Want to know what is the most efficient way to pack a carry-on? Well, you landed on the right page. I’m sharing the best carry-on packing hacks I’ve used over the years.
Since I’ve been packing for travel for two decades now, I’ve learned many carry-on packing hacks while traveling. I began traveling worldwide after enlisting in the Air Force 21 years ago. I’ve had to travel to PCS (move) to another base for deployments, and going TDY, temporary duty travel, to another location to work too.
Besides traveling for work, I also travel around the world for leisure. I love taking vacations with family, trips with friends, and weekend getaways.
Needless to say, I’ve had my fair share of traveling on airplanes. That’s why I’m excited to share the travel packing hacks I’ve mastered over the years.
These space-saving packing tips will come in clutch for your next vacation. By the time you finish reading this post, you’ll be less stressed and ready to take on your next travel adventure.
This post contains affiliate links to the products that I use and recommend. If you click on any of the links and make a purchase, then I may earn a small commission. For more info, click my full disclosure.
Why should you travel with carry-on luggage only
There are many pros to why you should be traveling with carry-on luggage only.
No waiting in long lines
The first pro is not having to wait in long lines to check in a bag. In the US, you can check in online 24 hours ahead and get your boarding pass. Then once you arrive at the airport, you can go straight to security, cutting your wait time tremendously.
However, if you are taking checked luggage with you, you will still have to stand in line and check your luggage and put your luggage on that dreadful scale and pray that it’s not over 50 pounds.
No worries about lost luggage
Secondly, have you ever made it to your travel destination, and waited for your bags on the conveyor belt to find out that it’s not there?!
The tragedy, I know.
I’m sure we’ve all been there at least once. You, along with thousands and thousands of other passengers, have their luggage lost or misplaced every year. If you’ve seen the news, you’ll notice that there’s been a drastic increase in lost luggage over the past few years.
However, if you are traveling with a carry-on only, you ain’t gotta worry about that because you will have your bag in hand. Yes!
Not having to wait for bags at the destination
That brings me to my next pro of traveling with a carry-on.
If you are traveling with only a carry-on, you don’t have to wait 30 minutes, sometimes hours, for your bags to arrive.
What does that mean for you? That means you can get to your hotel sooner, change into that bikini, lay out on the beach, and sip on some mai-tais immediately.
Doesn’t that sound better than waiting around for your luggage?
You will save money
Last but not least. A huge reason for taking a carry-on only is not having to PAY for checked luggage.
More and more airlines are separating the ticket costs and charging you separately for bringing checked bags. The difference in price from carry-on only to checked luggage is steep.
This is one of the main reasons why I started traveling with carry-on bags more and checking less. The tickets are just cheaper this way. Plus, you save money. Save those dollars for something else, like good food.
Picking the Right Bag is Crucial
First, before we get to all of the incredible carry-on packing hacks and what to put in it. You must know that it matters what type of bag you purchase to take advantage of these carry-on packing hacks.
You’ll need a bag that meets the airline’s size requirements of course. Then, you’ll want to get a durable, reliable, and functional suitcase too.
The question is, do you go with a hard shell or fabric suitcase? I’ve used both types of suitcases over the years, and they have pros and cons. Typically the hard shell suitcases are two-sided, and each side tends to be more shallow than a fabric suitcase.
On the other hand, since the fabric suitcase opens on one side only, it tends to be deeper, and easier to pack more things by stacking.
However, I like the hard shell luggage because it’s more durable and lasts longer.
The fabric tends to tear more easily at the seams. Especially the handles, over time the handles start separating from the suitcase because of all the picking up and pulling.
Carry-On packing hacks – ROAM luggage to the rescue
I love my luggage by ROAM. ROAM’s carry-on luggage is a piece of quality hard shell luggage, and it’s fully color-customizable too.
Yes, my friends, you can customize the color of the outer shell, the zippers, handles, wheels, etc. I customized my gorgoues luggage in Carolina Lilac and white, and I love how stylish it is.
