6 Vagabonding Travel Packing Hacks

The methodology of acquiring and strategically packing gear in an efficient manner for mobility is fundamental in a life of world travel, these are some hacks.

Utilizing these tips and hacks will make you more nimble and intelligent in the art of lifestyle travel packing. Modern vagabonding is like a professional trade that requires a specific system of equipment for the nomadic lifestyle of indefinite world travel.

Compartmentalize

Organization is key to a good packing system. Each type of gear; clothing (also separating tops, bottoms, underwear), gadgets, toiletries, kits should all be packed separately in smaller inner bags. Nothing should be left loose in the main luggage.

This will allow for the most efficient use of space possible and making the process of packing and unpacking easier and quicker.

Compartmentalizing also has the benefits of providing protection to fragile items and improved baggage maneuverability by reducing the inner movement of gear.

PRO TIP : Always have a standard plastic shopping bag handy to separate dirty or wet clothing to be used when necessary, basically a travel laundry bag.

EDC Daypack

Configure a highly personalized set of everyday carry (EDC) items with a backpack much smaller in size than your main luggage.

This “daypack” should be lightweight and be packed with important, valuable and frequently used items such as; passport, money, laptop, documents, maps, cards, survival kits, keys etc.

Alternately, the contents of the daypack can be switched out for the needs of the day; backpacking, urban, travel, shopping, beach etc. Basically for times when you need a mobile and comfortable bag that won’t get in the way.

PRO TIP : In some ways, the daypack could be more important than your main backpack. Because if properly equipped, you can function with just the daypack if your main luggage is lost or stolen.

Cache and Stash

Hide bits of emergency money and necessary valuables throughout your gear and person.

Place these items in inconspicuous places like your toiletry bag or in unpleasant spots like inside your dirty packed socks.

A thief ransacking your bag for specific items is far more likely than the theft of your entire bag so make it hard for them to find anything worth stealing.

PRO TIP : Never have all your most important valuables in one place. Think on your person, main pack, daypack, accommodation and locker.

Roll and Tie

This travel packing tip is very popular but it’s so effective that it needs repeating here. In most cases, rolling clothing into cylinders is the best way to pack these items.

Depending on your packing orientation, this will give you noticeably more packing real estate than if you were to fold clothes. Also, there will be less wrinkles.

Make sure you roll them up very tightly for maximum effect. Using rubber bands could be useful if there’s lots of spare room in your luggage.

PRO TIP : I roll my shirts and pants inside out as to protect their more visible fronts, it also hides any zippers or hard parts that may damage or snag other clothing.

Waterproofing

As mentioned earlier, always have a regular plastic shopping bag as part of your gear. In this case, it can be used for very effective inner waterproofing from heavy rain but not submersion.

If you’re caught out in the rain, remove the plastic bag from your backpack and place all the contents inside. Tie the handles then put it back inside your backpack with the bottom of the plastic bag up. Now all your gear is safe.

An alternate method is to cover the entire backpack from the outside instead. Cut a couple of holes for the straps and it’s just as effective but not exactly incognito.

PRO TIP : If you don’t have a plastic bag and it’s not too cold, remove your arms from your jacket and use it has a hoodie (even if it doesn’t have one) so that it can go over your backpack.

90 Percent Rule

This means that when your luggage / backpack is completely and cleanly full of all your gear, it should not be more than 90 percent of it’s storage capacity.

So basically you should have a tenth of space available when fully packed in your main pack. This is so that you have that extra room for unexpected (or expected) new items such as; souvenirs, food, maps and impulse purchases.

Also, there will be times when you have to pack in a hurry (late hotel checkout, early transportation, etc.) and this could lead to just shoving things into your luggage with not enough room for everything.

PRO TIP : Add an expanding micro tote bag to your packing list for emergencies where additional carry capabilities are required.

These are just a few ideas in the methods of vagabonding travel packing hacks and EDC.

// Vagabonding Travel Packing Hacks