June 27, 2014

11 Genius Smoky Mountain Vacation Packing Tricks Every Traveler Should Know

Unfortunately packing for a Smoky Mountain vacation requires a little more effort than just throwing everything into the back of the car and hitting the road. However, the packing process doesn’t have to be a headache either.

To help visitors headed to stay inside one of our Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg cabin rentals, we have put together a few genius packing tips that will have you on your way in no time.

(See Related: Group Travel Tips: Making a Home Away From Home in a Large Cabin in Pigeon Forge)

Electronics

1. Camera Case

Camera cases can be expensive. For a quick fix, travelers can pack their hand held camera inside a plastic soap box for easy transport and avoid scratches.

For guests with a slightly larger camera, like a DSLR, you can easily transform a shallow purse into a camera carrying bag. All you have to do is empty out the contents and take a t-shirt, small towel or light-weight scarf and make it into an ‘S’ shape inside the bag.

Now you have two compartments inside the bag for both the camera and the lenses. If you have multiple lenses, adjust the ‘S’ to make more space. If you use a purse or bag with outside pockets, you will still have room to put items like your wallet and cell phone.

2. Tangled Cords

Similar to jewelry, electronics’ cords can tangle very easily as well. You can prevent this by wrapping the cords around an old gift card. (Pro tip: cut small half circle shapes out on each side of the card to help them stay wrapped better.)

You can also keep the cords stores in a travel-sized make up bag or old glasses case to prevent them from tangling.

Clothes

3. Prevent Wrinkles

Who wants to worry about ironing when they are on vacation? There are two ways that guests can reduce the amount of wrinkles from their suitcase.

• Roll clothes: This is also a great way to make more room in your suitcase. All you have to do is fold in the side to make somewhat of a rectangle shape with the item, and then roll it into a cylinder shape. (Expert Tip: If your clothes have a hard time staying rolled, use a rubber band to keep them in place)
• Wrap clothes in tissue paper: If you are traveling with a nice button down or blouse that wrinkles easily, try wrapping the item in tissue paper before putting it into the suitcase. This creates a barrier between your item and anything around it that might cause a wrinkle.

If you don’t want to try either of these tips, each of our Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge cabin rentals come with their own washer and dryer, so you can just throw your clothes into the dryer to work out any wrinkles once you arrive for your Smoky Mountain vacation.

4. Bent Collars

Just like you don’t want your shirt to be covered in wrinkles, you also don’t want your collar to be all bent out of shape when you are ready to wear it on your Smoky Mountain vacation. Prevent this by wrapping your belt up and storing it inside the collar of the shirt in your suitcase. This will provide something sturdy to keep the shirt’s collar in place.

5. Shoes

If you are packing your shoes and you don’t want them to touch your clothes, wrap them in a shower cap.

6. Bad Smells

Probably a more fitting tip for when you return home, but if you don’t want to deal with a musky smelling suitcase or load of clothes after traveling, put a scented dryer sheet in the suitcase. Just like in the dryer, this will absorb odors and leave your clothes smelling fresh.

Jewelry

7. Necklaces & Bracelets

Although necklaces and bracelets are pretty to wear, they can sometimes be a hassle to travel with if they tangle easily. You can prevent this by slipping the chain through a straw before putting the piece in your travel bag. This keeps all the loose ends in place so they are not tempted to intertwine with anything they shouldn’t.

If for some reason the chain of your necklace or bracelet doesn’t fit through the straw, you can cut a small slit down the middle of the straw to create a cuff.

8. Earrings

With most earrings you don’t have to worry about them tangling, but you do have to keep up with which one goes with which. An easy way to keep your earring pairs together is to keep the display cards they came with.

If you don’t have any of the display cards lying around, a button will work just as well. The size of the button will depend on how bulky the earring is.

If you use clip on earrings, try keeping them in an old breath mint box. We have found that Altoid tin boxes work the best because they stay closed. (Expert tip: tin boxes are also a great way to pack rings or other small jewelry items.)

Toiletries

9. Shampoo/Conditioner/Lotion

Nothing is worse than opening up your suitcase to discover that your shampoo or some other liquid has opened up and covered everything in your bag. You can prevent this from happening by using a small sheet of saran wrap or plastic wrap to create an extra seal on the bottles.

To do this, all you have to do is unscrew the cap, place the wrap over the opened, and then replace the lid. Now your liquids are sure not to leak.

10. Medicine Bottles

In case your liquid toiletries bottles are just a little too bulky to travel with, try storing smaller portions inside old medicine bottles to save space in your suitcase. If you are still worried about leaking, you can combine this trick with the Smoky Mountain packing tip above with the extra clear wrap seal on the bottles.

Medicine bottles are also a great way to pack smaller items that tend to scatter easily in travel bags like Q-tips, bobby pins, hair ties, nail files and dental floss.

11. Make Up

Traveling with make up can sometimes be difficult, especially if it is stored in a glass bottle. To reduce the risk of breaking, try packing just the amount you will need for your Smoky Mountain vacation inside an old contacts carrying case.

The compact and durable design of the contacts carrying case make them perfect for travel.

Plan Your Next Smoky Mountain Vacation

Ready to plan your next Smoky Mountain vacation inside one of our spacious Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg cabin rentals today? Give us a call at 1-888-993-7655. Our reservation team will be more than happy to answer any and all questions you and your family may have.