Dear Reader,
Before I started traveling so often, I always admired anyone who could travel with just a carry-on. After 3 years of traveling often, I have got packing a carry-on down to almost a science. In this post, I will tell you how to pack a carry-on and have everything you need for your trip. Of course, this list has to be amended depending on the destination, but these tips and items will save you a lot of headache.
Packing hacks
In this section, I will tell you tips on how to pack to fit more things into a carry-on. They should help you fit all the things you want.
Roll your clothes
This one has been floating around the internet for a long time, but very few people do it. It saves you a lot of space and allows you to bring more things than just folding it. I have been doing this for about four years now and it saved me so many times. I would never go back to just folding my clothes anymore. If we are talking about things that might need to be ironed, they might get a little more wrinkled with this method, but that might happen anyway. Plus you can just hang it in the bathroom when you are taking a shower and it will be as good as new.
Use one packing cube
Packing cubes are another thing that you have seen everywhere. I have recently started using it and love them. You can fit many things in these cubes which then take up less space in your luggage than the items would separately. I really fell in love with them, especially for packing shirts or blouses. It also makes it easier to live out of the suitcase, since you now know exactly where all your shirts are and you don't have to go through your whole suitcase.
Pack your pants on the bottom
Pants are always bulky and if you pack them first you will know how much space you still have left. This does not just apply to pants. If you have a bulky dress, skirt, or anything else, do the same trick. It is also great to avoid taking too much because your suitcase will look full very quickly.
Pack toiletries on top
This is not a packing tip per se, but something that will be very handy at the airport security. They will most likely ask you to take our your liquids so if you already have them on top it will be easier. Also, these days only a few airports still require you to use the plastic bags and are normally okay if you just have them in a separate container. This is just my personal experience mostly from Europe and Asia, so it might be different in the rest of the world.
Items to pack
These are items or tips for items I always take with me and the way I pack so I always have items for the weather I am facing.
Pack combinable outfits
This one is obvious but still not done enough. If you pack two pairs of pants and three shirts, make sure that you can wear all of these in any combination. Like that, you have outfits for six days and are still okay if something gets dirty. If you, for example, pack a dark pair of jeans, you can take a normal shirt for during the day and a nice blouse for going out in the evening. It can save you a lot of space if you do not have to take a different pair of pants for every outfit.
Pack layers
In the past years of traveling, my cardigan has been my best friend. If you pack layers you can always adapt to the weather at the destination. If it warmer than expected you can wear only one or two layers, while if it is cold you can wear all of them. It is the ideal way to make sure you are prepared for every event. My best suggestion is to take a cardigan with you everywhere you go, regardless of the weather forecast. It may rain, it may cool down unexpectedly, or anything else since weather is unpredictable. It does not take a lot of space and might help you in the future.
Miniature toiletries
Since airports only allow you to take in toiletries that are less than 100 ml, you have to make sure everything complies with that rule. You can buy them directly miniature in dm or Muller, or you can buy miniature containers and fill in your own products. Also, try and take as many products in solid form since for those there are no rules about those; for example, if you have a shampoo bar instead of a liquid.
Hope these tips helped you a little and will answer your questions about how to pack a carry-on. If you have tips of your own, feel free to share them in the comments below or on social media.
Kisses,
Juli