Let’s be honest: packing for your trip is basically half the trip. The more stressful half, anyway. Determining what you’ll need and, more importantly, how you’ll fit all of it in your bags, can feel like a puzzle more than anything. Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or you just fly from time to time, you’ll want to check out these awesome hacks from Dave Hax, the “Efficiency Engineer” for Holiday Inn.

Are you over-packing? Are you not packing enough? Will you have to pay extra because your bag weighs more than 50 lbs.? These are all questions we’ve all asked ourselves in a pre-trip panic.

Well, we have some brilliant tips here that are going to change how you pack — hopefully, they’ll make it a much more pleasant experience! Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or you just fly from time to time, these awesome hacks from Dave Hax, the “Efficiency Engineer” for Holiday Inn are going to change the way you travel.

 

1. Keep it Clean

One of the biggest concerns about packing your shoes with the rest of your clothes is that they’ll get everything dirty. A quick fix? Wrap them in a cheap plastic shower cap; the cap will fit any shoe size because of its elastic band and keep the dirty soles contained.

For an extra clever packing job, stick a couple tea bags inside your kicks. This will keep your shoes (and, ultimately, your clothes) smelling fresh while you travel!

2. Sock it to Packing

Traveling doesn’t always mean a two week trip across the country — sometimes it can be as simple as an overnight at a friends’ house or at a nearby hotel. If that’s the case, you have a whole new struggle: finding a way to pack compactly enough that you don’t have to bring more than one bag.

With this brilliant trick, you have just that.

All you need to do is lay out your t-shirt and place your underwear on top. Fold the underwear into the t-shirt (with one or two folds) then place your socks on top of the t-shirt, too.

Next, you’re going to roll the t-shirt up all the way, so only the ends of the socks are sticking out. Pull the socks down over the rolled-up fabric and you have a self-contained parcel of clothing that you can throw into your purse or laptop bag easily.

3. Extra Padding

Looking for a way to protect your iPad or small laptop while traveling? You don’t have to go out and buy a case — the answer is probably already in your bag!

Take out a hoodie and lay it flat on your bed. Put the iPad right in the center of the hoodie and fold the bottom upward so it’s covering the technology. Tuck all of that into your hood and cross the arms over the top.

Just like that, you have a compact, extra-protected way to carry your iPad AND your favorite hoodie!

 

There are so many great tips on the DaveHax video below that we couldn’t possibly share them all! Make sure to watch it below to become an expert traveler in no time flat. Then make sure to share your thoughts or any packing tips you have in the comments section below.