Besides being pretty and a show-stopper, my carry-on luggage has impressive qualities.
I like that this carry-on luggage is super light and it weighs only 7.3 pounds. Plus, it’s the lightest carry-on luggage I’ve had. And when it comes to how much your luggage weighs matters.
Plus, ROAM’s carry-on comes with two compression boards with pockets on the front for storing more items inside. Then once you pack your suitcase, put the compression boards on top of the clothes and strap them down.
See my full review here if you’d like to learn more about Roam’s luggage.
To shop for ROAM’s carry-on luggage, click here. Use my code ms_southernverse for a $50 discount!
Next, pack an extra foldable bag for souvenirs
I know most of us like to pick up a souvenir or two from the places we travel to. You may be wondering how in the world can I bring something back in a carry-on bag only?
I got you, my friend!
There are a few ways to bring souvenirs back. The first carry-on packing hack is to bring another smaller (empty) bag that’s foldable and doesn’t take up too much space. That way, if you decide to buy souvenirs but don’t have enough room in your carry-on, you can place those souvenirs (or your dirty clothes) in the empty bag and check it on the way back.
Checking a bag on the way back home won’t be nearly as devastating if the airline temporarily loses it because you will be home and have more clothes at the house.
The next carry-on packing hack is to leave a corner of the luggage empty, just enough space for you to bring back a souvenir.
Plan your Outfits according to your Travel Activities
Now that we have the perfect carry-on bag, it’s time to start packing our clothes.
But first, before you start throwing any and everything in that bag, you need to plan your outfits according to your travel activities.
Some questions to ask yourself first
- What’s the weather like?
- Is this a beach vacation?
- Is this a relaxing vacation?
- How many days is the vacation?
- What activities do I have planned?
One of my special carry-on packing hacks is to plan out activities ahead of time.
Planning out my itineraries ahead of time helps us know what we are doing for most of our trip. I don’t like wasting too much time wandering the street, not knowing what to do or where to go. That’s why I thoroughly plan it.
Plus, planning ahead helps me and my family to pack lightly and strategically. I’m usually the one that’s doing all of the travel planning, and then I discuss the activities we are doing with the family.
What helps me tremendously with planning is using a travel planning checklist like this one.
Travel Planning like a boss
Also, using a travel planner helps my family coordinate outfits with our activities.
For instance, if we are going to the beach on day 1, we need to pack beachwear such as swimwear, sunglasses, hat, sunblock, flip flops, etc. Think of everything you think you’ll need for that outfit. I didn’t say pack everything; just “think” of everything first.
If we are riding dune buggies in the desert of Morocco, then we need to pack the proper attire for that. Typically, clothes that won’t hurt from getting muddy such as workout clothes, old t-shirts, and closed-toe shoes.
Then, of course, if you’ve planned a dinner at an upscale restaurant, you’ll want to have at least one dressed-up outfit for that dinner.
Let’s say you are going on a seven-day vacation. Plan your outfits for each day and the activity.
This travel planner will be an awesome carry-on packing hacks tool to help you plan everything out.
Plan your vacation ahead of time now, then just sit back and enjoy it when you are there. Stress-free.
The Secret is…”YOU got to Coordinate”
With that being said, coordinating your clothes is essential if you want to travel with a carry-on only. You can do this by creating a mini capsule wardrobe.
In essence, a capsule wardrobe has several pieces of clothing that can go together. The capsule includes sticking to a specific color scheme, such as neutrals, black, or gray, and then having an item or two with a pop of color.
For instance, say you pack two pairs of pants: one pair of blue jeans and one black pair. Essentially you could wear those two pairs of jeans over and over again on your entire trip, but change up the shirt you wear each time.
By having a color scheme, it allows you to mix and match shirts and pants cohesively. Your one white shirt would go with a multitude of bottoms. Your one pair of pants can go with several different tops as well.
I know, who wants to wear just jeans? Boring!
But let me tell ya girl; you can bring that dress too. With this carry-on packing hack, you can bring that one staple dress and wear it multiple ways.
