When it comes to traveling, especially with the upcoming holidays, comes the very troublesome problem of trying to pack neck ties into a suitcase without destroying them. Here are a few methods you can try:
The Standard
Most people will roll their ties and sit them on top of their clothes in a suitcase, or they will put them inside of clothing or shoes in an attempt to protect them. Now, most of the time this is effective enough. However, there is always the worry and the possibility that the suitcase, and thus your ties will get squished and compressed. Also, if you happen to be traveling by plane, there is the problem of dealing with the TSA. And in all honesty, they aren't there to treat your suitcase and its contents with the best of care, so should your bag be subject to a random search, the safety of a good tie just can't be ensured. If concerned about spills from other products in your bag, a Ziploc bag is always a good idea to protect neck ties from these catastrophes. So, all in all this method does get the job done, but there are also certain risks associated with it that you might not be willing to take if you are traveling with many high quality ties that you want to be able to use after this trip.
Tie Cases
One newer standard is just to buy a tie traveling case. It keeps the ties protected from any types of spills, they can't get crushed and creased, and you can store multiple ties to take along on your trip. Probably the only negatives to the tie cases are that they take up more space in your suitcase, space that could be very valuable. Also, tie carriers can range in cost and quality from $30 to over $100. Now if this is in your budget, or if you really travel a lot, than these can really be worth the cost. However, if you are the type that rarely travels with neck ties, it might be more economical for you to use a different traveling method for your ties.
Reusing Cylindrical Containers
Now this one may sound a bit odd, but it actually is remarkably useful and cheap. All you really have to do is take a clean, cylindrical container, gently roll your tie, and place it in the container. The container keeps the tie safe from spills, takes up less room than some tie cases, and keeps the tie from gaining any unsightly folds or creases. Now these containers could range from a Ziploc one that you bought at the store, to a cleaned Talenti jar after you've eaten the gelato out, to even a take out container from wonton soup. Granted, some of these will be more stable and full-proof than others. But the point is, this is a unique alternative route to keep your ties safe, in shape, and to do it on a budget.
Traveling with ties can be extremely difficult if you haven't done it before. Everyone has at least one horror story of how their tie was destroyed by improper packing. Hopefully one, or all, of these methods can be of use to those of you that travel with ties for work or special situations.
