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1. Figure out what carry-on suitcase size works for the airline you're going on, because of COURSE there's no standard measurement across them all. Luckily for us, Amazon has an easy guide to make shopping for your suitcase a lot easier — just select by airline!
2. And pack your purse, and choose your "personal item" carefully — aka the biggest one possible, like a spacious travel-friendly backpack that'll fit under the seat in front of you.
3. Psst: keep your in-flight essentials separately in a compact but surprisingly spacious belt bag for a bit of extra convenience and space-saving in your carry-on and personal item — and so you don't have to dig through your backpack for your AirPods halfway through the flight. The strap is adjustable, so you can wear it crossbody *or* around your waist, and you'll be surprised how much it holds, too! And....it's quite similar to Lululemon's belt bag and less than half the price!
I just finally gave in and bought this, and it's my new go-to bag for everything from grocery runs to appointments! And on my next trip, I will absolutely be using it for my in-flight essentials: my Kindle, AirFly Bluetooth adapter, headphones, hand sanitizer, lotion, and lip balm.
BuzzFeed Shopping editor Elizabeth Lilly says, "I wear a size L/XL in clothing and sometimes waist bags just don't work out so well for me. With this one, I can confirm that it fits around my waist comfortably without outerwear, across my chest without outerwear, *and* over a thick coat and several layers. The pockets inside are so handy, and I even had room to spare throughout my Iceland trip. Just make sure that you zip the zipper ALL the way because the zipper goes down pretty far on the sides for easier access to contents."
Get it from Amazon for $13.98 (available in 43 colors).
Promising review: "Got this for air travel. I normally travel with a carry-on and a backpack. Got this to hold my essentials and have them accessible. It’s big enough to hold my phone, wallet, passport, hand sanitizer, and ChapStick." —daisy rojas
4. Create a packing list even before you take a single item out. Whether it's on a handy prefilled notepad or just on the Notes app of your phone, spend some time really thinking about everything you need so you don't panic and try to shove in 25 pairs of extra undies and three sweatshirts at the last minute.
5. Check average weather in the area you're traveling to ahead of time so you can decide what to pack. Will you need a light jacket? Just a heavy sweater? Is it usually rainy this time of year? Now you'll be in the know.
6. If rain is on the meteorological menu, squeeze in a packable raincoat so you can stay securely dry without having to leave your favorite, more fashionable pieces at home. This packs down into a teensy drawstring bag. You can even keep it in your purse while actually on the trip if it might stay dry.
7. Listen to your parents and roll your clothes to save space. It's a tried-and-true method that actually works AND also makes it easier to find individual items — without messing up the whole rest of the suitcase.
8. Or try one of these techniques — depending on what you're packing, you might want to switch it up. The "clown car" style helps with reducing wrinkles!
9. Make your clothes more *compact* bit by bit in a set of packing cubes — organize them by day (like pictured above), clothing type, ~segment of your trip~ (like city/beach/weather), etc.! Harness your inner Virgo and get packing.
10. Fill otherwise hard-to-utilize space (looking at you, space between the metal bars!) with rolled-up undies, bathing suits, or other small pieces of clothing to maximize capacity.
11. Or if you're less worried about organization and more worried about having enough space, compress everything into a set of space-saver bags specifically designed for travel. Over-packers? These are for you. No vacuum required; just pop in your stuff and roll to release the pesky extra air through the valves.
12. Things can get a bit...crushed...in a small carry-on easily, so maintain the collar shape of dress shirts by looping your belt just inside. Your next work trip is officially saved from creased collars.
13. Maximize your vacation hours (and suitcase space) by packing your outfits PER DAY! No more rummaging around your suitcase, messing everything up. And if you want to wear something more than once, just keep it separate for now.
14. Stuff small, foldable items inside your hat, then place items carefully around the brim inside your suitcase to keep it from getting crushed or bent. Because carrying a sun hat on the plane is just annoying.
15. Stop wasting a single inch of space — fill your shoes with teensy packables like socks and undies. Off to somewhere chilly? Pack leggings or even your straightener/curling iron in boots to save space and help maintain your boots' shape.
