12 Genius Packing Hacks That Will Change the Way You Travel

When packing clothes, lay a few sheets of dryer sheets in between the layers of clothing, which will keep your suitcase and clothing smelling fresh as can be.

When packing a blazer or suit jacket, pull it inside out and THEN fold. This is a tailor's trick that will prevent wrinkles from forming, ensuring the jacket is ready to wear as soon as you remove it from the suitcase with no ironing needed.

For a space-saving tip that will also prevent clothes from becoming wrinkled, roll clothes before packing them. You'll be amazed at how much more you'll be able to cram into that suitcase.

If you think you'll be returning home with breakable items or liquor bottles in your suitcase — or even if you don't — toss some sheets of bubble wrap in your suitcase just in case, which will make packing for your return all the easier.

This may seem obvious, but when packing a rolling suitcase, place the heaviest items on the side of the suitcase where the wheels are. This will ensure items don't shift (and potentially crush things you'd prefer not get crushed) as well as prevent you from dealing with a top-heavy suitcase that tips over whenever you let go of the handle.

If you're packing a collared shirt and a belt, try this: roll up the belt so it's the same size as the shirt collar, and place inside the collar. Not only is this a space-saver, it will also prevent the shirt's collar from getting crushed during transit, keeping it stiff and pristine.

Instead of simply tossing charging cables for your phone, tablet, laptop, etc. amongst clothing, pack them inside a pair of shoes to keep them organized.

Another great way to organize smaller charging cables is to use an old case for a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses as a cable container.

Before leaving on your trip, toss in a small mesh laundry bag (typically found in dollar stores). It will take up next to no room, but will give you a way to separate dirty clothes from clean ones, and will make unpacking that much easier when you arrive back home.

To prevent earrings, necklaces and other items of jewelry from becoming tangled or lost, pick up a plastic day-of-the-week pill box and use it as a special travel container to keep jewelry safe and sound.

Hang onto that plastic shower cap in your hotel bathroom, and use it to wrap up shoes before packing them. This will prevent the dirty soles from soiling those clean clothes you just packed.

If you ignored that tip about packing bubble wrap and have some breakable, fragile items that need to be packed, you can wrap them in your thickest socks in order to provide a cushion of safety.