Luggage

Knowing what the weather will be like makes packing easier. Watch the gap between highs and lows: altitude, wind, shade versus sun all change how it feels.

Bright colours or a coloured ribbon help you spot your bag quickly on the carousel. It also puts off thieves: it's hard to slip away unnoticed with a candy-pink suitcase.

Without a tag, a lost suitcase has little chance of being found. Go for a plastic tag with your name and phone number. Cardboard tears and gets wet.

Photograph the outside and inside of your suitcase before you leave. Insurance companies often ask for a photo when you claim for a lost bag.

Nothing valuable in your checked bag: keep all your documents on you, and leave sentimental items at home. If the bag goes missing, let the loss be only material.

Keep the bare essentials in your carry-on (a change of clothes, toothbrush, medication) in case your checked bag goes missing.

Swap some clothes between your two suitcases before you leave (half of each person's things in the other bag) to limit the damage if one goes missing.

Always bring extra plastic bags: dirty laundry, a wet swimsuit, a bottle of liquid. Reusable bags too.

They keep your underwear separate, let you squeeze out the air to save space, and protect everything else if a bottle leaks.

Check catsa-acsta.gc.ca (opens in a new window) for the rules. Liquids: 3 oz or 100 ml per container, with a limited number of containers.

If you lock your suitcase, use a TSA-approved lock. US customs officers can open it without breaking it.

A bandana can cover your head, warm your hands, hold ice on an injury, clean a camera lens, mark a suitcase, or filter coffee.

Heavy, and a risk of spills. Most products come in travel sizes or solid form. Otherwise, buy them there.

Damp clothes, souvenirs, new outfits: your suitcase gets heavier. Leave room and weight for what you'll add.

If you often go over the weight limit, a compact luggage scale is handy. Another trick: weigh yourself without the suitcase, then with it, and take the difference.

They can keep your legs warm, work as a bandage or a headband, or stand in for a mosquito net.

Avoid stray pieces that go with nothing. Stick to grey, black and white: they match everything.

A traveller's must-have: bottle opener, screwdriver, toothpick, file, scissors. Put it in your checked bag, never your carry-on: it will be confiscated at security.

If you plan to walk with your suitcase, it shouldn't weigh more than 25% of your body weight, or you'll wear yourself out.

Choose them for the trip you have planned. Go for comfort: you walk a lot more when travelling than at home.

Handy for reading on the plane, or as a flashlight that keeps your hands free.

Bring a lens-cleaning wipe and a small bottle of glass cleaner: no more blurry photos.

Essential for tight cabins (cruises, night trains). They sort things by category, compress, and keep the mess in check. Compression models work even better.

Never fill your suitcase more than two-thirds full: it leaves room for purchases and souvenirs, and makes it easier to organize when you close it.