How To Pack Your Car Like A Pro For Business Or Pleasure
Much like Tetris, packing a car is all about squeezing multiple objects into limited real estate.
By Shell on Dec. 15, 2019
But where that game makes things easy with simple shapes, packing a car usually involves many unusually shaped items, all of which typically need to be accommodated within a less than geometric space.
So how do make the most of your car's space and, more importantly, ensure you're packing everything safely and securely?
Here are five recommendations to get you started.
1. Get organised
Before chucking anything in the car, consider how you might make the whole job easier. Grouping smaller items into larger receptacles - be it bags, boxes or plastic tubs - can really simplify and speed up the loading/removal process. Using vacuum storage bags for clothes and soft items can significantly reduce the space they take up. Laying everything beside the car prior to packing, meanwhile, will allow you to mix, match and make better luggage-placement decisions.
2. Larger, heavier stuff first
When it comes to actually packing the car, always follow this key rule. For one, it'll be easier to stash smaller items when you start to run short of space. You'll also minimise the effect of the additional weight on your car's centre of gravity, meaning your car will handle better and you'll be safer once on the move.
3. Secure the load
If your boot is part of the cabin (think a hatchback, wagon or SUV), packing heavy items low down will reduce their chances of becoming dangerous missiles if you must brake suddenly. Always secure the load with tensioning straps attached to tie-down points in the boot or by using a luggage net.
4. Keep emergency items accessible
If your car doesn't have an external or underslung spare tyre, packing above it will be inevitable. Even so, consider how you can arrange everything so a tyre change won't be a complete pain. Similarly, your car-emergency kit - a must for any road-tripper - should be easy to access.
5. Consider a roof box
Luggage creeping over the window line or significantly into the passenger compartment is bad for the driver's vision and the safety of occupants. If things are getting tight, a rooftop storage box is a great way to bolster luggage capacity. Just remember that weight distribution and load-securing become more important the higher a load is carried, so you will need to pack it carefully.