If you bring a simple black dress, you can wear it “as is” one day with all its glory. Then another day you can wear it as a skirt by donning a sweater or a cute shirt as the top.
Now you got yourself two outfits!!
Carry-on packing hacks to save space
The next carry-on packing hacks I love to use for saving space is not packing another outfit for traveling back home. Let me explain. Instead of wearing two different outfits just for traveling, I will re-wear my airport outfit.
You can wear your traveling outfit when you’re flying out, then re-wear that same outfit coming back home. Likewise, you can re-wear your traveling outfit again while on vacation.
If you don’t feel comfortable re-wearing an outfit without washing it, I understand, but there’s a hack for that too.
You can wash your travel outfit in the sink or bathtub of the hotel once you arrive or have the hotel clean it for you. See. Easy peasy.
Lay It All Out – Carry-On Packing Hacks 101
One of the best travel packing tips I use is laying everything out before packing my suitcase. You can do this by laying everything on your bed or sofa.
This way, you can visually see everything you want to take. Plus, this is where the mixing and matching come in handy too. I usually pair my outfits together and see if it’s actually going to work for me.
If I’m wearing the same pair of pants more than once, I’ll just put two shirts on top of it to see exactly what I’m wearing.
Then I lay out all my undies, bras, and undershirts on the bed too. If I’m going on a seven-day trip, I do not pack seven different undershirts.
I usually will pack 1-2 black undershirts and one white. I will only pack 1-2 bras, plus the one I will be wearing that day, but I always pack at least 1 to 2 extra pairs of underwear.
Now let’s talk about shoes…
Next, you’ll want to pair the shoes that will go with your outfits. I will pack one pair of tennis shoes that will go with multiple outfits. They are usually a solid color like black or white. Then I’ll take one pair of sandals, which usually gets the job done, and flip-flops to wear. If I want/need to wear boots, I’ll make it a point to wear them on the plane.
Anywho, it helps to know what I need to add or take away after I have everything laid out.
*Side note* Okay, let’s be real, most of the time after I do all of that, I try on my clothes. First, to see if they match, and second to see if I can still fit them…LOL
Next, don’t forget to pair your jewelry with what you’re wearing too. You don’t want to take your entire jewelry collection with you. Just take a couple of staple pieces that will go with multiple outfits. To organize your jewelry and keep in a safe place, I recommend using this cute personalized jewelry box.
For a full list of packing essentials for carry-on and checked luggage, click here.
Get Your Roll On
After you’ve laid everything out and know what you are packing, it’s time to start putting it in the suitcase. This next carry-on packing hack I like to use is rolling up my clothes.
Rolling is a unique method I learned a long time ago after joining the military. Since we travel so much, we are constantly coming up with new ways to pack more efficiently.
Therefore, when you roll up your clothes, you save tons of space in your luggage. It gives you more room to pack and fit more things.
And by using the rolling method, we learned to pack more stuff in our luggage for long 6-month deployments and PCS moves.
Additionally, you can see more of your outfits this way when you roll your clothes and pack them in your suitcase.
Now, the best way to roll your clothes is to start by folding them in half.
I know. I know, but it works!
For instance, fold your pants in half with one leg on top of the other, then start rolling it from the ankles up to the waist.
Next, for your shirts, fold them in half from sleeve to sleeve, then tuck in the sleeves, and start rolling from the bottom.
Pack. Pack. Packing Cubes.
I don’t remember when I started using packing cubes; it has to be over ten years ago. Whew, child! Anywho, once I started using packing cubes, it was GAME OVER from then. I haven’t been back to packing regularly since.
Using packing cubes like these has been a game-changer!!
First off, packing cubes keeps your clothes organized. Once you pack your clothes in a cube, you will know where it is. You don’t have to go through piles of clothes in your suitcase looking for a specific shirt. Nope, all you have to do is unzip your cube, and wa la, it’s there.
Not only do packing cubes keep you organized, but these packing cubes will keep your clothes compressed. Meaning you can fit more clothes in it and save space at the same dang time.
