How To Pack Clothes

If you'll be traveling with a suitcase, you probably want to know how to pack clothes. It's important to use your packing space efficiently, especially if your trip will last several days and you need to bring more than a few changes of clothes with you. Knowing how to pack clothes will make it easier to take and find what you need while taking up the least possible space in your suitcase.

To pack clothes, you will need:

• Suitcase
• Plastic bags
• Zip-top bags

1. Pack only the clothes you need. Plan your outfits ahead of time, making sure to include bottoms and tops you can mix and match. If you'll be staying more than a week, pack enough clothes for a week and do laundry.
2. Roll your clothes instead of folding. Wrinkles form when you fold clothes and put pressure on the folds. Rolling up your clothes into tight cylinders not only takes up less room in your suitcase--making it easier to pack all your clothes--but helps prevent your clothes from wrinkling.
3. Keep delicate items in plastic bags. Dry-clean only or easily wrinkled items will be protected if you keep them in plastic bags, rather than throwing them in with the rest of your clothing, because plastic reduces the friction of clothes rubbing against each other.
4. Place important clothes on top. If you know you'll need to change as soon as you reach your destination, pick our your clothes ahead of time and pack them at the top of your suitcase. You don't want to go digging through a tightly-packed suitcase every time you need a single item.
5. Protect your clothes from toiletries and other hazards. There are few worse ways to start off a vacation than opening your suitcase to find your favorite shorts covered with shampoo. Keep items that can leak or spill, such as shampoo, sun lotion and ink pens, in plastic zip-top bags to protect your clothes.