Hi from Denver! I have a quick layover and then I’m off to Park City, but I wanted to pop in and say hello! I spent some time working on the following blog post on my last flight and wanted to share it with you this afternoon. This post has been a long time coming!
Tips for Packing Everything in a Carry-On Suitcase
Every time I post a picture of my suitcase on the blog when I am packing for a trip, I’ll inevitably receive a few comments or emails from you guys asking me for my tips on packing everything in a carry-on. I hate checking a bag and want to do everything I can to avoid the fees airlines are charging for checked luggage these days, so I have a handful of tips and tricks I use to ensure I can carry-on nearly every time I travel.
Here are some of my go-to tips:
- Rely on dresses
Packing mostly dresses is probably my number one space-saving tip! By packing a dress, you’re essentially packing a top and a bottom, but you’re saving a ton of space in the process. You can also change the appearance of a basic dress by throwing on a cardigan and belting it or wearing a cute top over the dress so it works as a skirt, too. I did this a lot when I traveled to Europe with my family in 2011.
The same black dress, worn many ways, as seen in my What To Pack for a Trip to Europe post:
- Keep pajamas simple
Sleep naked! Just kidding… unless you’re a nudie sleeper and then you’re clearly good to go! Since I don’t sleep in the buff, I do my best to keep my travel pajamas very simple. I will often rely on a soft long-sleeve shirt that I wear when I travel to a destination as my pajama top once I arrive at the destination so the only thing I have to pack for sleepwear is a small pair of sleep shorts. (My favorite super soft sleep shorts are American Eagle’s aerie brand. They’re crazy comfortable and take up practically no space.)
- Choose black OR brown shoes and purses
By planning your outfits around black OR brown (not both!) shoes and purses, you can limit the number of shoes and and handbags you bring.
- Pack a purse that doubles as a crossbody and a clutch
Crossbody purses with removable straps are the best! I love the ability to wear a crossbody purse in the day when I’m traveling around town and want my hands to be free, but a clutch is fun for the evening when I might want to dress up a bit and carry a bag that looks a little more formal.
I almost always only bring one purse with me when I travel and I try to make it as practical as possible! Some crossbody clutch purses I found that I think would be great for traveling: Kelsi Dagger Crossbody Clutch (I love the mocha color and think it would pair well with a lot of different looks), Mondani Flap Convertible Bag and, for higher budgets or a big splurge, this beautiful Tory Burch bag
- Limit the number of bottoms
I can usually get away with packing a smaller number of bottoms when I travel and typically limit myself to one pair of jeans and a pair of shorts or a skirt (if weather permits) or leggings since pants can take up a lot of room. (I usually don’t need many bottoms since I often rely on dresses.)
- Take advantage of a “personal item”
Most airlines allow you to bring a carry-on and a “personal item” onto the plane with you. I always bring my roll-on suitcase and take serious advantage of my “personal item.” I never make a purse my personal item because I can bring so much more if I use a backpack or a duffle bag.
As long as it’s small enough to cram under the seat in front of you, it’s a go! And you better believe my bag is filled to the brim! (For those who asked, the duffle in the above picture is Sonia Kashuk and while that pattern is no longer available at Target, a new floral print and geometric pattern can be found online and in stores.)
- Share with friends/family
If I am traveling somewhere with my sister, only one of us will pack certain items like a straightener or a curling iron. We’ll also plan to share jewelry, cardigans or other items we know we’ll both use. I try my best to communicate with friends and family ahead of time and consolidate as much as possible so we don’t end up somewhere with four hairdryers!
Question of the Afternoon
- What are some of your space-saving travel tips?
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You’re awesome! My indecisive packing always results in a huge suitcase!
Coordinating on things like hair dryers with the people you’re traveling with is such common sense but I’ve totally overlooked that in the past. Going to have to remember to do that!
I agree with you, I hate checking a bag! I follow a lot of these tips as well. I try to wear my bulkiest clothing on the flight – especially in the winter. That usually means boots, coat, a sweater, etc. I try to remember to refill and organize the toiletries when I get home from a trip so they are already to go for the next one. It makes packing in the future so much easier!
Another great tip is to wear the heaviest piece of clothing you’ll be taking with you on the plane. Also, try to focus on a ‘theme’ of dressing. This, again, goes with dressing in layers as already mentioned. Pick a certain color pattern or design and try to pack all the rest of your clothes around that.