16. Fold one bra cup inside out into the other, then stuff the straps and band inside *that* cup for a compact packing method that won't ruin your favorite bras.
17. Create a mini capsule wardrobe when packing; stick to just one palette, plus a few accent colors, so you can make the most from mixing and matching juuuust a few key pieces.
18. And if you're traveling for a while, bring along a handy set of compact laundry detergent packets so you can easily wash clothes you're going to repeat-wear right in the hotel bathroom (or a cruise's washing machine, of course).
19. Remember all the dirty laundry you're going to accumulate *in advance* so all of your careful rolling isn't for naught. Separate your stinky socks into a space-saving laundry bag designed to help you *compress* those dirty clothes into a compact bag so they're out of sight, out of mind until you're home...and fiiiiiinally unpack.
20. Roll up a compact and collapsible water bottle, because it's incredibly easy to get dehydrated on a long-haul flight, and airport water is expensive! You can keep it handy in an outer pocket of your carry-on bag or backpack so you can fill it with ease, without losing on precious space.
21. Decant your daily meds and vitamins, plus your just-in-case Advil and Tums, into compact travel pill organizers, each with eight compartments (six small, two large) so you can bring all of your pills with you — without wasting space on a bunch of bulky bottles.
They also come with blank label stickers so you can note which pills are in which compartment.
Get the set of three from Amazon for $7.97.
Promising review: "I love these! I have pretty severe ADHD, and I am constantly forgetting my meds when camping or hiking or just generally leaving the house for extended periods of time. These make it so much easier for me to just squirrel away in my backpack and be so pleased when I find them again. The labels are great, they are durable, and I'm no longer finding stray pills of unknown origin in the bottom of my bag. Highly recommend." —Eliza
22. Select your most key pieces of jewelry and keep them safely stored in a truly mini (and gorge) jewelry case like this pretty velvet one. You'll feel fully accessorized without wasting space or weighing your bag down with heavy pieces.
23. Every ounce of space is precious, which means you don't have room for a bulky neck pillow. But don't worry, that's what the Trtl pillow is for. It folds up thin and compact, and when you're ready to use, just wrap it around your neck — underneath the soft fleece is an internal support structure designed to keep your head in a comfy position for sleeping upright.
24. Traveling with a carry-on and a (cough cough giant backpack) personal item (and a jacket) can get unwieldy, especially at security. Store your cash, boarding pass, passport, credit cards, etc., in a travel wallet that makes it super easy to see everything at a glance. And then just toss it in your carry-on when you're through security!
25. Opt for a perfectly sized set of TSA-friendly travel bottles you can fill (and refill) with your favorite products when they don't make travel size — without taking up tons of room. Can't skip your fave skin and hair products when you're away, even when packing light!
26. And add an easy, leakproof layer to your toiletries to avoid any big-time oopsies at your destination; just wrap a small square of cling wrap over the opening and pop the cap on top.
28. Swap your jumbo-sized signature scent bottle for a pocket-sized, refillable rose gold travel perfume atomizer, so you can save space AND don't have to risk that perfume leaking allllll over your suitcase (an expensive nightmare). This one is so easy to refill, you'll end up popping it in your purse to get a fresh whiff in your everyday life at home, too!
BuzzFeed editor Elizabeth Lilly loves hers. In her own words: "I've been using for about a year. As the reviewer down below mentions, it's great to just throw in your purse on the reg for a fragrance re-up throughout the day. As you can see, it's about the size of my thumb and therefore takes up very little room. Plus! It's smaller than most rollerball travel fragrances you can pick up. This first one is working so well, that I just have the other three in storage. But if this one bites the dust this summer during travels, I'll be OK about digging into my stores to use one of the remaining three...especially at this price point."
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $7.99.
