As a traveler, I’m a proud member of team carry-on. Each time I fly, whether it be for a few days or a few weeks, I strive to fit everything into a carry-on bag.
There are plenty of other people who prefer to check a bag, though.
Whether you’re with me on team carry-on or you belong to team checked baggage, there are some universal tips that can be helpful when packing, regardless of your suitcase size.
Read on for TPG’s best general packing tips.
General packing tips
Organization hacks
Packing cubes are a popular topic of discussion here at TPG. Some of us, including TPG editorial director Summer Hull, go so far as to say they will “change your life.”
As a mom of two who travels nearly 100,000 miles yearly, Summer recommends using cubes for family packing. She uses them specifically to divide up the packing by activity and day rather than have each person use a cube for all of their items.
If you’re looking to get started with packing cubes, Summer’s favorite is a $68 five-pack from Calpak.
She likes these for their “thick mesh and polyester material that has held up extraordinarily well across our theme park trips, ski adventures, cruises and beyond.” She also noted that they’ve survived multiple rounds of heat in the dryer without any noticeable impact.
“Additionally, the cubes have waterproof pockets that you can use to keep wet or especially dirty items separate from the rest of the items, meaning that the last morning’s jump in the pool won’t make your whole bag a bit soupy,” she reported.
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The great thing about packing cubes is that you can use them to organize your items by whatever method you prefer. For example, TPG managing editor Madison Blancaflor prefers to divide her items in packing cubes by type (tops in one, bottoms in another, for example).
“Packing cubes, packing cubes, packing cubes is my number-one tip,” she said. “Not only do they help you fit more stuff, but they help you stay organized while you’re traveling.”
She also suggests tucking some things inside of others to save space in each cube, a practice known as “nesting.”
“Knowing how to nest things is helpful — having your belts lay around the outside edges, fitting socks inside your shoes, putting underwear inside bra cups, etc.,” Madison said. “Those small space-saving things add up to a lot more space by the end of it.”
Another tip to help you stay organized while packing is to color coordinate your outfits, per TPG managing editor Erica Silverstein.
“I color coordinate outfits to reduce the number of shoes I need to bring and try to pack pieces that I can dress up or down,” she shared. “For example, I could wear a top with a skirt at night and then with jeans the next day.”
Another space-saving tip that I’ve been practicing for a few years is rolling clothes versus folding them, a technique I learned from my aunt.
How to keep your clothes wrinkle-free
One inevitable issue I always seem to run into when packing is keeping my clothes from wrinkling while in my suitcase. I’ve long placed tissue paper between clothing articles — a tactic from my mother.
Though this works to an extent, some recommend using plastic dry cleaner bags to keep your clothes from wrinkling. Essentially, you pop one item in each bag and then fold them all on top of your bag. The bags stop the friction and thus keep your clothes from wrinkling.
Tips for packing carry-on only
One of my favorite features of my Away carry-on is the built-in battery pack, because I know I’ll always have access to a charger for my phone if needed.
I always advise travelers to keep a portable charger in their carry-on. You never know when you may find yourself at the airport or on an airplane without a charging port.
During the holiday travel season, many of us may be packing winter clothing items. Whether you’re departing for a cold destination or heading to the ski slopes, TPG senior editor Christine Gallipeau reminds us to wear those heavy items rather than take up precious packing space.
“I wear my bulkiest items, which in the winter usually means jeans, my thicker coat and boots,” she said. “That way, I don’t have to use valuable carry-on space for them since I never fly with a checked bag.”
Bottom line
As you head out on your next flight, keep these simple packing tips in mind.
Whether you try out packing cubes for the first time or try rolling instead of folding your clothes (or both), these tips should make packing a little less stressful while saving you space, which is the ultimate goal.
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