Great suggestion! I will often wear boots on the plane when I travel bc they take up too much room in my suitcase!
Where did you get your suitcase? I love the size and color!
Thank you!! It’s Nicole Miller and my grandma got it at TJMaxx as my college graduation present. 🙂
What do for toiletry items? This is where I always get stuck! A lot of the different face creams and lotions I use don’t come in travel sizes and there I rely on checking my bag.
Bed, Bath, and Beyond has travel size empty bottles that you can buy. Those are super helpful and handy.
What do for toiletry items? This is where I always get stuck! A lot of the different face creams and lotions I use don’t come in travel sizes and there I rely on checking my bag.
You can buy travel size bottles!! I buy them at target and transfer my lotions, etc. 🙂
every time i order from sephora or nordstrom (maybe other places do this too), you get to choose free beauty samples. i always load up on shampoo/conditioner duos, face scrubs, perfume samples and stash them for trips. also, lush has shampoo disks that are a solid so you don’t have to put that in your TSA liquids bag. i also read there are shave bars but i have been unsuccessful finding one where i live.
Great tips! My husband taught me that rolling items of clothing as tightly as possible instead of folding them all up helps free up room too. I find that shoes take up a ton of space, so I try to pack outfits that don’t all need their own pair of shoes. Also, I used to follow the black and brown rule, but it seems as though browns and blacks “go together” now, so that allows a little more flexibility!
Hope your flight goes well! Be ready for SNOW!
Great list of tips. I have a few ways to get the most out of my carry on. I will never take more than one pair of jeans. I wear my bulkiest shoes on the plane this way it takes up the least amount of space in my bag. I too take a huge personal item that I fill with my bathroom goods (dryer, brush, makeup, curling iron..etc) You can also pre-plan your outfits which lets you see how many pieces of clothing you can mix with others to get the most out of each thing you take.
I hope you have a great trip! Take lots of pictures of all that snow 🙂
I always coordinate with my mom when we travel together, one hair dryer, one curling iron, one toothpaste…etc 🙂
My favorite trick when I’m unsure of the temperature is to pack a few short sleeved shirts and a cardigan that I can wear with either jeans or shorts. This worked perfectly last week when I traveled to Tampa to visit my family, the weather was all over the place!
Great tips! I almost always check a bag because I bring way too much stuff. I love the idea of deciding on black OR brown and having items that can be worn several different ways.
these tips are great! I also hate having to check my bags, so I will definitely be using these next time I travel!
I would love to for everything in a carry on but what do you do about bringing shampoo, or contact solution or things like that since they are over the 3 oz limit. Also, what did you do with your winter gear for this grip? Did it all fit?
Target sells 3 ounce bottles you can fill with your favorite products!
i just traveled for the weekend and i was going to be gone for two nights. i had two contact cases so i pre-filled them with solution and only packed the cases in my liquids bag which took up a teeny amount of space. i have a travel sized bottle but didn’t want to use room for it. once the cases were empty i was able to put them in another cosmetics bag inside my suitcase on the return trip.
I plan out my whole trip’s worth of outfits in advance so that I only bring the necessary items. Otherwise, I’ll be like, “oh, maybe I’ll need this cardigan too…” and pack a whole bunch of unnecessary stuff! I like your idea of coordinating with others to save space- that’s a great tip!
I keep travel size toiletries from hotels and use them on future trips, and suck it up and spend the $5 to buy a travel size contact solution and toothpaste when I need them. They really do take up much less room. Like you I only bring 1 pair of jeans and minimal bottoms, and wear my heaviest shoes and layers on the plane. I also pack a black dress that is very versatile, and remember that I only ever wear 50% of what I packed so I lay everything out I want to bring and edit it down before I pack. I also make sure to only bring items that I really love, because that’s all I want to wear on vacation anyway. When packing for a super active trip I’ll wear the same quickdry baselayers, socks, and hiking pants almost every day, which can be washed at night and will be dry by morning, and all I really need is one good functional day outfit and 1-2 night outfits that can be refreshed with a necklace and lipstick.
Great tips! I always make sure to wear my largest pieces on the plane (things like boots, jeans, a chunky sweater) so that I make the best use of my suitcase space 🙂
Love the duffle bag too!
