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By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

I live near my college during the week and visit my parents about an hour away on the weekends. You could say I am a frequent packer. I also was a missionary for a year, where I moved every 6 weeks and lived out of one large suitcase, one small carry-on suitcase, and later a few plastic tubs😉 because I didn’t know we were allowed to bring a second suitcase. And of course, the countless family vacations from over the years. So trust me, I have a lot of experience when it comes to packing!

Whether you’re going somewhere for the weekend or you’re going on a week-long vacation, we’ve got you covered. Many people think there is a “best” way to pack: rolling your clothes, folding them Marie Kondo style, laying all your clothes flat, etc. I will let you in on a secret; there is no one “best” way to pack your clothes!

People say you can fit more clothes in your suitcase by rolling them or folding them a certain way, but the truth of the matter is, clothes take up the same amount of space no matter how you fold them. The amount of space they take up is known in physics and chemistry as mass. You cannot physically change it unless you were to cut your clothes in half and only pack half of each garment, which obviously wouldn’t work for the outfits you wear every day.

There are, however, ways to pack that will keep you organized, whether you’re packing or unpacking. Recently, I bought some packing cubes and they are the best thing that has ever happened to my packing game!

You can buy packing cubes on Amazon here. These are basically little fabric suitcases that you put in your big suitcase. You can get them in different sizes; I have three, one large, one medium, and one small one.

I use the small one for all my toiletries and cosmetics. The medium I use for my gym clothes, and the large I use for all my everyday outfits. They have zipper pouches on the back that are perfect for socks and unmentionables. The front of the cubes are made of mesh so you can see what’s in each cube to find what you’re looking for easily.

Another handy packing item to have one hand: three fluid ounce bottles, perfect for air travel. You can buy these in the travel sized items section of the toiletries at Walmart. They are perfect for putting shampoo, conditioner, and hair products in. Walmart also sells three ounce spray bottles, which are so convenient! I use a beach spray for my curls that I put in the spray bottle; it can also be used for body spray or perfume.

While you’re in the travel section, pick up a three ounce tube of toothpaste. You’ll never have to worry about throwing away your whole tube of toothpaste at the airport again. Same goes for sunscreen.

Find more Arizona travel ideas on Fill your Plate’s blog!