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Four stress-free packing tips to streamline your holiday from clingfilm to rolling

Experts over at Cath Kidston have put together a handy guide to make your summer holiday packing easier and more efficient. Check them out for a stress-free summer

[Rolling clothes can help you to pack more clothes]

Rolling clothes can help you to pack more clothes(Image: Getty Images)

Going on holiday is often a wonderful experience but, theres always some stress involved.

If youre in charge of packing for the family, checking the documents and ensuring you reach your gate on time then its likely your holiday doesnt start until you touch down at the hotel.

And, the recent chaos at airports with cancelled flights and baggage mountains hasnt helped with stress levels

Luckily, there are some things you can do to make preparing for a holiday more relaxing.

Experts over at Cath Kidston shared four easy travel tips to make packing stress-free.

Check them out below

[Stress free packing makes for a more relaxing holiday]

Stress free packing makes for a more relaxing holiday(Image: Getty Images)

Keep your essentials in your carry-on

If youre checking in a bag as well as taking a carry-on, make sure you keep your all-important items in the latter. This mitigates the risk of you losing something especially important should your main luggage get lost. It also means youll have some essentials until youre able to stock up again. That means you should keep the following in your hand luggage:

• any medication you need
• your phone charger
• skincare essentials like lip balm
• wet wipes
• ID documents
• a light change of clothes
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• entertainment, like a tablet, book or headphones

If youre travelling light and only taking hand luggage on your trip, slot a small tote bag into your carry-all or small suitcase with the essentials separated out for easy access. When you get on the plane, store your main hand luggage away and keep that one handy.

[Take your essentials in your cabin bag including car keys and medications]

Take your essentials in your cabin bag including car keys and medications(Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)

Think outfits, not individual pieces

What is it about a holiday that makes us want to pack way more clothes than well ever need? But if you want to keep your luggage light and your packing stress-free, its important to only take what youll need. Visualise the outfits you can put together from a few simple but beautiful separates.

When it comes to cover-ups for the beach and poolside lounging, youll only need a couple that you can rotate throughout your holiday. The same goes for swimwear chances are, youll be rinsing this off each day anyway.

For evenings and daytime outings, build a core collection of outfits that you can wear and rotate individual pieces around.

One pair each of trainers, sandals, and a dressier shoe will complement a range of outfits, and take separates that you can mix and match. Dresses can be worn a couple of times and look brand new with a simple switch-up in shoes or accessories.

A casual and a dressier top can both look great with lightweight trousers, skirts, or shorts. Putting thought into how youll style each item of clothing means you wont pack too many then arrive not knowing how to put them together.

[Plan to take outfits rather than random pieces]

Plan to take outfits rather than random pieces(Image: Getty Images/Maskot)

Space-saving packing hacks

Whether youre just taking a carry-on or youve gone for an additional luggage check-in, packing optimally will save you space, stress, and from aching arms.

Many of us now know that rolling up our clothes gives us much more room to play with than folding them, and some have even taken this hack further to incorporate an entire outfit into one neat little roll. You could even take it beyond that and pop your rolled up clothes into a vacuum bag to save even more space!

Roll up smaller items of clothing, like socks and underwear, into your shoes to save some extra space. You could also use your socks to cover your essential toiletries and keep them tightly packed together, then slip them into your shoes.

Its all about thinking how you can combine items of your luggage to make sure youve got enough room for everything. And if theres a little wiggle room, you can fit in some treats from duty free or gifts for your loved ones on the way back.

Keep your items safe from spillages

Hands up if youve ever ended up like Ross from Friends after a shampoo-related disaster in your luggage. Its all over everything!" Well, it neednt be.

For liquid or cream items that have screw-top lids, simply cover the top of the pot or bottle with some clingfilm and screw the lid over that. Itll keep all the good stuff inside your packaging, protecting your clothes and saving your valuable moisturiser and conditioners from going to waste.

For added protection, you can store electricals and delicate clothing in clear ziplock bags then, if you get your tablet out mid-flight, you can still use it within its protective covering to keep any nasties from the plane away from it.

In the lead-up to your holiday, you want to be as relaxed as possible. And running around trying to cram items into your overstuffed suitcase or worrying about shampoo leakages is anything but relaxing.

With these tips, you can pack quickly and efficiently and be sure that your luggage will arrive home in tip-top condition.

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