Don’t get me wrong; everyone doesn’t like to use packing cubes like my daughter. But the difference between her suitcase and mine is monumental. Considering when she opens her suitcase, her clothes splatters everywhere, and she has to dig to find what she wants.
Plus, she has a dual-sided suitcase, and her clothes are all a jumbled mess when she opens it.
The clothes she packed on one side is toppled on the other side. Just a hot mess! But you know teens..she’ll soon learn to come over to the other side one day.
Not just about Cubes
Besides packing cubes, other people may use travel space-saver bags like this one. Which is fine, I use to use those bags as well. But I’ve also learned that those plastic bags start to weigh much more once you vacuum out all the air.
Consequently, you must be careful with how much you pack if you prefer that organization method.
Carry-on packing hacks Pro Tip* Whether you use packing cubes or not, you should invest in a luggage scale. All these great space-saving packing tips I’m giving you will allow you to pack more stuff.
However, be mindful of the airline’s guidelines and weight restrictions. Just because you’re saving space doesn’t mean you won’t end up being overweight.
Carry-On Packing Hacks for Traveling with Liquids
Here’s one of the most important carry-on packing hacks for traveling with liquids. First off, get yourself some travel-size bottles like this one. When traveling with carry-on only, you won’t have the luxury of bringing full-size toiletries like shampoo.
But why would you want to lug around that big ole bottle anyway?
Instead, purchase a set of TSA-approved travel bottles for your liquids. You can use these for bringing your body wash, face wash, toner, and lotion.
Then you should grab some small containers (cream jars) like this for your face cream. I like using the pots instead of the bottles because it’s easier to transfer the face cream over to it. Plus, it’s easier to use at your destination.
Whereas, squeeze bottles are best for transferring body wash, lotions, and shampoos in them.
Yes! More carry-on packing hacks for other liquids
Do you like rosewater on your face to hydrate your skin? Don’t worry about leaving it behind because you can also purchase a travel-size spray bottle.
Are you an essential oils person like me? I use oils on my skin and love lavender to spray on sheets and in the air for some zen. So instead of bringing your four bottles of essential oils, put some in a travel-size bottle.
Or another carry-on packing hack that I prefer instead of using a 3 oz bottle is to keep and reuse the empty oil bottle the scent came in and refill that up for traveling.
Read Next: Must-Have Beauty Essentials
Well, Roshunda, why not just buy the travel-size toiletries in the store?
There’s no need to waste more money on buying those products each time you travel because you already have this stuff at home.
I’d rather you spend your money at your destination on delicious food and souvenirs. When you purchase reusable travel-size bottles, you’ll save yourself some money.
We sampling and sampling and sampling well
The next carry-on packing hack I love is collecting sample sizes and using them for travel. For example, have you ever gone to the mall and they give you those tiny bottles of perfume? Okay, perfect.
Those tiny bottles are great for traveling. I’ve kept my sample-size bottles over the years and pack them with me for traveling. I have samples from Victoria’s Secret, Marc Jacobs, and more.
Don’t waste your space on bringing bigger size perfume bottles. Trust. You’re not going to use that much in a few days anyway.
Okurrr!!
Carry on packing hacks Pro Tip* Are you traveling with family or friends? This travel packing hack is an easy one that some may overlook. If you are traveling with family or friends, you can pack with each other.
For instance, if I’m packing toiletries such as body and face wash, then my daughter will not pack that. She will use mine and save room in her luggage.
Moreover, since we both wear makeup, I’ll let her pack the eyeshadow palette in her bag, and I’ll pack the brushes in mine.
That way, we are not both packing the same thing in each bag when we can share. Therefore maximizing more space to pack other things.
Wear your Bulkiest Clothes on the Plane – Carry on Packing Hacks 101
Next, let’s get into why you should wear your bulkiest clothes and shoes on the airplane.
First off, these carry-on packing hacks are necessary in order to save space. Just think about it.
Do you have a favorite pair of boots you love to wear because it’s oh so comfortable and broken in?
