Packing 101

This post isn’t specifically related to Jamaica but it’s related to YOU if you go to Jamaica. Since I’m a travel addict I do weird things like attending a packing seminar at a neighborhood travel store. It was funny because I thought I knew everything when I learned that rolling clothes was the best way to maximize space in my baggage. I thought I’d be teaching THEM a thing or two because I can do a week in Jamaica with only carry-on baggage.

So I took one evening out of my life to go to a PIPESTONE TRAVEL STORE near my house and see what this packing seminar was all about. BWOY did they teach me a thing or two! There’s some really cool travel stuff out there so I couldn’t resist taking pictures and sharing it! If the five of us on our last trip to Jamaica had known about these things we could have avoided a scenario like in this picture!

First of all I was totally turned on by the “cube system” in the travel world these days. They demonstrated the system in a clear carry-on size suitcase and I’m telling you, I want ALL the cubes! They come in all different sizes and are perfect for packing everything from rolled clothing right down to your little toiletries. Everything is in it’s own cube which prevents the chaos of digging for things and mashing up everything in your bag.

Next they had these really cool folding square things that when empty, they’re flat. You fold your clothing into a square the same size as the base in the folding thing and pile the clothing neatly in there. Then fold the 4 sides of the folding thing over onto each other like wrapping a gift. There’s a velcro fasterner that secures everything inside, again preventing all your clothes from mass chaos when your luggage is standing upright or being thrown around on a luggage belt. When you arrive at your destination and open your bags everything is neatly still inside the folded square, nice and secure. I’m buying these for my next trip so I’ll tell you it works out.

As if those cubes and folding things aren’t great enough, this next stuff will probably make you laugh AND make you want to buy them! These things called TowTabs were the coolest thing I’ve ever seen and I can totally see how useful they’d be in Jamaica…especially if you hang in dirty places like I do LOL. They come in a package like Rolaids and they look like Rolaids too, but wait til you see what they really are! And super compact to fit in the smallest purse or pocket. The little Rolaid turns into a good sized wet hand/face towel!!

Another all important thing that would be practical to carry in Jamaica, and I KNOW if you’ve ever used a public bathroom or a bush you will agree!

These next things are pretty awesome too because they’re SO compact and take no space. You know those little breath freshening films you put on your tongue and they dissolve? Well they come in other forms besides minty fresh…..

And last but certainly not least….these I would only buy JUST to see if it’s true! They are ultra fast-drying underwear LOL! The guy who gave the seminar says if you wash them and ring them out really well, then wave them in the air a few times they are dry in minutes. Hmmmm… But I just love the caption on the package, it’s enough to make anyone curious!

So anyways I thought I’d share all these entertaining travel products that I never even knew existed! I won’t be trying the underwear but I will be trying the cube system and the folding things.

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