Tips for Stowing and Going

(By Julia Ewan -- The Washington Post)

Several weeks ago, we presented the Packing Issue, in which we told you everything you needed to know about . . . packing. Naturally, our readers knew even more. We received dozens of suggestions on how to get the most out of your luggage. Here are some of the best.

I have a jewelry caddy that's basically a flat square; when you tie the corners together it becomes a little container about six inches square and 1 1/2 inches deep. I roll my pajamas around it so nothing falls out, then put it on the nightstand for my jewelry, watch, etc. It helps make sure I don't leave my wedding ring in the bathroom or my watch on the table where I might forget them.

If you're visiting people in multiple destinations, buy host/hostess gifts en route. I find I really enjoy shopping for other people when I'm someplace interesting, and you don't have to cart a lot of things at the front end of your trip.

My husband made endless fun of me this, but for a round-the-world trip I printed out my itinerary and all my friends' contact info and had it laminated. It was really handy to consult for flight and phone numbers, and I didn't have to worry about it getting wet or dog-eared.

Liisa Ecola, Washington

Donate to Goodwill or, depending on location, your hotel's staff. Sneakers with some life left in them are infinitely more valuable to Romanian villagers than to anyone who can afford to cross a continent or two to be there. Buy a new pair when you get home.

Invest in pack-small, easy-wash-and-dry clothes from somewhere like http://www.rohan.co.uk/. Ask about laundry prices: Not all are rip-offs. Or use the local laundromat and spend the hour exploring the environs on foot.

Iain Liddell, Harefield, U.K.

Instead of buying expensive packing cubes, I went to a dollar store and got small mesh bags in the laundry section. That way, when bags are opened for inspection, nobody is handling my underwear.

Phyllis Wright, Front Royal, Va.

I always take a thin Gore-Tex hooded jacket (with a pair of leather gloves in the pocket) on my trips. It's appropriate in any kind of weather: Put the hood up if it's raining and you don't need an umbrella; wear a heavier lining underneath and it's a winter coat.

And with all of the cute and interesting costume jewelry, I almost never pack precious jewelry except for the watch and rings that I always wear.