LOVE! So helpful and I never would have thought about your dress trick! I pack clean socks in my shoes and always wear my bulkiest items (heavier jackets, boots, etc.) on to the plane. I’m typically freezing on flights anyways 😉 I also always bring those space saver bags for dirty laundry (you zip it shut and roll out the air), giving me room on the return trip for souvenirs. When I backpacked through Europe, I had 2 space saver bags (1 for dirty and 1 for clean clothes) which saved me!
Love it! I follow all those tips!
Be ready for snow! It is snowing like crazy here in Park City! You’ll have fun!!
I always roll everything in gallon or 2 gallon size plastic baggies and sort of “vacuum seal” my clothing. I once packed for 2 months in Europe in a carry-on; it took a lot of planning, but it was awesome to only have a carry-on once I got there.
Ryan used a vacuum seal bag thing before when I needed to bring a blanket to a bridal shower. 🙂
Such good tips! I’m obsessed with only packing in a carry on as well. I always make sure to wear my biggest shoes while I’m traveling (either boots in the winter or running shoes in the summer) so that they don’t take up any space in my bag!
I used to travel extensively for work (22 trips in 1 year in 2011), once I packed for 2 weeks in a carry-on.
1)Roll your clothes, they take up less space then folded.
2) Buy toiletries at Target, etc, when you arrive. Never bring shampoo/soap/lotion or anything because the hotel has that. Hotel will usually have a hair dryer as well.
3) Wear the largest/heavy items on the plane.
4) Wear mostly black and use scarfs/jewelry to make each outfit a little different. Or, I pack 1 black cardigan and several colorful tanks to go under.
Great ideas! I also roll everything! Saves so much space! And if you are packing shoes, stuff your undies down in them 🙂
I take the free toiletries with me when I stay in hotels, so I always have a stash of travel-size bottles I can use!
This is an awesome post, especially for someone like me who always tends to over-pack. One thing I do like to do is call ahead to see if there is a hair dryer in the hotel room – this saves a lot of space too. I do like the idea of rolling your clothes but does this make this wrinkly upon arrival?
Thanks again for all the tips!
Your original post saved me when I was packing for my trip to Europe last summer. It’s actually how I found your blog! I’ve never missed a day since! 🙂
This makes me so happy!! 🙂
That post was how I found this blog too! It’s now a part of my feed reader. =)
my travel tips…as others mentioned i roll my clothes (& they look beautiful when unrolled), i always work out on vacation so i take 1 pair of bottoms per every two workouts meaning i wear the same bottoms twice and let them air dry and wear again (i really need to start wearing shorts to exercise in on vacay but they skeeve me out and capris offer better germ protection in public gyms). maybe i’m a little weird but i pack my undies/bras in ziploc bags and squeeze the air out (if i check my luggage i get squeamish about the thought of someone i don’t know “touching” my things if my bag got TSA screened). when i travel with my husband we take one toothpaste, 1 razor (we pack an extra blade for me to switch out and use), 1 shave gel. also i try to put my shoes on top with the soles facing out to protect everything else. those airline workers just toss suitcases and don’t care which way they land. also, kind of random but i always put a dryer sheet in my suitcase so my belongings smell nice.
This post has some great tips! I have a few trips scheduled in March, and I would really love to take just a carry-on, but I tend to be an over-packer. Somehow my friend and I managed to share a suitcase on a recent trip, and we thought we had witnessed a miracle!
What great tips! Always enjoy reading your travel posts. Have a blast!
I always take as little as possible and use a carry-on to avoid having to wait around for the baggage claim…I always go with an overall outfit color scheme so everything can mix and match, I pack a lot of leggings because they take up very little room and if I am visiting a friend, I count on their wardrobe too! I wear my sneakers on the plane to avoid packing them and try to stash a small purse inside of my larger one that I use as an extra carry-on piece. Oh, and, once I am done packing, I remove one outfit knowing that I always overpack.
Ahh duh – pack dresses! That’s something I honestly had never thought about, because it’s a top *and* bottom. I’ll be needing this blog post soon, since I’m heading to California and will probably become a frequent flyer (lol I get home sick).
Has no one considered gate checking?!?!? I LOVE this for times when I’m visiting my parents and have long flights with multiple connections. I simply bring my rollerbag through security and then check it at the gate, free of charge! This avoids fees, leaves me with greater flexibity and worrying about dragging less stuff around the airport, and keeps me from searching for space to store my bag on a flight. I have never in the last 8 years had a problem doing this or had my luggage lost. It is a great thing and I am always surprised why more people don’t take advantage of it!
