Packing Up Tips - Moving Your Wardrobe

Photo Credit: she wasn't kidding when she said she had nothing to wear by jamelah

I am quite the shopaholic.  I'll admit it.  Due to this I have stocked up quite a bit of clothing, most of which I would consider essentials that cannot possibly be left behind at home when I go off to college.  Clothing is important, we can't just walk around birthday-style all the time, that wouldn't go over well at all.  Getting a wardrobe moved can be difficult though, for clothes take up a lot of space and can be exceptionally heavy when all lumped together in one space.  Have no fear though, you can efficiently move your wardrobe from home to school without abandoning your favorite pieces to save space.

::Roll 'em Up::
Rolling is always a good and easy option when packing clothes.  It's fairly self-explanatory, you literally roll up your clothing so that you can fit more of it into one space.  This works especially nice if you have the luxury of toting your clothes to your new home via suitcase, for it won't be as difficult to carry compared to a tote-full of thirty-some tee-shirts.  Check out Ehow for some good instructions if you want to make sure you do it just right.

:: Vacuum for Space::
I always remember seeing ads on TV for those SpaceBags that you can vacuum the air out of to save space.  A lot of packing websites suggest using these.  I personally have never used them, or even tried them, but if you have these readily at your disposal I say go for it!  Anything to make the move easier!  Just make sure to pack like items together, and don't forget to take a miniature vacuum [with a hose] along for the ride incase the dorm you are moving into doesn't have one;  you really don't want to get stuck there with piles of clothes that you just can't unpack.

::Shoes On the Bottom::
I strongly advise you to NOT pack all of your shoes in one tote or box (well assuming you have as many shoes as I do - enough to fill a tote and then some).  If you cram a tote full of shoes it will likely become a health risk due to its weight.  Instead, mix your shoes in with your clothes; layer the bottom of a tote with shoes and then fill in the rest with clothes.  You can still keep your categories the same, for example, pack dress shoes with dress clothes and work-out clothes with sneakers.  Don't put your shoes on top though, All your clothes will get smushed and the weight won't be as evenly distributed as it is when you line them along the bottom.

::Keep em' Hanging::
When I moved into college my freshman year, I somehow thought it would be a great idea to take all of my clothing off their hangers;  my theory was that I could hang them up in order in my closet, plus it would take up less room when moving.  Where my brain went the day I decided upon that, I don't know, but please learn from my mistake.  Moving in took twice as long because I had to re-hang all of my clothes once we got there, not to mention I took up a great deal more space because of all the hangers I had to fit in somewhere.  So leave what clothes you have hanging hung up. You can throw the pile in the car or you can fold them in half and into a box so that they are still on their hangers.  Either way works, as long as you keep your hangers attached to to your clothes.

::Store Before::
Many times, college students will buy those awesome plastic storage carts with all of the drawers.  These are perfect for storing socks, tights, and the ever important under-things.  If you have planned on getting and using one of these, perfect, go ahead and fill the drawers with the clothes you planned to store in there.  That way, you don't have to transfer that massive load of socks once you get there, it will already be done.  Just make sure it doesn't get too heavy.

Now as long as you are organized and don't forget your favorite sweater or lucky tank-top, you should be all set to pack up your clothes and move your lovely wardrobe to college.