Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Over the past few months, I’ve been using what I call a “Bag in a Bag” technique when packing for trips. It’s an incredibly basic solution that makes traveling more efficient. Here’s how it works:

Start out with a backpack and find a spare tote bag or plastic grocery bag laying around the house.

Backpack and Bag

Before a trip, pack clothes into the smaller bag.  This will help:
1. Prevent problems with overpacking and force you to pack lightly
2. Make the unpacking easier.  Simply take out the tote bag, laptop, and toiletries and your backpack is instantly empty again.
3. Make re-packing easier.

In addition, the tote bag can double as a shopping bag, dirty laundry bag, or even a purse, making the “bag in a bag” solution even more ec0-friendly than it already is.

When the trip is over, place all clean clothes back into the tote bag and leave the dirty ones out.  Once back home, it’ll be easier to manage the dirty vs. clean clothes conundrum. Again, it’s such a simple concept, but it really does take a lot of hassle out of packing, unpacking and washing clothes when traveling.