These are some questions to help you pick the right bag/luggage for your trip. Is your trip long enough that you need to take Check-In luggage? We advise checking a bag for trips longer than 5 days. Can you One Bag Travel by using just 1 travel bag? Depending on how much you want to pack, you can get away with a 30L-40L bag. Or, do you want to take a Carry-On luggage and a backpack? Most airlines allow for a carry-on and personal item that fit this criteria. Consider what you want and don’t want to deal with while traveling. Want to steer clear of the baggage claim? Go with what you can carry on. Staying for a few weeks so the baggage claim is unavoidable? Go with check-in luggage.

Lay out what you are planning on taking. Pull out the items you wrote down on your packing list, or make your list while going through this process. Laying everything out helps you get a visual overview of each outfit and accessory you want to take. Fold each daily outfit in its own stack. Pack the number of items per day you are on the trip. 3 day trip = 3 full outfits. After you’ve packed your essentials, this can be the moment where you start adding in more items than you need. Be honest with yourself on what you will actually use/wear on your trip and leave the rest at home. 

Wear your bulky items on the plane, not in your luggage/travel bag. This includes shoes/boots and jacket. For example, If going to Hawaii, pack your flip flops and wear your hiking boots. This saves a ton of space in your luggage.

Bring clothes that are versatile and can be mixed and matched with other items. Sometimes you don’t need a whole new outfit each day. For example, a technical wool shirt (which has natural antimicrobial properties and tends to take on less smells,) can be worn on day 1 with one outfit, and again with a different outfit later on in the trip. Bonus hack: Neutral colors are easier to do with this tip.

Most people tend to overpack and bring things for a hobby or activity that they think they are going to pick back up on the trip. Be realistic on what you really need so you’re not lugging around extra weight and taking up precious space. For example, you haven’t ran for years but would like to start running again on your trip. If you are determined to do this, bring a pair of running shoes that can also be used as a daily shoe or hiking. Instead of bringing special items for both, combine to save space. Even if you don’t find the time to go on a run, you will still be able to use the shoes.

After the steps above, it’s time to pack. This tip can help you pack up to 50% more clothes in each bag. Three words: Compression Packing cubes. Not only are you able to save space by removing the air from the cube, they also make it really easy to unpack at your destination. If you want to take it a step further and ensure you can squeeze as much air out of your clothes as possible, use a Vacuum Bag. Bonus hack: Roll your clothes instead of folding. This is more efficient than the folding method. 

Utilize a Toiletry Bag to help you organize and separate toiletries in a secure waterproof bag. No one likes to show up to their destination with toothpaste all over your pants.

Collapsible bags or slings are great for daily use when you’re at your destination, and/or for bringing items you picked up while traveling back home with you. 

Whether you are going to one destination or multiple, you can start to combine your dirty laundry into a separate packing cube or toiletry bag while keeping your clean clothes together in another one. Not only will this help you optimize your space, but you’ll keep your dirty clothes separated from your clean ones.