What not to bring... but if you must

first suitcase i took to california on my first Contiki Tour... now i am questioning why i took such a small suitcase even though i packed a duffle bag inside so ended up with two going home which was a good idea because shopping in Santa Monica, Los Angeles - came home with more clothes!

Although if you must bring such a small suitcase, there are many helpful hints you can do to maximize space...

#1 Lay out everything you expect to take on vacation
remember to add your non clothing items...

#2 Roll 'em
works wonders... give it a try and you will be hooked

#3 Rolling more clothes together is better
putting three items together and rolling them, bigger radius means fewer wrinkles

#4 Packing your suitcase
first layer stack any clothing you did not roll, dont bother rolling jeans just fold them in half and they fit just right
heavy stuff like boots and guidebooks should go at the bottom of the suitcase

#5 the suitcase is packed - mostly

you want the clothing to fill up the bag if you are lucky and have some space left over, fill it up with something light

Tip 1: pack a washcloth, why? because very rare especially in the cheaper hotels in europe you will get one

Tip 2: if you like to shop, to make space in your suitcase at the end of your trip take some old clothing you do not want to keep toss them at a appropriate moment

#6 Fill those suitcase pockets

if you are carrying on your suitcase you can place your carry on items in the pockets but if you not carrying on your suitcase do not store your valuables, fragiles, or photographic items.

And at least carry on one change of clothes just in case if they do lose your luggage 

Tip 3: compressor bag, helps reduce the size of your clothes by sucking out the air

Tip 4: do not buy black, about 90 percent of the bags look exactly the same. identify your bag!  

Tip 4: Identify your bag (luggage tag, piece of cloth or ribbon, etc)

#7 Pack a empty bag

folding a duffle bag inside so when at the end of your trip you can seperate your items, after all that shopping you have done