Grab Your Socks: 11 Military Packing Secrets That Save Space

That means its time to learn what they know and put government secrets to good purpose.

All you gotta do is ask a few Marines how they do it and listen to their replies.

Heres what theyll tell you.

via collectedworksco.com

If you want more separation, pack it full of smaller bags.

Youll be doing that anyhow.

Set The Stage

A lot of space is the first step to smart packing.

This area should be free of anything but your suitcase and your gear.

Also, once something enters the staging area, it doesnt leave except on the trip.

Once there, leave it there so you know its taken care of.

An app like Forgot the Milk or Evernote are handy for this to save paper.

This way you dont flub your whole system digging through your bag.

The reason the military carry duffles is things are hard to lose in there.

Small bags use that same mentality, in that losing a contact lens case is easy.

Thats it, pack it all into your suitcase.

Packing, unpacking, and repacking your suitcase is the same thing.

Repeat the process until youre quite sure and sick of looking at that precious sock monkey you sleep with.

In the staging area you want to cut your bag into parts.

It will reduce strain if you plan on lugging it around.

The video above shows you how to fold a shirt Army-style.

Rolling things up presses air out of the fabric, similar to a vac-bag, which keeps everything compact.

Use it with bigger sleeping bags, blankets, scarves, or those flags you take everywhere to plant.

Service members advise that when packing you think of it like a wall.

When youre done, it should seem like a cohesive whole; a structure that could stand alone.

That makes the unpacking process a breeze.

Thats all it takes, sailor.

Now youre ready tosuit upand ship out!