We prefer to do carry on only travel because we don’t want to risk our luggage being lost, especially when we have connecting flights, and don’t like to wait at the baggage carousel when arriving at our destination. So, we’ve had to perfect how we pack. Here are our top tips on how to pack a carry on only for over a week.
Use Packing Cubes or Compression Bags
We love roll up compression bags. They don’t require a vacuum, so you don’t have to worry about packing that. You simply put your clothes in, then roll out the air.
The trick is not to overstuff the bags. Mix your thick and thin items to maximize the space. Then carefully roll out all the air in the bag. We even sit on it to make sure all the air is out. Then we play Tetris to put in the vacuum compression bags into our suitcases.
Using compression bags will definitely wrinkle your clothes. So be prepared to steam or iron your clothes before wearing them. We typically like to travel with a travel steamer. (Tip: Make sure to get a dual voltage one if you are traveling internationally!)
Utilize Every Part of Your Bag
Make sure to fill every crevice of your suitcase. Small items like belts can easily be rolled up to fill in empty spots. You can also roll up your socks and put them inside your shoes. Don’t leave any space empty or unused!
We love our Away Bigger Carry On suitcase. We’re always able to fit everything in it, and it rolls easily through the airport. We’ve had ours for years, and it’s held up very well. We’ve been able to take it to a lot of international flights as well, however, it’s definitely been a little too big for some of the smaller planes. The Away Carry On is a little smaller, so it’s perfect for international carry on as well. But since carry on limits do vary, please check with your airline first.
Additional Tips for Carry On Only Travel
Pack extra foldable duffel in your carry on luggage for souvenirs. You can check this in on the way back home. But remember to carry any expensive purchases in your carry on, so you don’t lose them!
Wear your thickest jacket and biggest shoes on the flight to save space in your bag.
We also always utilize our personal item allowance and bring a large bag that we can use to carry any essentials we need on our flight to free up space in the carry on suitcase. This Lo & Sons tote works great as a personal item. It has a trolley sleeve to go over your luggage handle, and it can hold quite a bit. It even has a bottom separate compartment for your shoes, or if you don’t need to use it, you can open it up to use the whole tote.
We also like to carry our Lululemon belt bag in our personal item and pack any essentials we need to easily access in the airport or the flight. You can wear it around in the airport, so you don’t need to keep digging into your bag for your wallet, phone, etc. We’ve also been able to wear it on us during flights, but we’ve also heard some people needing to take it off and stow it away in their personal item bag. But it helps to have all your essentials easily accessible on a flight without have to open your entire bag and dig around for something like your eyedrops or headphones.
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We definitely know that packing like this might be over the carry on weight allowance, but we’ve been pretty lucky thus far not having to gate check our bags. Knocking on wood though!
Tell us if you prefer to check in your suitcase or do carry on only travel! Check out all our travel essentials on our Amazon storefront.
– Jo & Grace
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