But ask yourself, just how big are those boots? Do they come to your ankles or go up the thigh?
Either way, I’m sure they are chunky and take up tons of space, especially in carry-on luggage.
Therefore, if you can’t leave home without those bulky shoes, you must wear them to your travel destination.
Besides shoes, some clothes, such as a wool sweater or an oversized coat, can be bulky and take up loads of space. If you must bring it, try to wear it instead.
But it’s too hot!!
If it’s too hot to wear the sweater, another carry-on packing hack is to use clip-ons.
With a travel clip like this one, you can clamp it to your roller bag or personal bag and let it hang on the side to keep your hands free. That way, you won’t take up half of your suitcase with that bulky sweater.
The next reason you’ll want to wear your bulkiest item on the plane is that it may have plenty of weight to it too. And depending on where you’re going, how much your carry-on luggage matters.
You don’t want it to be overweight because the airline will make you check your bag or pull something out if it is.
Ultimately, if you think wearing those chunky shoes or boots on the plane will be too much, you should leave them at home.
Let’s get Personal. Personal. Why your Personal Bag is a Life-Saver
The Ultimate carry-on packing hacks include using your personal bag to the fullest, people!
The majority of domestic and international airlines will allow you to bring a personal bag regardless of what type of ticket you have.
A personal bag can be a purse or a small book bag. Generally, a bag that’s small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you.
Now some people will only bring a purse as a personal bag. But not you, my friend. You are a smart packer, and you will utilize this benefit to the fullest.
And this is how.
First, decide on what type of personal bag you prefer to carry. Some like to carry a travel bookbag like this one. While others live by carrying a tote bag like this one.
Carrying a bookbag
I’ve been traveling with a bookbag for years because that’s what the military gives us for deployments. I like those backpacks, especially because they are durable, have many pockets, and have several compartments.
There are compartments for your laptop, a pocket for your water bottle, and smaller pockets for pens, medicine, etc. Plus, it has plenty of loops for attaching items.
However, those military-grade backpacks can be heavy, and unless you are a backpacker or someone hiking in the woods, you won’t need this grade of durability for a beach vacation.
Therefore other travel backpacks like these are lighter and more stylish than military-grade ones.
Vs. Carrying a tote bag
Next, the other type of personal bag that travelers love to carry is tote bags. Tote bags are convenient because they can also fit plenty of items in them.
Plus, some are similar to BIG purses and has many convenient pockets and compartments for your electronics and water bottles. Making it the perfect travel companion.
This inexpensive tote bag has a separate zippered clothing and tech compartment. You can unzip this bag and open it flat like a suitcase if needed.
Plus, it has a travel-friendly strap on the back so you can slide it on your roller bag handle instead of carrying it in your hand.
After deciding on which personal bag to use
It’s time to pack it.
First, you should pack carry-on essentials in your personal bag, such as hand sanitizer, wipes, and lotion.
Then include your electronics, such as your laptop, kindle e-reader, chargers, and earbuds.
Similarly, even if you use only some of your electronics on the plane, it helps to pack them in your personal bag instead of your roller carry-on suitcase. It will “make life easier” going through security.
Then after that, if you need to put your laptop in your roller bag, you can. I do this sometimes if I don’t want to have the extra weight on my back. But only do this after going through security.
Don’t get caught slippin’ and not pack your blanket scarf. A blanket scarf can double as a jacket or as a pillow. However, clamp it to the outside of your bag using a travel clip since it is bulky.
Additionally, if you use packing cubes, you could put one of the smaller cubes in the tote bag.
Lastly, don’t forget to pack your toiletry bag in your personal bag for an easy way to get through security.
For a full list of packing essentials for carry-on or checked luggage, click here.
Carry-On Packing Hacks Final thoughts
As you can see, traveling with only a carry-on isn’t a complex task. As long as you plan ahead and use these carry-on packing hacks, you’ll save money, space, and time.
I’d love to hear about your travels and how these packing hacks have helped you. Leave a comment below. Save this post for later.
