When you plan to travel, packing is one of the things you need to prepare for. Part of the success of your trip will depend on backpack organization skills.

Backpack organization takes a lot of decision making – what items can you not live without? What can you forgo for a week or so? Do you need it or just like it?

Choose the Right Backpack

Good backpack organization starts with choosing a backpack with the right size. Stay away from big backpacks that allow or encourage you to over pack.

How do you bring everything with you without over packing?

The primary reason why you chose to use a backpack rather than a luggage is that it’s versatile. This allows you to be mobile. But if you overstuff your backpack, it will defeat that purpose.

Aim for carry-on size. It usually has a maximum carrying capacity of 55 Liters. Expert travelers suggest 55 Liters as the ideal maximum limit for women. And 60L for men.

Packing Cubes and Organizers

Backpack organization can be a lot easier with the help of packing cubes and organizers. Packing cubes are small containers made of soft materials that allow you to classify and organize your stuff.

Use packing cubes

Packing Cubes allow you to organize stuff, particularly clothes, and compress them. This gives you more space in your backpack.

Packing cubes come in different sizes. So you can pack your clothing into cubes that fit their size.

Even more, if you want to save more space, use compression cubes. This is especially good for bulky clothing such as jackets.

Keep in mind, though, that compression cubes can only reduce space, but not weight.

Roll Your Clothes

Roll clothes instead of folding them.  This method has proven to be more space-saving than folding and stacking them. When you pack this way, clothes do not crease.

Make sure you have enough clothes with you. But don’t pack a lot of extra clothes. Extra clothes mean extra weight.

Packing Folders for Pants and Button-up Shirts

Pants and button-up shirts are best packed in packing folders. They can keep clothes neat and prevent wrinkles.

Organize your toiletries

Use an organizer for your toiletries. This doesn’t mean just any kit or small case you can use to hold your toiletries. Instead, find one that has compartments, but is compact.

Needless to say, pack travel-sized toiletries.

Furthermore, it would be great if the organizer can be hanged.

Don’t Forget Your Laundry Bag

Use a nylon laundry bag to hold your used clothes. This is good for blocking out the unwanted smell.

They say used clothes expand or take up more space than when they were clean. This is a good time to use your compression cubes.

They can not only keep odor in but it can also do away with the unwanted extra bulk.

Keep Your Electronics in Place

If you travel with a lot of gadgets, keep them together with an electronics organizer. It will hold everything from chargers, spare batteries, external drive, cables, etc…

This way, you won’t have to go through everything in your bag just to find a charger.

Leave Some Free Space

If at all possible, leave some free space. It is quite impossible to go on a vacation without bringing something back from the places you went to. This free space is for these souvenirs.