10 Next-Level Travel Hacks For Your Next Trip

Vacation time is the best time of year! Whether you're headed to the beach, backpacking through Europe, or planning a cross-country road trip, our 10 travel tips & tricks will serve you well. Even if you're just planning on a staycation this year, these life hacks are always handy to have in your back pocket.

1. Hide Valuables

1.1 Going to the pool, lake, or beach poses a real dilemma. You're usually too far away from your spot to keep a proper eye on your stuff, but it's not like you can take your credit cards, keys, phone, and other valuables into the water with you. The following 3 tricks will show you how to safely hide your prized possessions so you can finally get some peace of mind while you're having fun in the sun.

For example, with many hairbrushes, the bristle pad part is removable. Carefully lift this piece up, insert your small valuables – such as money and keys – inside the brush, and secure the piece back in place.

1.2 Or if you have longer valuables to secure, you can always use an old sunscreen bottle. Remove the lid and set it aside. Cut a section out of the top of the bottle with a box cutter, stick your valuables inside the bottle, and replace the lid. No one rifling through your things will suspect it's anything other than sunscreen.

1.3 This clever trick takes the cake and is guaranteed to not only keep thieves from stealing from you, but it's guaranteed to send them packing! Open a fresh diaper, place your valuable in the center, fold the diaper back up, seal it shut with the adhesive strips on either side, and place a piece of chocolate in the fold. Once the chocolate melts, this genius hiding spot will look like a dirty diaper, which is something no one in the history of time has ever willingly wanted to touch. Nobody will dare touch the dirty diaper, let alone go near your valuables.

2. Secure Liquids

It's surprisingly easy to protect your bag from leaking liquids. Just remove the lid from the bottle, put a piece of plastic wrap over the opening, and screw the lid back on. Now you can breathe easy with the extra layer of protection.

3. Organize & Store Makeup

Digging through a makeup bag can be so frustrating, so save yourself a whole lot of time and headaches and do it like the pros!

You'll Need:

• sushi mat
• elastic band
• ribbon
• hot glue
• velcro tape

Here's How:

Thread the elastic band through the sushi mat and glue both ends to the sushi mat. Attach a piece of ribbon to one side of the mat and glue a piece of velcro tape on each end. Now you can put your makeup and makeup tools in the loops of the elastic band, roll up the mat, and close it with the velcro fastener.

4. Pack A Suitcase

Once you try this packing hack, you'll never go back to the old method. To save space and stuff as much as possible into your bag, roll your clothes instead of folding them.

5. Make Travel Size Liquids

You'll Need:

• plastic straw
• bobby pin
• lighter
• marker

Here's How:

Sometimes you just don't have space for all your liquids, even if they're already reduced to the 3 oz travel-sized bottles. And because sometimes less is more, you'll love this life hack for when you only need a small amount of the liquid and you have limited space. Cut the straw to the desired size and clamp a bobby clip on one side. Use a lighter to heat the clamped side in order to seal it shut. Put the liquid of your choice in the straw through the open end, and repeat the sealing process on the other side. Label the straws and cut them open with scissors when you're ready to use them.

6. Organize Clothing

If you don't want to spend hours searching through your backpack to find the right piece of clothing, organize your garments by category (underwear, socks, shirts, etc.), place them in clear plastic zip bags, press all of the air out of the bags, and seal them shut. Now you can find exactly what you need in a pinch!

7. Protect Your Smartphone

Plastic zip bags also work great for smartphones. To protect your phone from water, sand, sunscreen, and various other damaging elements, put it in a clear plastic bag, seal it shut, and then use as normal. The plastic is thin enough that the touch screen will still operate, but is still thick enough to keep out unwanted materials.

8. Pack For An Overnight Trip

It's so convenient to have everything in one roll, especially when it's just for one night. To pack for an overnight trip in one go, lay out the shirt, place the underwear on top, and fold in the sleeves. Place a sock on either side and start to roll up the shirt from the top down until you reach the socks. Then place your toothbrush, hairbrush, and whatever else you need for the stay in the middle and continue rolling. Once you reach the end, fold the protruding socks over the shirt and you'll have a nifty, compact to-go package.

9. Stow Cables Neatly

You'll Need:

• binder clips
• glasses case

Here's How:

Roll up the cables, secure them with a binder clip, and stow the bundles in a glasses case for easy and organized access.

10. Water Plants While You're Away

You'll Need:

• plastic bottle
• box cutter
• screwdriver 

Here's How:

Cut off the bottom portion of the bottle and poke four holes in the lid with a screwdriver. Turn the bottle upside down, stick it directly in the soil in a flower pot, and fill it with water. This automatic water dispenser will take care of the rest so you no longer have to worry about your plants dying while you're away on vacation.

Are you looking forward to your next vacation? With our 10 travel hacks, the next trip should be as comfortable as possible. Bon voyage!