How To Pack a Carry On

Traveling is fun. Packing? Not so much. It’s easy to want to bring everything just in case – but then you’re stuck lugging around heavy suitcases instead of enjoying your adventures. Plus nowadays so many airlines charge for checked bags, so packing a carry on is a great way to save money when you travel! To save time, money, and my sanity at the airport, I’ve learned how to pack a carry on quite efficiently, and I can even fit up to two weeks worth of outfits + toiletries. Here’s how I do it!

Pick the Right Carry On

First things first, you’ve got to start with the right bag. For weekend trips, I take nothing more than a tote or duffel bag. They can hold 2-3 changes of clothing plus sleepwear and toiletries. For any longer trip, I grab my favorite suitcase of all time, the Away Bigger Carry On. It’s super spacious, incredibly lightweight, rolls easily, and comes with an ejectable battery that totally changes the game when charging on the go. Lastly, the built in laundry bag and the mesh zipper on one side makes compartmentalizing everything super easy from the beginning to the end of the trip. Hands down the best item that was on our wedding registry, and yes, it does fit in overhead bins!

Color Coordinate Your Travel Wardrobe

My favorite packing tip actually happens before you fold anything – choose your travel wardrobe wisely! Whether you like to wear neutrals or colorful patterns, planning your travel wardrobe around a theme or certain colors will make packing easier. I usually wear neutrals with a pop of color, so I like to pick one color to play around with. This is my philosophy for getting dressed generally, but I find it even more important while traveling. Lately I’ve been gravitating towards reds and oranges! Choosing a color ahead of time also makes selecting my vacation rental pieces easier. When you plan your wardrobe around a color (or a theme, like stripes), you won’t be stuck with clothing that doesn’t match – plus, your feed will look really pretty with all your pictures from the trip!

Roll Like Items Together

By now you’ve probably heard that rolling your clothes up takes up less space than folding them. You know what takes up even less space? Rolling like items together. Here’s what I do: lay out all my tops, folded in half, on top of one another. Then I roll the whole bunch together! I end up with one roll of tops, one of pants, and one of dresses and skirts, so two to three really big rolls, versus 10-15 small rolls. I find that the larger rolls make it easier to find items, keep pieces less wrinkled, and save space. If you need more help understanding my rolling method, you can watch it here!

Lastly, I’m a huge believer in separating your clothes from your shoes & toiletries, so I like to put all my clothing on one side of the suitcase, and pack my toiletry bag and shoes on the other side. Although I don’t use packing cubes, they might be helpful for you if you struggle to organize your carry on. But I promise if you use my packing method, you’ll be able to fit everything you need for your upcoming trip!

Do you have any helpful tips for how to pack a carry on?