How to pack a suitcase, by Joanna Ruder

HEAD START

Prepare all your clothing three days before your trip. Take all the clothes you think you will need, lay them out on your bed and then walk away. After an hour or so, when you return with a fresh eye, you will find you are more critical of what you need.

LIQUID COURAGE

If you can’t be bothered to decant your creams and shampoo into travel-size bottles, just wrap Sellotape around the lids and place them in a ziplock plastic bag before packing in your hold luggage.

SCENTS OF OCCASION

Put a bar of soap or a tumble-dryer sheet between layers of packed clothes so everything smells fresh when you arrive.

CHAIN REACTION

Place a necklace lengthways on a flat piece of tissue paper and roll it up to stop the links tangling. Put it in a small cosmetics bag or a jewellery pouch that has separate compartments for rings and chains.

FOOT NOTES

Fold up socks and place them inside shoes to save space in your case and help your shoes keep their shape.

WRAP IT UP

Tissue paper prevents clothes from sliding around in the case and protects them from wrinkling. Put a sheet between each layer of clothes. Ziplock bags (so loved by American tourists) are also great for beauty products and underwear as they keep them separate from other items.

UNDERWEAR IT WELL

Fold knickers flat and then roll. Put them in a ziplock bag and use to fill in empty spaces. Padded bras are tricky to pack. Put one cup in the other and hide the strap behind. To keep them from losing their shape, stuff with a sock or tissue paper. Place on tissue paper so the fasteners don’t hook into your clothes.

LAYER UP

Heavy things (shoes, cosmetics) should be at the bottom of your suitcase, the lightest (and most easily wrinkled) at the top. When packing for the return journey, fold your dirty laundry and place in a bag at the top of your case, so it can go straight in the wash.

ROLL UP, ROLL UP

Use jeans, towels and tops, rolled into cylinders, to fill in any gaps. Once you’re done packing, cover the top layer with yet more tissue paper and you’re ready to go.