How to pack a Carry-On

When you arrive in a new place, the first thing that you want to do is get out of the airport and go exploring!

Waiting for luggage to roll through on the carousel at the airport, is one of my least favorite things to do. Maybe your bag is damaged, your stuff has been rifled through, or maybe it’s missing altogether… ugh!

So, my husband and I decided enough was enough on the waiting stuff, and we need to figure out how to go straight to the whip no baggage claim!

Some research and Youtube videos later, we had a game plan.

First, I had to get better about actually planning outfits before even packing… not fun, at first, but once I saw the benefits, it’s almost as fun as planning the trip!

Next, we needed some tools. We both have our trusty backpacks and weren’t really looking to spend more money on the carry-on bag, but finding things to use inside the bag, made all the difference.

We hit up our local TJ Maxx and scoured the travel section for… dun dun nanaaaaa….packing cubes!

There are many types of packing cubes you can get, some small, big, clear, plastic, mesh… we even found a clear one made specifically for liquids that came with refillable bottles and containers, that were just the right size!

There are cubes for clothing and shoes and more, but the ones that I am obsessed with and use every trip are expandable packing cubes!

These little beauties are… hmm just thinking about them makes me smile! They are so genius! I have multiple sets in different sizes and I have broken some zippers on some, but I absolutely swear by these!

My backpack has a few sections to work with so this is how I pack it.

The back section is thin and has a sleeve for your laptop. If I am taking my computer on the trip, it goes in a thin carrying case and into the sleeve, along with documents, or notebooks.

If the laptop is not coming I use this sleeve for flip flops! No matter the destination, the flip flops are great for walking around in hot places, and if we are going somewhere colder, I wear the flip flops in the hotel room.

Next, is the big section of the backpack and if I need more shoes than the pair I am wearing to the airport, and my flip flops, I will put the shoes on the sides of this section. In between the shoes goes the expandable packing cube. I load all of my clothes as flat as I can in the cube and then zip it all the way around, this then removes the excess air making it a flat rectangle of clothes. Yes, sometimes your clothing gets a bit wrinkled in the process, but, most hotels have irons, or you can get you a travel wrinkle remover spray (my fave, as I’m not great at ironing).

Now all that is left are toiletries and makeup, which I pack separately. I can usually then fit the make up bag in that big section with the flat packing cube and the toiletry bag will go in the smaller, front section. This way I know where it is and can take it out easily when going through security.

Another thing that I always try to remember to pack, is an empty tote bag for when you’re traveling around in a new place and need to carry stuff, but not your whole backpack. These can usually fit in the side of the backpack where the bottle holders are.

I clip a hat to the handle of the backpack, for just in case I have a weird hair day and just want to throw a hat on, it’s there!

And then your done!

Carry- On bag, packed and ready to fit in the overhead, or seat back in front of you! It’s with you all the time and when you arrive, you can just head out and enjoy your next adventure!