Packing Essentials 101: Travel Prepared, Travel Smart

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am in no way, absolutely zero ways, qualified to be writing a post about packing like a pro. I have no business here. I pack for a week like I’m going across the country to college and never coming home. With that being said, here’s how I actually fit my entire closet into one single carry on bag and a personal item!

Ok, you got me. I cheat. Read on to find out how.

ROLLING

No, I’m not talking about drugs. Please, for the sake of others, never get on a flight rolling on anything (unless we’re talking about weed. In that case, carry on. HA! Pun fully intended).

Anyways. That being said, I’m sure most have heard of this technique, but I’m here to give you my lil’ spin on it. 

Definitely roll lightweight fabrics, such as t-shirts, any dresses etc, because  rolling minimizes wrinkles. This is an easy way to not only save space but ensure you won’t look as if you rolled out of the nearest garbage can, especially if there are no irons available to you at your destination. I advise folding the item in half before rolling for ease! You can also stack items, for example a few t shirts, and roll them together to maximize space even further.

LAYING ITEMS FLAT

This is honestly my personal favorite- lay items of clothing completely flat in your suitcase, or as flat as you can possibly get them, and then just stack. Also remember that many suitcases have an expandable option! This is honestly the main way that I get a ludicrous amount of clothing to fit into one suitcase.

TRAVEL SIZED ITEMS

This was a tip in my “save money traveling” post (which you can read here), but it’s worth repeating, I believe. Don’t buy anything at your destination- invest in travel sized tubes and bring your own stuff! Let me quote myself real quick:

“This is something that’s kinda debated, but I’m here to share my own personal opinion on the matter- don’t buy stuff there!!! It 9/10 ends up being a waste because while travel sizes are small, they’re typically big enough for a week or two of usage. So if you only need these items for a few days, that either ends up being money in the trash or extra items in your suitcase at the end of the day anyway to take home and ignore because you have the full size of everything at hand anyway. INVEST IN TRAVEL SIZE BOTTLES. You can literally get them at the dollar store. That way, you can load them up with products that you may need that you already have, the space is already accounted for, and nothing goes to waste. I’ve used travel bottles for everything from perfume, to facial toner, to literally anything else that you can fit in there. Be sure to grab a spray nozzle or two just in case!” - Me, 2020.

The spray nozzles make this perfect for toting rubbing alcohol as well, a hispanic sanitary staple for any vacation. For anything and anywhere, really. Spray them sheets and pillows down before you go rolling around in god knows what. Just,,,,yeah.

INVEST IN A DECENT SUITCASE

First of all, pay attention to sizing. You don’t want to splurge on a suitcase and get one that’s  beyond carry on regulation size to that you absolutely have to check it every single time you fly. Sometimes checking a bag is necessary, but you don’t want to have that be your only option as that’s going to get expensive.

I recommend a suitcase with four wheel drive (that’s what I call them lmao, y’all know what I’m talking about). They are so, so much easier to handle AS LONG AS you pack them correctly. Make sure all of the heaviest items are at the bottom of the suitcase, by the wheels, to regulate the weight of the suitcase. Otherwise, trying to drag it around will be an absolute nightmare, way more trouble than it’s worth, and it’ll end up being so much easier yet simultaneously a whole lot more frustrating to just roll it like a common two-wheeler.

No, of course I’m not speaking from personal experience and getting slightly heated simply at the memory. 

Highly recommend a dual sided suitcase with pockets. Pockets are so important to the cause, it’s kind of unbelievable. I never used to use the pockets in my suitcase and when I did, I was genuinely revolutionized. Use pockets for toiletries and undergarments, Ziploc bag full of chargers (that you DO NOT need on the flight) or jewelry, hairbrushes, and any other miscellaneous items that you need to stash away in your suitcase but don’t necessarily want to take space away from...you know, all of the other crap you have to pack. Pockets are slept on when it comes to travel, and this goes for your personal item as well.

FILL ALL DEAD SPACE. Cram stuff into nooks and crannies. Stuff socks and shirts and whatever else you can fit into shoes! Don’t worry about keeping shoes together- if one fits here and the other fits there, great. They’re all going to the same place anyway. Shoe tip: wrap shoes individually in plastic bags to keep gross bottom of shoe nastiness off of your clothes! Also, don’t be afraid to push. I’ve thought I had NO more space left but, with a little effort, fit a denim jacket and another pair of shoes. Those are not small, malleable items people! Necessary? Honestly no one asked you. 

KNOW THE AIRLINES BAGGAGE POLICY. ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON THIS LIST. I KNOW Y’ALL ARE TIRED OF ME SOUNDING LIKE A BROKEN RECORD BUT I SWEAR.

KEEP A PACKING NOTE. Instead of sitting down and making a traditional packing list, keep a note on your phone and whenever you think of something, add it IMMEDIATELY. You’d be surprised how many small things are thought of randomly and then overlooked when it matters. You can always decide that you don’t want or need it…but write it down.

PLAN OUTFITS, don’t just grab cute items you think you may wear. Stick mostly to basic pieces that you can re-work and re-wear, and take a few statement pieces for those occasions in which you’re really tryna stunt.

In almost exact opposition to that, plan to wear the same outfit for both travel days and LAYER. Use extra layers as blankets, butt pillows, window shades, etc. I’d personally rather be wearing too many layers, be able to strip them off and save that luggage space than potentially be cold on the flight and miss out on that pair of boots I knew that I wanted to wear to a certain destination.

If you must take liquids, separate them from everything else. I feel like this is a cop out tip but is worth throwing in there.

Multi functioning items. This list is incredible, and hilarious. Do yourself the favor at looking at these incredible…..things.

AND FINALLY.....howmst I kinda cheat lmao.

First of all, INVEST IN A BAG WITH A TROLLEY SLEEVE. I think this is the key, because it's super easy to slide it right on over your suitcase and causally pretend it's not even there. This is how I get away with taking multiple personal items on board. Yes, you heard me right. Usually I just use my massive fanny pack (it fits literally everything that I might need in the airport/on the plane, including my nook, and then some), but it's worked with a moderately sized purse/backpack. Backpacks are a bit more conspicuous, but I've used my purse. 🤷‍♀️ It's enough to fit a whooooole lot of extra stuff, and so super easy to handle since you don't have to actually carry anything extra thanks to the trolley sleeve.

I am fully planning on doing a full “How I Pack My Suitcase” video next month when I travel to Santa Fe, Miami and hopefully Las Vegas! In the meantime, I hope any part of this was helpful :) Happy Packing!