How to stuff more stuff into that overstuffed suitcase: tips for the crammed packer
We have all face the problem at one time or another, and some of us face it every single time we open and shut the luggage: how do you get all this stuff in there? Of course there are those who know how to pack for an overnight trip, but are overwhelmed by the logistics of trying to fit enough into a suitcase for more than a couple of nights away from home. Interestingly enough, and not surprisingly, these same people who never have enough luggage space also have pretty packed closets back home, and are the kind of people who shove everything under the bed once the closets are stuffed to the brim. But there are solutions for travelers who want help packing, and they mostly require a little planning and patience to implement.
At travel stores there are many tools - some of them are basic gimmicks - to help in this regard, and some of them actually work. For instance you can buy a number of “caddies” to help you pack your personal grooming items - shampoos, razors, make-up, and such - and when you get ready to unpack, you really don’t have to. You just hang the caddy up and use what you need from it and then close it or roll it back up and toss it into your bag.
But one of the most useful things for packing is free, and that is the method of rolling things that you don’t worry about wrinkling, such as tee shirts and towels, into right rolls, the way you might roll up a carpet for storage. Just by tightening the way things are rolled, you free up an enormous amount of hidden space. For instance, roll your socks and then pack them inside the space in your shoes, to save space.