I roll all my clothes when I pack them. That allows me to take more clothes and rolling the clothes takes up less space!
Great tips – I usually end up packing way to many bottoms and jeans take up sooooo much space!
GREAT post! I love these ideas! We go back and forth from Houston to Dallas a lot to visit family, my husband would be so excited if I could pack a smaller suitcase for a weekend stay! haha!
I travel a lot and you are right on with your suggestions. However, I find it hard to wear dresses in cold destinations, especially ski towns, so would love to see what you packed!
I love packing dresses for trips like you said above, They are so fun and easy to dress up! My tip is to pack clothes in neutral or black colours and then tons of jewellery! The jewellery makes it easy to create tons of outfits when you have little clothing and using less clothes and more jewellery takes up less space!
Great tips! I also try to keep it to a carry on, because man, those checked baggage fees make me cringe! I didn’t think of the brown OR black outfits – totally doable!
Thanks as always!
If I’m going somewhere I know I’ll want to buy some souvenirs, I bring disposable clothes. Old shirts I may not want anymore, old socks on their last leg, anything I can toss or donate before I leave so I have more room for things purchased during the trip :).
If you’re heading somewhere and you know you’ll be buying souvenirs, pack toiletries like shampoo, shaving cream, etc in amounts that will last you for your trip but no longer. Throw ’em away at the end of your trip and then you’ve got plenty of room for your goodies!
great advice! your dress in those 3 pictures look TOTALLY different, I would have never guessed! I am soooo indecisive but ill remember these : )
I travel quite a bit for work and hate to check my bag. I roll most of my clothes but fold bulkier items like jeans and blazers. I’ve found that technique works better for me than trying to roll everything. I use the hotel conditioner in place of shave cream for my legs. I pack a couple plastic bags for dirty clothes and to separate any sweaty gym clothes on the return flight. I keep a couple extra zip lock bags in case my “TSA” liquids bag breaks mid-trip, or if I want to store part of a snack while I’m traveling. Someone asked about contact lens solution – a number of brands to sell TSA compliant travel sizes. I’ve seen them at Walgreens, Walmart, etc. You might try looking online if you can’t find a specific brand.
Definitely agree about taking dresses. Huge space saver.
Great tips, thanks for sharing! I forget where I picked up this tip, but rolling up your garments helps save a lot of space AND can help keep things from getting huge creases and wrinkles in them. You can fit so much in the nooks & crannies when you roll up your clothes instead of fold them into squares!
Park City is so close to me! Too bad you’re there just before Sundance kicks off, but even so PC is one of my favorite small towns and you’ll absolutely fall in love. Check out Olive and Tweed on Main Street, super cute little boutique. And the Fatali gallery is truly breathtaking. Enjoy your stay!
I roll my jeans! Tip learned from the hubby 😉 It somehow conserves space when you roll your clothes versus folding.
Also, did you not check a bag when you went to Europe?! Impressive. I like these tips, thanks!
I’m all about the carry on. Thanks for the tips! I love the cross body bag in your Europe pic. What is it if you don’t mind me asking? I thought I was an expert packer, but you got this:) the convertible dress is brilliant!
Awesome tips! I’m big on rolling all of my clothes (it really does make a difference) and I always wear my bulkiest pair of shoes/boots on the plane. Also, this might sound a little funky, but I’ll often plan to re-wear workout clothes while on vacation. If I know I’m just going to be getting sweaty in them again, I really don’t feel the need to start fresh every day. Packing 2 or 3 workout outfits as opposed to 5-7 makes a big difference!
I’m a PRO at packing a carry-on bag only. I’m a musician so I always have an instrument with me as my personal item, which means I also need to fit my purse into my carry-on suitcase! Obviously I never have more than one purse with me, and I make sure it’s small. I limit unnecessary excess toiletry items and generally just pack on the light side. I’m NOT an over-packer, quite the opposite.
I first found your blog when you were posting about your Europe trip!
My problem is usually coming back! Somehow I seem to acquire a lot more stuff when I am traveling and am just not as good as packing it up at the end of a trip!
i’m SUCH an over-packer! i guess the only tip i can offer is: hide your stuff in your hubby’s bag! 🙂