Furthermore, we advise you to rely on the equipment of modern hotels. As there is usually a hairdryer, towels, and even hygiene products, these can surely be left at home. 

If this is not the case, there is at least a suitable trick for shampoo, shower gel, and co. For this, you should simply keep sample sizes that you have received at your local perfumery. Another way to save space is to pack in the right order. You should put heavy items like books in the suitcase first. This should be followed by lighter items such as shirts and blouses. Fill the resulting gaps with smaller items.

How much to pack for 2 weeks?

There is no general answer to how much you need for a two-week holiday. After all, this can be different for each person. Why don’t you just pay attention to which items of clothing you need in everyday life within 14 days? That way you can see how much you need. Your accommodation may even have a washing machine. In this case, the amount of clothes you need for a week is often enough.

What should you not pack in your suitcase?

For safety reasons, some things are usually prohibited in your travel suitcase. These include lighters, large power banks, e-cigarettes, and substances that are flammable. Of course, weapons are also strictly prohibited. If you are carrying prescription medication, we also recommend that you carry a suitable medical certificate. The regulations for hand luggage are much stricter. For example, you are only allowed to carry a maximum of 100 ml of liquids. In the best case, you should check with your airline about the security regulations before you travel. 

How to claim lost suitcases (luggage)?

As a basis for luggage loss and damage, the Montreal Convention helps all travelers. This sets out rights and reporting requirements. If a suitcase is delayed more than 21 days, it is considered lost. The maximum amount reimbursed for a lost suitcase is approximately 1,385 euros (less the success commission). We hope you enjoyed the post!