How to Pack

Packing for a trip can be problematic. If you want to fit all of your necessities into a carry-on, there are a few tricks to fit as much into your bag as possible without letting it get wrinkled and ruined. Check with your carrier to see what size of carry-on they will allow; typically, you can take a small suitcase and a personal item (a purse or laptop case that can fit under the seat in front of you) in the cabin of the plan with you. Most airlines do not charge for carry-ons (though a few have started), so you can avoid hefty checked bag fees by cramming everything you need into a small suitcase. Here are a few tips for how to do it without ruining your possessions, wrinkling your clothing, or holding up the security line.

There are strict rules for packing liquids into a carry-on bag, so make sure you follow them to avoid a hold-up and having your favorite products thrown in the garbage at security checkpoints. Bring only travel-sized bottles of 3.4 ounces or less; if your favorite products don’t come in travel size, buy small, refillable plastic bottles at the drug store and pour your preferred liquids inside. Place all of the bottles into a one-quart, zip-top bag and keep the bag in an exterior pocket so that you can easily pull it out when you get into the security line. Personally, I like to keep my baggie of liquids in my purse so that I can easily access my hand lotion and lip gloss when I’m waiting at the gate or when I’m on the plane.

It’s tough to pack jewelry without necklaces getting tangled. Thankfully, there are a few ways to keep your chains safe. Open the clasp on the chain and run half of it through a drinking straw. Close the necklace with the clasp, then wrap the necklace/drinking straw combo into a piece of fabric or put it inside a sock to keep it safe. Alternately, you can put necklaces into a mini zip-top bag with a few inches of the clasped chain dangling out to prevent tangling. Place the little baggies in a small interior pocket or into a makeup bag to keep them from getting lost in the rest of your items. Shape magazine recommends wearing valuable pieces so they won’t get lost, stolen, or ruined.

I’ve often left my wrinkle-prone items at home when I got on trips to avoid having to wear severely creased pieces on vacation, but there are ways to keep your clothes slightly less wrinkled (I can’t promise they’ll be completely wrinkle-free, of course). Lay the item down and place a few sheets of tissue paper on top, then fold with the tissue paper inside. It will add a bit of volume, but that helps to prevent the wrinkles. Shape recommends the Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder 18 for frequent travelers or those with many wrinkly items. You can pack up to 12 pieces around a fabric board and fold it up into a nice little package. Roll items like jeans and t-shirts to minimize wrinkles. Without the sharp folds, you should be able to avoid a few deep creases.

The travel experts at Fodor’s point out that many wrinkles are caused by friction. There’s plenty of friction in luggage – when you cram more items into the suitcase, as you’re lugging it around, as it gets jostled in the overhead compartment, as it is tossed around when it’s checked at the gate, etc. Plastic, like plastic bags, can prevent friction. Leave suits, dresses, and other items in their bags from drycleaners and either roll or wrap around your other items. This works well for any item that will need to be hung upon arrival, because it will already be on a hanger. Put just one outfit in each bag, otherwise you will defeat the purpose.

To prevent your dirty shoes from touching all of your clean clothes (think of all of the gross places you’ve walked), put each shoe into a plastic zip-top bag. Speaking of shoes, don’t forget about all of the available storage inside each one. Use shoes to stow small items like socks, underwear, camisoles, tiny souvenirs, or your necklaces as packaged with the above advice. Depending on how big your feet are (and how small your clothing items), you may be able to hide a considerable amount of items.

If you must bring heavy items, but them in the bottom of your suitcase so that they won’t crush and wrinkle the rest of your stuff. Consider leaving the weighty stuff at home: most hotels have hair dryers and irons, and your liquids must be tiny travel size to make the trip in the plane’s cabin with you.

To help conserve space, pack your big items in your suitcase first, then add the smaller pieces. Socks, underwear, and camisoles can fit in nooks and crannies between big items. I find that the small items fit snugly in between the lumps of the extendable handle and underneath larger clothing items; socks and underwear fit nicely into bra cups.

Fear those checked baggage fees no more! You can pack everything you need for a short trip into a carry-on sized bag, so there’s no need to choose between paying a fee or arriving with crushed clothing. Now you can save money and time while looking fabulous.