It’s All in the Bag

One of the most useful items for packing is Ziploc bags. Here are just a few ways that they can be used:

• To protect your clothes from any liquid items such as shampoo or sunscreen, double-bag all of your toiletries and be sure to squeeze the air out of the bag as you zip it.
• To contain smaller items such as underwear and socks. Bring an extra bag so that you can keep dirty and clean items separate. Once you get home you can just empty the dirty bag into the laundry and put away any clean items.
• To pack wet swimsuits. If you or the kids want to take a last dip in the pool before you leave (this is a good way to exercise the kids prior to flying) you can pack up the suits without getting the rest of the items in your bag damp.

Since these bags are not recyclable, we try to re-use them as much as possible. I keep bags used for my toiletries with our luggage and use them on future trips. You can also re-use bags used for clean clothes. If you travel a lot you can buy re-usable travel bags that are water proof at travel or outdoor equipment stores like REI.