No matter how good you try to be on a long trip, odds are you will find a few trinkets that you want to buy. But, where will you pack them? How will you pack them? How to storage your sensitive belongings for long trips?
To help you answer these very important questions so that you can safely bring wonderful souvenirs to decorate your home or gift to friends and family, we crafted this guide. These tips and tricks are meant to help ensure that you can make it home with everything you’ve purchased in one piece.
How to Storage Your Sensitive Belongings for Long Trips
The first thing you have to think about is the type of luggage you’ll use or purchase to get these sensitive belongings home. The truth is that no matter how well you pack, if you don’t have the proper outer casing, all may be lost.
That, of course, means you want the most durable option. For us, this typically means a hard-shelled piece of luggage.
Aluminum- or polycarbonate-made luggage lends an extra level of protection. Another factor to look at when choosing the luggage you’ll use to store your sensitive belongings is, are you going to check your baggage or will you carry it on?
Of course, there are some things that you may purchase that you can’t place in your carry bag. For the most part, though, unless it is alcohol or some other trinket not permitted on the plane, you will have this option.
An important option to consider is whether or not you really need to travel with this item as it may have sentimental value. For tips on traveling like a minimalist check out our guide! Also make sure you check with TSA that the item can be brought on the plane!
Checked Baggage
When you travel long haul and check-in your baggage, you are very aware of how it gets treated. It might get tossed, kicked, and rolled around in the cargo hold. Thus, you have to be very specific when you pack sensitive belongings.
Below are a few tips to make sure all year belongings stay intact.
Stuff It in a Soft Item
If the item you are packing has an empty area, such as glasses, the first step you should always take is to stuff it with something soft. Use items like socks, underwear, or even bubble wrap if you have it on hand to help protect the item.
Wrap With a Soft Material
No matter what the item is, if it is sensitive, you should always start by wrapping the outside with soft material. You want to make sure that the outer wrapping is about an inch thick.
One of the best choices, if you’re going with clothing, is synthetic clothing since it’s tight and flexible.
Use the Original Packaging
If you are traveling with a fragile item like a wine bottle or a glass, if at all possible, try to make sure it stays in its original packaging.
Leave Enough Space
If you have multiple sensitive items, make sure you leave at least a couple of inches between them and other hard objects you’re packing. Along those lines, when you do put sensitive belongings in your baggage, you must keep them away from the sides of the suitcase.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure they are about five inches from the sides. Also, make sure you don’t pack the suitcase too tight nor too loose. There needs to be enough wiggle room. This way, it can absorb some of the shocks but not enough that it throws everything to the sides.
Inspect
After you’re done packing, inspect the suitcase. You can do this by slapping the sides and listening to any noises.
You could also carry it around a bit and then reexamine how everything is inside. Plus, if you’re super adventurous, you can drop the bag from a small distance.
Carry-On Baggage
For very valuable and super fragile belongings, if at all possible, ensure you can take them in your carry-on. Your carry-on never leaves your side, so treat it with more respect than your checked luggage. If your item has sentimental value then this is definitely the way to go- check out our tips on how to pack jewelry for travel.
Though keeping the bag in your charge will allow you to have better control, the overhead bins are still pretty dangerous places for sensitive belongings. So below are a few ideas that you can use to ensure your sensitive belongings remain safe even when placed in your carry-on.
Use a Bubble Wrap
If you have the option to invest in some bubble wrap, this is the way to go. It’s perfect for any highly fragile item.
Just make sure you pack inside the opening of anything that has an open interior. Using this method may take up more room in your carry-on. Still, it will ensure that your sensitive belongings survive the long trip.
One word of note if you do use bubble wrap, you may want to make sure that you have tape on hand. That’s because there may be times where security will ask you to unwrap the item.
Use Specially Designed Containers
Another option is to find specially designed containers for specific items. For instance, there are wine bottle bags that come with a cushioned lining to prevent breakages.
Of course, you can’t take wine bottles in your carry-on. However, you can also use this for other items with the same shape. In that same vein, you can find inflatable travel bags that will allow you to insert those sensitive belongings in them.
Use Your Own Clothes
If you don’t want to rely on something that you have to purchase, you can always just use the clothes that you have in your bag already. You can stuff your intimates into items that have an open cavity.
You can also use a sweater to wrap delicate souvenirs. This may be the most cost-effective option when it comes to securing your sensitive belongings.
Final Thoughts
The last thing you want to do is spend time choosing the perfect souvenir or home decoration, only to get home from that long trip or to your next destination and find that it has been shattered or destroyed.
So we hope that our simple and effective tips and tricks help you learn how to store your sensitive belongings for long trips.