1. Collect empty film-containers them to put small amounts of pins/safety pins, hair clips.   The containers keep the items dry and safe.  Also, rolls with bills and coins fit into the containers.

2. Before traveling be sure to bring some thread in the same colors as your clothes; take a small piece of cardboard and wrap the thread around it. Keep extra buttons, needles and thread in an empty film container. This will always be handy to have, for small repairs. 

3. Always bring screw-top bottles, and/or put my shampoo, liquid soap, and lotions in small plastic bags. 

4. When traveling to areas where you may not have access to a washing machine or laundry service, it is important that you bring with you some kind of either shampoo or liquid laundry detergent (you'll only use about 4 ounces in a month in most cases), along with a clothes line and clothes pins. This saves money and time spent trying to find facilities. 

5. Pack a dryer sheet in your suitcase for long flights - this helps to eliminate that 'airplane odor'. Pack a sheet even if you don't fly, and you'll have a 'just washed' air to your clothes when you unpack. 

6. For short breaks, and to save carrying around a large shampoo bottle, pour some into a mini bubble/foam bath bottle (of the type found in hotel bathrooms). 

7. Get the exact size of suitcase you're allowed less an inch for give (I got 27x19x15) and anything made of material put in a plastic garbage bag and suck the air out with your vacuum cleaner hose. It vacuum packs it down to a fraction of the size (of course that's kind of hard to do on the return leg!) Just don't use a razor blade to open the boxes... 

8. To help prevent creasing of suits and garments on hangers, roll up a small towel and place on the inside of where the garments will fold. This will prevent the horizontal crease caused by the fold. 

9. To keep shoes/boots in shape when packing fill them with socks - it also saves space in the suitcase. 

10. To save your clothes getting creased, lay out a towel, then carefully lay your clothes flat on top of it. When you have laid out all your clothes, at one end place your toiletries bag, or a wrapped up pair of shoes, etc., and roll the towel around it. Then place in a barrel bag. When you unroll your clothes, they will come out crease-free. 

11. A small plastic shoe box sized organizer box is invaluable in packing. On the way to your destination, pack it with whatever. On the way back, pack it with small breakables and things you don't want to get bent. It adds very little weight and keeps things better organized and unbroken. 

12. Take small drawstring bags to put clothes into e.g. underwear, t-shirts. It makes it a lot easier to find things without too much rummaging. 

13. Pack your extra pair of shoes in a large zip-lock bag. Pack 12 extra zip lock bags in various sizes to put soiled clothes, not-so-dry towels, or purchases in, as you move from one locale to another. This helps keep other things clean and dry and also things pack tighter and fit easier; when put in zip-locks you can squeeze the air out.