It was the flight home from my cousin’s wedding when my sister lost her luggage. We flew from Atlanta to Philadelphia and then home to Boston. Her luggage, apparently, did not. She fought with the airlines and reported the lost baggage. After three weeks she was basically told to give up and submit a claim of the items she lost with her luggage. We learned that if items go unclaimed for three weeks, it is sent to Arizona to be sold at auction. All they could do now was send her a check to compensate for her lost belongings. It was after this that I decided to avoid checking luggage at all costs. I know the chances of my luggage being lost for good are slim. However, since this happened baggage fees have also become a norm. Both of these reasons have justified the extra effort it takes to pack in carry-on luggage only.
The most difficult trip I packed for recently was a twelve-day tour of France and England. Besides the horror stories of lost luggage and avoiding the risk of baggage fees I also wanted to keep as mobile as possible. This was a large group tour of teenagers and so everyone was responsible for carrying their own luggage. There would be no bellhops at the hotels and our coach wouldn’t likely fit down the narrow, cobblestone streets in Normandy. So, the challenge was made, I needed one easily transportable carry-on bag.
How to pack for two weeks in one carry-on bag:
1) Pick your bag.
a. Ideally, a large backpack would have been great for this trip. I would have loved throwing my pack on and been on my way. Reasons I did not use a backpack, however:
i. My overnight camping pack was too long and had too many straps. The length of my pack could have instantly forced me to check my bag. I’m sure, if it wasn’t stuffed full I could have snuck through, but I wasn’t willing to risk it. And then once it was checked, the straps would have been a nightmare! Airports hate straps. I would have had to secure each strap so my bag didn’t get snagged on a conveyor.
ii. Bad storage space. Although, the pack was long and fit a lot, it’s not an efficient packing style. The narrow body of the bag would force me pull everything out and re-pack every time I needed something. And without a firm structure, all of my clothing would be wrinkled, too.
iii. Security. Backpacks are a huge target for pick-pocketers. Traveling with a backpack would mean investing in a backpack protector. A backpack protector is basically a wire mesh to place over the pack and secured with a lock. This is easily a $50-$100 investment.
b. Instead, I chose a mid-sized roller bag. The size secured I could use it as a carry-on bag. It was small enough that I’d have no trouble carrying it. The zip-around maximized the space inside for my belongings, and made them easy to access. Lastly, I could secure it shut with something as simple as a twist tie and no further locks or protection would be necessary. The only con is that it was a roller bag. This wouldn’t be ideal on old, cobblestone roads, but the pros outweighed the cons in this case.
2) Pick your shoes.
a. The bulkiest items you’ll likely ever pack are your shoes. So, start here. Remember that you’ll want to wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane, if possible. For this trip, we were planning to walk, a lot! Shoes needed to be comfortable. It was also summer, so shoes needed to be lightweight and breathable. Also, cobblestone roads require your shoes have good traction and no heal. The last point to consider is that you want your shoes to match as many outfits as possible. I chose a neutral, strap on, “Mary Jane” style shoe. It had traction like a sneaker, color to match just about anything, and comfort for walking. I also brought a pair of black flip-flops to wear on the bus or in the hotel at night.
3) Pick your outfits.
a. Although, you may want to pack sundresses in the summer, they really do fill your bag quickly. Dresses are typically only worn once on a trip. Shorts, pants, or even skirts can be worn multiple times. The goal is to see how many outfits you can arrange with the least amount of clothing. Keep in mind the shoes you’ve chosen and make sure they match each outfit. Some people will pick a theme to help pack in this way. For example, pack in neutrals or in all black. This way, everything matches no matter what two items you take out of your bag.
4) Accessorize.
a. If you do decide to pack in a theme you might have saved some space to add accessories. This is a good way to dress up a casual outfit for dinner or to make a new look out of an outfit you’ve already worn.
5) Load up.
a. Plan your entire outfit for the plan ride and set that aside. Keep in mind airplanes are cold, so you’ll want to carry your bulky sweatshirt or jacket as opposed to packing it. Try to avoid wearing a belt. If possible, wear slip on shoes with socks. (Security will make you remove shoes; you’ll appreciate the socks at this point.)
b. Start with your bulky items like jeans and any extra shoes.
i. Jeans: fold in half and lay across the entire back of your bag.
ii. Shoes: pack soles together (to avoid getting your clothes dirty), heal to toe, and put as close to the wheels of your suitcase. Shoes are likely to be heavier than your clothes, so this will reduce shifting. If you are packing sneakers (which you should reconsider wearing on the plane) pack your socks inside them to save on space.
c. Next, any items that you would mind becoming wrinkled. Fold in the best fashion for that item and place on top of jeans, as flat as possible.
d. All other clothing: (Hear me out, this saves more space then you can believe.) Fold the item in half. Roll from top to bottom. Stack the rolled items in your suitcase like bricks. Start from the top of your bag and work down to the shoes that rest near the wheels.
e. Leave space between your shoes and the rest of your clothing for your toiletry bag and accessories.
6) Personal bag.
a. Airlines will allow you one personal item beside your carry-on. This is where you want to store your wallet, IDs (including passport), other travel documents (hotel or transportation information), electronics, entertainment (reading material, music player, deck of cards…), and liquid items (see step 7).
7) Toiletries
a. Consolidate whatever toiletries you have to toiletries you need. Make sure it fits in one small bag that will fit in the space you left available in your suitcase. Take out ALL liquid items. Security will only allow each passenger one quart-sized bag of clearly labeled 3oz bottles for liquid items. Keep this separate toiletry bag in your personal bag.
8) At the airport.
a. You have all items needed for your travels in your personal bag. There will be no need to dig through your luggage at the airport. At security put your shoes and jacket in a bin. Put your personal bag in a bin with electronics and bag of liquids pulled out. Carry your boarding pass and ID. Smile politely, as TSA agents are people too. And avoid personal remarks about full body scanners.
These instructions are nearly full proof. I’ve had TSA agents compliment my packing capabilities and efficiency. Give it a try and share your tips! The smarter people pack, the shorter those lines at security will get!
