Packing Tips?

[Adventurer]

We have started packing to go to NZ.
Boxes and cases to go by sea freight.
Can anyone give some packing tips please.
Tips to protect fragile items?
What about clothes?
Should one use any silica gel?
Pack clothes with poly bags with holes or without holes?
Any and all tips useful.

[ag28com]

We have just finished our sea freight packing, and have made use of bubblewrap for fragile items (bubblewrap is available cheaply on eBay).

We wrapped electrical items (especially my expensive hifi) in sheets and blankets as these need to 'breathe' as far as possible. Electrical items can be affected by the condensation that can build up in cold environments such as the ship hold and customs storage warehouses. For this reason, I would also pack clothes in polybags with holes. Silica gel migt be a help to soak up moisture, but I don't think it prevents other items being affected in the cartons you use it in.

You might be better putting clothes in your suitcases, unless you have an extensive wardrobe. Remember that you pay for each carton you ship, but your aircraft hold luggage is included in your flight ticket. The luggage alowance varies by the route you take to NZ.

Going via Los Angeles, the allowance is 2 pieces of luggage up to 32K each, and 32KG per person going via Dubai (irrespective of the actual number of cases you have).

[MotherBear]

We used a LOT of bubblewrap. I often refer to myself as The Bubblewrap Queen, as I use so much of it when we're on the move. It?s lightweight, flexible and if it?s wrapped around objects well enough, can provide a nice cushion-effect. With some of the bigger items that were in danger of suffering damage, we put them in boxes large enough to hold cushions or other soft furnishings (bedding, pillows, towels etc.) or large bits of polystyrene stuffed around them to give protection and to keep them away from the box walls. When we ran out of suitable material, we crumpled up paper supplied by the shippers and rammed that between items and the walls of the boxes. You have to bear in mind, when packing, that these boxes will be turned upside down, banged, knocked and possibly dropped and it?s good to pack accordingly. Make sure the boxes are quite tightly filled to the top, even if you have to top them up with crumpled paper. I saw our boxes being completely turned over 360 deg. before they went into the container and was relieved that we had done this to stop things moving around inside the boxes. Also in boxes containing fragile items, we lined the bottom with polystyrene slabs where available and this helped when the boxes were set down rather clumsily. Take care inside the boxes that all items that could bump against each other are separated with sufficient padding to prevent this as chipping, cracking or damage from chafing could result.

Clothing we put into long boxes, which allowed for lying the clothes horizontally flat, so there was a minimum of creasing. We also had a few wardrobe boxes where the clothes hang on a rail, but we were warned (and then discovered for ourselves) that the clothes often come off the rail and just lie in a heap in the bottom. I?d hoped to just unhook the clothes off the rails and hang them in their new location, but it didn?t work out like this. We haven?t had any experience of using silica gel packs as our container was only under way for 2 weeks, but I would think they might help rather than hinder. Just make sure that whatever you?re packing is perfectly dry to begin with. There must have been a small amount of water in the tube of a kitchen appliance, which had worked its way out in one of our boxes and some items with metal bits on them had rusted.

To sum up, when you are packing your boxes, consider what would be the result if you kicked the walls. If you?re happy that there?s enough material around the items to cushion against any blow, then there?s a good chance that all will be well.

[selchie]

I'm a bubblewrap fiend, too. I've been hoarding it for years, just in case. Good thing we have an attic. One thing I plan to do with fragile objects is to double-box them, with padding between the boxes. Assume your boxes will be abused.

I've heard recommendations to not seal up items in impermeable plastic because mildew is more likely to form. I've also heard that if you're getting a shipping container, that you inspect it from the inside. Close the doors, and look for light. Maybe even check the gaskets on the doors (if they have them). You'll want the container to be as watertight as possible, to keep more moisture from coming in on the long sea voyage.

I think that shipping our belongings will be the most nervewracking part of the move for me - I'm so protective of my stuff.

[jadet]

Selchie- I love your sig line, totally made me laugh.

I've been thinking on this lots! Hmm. I thought that packing things like books with a gabage bag around them inside the box might be good. I can't imagine that mildew would get through it and I live in a very dry place where they wouldn't have much moisture to start with. ?

I'm just plain getting rid of a bunch of things that are fragile that I can live without. Things like the china I've got to put in something good. Thinking of buying those special dish boxes? Anyone tried them?

My husband loves the giant roles of plastic wrap, to keep things together like the padding blankets on the couch, etc. He also used it for keeping garden tools together on this last move. But I think I won't raise the ire of the MAF by bringing my old rusty tools to NZ.

[selchie]

Selchie- I love your sig line, totally made me laugh.

Thanks. We're in limbo right now, so it seemed appropriate. Though i supose "wake me for the interview" would be more fitting.

Wish I knew how moist the air inside those shipping containers get while they're bounding on the main. Pray for a quick voyage, I suppose, so you can open it up and air it out ASAP.