The Helpful Suitcase Feature You're Probably Not Using When You Overpack

We all overpack sometimes. It's easy to do. If the weather changes, for instance, it's not like you can run back to your own closet, so you try to prepare for any eventuality. If you don't have something with you and you have to buy it instead, like a new coat for a chilly day, it has to get in your suitcase somehow for the return home. The same goes for any souvenirs you buy. However, there is a helpful suitcase feature you're probably not using that can be really helpful in such a situation, and that's the expandable zipper. Don't feel bad if you never knew what it was for. Everyone has to learn something for the first time. Even if you already knew what it was for, you may never have bothered to use it. 

We're talking about that second zipper on the side of your suitcase that you probably grab by accident every time you go to open or close your suitcase. The purpose is to open up a bit of extra material to expand your suitcase so it can hold more. You may even have one on your backpack. It can save you from a busted main zipper if you try to put in too much. In fact, if you want to get more into your carry-on but have to make sure it fits your airline's required dimensions, you can expand the bag with the second zipper, fill it and close it, and then zip that second zipper closed again to compress the items inside. 

@familyvacay

You'll be surprised by how much more you can fit in your luggage with this simple tip! Fill it up with the expander and then compress and zip it up! #traveltip #travelingwithkids #momtip #packingtipsandtricks #suitcaselife

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The above hack is really useful when you need your suitcase to fit specific dimensions (and you don't want to overdo it or risk breaking the zipper), but if you're checking a bag, you can leave it expanded. In addition, if you can't get yourself to pack light, there are a few things you can try in combination with the zipper expansion. 

First, rolling your clothing can save suitcase space. You can also try the "folding in" hack, where you lay each piece of clothing across the bed of the suitcase and fold each side into the center. Packing cubes like the Veken Packing Cubes for Travel for $17.99 on Amazon can help keep what you do decide to bring organized and compressed. 

You may also want to do some suitcase exploration. Check to see if there is a plastic-lined pocket on the outside. That's a great one for damp bathing suits or collapsed umbrellas wet from the rain, keeping the rest of the suitcase dry. If there is a small pocket inside, it's a great spot for a permanent travel sleep kit with a sleep mask and earplugs or earphones, or a place to store your travel adaptors so they're never left behind. You may also want to use it to store a foldable duffle bag like the Bago Foldable Duffle Bag for $26.99 in case you overdo it on the shopping while traveling. Finally, if shoes are your overpacking albatross, try out the TikTok sandal customization ribbon hack so you only have to bring one pair.