Tips from the Carry-On Queen!

One thing about me, I’m not gonna pay for bags if I don’t have to! Whether it's a weekend trip or a week-long trip, Delta or Spirit, I’m gonna pack carry-ons only. And I’ve got it down to a science! Baggage fees who? That $60 would be better off spent on some food or an excursion abroad. Don’t play with me! LOL.

But in all seriousness, I’ve literally taken a 9-day trip without checking a bag. I truly believe in avoiding unnecessary travel fees. Flights and accommodations already cost a lot so sometimes budgeting is key to being able to enjoy your vacations as much as possible. So here are a few of my tips to help you out! And before you write carry-ons off thinking “I came to slay,” please understand that you can still come with the looks. It’s all about being strategic. Just hear me out and give it a chance. Plus when you travel with only carry-ons, you can check-in online and walk straight to security instead of having to wait to drop your bag at the counter (skipping this line can shave off 30 minutes or more from your airport time depending on how busy the airport is). You can also get off the plane and head straight outside instead of waiting at the baggage claim. Lastly, I never have to worry about lost/broken baggage or stolen items because it’s always right beside me!

Tip #1: Have a Plan

You don’t have to write out a full itinerary for your trip if you don’t want to but if you're truly interested in minimizing your baggage and your expenses, having an idea of what activities you want to do can help you figure out what you actually need to bring on the trip. Oftentimes overpackers fall into the trap of “I’ll bring this and this and this and this and this and this just in case” and don’t end up actually touching half of the stuff in their suitcase. But if you jot down a list of things to do, you can better gauge what you will actually need. You’ll go from bringing a bathing suit, a dress, a workout set, jeans, shorts, a romper, sneakers, heels, and 2 shirts for each day to “OK, I need 3 bathing suits, a workout set, 3 night time outfits, a white dress, and 2 pairs of heels.” Even if you decide to pack a few extra items just in case, you can go from 30 items for a 7 day trip to 15.

Tip #2: Mix and Match

Unless it’s for a special outfit like for a birthday or something similar, I usually try to ensure articles like jeans and shoes can pair with at least 2 outfits. If not, I may not bring them and instead, find something else that is multi-use. Perfect example, if I bring a green dress and an orange dress with me on vacation, I won’t also bring a black heel and a tan heel. I’ll try each one on with both outfits to see if either works and, if not, bring my clear heels instead. I can still take pictures and go out but I had one less shoe to take up space in my bag. And honestly, you don't need 2 pairs of dark skinny jeans with the logic that one has a rip on the knee and the other doesn’t. Nine times out of ten, one will work just fine and nobody is going to think anything of it. How many times have you thought “eww, she’s wearing the same jeans twice?” As long as you are wearing a different shirt, shoes, and accessories, it will look like a different outfit.

Tip #3: Roll Your Clothes and/or Use Compression Packing Cubes

My mom always taught me to roll my clothes to fit more. Truth is, I do it so much that I don’t even remember the difference LOL. But if you haven't tried it, I say give it a shot! I also own compression packing cubes but because I’ve always been a really tight packer, I am not sure how much it will help. But if you are one to not fill every nook and cranny, these may help you save and better visualize all of the space you are truly working with. Plus they come in handy for organizing purposes.

Tip #4: Meet the Carry-On Size Limits

Another mistake people make is not actually verifying what all is considered free with any given airline. Personal item and carry on does not have to mean your mini suitcase and your small purse. To me, that means my mini suitcase and the largest backpack or duffle bag that qualifies! For example, a personal item for American Airlines must not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches and a carry-on must not exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Did you notice that this means your personal item can be almost the same size as your carry-on suitcase (basically 4 inches shorter, that’s it)? So if you are hoping to rid yourself of baggage fees, step #1 may be to put your small purse inside of the larger backpack along with the rest of your clothes, toiletries, makeup, etc that didn’t fit in your carry-on suitcase. This is my go-to set! Companies like Spirit only allow the personal item for free but have the same size requirements so once again, pull out your ruler and find the biggest bag that will meet the requirement.

Tip #5: Play Tetris With Your Belongings

I’m sure every one of us played Tetris when we were younger and made it our mission to leave no space behind! Approach your packing with the same challenge. Everything you pack should have a place and when you’re done, there should be no empty spaces uninhabited. This could mean folding a rolled shirt into a circle so it looks kind of like a ball when it can no longer fit as a long, rolled object. This could mean planting bathing suits and underwear where there are gaps in between clothing. This could be placing pajamas in between your heels instead of leaving the open space. This could be putting socks inside of your sneakers. Or this could mean taking the contents out of your small purse, flattening the purse itself, and then placing those items strategically in the pockets of your bags instead. Do what you gotta do!

Tip #6: Wear Your Bulky Items to the Airport

Don’t wear your sandals and leggings to the airport and pack your sneakers and sweatpants in your bag. Instead, wear your sweatpants and sneakers and carry your jacket on your arm. This way the small items are in your bag taking up less space and giving you more packing room. And I have yet to run into an airline worker that has fussed about a jacket being out. They typically ignore it assuming you are planning to wear it on the plane.

Tip #7: Pack Your Toiletries, Laptop, and Important Items On Top/Easy Access

Of course, with traveling carry-on only, you will have all of your stuff on your person instead of walking with only a purse. This means you need to be strategic with any items that you need access to while at the airport so that you are not stuck basically unpacking at TSA or without headphones the whole flight. I typically pack my items that will not be moved (i.e. clothes and shoes) in my carry-on suitcase, my liquids in a Ziploc bag in one of the front pockets of my backpack, my laptop in the laptop compartment of my backpack on its own, and small items like money, headphones, and important documents in my pants pockets or the front pocket of my backpack (make sure it's not super easy to access for pickpockets though). I have also brought a small, flat fanny pack with me for small important things because it can easily be tucked under your shirt, and airline workers won’t care to check. Their goal is to control the number of heavy bags and ensure proper use of overhead bins not to police a fanny pack the size of a seatbelt. Safe and easy access for you but out of sight out of mind for the workers.