5 handy hand luggage tips for your next trip

You want to make sure that you’re as sensible with your hand luggage as possible; otherwise, you’ll quickly want to turn around and send it on the next plane home. Make sure your next journey is a breeze with these handy hand luggage tips… Know the restrictions Be aware of your airline’s bag restrictions before starting to pack. This way you can avoid the awkward moment of having to spill out your belongings, trying to find somewhere to put them. Pack light Only pack what you need, especially when it comes to your hand luggage because you’ll be carrying it around yourself all day long. You want to pack things you’ll actually use while you’re away otherwise it’s just a waste of space. Think ahead It’s a good idea to think ahead when you’re packing. Can you buy any of this stuff in duty-free or locally when you’re out there? Toiletries, for example, are very heavy, and a Spanish shampoo makes no difference to a British or French shampoo at the end of the day! Tech-savvy For those who have a phone, iPod, laptop, notebook and tablet: think carefully before packing! Do you really need all of these things with you? They will add a lot of weight to your bag, not to mention all the chargers you’d be carrying. Think about downloading apps to one of them to limit how much you’re packing in your hand luggage – your back will thank you at the end of it! All in the technique Finally, it’s all in the technique. If you want to pack efficiently, you shouldn’t just be chucking your clothes in your bag aimlessly. There are a number of proven packing techniques that leave you with more space to put things, like rolling your clothing or folding them into squares.