The Ins and Outs of Your Carry-On

When you travel for business or for fun…. less is more, and after years of overpacking and bringing back abundant amounts of un-used clothing we’ve modified the ways in which we travel. Tired of the back aches and chaos of checking in a bag, we have realized that working with less gives us more. With less luggage, we have more freedom, more mobility, and more time to enjoy the places we are in, and it all starts with a simple carry-on.

We are starting today from the runway with a couple of simple suggestions and hope to set you on a path of a better carry-on solution for your next trip...  

Our family had a recent 3-week summer trip (counting Vienna, Hungary, Armenia and Greece) for which we each packed a hardcase carry-on suitcase and a backpack with extra room to spare.

The less luggage you bring, the more strategic you must be when packing. A choice cosmopolitan city might have you bring a dress or a dress shirt, tie, and jacket – a relaxed beach vacation will have you focus on swim trunks, cover ups, and flipflops.

When packing, it’s helpful to first create a mind-map and simply take a moment to think about the things you might need take with you. Once you have a solid idea of the general things you intend to bring, write them down. Using packing lists and trip planners are a great way to keep yourself organized at every step of your journey.

The first step is to deal with the things that will take the most space in your suitcase. Space and weight are always big factors to think about as you pack. To save space and lighten the load, we suggest wearing your bulkier items, whether this is your pair of jeans, sweater, sneakers or heavier coat, while you travel.

The best way to maximize your limited space is to pack clothes that work as a capsule closet. This means the clothes you bring are what can you combine in a multitude of ways to make many outfits from as little number of clothing pieces as possible. Mix and match. This is more easily done if you have a set color palette you are working within such as black, white, and beige. Sticking to three to four colors within your color palette helps.

Once you’ve decided the clothes you wish to bring, you must consider the space you are working with within your carry-on. How much you can bring can depend on how well you pack it. One way to maximize your spacer is to roll your clothing as this helps avoid wrinkles and helps use all accessible space. Another space saver is using packing cubes. This gives you the ability to maximize what you pack and keep everything organized throughout your trip. 

With makeup and toiletries - an Achilles heel for sure – there are a couple of ways to keep yourself organized as you travel. Convert your larger liquids into smaller TSA approved travel size containers, this saves both weight, space, and possible confiscations during security screening within the airport. A good thing to think about is what products you use on a daily basis. These products are what you can consider necessities and will be with you as you travel. Take a moment to think about the products you use less frequently and consider whether you will need it for your trip, it helps to be selective with these kinds of items.

 There is nothing as exciting as planning for a highly anticipated trip. With the excitement surely also comes some stress, but we hope that by providing you some travel packing tips it makes your travel a bit easier.