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Packing Hacks To Maximise Your Carry On Luggage
In this day and age of bargain flights figuring out what NOT to pack is a crucial skill to master.
And I don’t just mean knowing the rules of liquid levels and restricted items.
How many times have you stood in the boarding queue for a flight watching the poor attendants repeat over and over again that you are only allowed ONE piece of carry on luggage?
Yes ladies, your handbag counts as luggage regardless of the size of the bag. The one bag rule doesn’t care about weight or size: two small bags don’t equal the same as one larger bag.
And thus ensues the painful struggle of watching unsavvy travellers trying to squeeze their fashion bag into their already bulging cabin approved suitcase.
If I sound judgemental then let me confess the reason I am so aware of this plight, is because I’ve been that ill informed traveller.
Years ago airlines would let you take a carry on suitcase, a handbag, and your airport shopping onboard all free of charge. Then the rules changed and many of us were caught out by the new strictly enforced one bag rule.
Suddenly learning what not to pack became a necessary evil as our day bags now had to take up valuable packing space.
The Four Golden Rules
Don’t worry though. Learning what not to pack and how to maximise your limited space can be broken down into four easy steps.
#1 Utilising Empty Space
#2 Coordination
#3 Bend the Rules
#4 Ease of Access
To tell you how to work these rules to your advantage let me show you an example from my last trip.
How I Figured Out What Not To Pack
I recently embarked on a last minute three night solo adventure to Lisbon, Portugal. Planning to keep the cost as low as possible I flew with EasyJet from London Gatwick meaning I had to follow the one cabin bag rule.
The problem I faced was I wanted to take my laptop and DSLR camera with me. Both bulky items taking up significant packing space, meaning maximising all the dead space in my bag to its full advantage.
Take a look at everything I managed to pack into one carry on suitcase using golden rule #1
#1 Utilising Empty Space
First things first: What is Empty Space?
Obviously at this stage of packing my whole bag is empty space. But as soon as you start putting things inside you are creating small pockets of dead space.
The key to maximising your luggage capacity is to minimise the amount of dead space you create.
The most obvious example of dead space is the inside of your shoes. Fold up your socks and underwear and put them in your shoes to fill up this otherwise wasted space.
More tricky spaces to fill are those created by odd shaped solid items such as my camera. In order to maximise space I opted to not pack my camera bag. This meant I also had to pack my camera in a safe and secure way.
The solution?
Take my camera apart and roll the lens up in my clothes!
Rolling up your clothes uses less space than folding as you are eliminating dead space. This method also limits wrinkles in your clothes which is a bonus!
And whilst on the subject of clothes, let’s move on to rule #2.
#2 Coordination
Choosing what to wear every morning is hard enough with a whole wardrobe to work with. So figuring out what you are going to wear for the next four days can be excruciating.
Not only do you have to factor in two climates (home and holiday weather can be at extremes after all!) but you also have to think about the activities you plan to do.
But taking options when your packing space is limited is not an option.
The main thing to remember when learning what not to pack is to eliminate unnecessary items.
You can create outfit options from limited items by coordinating all your clothing.
In its most simple incarnation the coordination rule is this:
Make sure every piece of clothing you pack matches everything else!
Sorry if it sounds like I’m teaching you to suck eggs, but even the best of us get thrown off course by wanting to take that one special dress, or that pretty new top.
If you really want to take a specific item of clothing then make that item your centre piece for the rest of what you pack.
Then pick a colour scheme (I went with pink, grey, and navy blue) and only pack options that fit this theme.
This rule also applies to what you plan to wear on travel days.
Which lends nicely to rule #3!
#3 Bend the Rules
Now I don’t condone breaking the rules, but when it comes to luggage allowance there is a way to bend them to your advantage.
The main rule we have to overcome is this: ONE piece of baggage per passenger.
The exception to this rule is anything you buy in the airport after security.
A simple trick to clear some space in your luggage is to sneak a few items into a shopping bag.
I tend to buy a snack at the airport to eat on the plane and in that tote bag (be green people, no need for plastic bags anymore) I can then put my book, makeup bag, tissues, etc.
This means my handbag is now mostly empty and can be easily folded up in my main cabin bag.
TOP TIP: A reusable tote bag counts as an airport shopping bag, and no one has ever checked mine to see if there is actually airport shopping inside!
The other way to slightly bend the bag rule is to optimise your coat pockets.
When I travel I always wear my Mountain Warehouse 3 in 1 waterproof coat. This coat has the benefit of large inside pockets created by the removable fleece liner. I stash my book, passport, purse, phone, headphones, and battery pack charger in my coat thus freeing up precious luggage space. And to cap it off, as the coat is 3 in 1 I have a jumper, rain jacket, and waterproof coat with me, none of which take up any luggage space.
#4 Ease of Access
The final rule will keep you from being a passenger pest, and will save you potentially precious minutes if you end up running late.
If something happens that delays your transport to the airport, being prepared to sail through security can be a lifesaver. On my trip to Paris last winter this happened to me. Had I not followed the Ease of Access rule I may have actually missed my flight!
Make sure you know the rules to get through security before you pack.
Put all your mini liquids (under 100l) in a clear sealable plastic bag.
A Clear toiletry bag DOES NOT count. It must be the correct size found at the airport.
If you don’t have one of these bags handy, just put these products in a separate bag ready for quick transfer at the airport.
Keep these items in the front/top of your bag or in your handbag. You can move them later if you want, but prior to security you’ll want them handy.
Have your phone/passport/tickets readily accessible to you (but be secure).
Don’t wear jewellery or belts that could set off security.
And finally, if you have to wear boots, make sure you can take them off easily. Otherwise, opt for a show you can slip on and off if necessary.
Final Checks
I haven’t told you anything profound here. It’s all common sense.
The trick is sticking to these four rules.
Out of everything I took to Lisbon there wasn’t one item I didn’t use.
Ironically the one thing I could probably have left behind was my laptop as I ended up meeting people and having a blast rather than doing any writing!
Which is exactly how travelling should be 🙂
What are you waiting for? Get packing!
