The secret to perfect packing? UNDERWEAR MATHS!

. . . and storing your shampoo in a contact lens case. A new book full of ingenious tips could mean you never have to put another suitcase in the hold again

THe easter break approaches, and with it the dream of boarding a plane with only hand luggage for a fortnight in the sun.

Five years ago, that’s all it was for me — a dream. I was that stressed-out woman, hauling a giant suitcase through the airport stuffed with things I wouldn’t wear, my handbag overflowing with items I couldn’t cram into the case.

I decided something needed to change — not least because, as an entrepreneur, I was travelling a lot for work, often three weeks out of every month.

I shared my journey towards becoming a master packer in a weekly blog and now I only ever check luggage if I’m travelling for longer than three weeks.

the reader response to my blog was overwhelming. such was the demand that I started offering personalised packing sessions and every one of my clients learned how to become a master packer, too.

Now you can join them. If you follow my packing method, I promise you every item in your suitcase will be worn, every beauty product used, and you’ll never find yourself ramming rogue items of underwear into your handbag again! Here’s how...

MAKE SURE CLOTHES EARN THEIR PLACE

INstead of thinking about your clothes in terms of single outfits, reimagine your suitcase as a compact bundle of HUIs (High Usage Items). that means mixing and matching, rather than laying out complete outfits — the number one cause of overpacking.

as a guide, you should be getting two to three wears out of a blouse or shirt, two wears out of other tops, three to four wears from a sweater, four to five from a blazer, and two to three from each dress or pair of bottoms.

I also allow one ‘fantasy item’ that you know you’re only going to get one wear from (such as a sequined blazer or a lace-trimmed dress) but limit your fantasy item to one per five-day trip, and never pack more than three fantasy pieces — ever.

ALWAYS ASK ‘WHAT ELSE COULD IT DO?’

YoU’re aiming to take high-use items so this question is essential. Could plain leggings for a workout do double duty for travelling back home? Can a cotton scarf for travelling also work as a sarong on the beach? do your flats work with and without tights?

DO YOUR MATHS WHEN PACKING UNDERWEAR

UNdergarmeNts are some of the most forgotten items. or conversely, as they’re so small, you throw it all in, leaving less space for the items you’ll actually wear. that’s where packing maths comes in. take one black bra, one nude bra and one strapless bra — then, to calculate how many pairs of knickers to take, multiply the number of days you’re going away for by 1.5 (and don’t forget nude pants if you plan to wear white trousers or a skirt).

so for a four-day trip, take six pairs of knickers. then add shapewear if you need it for a specific outfit and an extra basic pair as backup. Believe me, that’s all you need.

GET THE WARDROBE BASICS RIGHT

WHeN people talk about capsule wardrobes, they always talk about neutral shades and basics, but that’s not right for everyone.

the fundamentals of your travel wardrobe — your power pieces — should be your go-tos that reflect your style. For some people that will be a pair of black, tailored trousers, for others it may be a denim skirt.

However, there are some rules. everything you pick should be appropriate for where you’re going. If you’re holidaying in morocco, for example, check hemlines and necklines.

For bottoms, look for things you wear more than anything else, that are in your favourite colour (usually navy, black, brown or denim) and that won’t stretch after two wears.

they need to be flattering and able to accommodate any postflight bloat or trip overindulgence.

tops should complement the bottoms (think loose shirt for fitted bottoms and a fitted shirt for loose bottoms), and need to be in colours and prints that you know look good on you 100 per cent of the time.

make sure they’re not fussy or delicate, and that they won’t pill or shed on your other clothing.

MASTER CHEAP AND EFFICIENT CLEANING

KeeP your clothes clean without succumbing to overpriced hotel laundry services.

It is possible; just take a few extra minutes at the end of each day of your trip to quickly spruce up anything you plan to re-wear.

Hotel room shampoo can be used to wash underwear and gym wear in the sink.

For cotton, silk and denim, either take a fabric refresher spray, such as Febreze, spritz from 20cm away and hang to release wrinkles and dry. or use a travel steamer and couple of drops of essential oil.

For heavier items such as wools and knits, take a tumble dryer softener sheet, rub it over the item, then turn over and repeat, before hanging the garment up

with a dryer sheet placed inside for additional freshening.

LEARN HOW TO EDIT YOUR ACCESSORIES

Like underwear, everyone overpacks accessories, but believe me these are all the accessories you need: three pairs of shoes, two bags, a scarf, sunglasses, and perhaps a hat and a belt.

As with clothing, you should strike a balance between multiple-use pieces and fantasy pieces. Two pairs of shoes, your large bag and your sunglasses should always be your multiuse pieces.

if you exercise regularly, one pair of your allotted number of shoes for your trip will be your trainers. if it’s important to you to have a second pair of stylish flats or heels, consider doing workouts that don’t require trainers on your trip, such as a yoga session in your hotel room.

One pair of shoes and your small bag can be your fantasy pieces, while your scarf is somewhere in the middle — make sure it is suited to the climate of your destination, but have fun with the colour, design or print.

You can pack as much jewellery as you like, as long as it all fits easily in a single case, pouch or small bag.

KEY TO DOWNSIZING YOUR COSMETICS

STArT by writing a list of all the toiletries you use — divide them into products you use every day and every few days, and products that are liquids and non-liquids.

HigHLigHT the ones that you couldn’t do without. So, if your hair is tricky and needs certain styling products, then you should highlight them. But if you’re not fussed about what particular body wash or body lotion you use, then don’t highlight that.

THe aim is to reduce the number of liquids you travel with in your hand luggage — as you can’t fly with containers that are bigger than 100ml and everything must fit in the small clear plastic bag supplied at airport security.

So, work out what you can eliminate — either by using the hotel-provided versions instead (such as body lotion or shower gel) or by substituting a nonliquid version (such as facial cleansing wipes).

THen buy travel-size versions of your non-negotiable liquids or decant them into 100ml tubes or bottles.

For toiletries you need only a small amount of on your trip, use a clean contact lens case to pack and store them (you can buy contact lens cases at Boots for £2.99).

For example, i pack enough shampoo and conditioner for a single use in a lens case.

This trick works well for eye cream, lip scrub, cuticle oil and the like.

WHen it comes to make-up, invest in dual-purpose products, such as a lip/cheek duo, and opt for pencils over pots that require a brush for application (such as eyeliner).

iF pOSSiBLe, keep a fully packed set of toiletries — both liquids in a clear bag and your non-liquids in a washbag — ready to pick up and pack.