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By Harriette Halepis

If you’re planning on embarking on a summertime vacation journey, you might want to jot down a few luggage tips before you decide to take off. While millions of people move in and out of airports every day without losing luggage, thousands of these people are not so lucky.

Lost luggage can be more than a simple nuisance. Losing your luggage means waiting in one spot for days as an airline tries to retrieve it. In addition, if you lose your luggage you will probably have to spend some unbudgeted money shopping for all of those things that you have lost – especially if you have lost the basic things that you need in order to continue your trip.

The good news is that you are reading this article before you leave for your trip, which means that you will know how to keep your luggage out of harm’s way. How? Well, simply take a look at the following tips.

•Differentiate: don’t buy luggage that looks like all the rest. If you choose a standard black luggage bag, then you run the risk of someone else snatching your bag by accident. Instead, try and find a bag that doesn’t look like any other luggage you’ve ever seen before.

•Identify: place a red ribbon, a tag, or some other identifying mark on your bag before you leave. This way, you can recognize your luggage immediately.

•Deduce: don’t pack your vacation essentials (passport, toothbrush, visas, toiletries) in a bag that you will not carry onto an airplane with you. Instead, bring a carry-on bag filled with enough stuff for two full days – and always carry important papers with you.

•Re-pack: do you really need to check any bags? If you can avoid checking any baggage, this is the smartest thing to do. This way, you won’t run any risk of losing luggage.

If you must check a bag or two, consider placing a GPS tracker into each bag that you check (make sure that your airline will allow this device on-board first). A GPS tracker is also convenient if you plan to take a bus, boat, or train during your vacation.

While a GPS Tracker might not prevent lost or stolen luggage, it may give help you track down your bags when you need them. Keep in mind that vacations are supposed to be relaxing and hassle-free, so try and avoid any extra baggage if you can.