7 Tips On How To Pack Your Suitcase Like A Pro

Congratulations! You finally booked your next getaway! Now, aside from planning your itinerary, you need to start planning what you’re going to pack.

Packing is a crucial part of any trip, so it’s time to teach you how to efficiently pack your suitcase for travel to become the ultimate travel packer!

These are my packing tips for what to pack and how to pack more, in less space!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

How To Pack A Suitcase

There are a few tricks to how to exactly pack your suitcase to maximize space, and it starts way before ever even taking out your suitcase…

1. Start Thinking About What You Need In Advance

Let’s be real, I like packing a tad more than the average person. I’m packed at least two weeks before any vacation, but I have good reasons for it!

For one, it starts my trip two weeks early.

But it also leaves me with enough time to rethink what I’m packing. I can use that time to repack and reorganize, to ultimately maximize space.

And finally, it leaves me enough time to remember anything I might have initially forgotten to pack (you’d rather forget before than when it’s too late!).

P.S. Start planning what you’re packing with my printable travel packing list. It has both space for you to write your own list and an example packing list included.

2. Choose Your Suitcase Wisely (Tips On Packing Carry On Luggage)

My suitcase of choice right now is a Travel Pro Maxlite 5 series carry-on. Depending on the length of my trip (two weeks or less), I always try to pack in a carry-on suitcase.

The main reason is for ease of use while travelling (it’s a lot easier to travel with a smaller suitcase than a larger one!).

Not to mention, you also don’t have to wait for your luggage when you land or worry that it’s been lost.

Another bonus is that you can save some money on flights by travelling in a carryon suitcase because nowadays most airlines charge to check a bag (p.s. see other ways I save when booking direct flights).

Don’t know which suitcase to buy? Read my post on what to look for in a suitcase to buy one that will last.

3. Learn How To Maximize Space At The Bottom Of Your Suitcase

Everyone knows that the trenches at the bottom of the suitcase are inconvenient lost space created by the handle and wheels. Throughout my repacking adventures, I found a simple solution for how to fill those gaps to not loose that much packing space… 

You have to find things that fit perfectly within those divots to maximize your space. Here are some of the things I’ve found are the best…

Socks are easy to add to that space. I lay each sock flat within the divot until the hole is completely filled (people usually like stuffing socks in their shoes, don’t worry, you’ll probably have leftover socks to do that too). 

P.S. Packing Tips When Stuffing Shoes With Socks….

When stuffing your shoes with socks, only put them in the heal of the shoe and not into the toe. Putting them in the toe will overstuff the shoe, making it take up more space than it initially would have.

The main problem with packing socks there is that you need to use them on the first day of your trip, which means unpacking your entire suitcase just to reach them.

So I’ve actually started to pack some less essential items in those spaces. As long as it’s the same height as the bars and not more!

For example, my mini travel umbrella fits perfectly. For women, this is also where I like packing my pads and tampons if I’m expecting my period while away.

If I’m travelling to a winter destination, and extra hat and gloves also fit well in these spaces.

4. Rolling Vs. Flat Packing

If you’ve ever researched the best packing tips, you might have stumbled upon the “Rolling vs. Folding” debate.

If not, let me fill you in… It’s an argument over which of the two methods are better to maximize your space when packing, rolling your clothes or flat packing your clothes.

I found that it’s actually most efficient to combine both methods. Rolling has certain benefits that folding doesn’t, and vice versa. 

The main pro with rolling is that there aren’t any creases after being compressed in a suitcase for several hours. Rolling your clothes also tends to keep them more organized. I don’t know about you, but I always find my neatly folded tees end up turning into a huge mess by the end of the trip.

But the issue with rolling is that certain types of clothes can take up a lot more space than if they’re laid flat. For example, pants and sweaters become HUGE when rolled! So, instead of rolling those, I lay my pants flat on the bottom of my suitcase and do the same thing for larger sweaters.

Related: How (& Why!) You Want To Pack In A Carry-on For 2 Weeks

5: Never Pack Your Suitcase Without Packing Cubes

Packing cubes (like these on Amazon) have changed the packing game for me, and no, I’m not joking.

When I went to summer camp when I was younger, my mom would separate and pack my clothes in extra large freezer bags. She’d tell me that this is how I’d keep everything organized when I was away, and she was 100% right! But little did she know, she didn’t have to use extra large freezer bags and a product existed for this exact purpose.  

The point of packing cubes is to compress your clothes to ultimately take up less space. And as my mom expressed several times, it’s also a great way to stay organized.

I like packing in at least three packing cubes: one for shirts, a second for underwear and socks, and a third for miscellaneous items (i.e. PJs, cardigans, nicer tops…etc.).

You’ll never be able to pack your suitcase without them again! 

6. Stop Overpacking – Packing Your Luggage Tips

We’re all guilty of overpacking – bringing so much more than we actually need when travelling.

Some of these “just in case” items are unavoidable and you can’t get away without packing them. Like raincoats and umbrellas, or even that extra sweater for “just in case it’s cold”. I’m not talking about these items…

I’m talking about that one skirt you bring that only goes with one shirt and you can only wear if all the stars align.

All your clothes should be able to be worn for several occasions and be mixed and matched with most of what you’re packing. 

You already have such limited space packing your suitcase, why are you making it more difficult for yourself!

You shouldn’t bring anything that’s only usable for one scenario or only goes with one shirt or pair of pants. So why is overpacking so bad? That’s because you want to…

7. Leave Room For Your Return Trip Home!

We always want to bring back a souvenir from our travels abroad. Choosing the right souvenir is a whole other issue, read my tips on how to buy one you won’t regret.

But, I have a few strategies to ensure that you’ll always have space for any goodies you want to buy.  

The first method is to not overpack (obviously!).

But a surefire way to know you’ll have space is to actually pack your bulkiest items instead of wearing them on the way down. And then, you swap them on the way back.

Basically, I wear my smallest shoes and thinnest sweater on the way there and the biggest on the way back.

This way, when I’m packing for my trip home, I’ll be able to fit so much more than I could on the way there, without even trying! It’s like finding space that you didn’t even know you had.  

Now you can bring back gifts for the whole fam!

Related Posts

• How To Buy A Durable Suitcase
• How To Pack in a Carryon For 2 Weeks
• Top 11 Travel Essentials You Need

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Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API