what the ff-pack!

packing tips from a packing freak

so, are you a light packer? or the can-i-bring-the-whole-house packer? 

which ever type you are i'm sure you'll find these tips useful.... just take your pick....... choose whatever is applicable for your travelling needs.....

	1. i always bring photo copies of the mug-shot page of my passport for when a hotel or bank needs to have my passport....also so that in case my passport gets lost it would be easier to have it replaced...bring photocopies of your plane tickets (or etickets) too.....also bring postcards from the philippines.....that way you're promoting our country's tourism too! 2. malong: a large piece of lightweight material, it can be used as a quick-drying towel, blanket, pillow, etc.... and did i mention you can use this as cover if you have to make "pupu" in the middle of the mountain? just have 2 people hold it for you while you're inside, LOL  ...... yep, very versatile indeed! 3.  zip-lock bags: never go anywhere without ziplock bags in various sizes...... atleast i don't....... you can put loose change, keys, etc, in a ziplock bag before going through security; also shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and other toiletries so that you can easily see each one of them without having to make your fingers guess which one is which.........they are good, too, for keeping light colored/white (like undies and swimsuits) clothing clean...... or for storing in used undies and socks......
4. clothes are less likely to crease if you roll rather than fold them... 5. put your extra camera lenses in a thick ankle sock....you can toss them in your day pack without worrying about damage and they take up less room than bulky lens cases.
	6. tie something distinctive, like a ribbon, to your luggage handle for quick spotting at airport carousels..very helpful i tell you..specially if there are hundreds of people carrying the same color and luggage style... 7. don't forget chargers and/or batteries for all the electronic items you take with you. 8. instead of those bulky bottles try bringing the trial sizes or sachets.....that would give you enough space in your bag...
9. if you have a fancy camera, a little black electrician’s tape across the brand name discourages thieves...what appears to be a generic camera is almost worthless to those who regularly “hunt” canon, leica, nikon, and so on. 10. bring a small spray bottle...... this is most useful for wrinkled clothes..........i use this even when i'm at home and i'm too lazy to iron my clothes, lol........ anyway, so how? get a hanger and hang your clothes, spray water on the creases, leave it overnight and voila! the creases are gone... also good to carry when you're off for some beach escapades........spray water on your hair before dipping to the water...... that way your hair won't get too soaked w/ salt water .......but a leave-on conditioner is much better......
	11. money belt bag (samsonite's are nice) is a must specially if you're travelling out of the country...prying eyes won't see it and you'll never notice it's there...i usually put my passport here, extra credit cards and my money...take note, don't put your allowance for the day in here...it's not smart to peek into your money belt bag frequently...put ur daily travel allowance in your pocket... extra money and important stuff should go here...i also wear this while asleep specially if you're like me who doesn't mind staying in hostels... i just take it off when taking a bath..but i still bring it with me and hang it in the bathroom... guard this with your life!
12. consider travel or 'cargo' style trousers with plenty of gusseted pockets to put things in....these should be washable, and do not need dry cleaning, so you can wash them in the shower at night and they'll be dry enough to wear by morning (this is the reason why i'm crazy about lightweight cargo pants  ) 13. space saver bags are most useful if you're bringing in fluffy towels or sweaters... all you have to do is put your bulky clothing in these bags, get a vacuum cleaner, put in those tubies and placed the tube inside these bags to suck the air out and your done! very good for packing winter jackets.....