Promising review: "I bought these due to traveling a lot for work and needing to cut down on the size of things in my carry-on bag for flying. I can bring four different perfumes now instead of one big one. They’re super easy to fill, and haven’t leaked so far, but I keep them in a sandwich baggie while traveling, just in case. I would 100% buy them again." —Emily
29. If you have a hard time traveling light when it comes to beauty products, you can't do better than this hanging toiletry bag to make traveling with all the beauty products you can't bear to leave behind *so* much easier — and compact. Plus, there's no need to unpack on the hotel bathroom counter — just unroll and hang, and you can see everything at a glance!
I bought this for a recent trip, and I was legit shocked at how much I could fit inside — and it zips up to be surprisingly small! I bought the "medium" which was plenty big for my needs, especially if you're packing in a carry-on.
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in two sizes and six colors).
Promising review: "Seriously?! Do you see how much this holds?! Full shampoo bottles, face washes, hair brush...everything I could need or want to bring, FITS IN THIS ONE BAG! And it’s so cute! Feels like great quality, too — all the hardware came with protective wraps to keep from scratching, and the zippers feel very hardy. The hook at the top is also VERY WELL-SECURED to the bag, it’s double stitched to the top panel and almost feels like seatbelt material. And I love the extra pockets and netting inside. I would absolutely recommend this!" —mahea_c
30. Swap your regular hot tool for a 2-in-1 straightener and curling iron so you only have to bring *one* tool, no matter how you want to wear your hair. It has dual voltage for international trips, too.
31. Mini sizes of travel musts don't stop with skincare — if you have trouble sleeping when in hotels or unfamiliar places, a *truly teensy* mini white noise machine can help. And this palm-sized one is very carry-on (or even purse-/backpack-) friendly, too! It has 15 different nonlooping sounds (including white noise, fan, rain, and more), the charge lasts for days at a time, and it can — quite literally — fit in your pocket.
I bought this little guy before a trip this year — and I am in love. I keep it on fan 1 (there are *three* different fan sound options), and it helped me sleep better in hotel rooms — and even a bit better next to a very loud snorer. I used it every night (for eight hours at a time) on a two-week trip, and I only had to charge it *twice*! And if you prefer, there are also several auto-shut-off timer options too.
Get it from Amazon for $18.99 (available in nine colors, plus two packs and packs that come with a travel case).
Promising review: "I was certainly skeptical regarding this sound machine. I mean, how could this little round thing produce big noise? Well, I'm here to tell you it does! I was astounded that after I had charged it up and turned it on the huge sound that came out of this! I enjoy the fan noise the best. I read the reviews beforehand, and most were very positive....so I know I had to try it out as I don't go anywhere without my every night plug-in (big) noise machine...but that one is bulky...and I needed a smaller one for travel. The other wonderful thing about this little baby is that it is rechargeable! You don't need an outlet to use it unless you are charging it up. The directions were a little....well, let's just say there wasn't much to the directions...but if you have any common sense, it won't take you too long to figure out how it works. Just buy it! Especially for travel!" —T. Bellati
32. Put shoes by the wheels and lighter items toward the handle so that when your suitcase is upright & rolling, the shoes won't crush or wrinkle your clothes.
33. Swap your bulky assortments of chargers and cords for a 3-in-1 foldable magnetic wireless charger so you can charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once without wasting space. And btw, if you've been looking at other models, reviewers compare this under-$40 wonder to the almost-$150(!) Mophie charger and say it's just as good!
Check out a TikTok of the foldable 3-in-1 charger in action.
Get it from Amazon for $28.88+ (available in nine colors).
Promising review: "Compared it to Mophie — just as good for one-third the price. I bought one of these for my wife to use, but assuming that I travel a lot more than her, I opted to buy the more expensive Mophie device of similar design directly from Apple for myself. The Mophie device turned out to be no better, even though it cost 3X as much. I was able to return the Mophie device and bought another of these for myself. In the end, if it doesn't last as long as the Mophie could have, no worries since I would have to buy two more just to match what I spent. The blue charging indicator lights don't seem too bright, but I placed black electrical tape over them anyway. The QC charging brick is a nice touch and was able to charge all three devices without difficulty." —TubaTim
34. Wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane, whether that's a pair of chunky sneakers, booties, etc. — you'll save suitcase space, but stay comfy on the long flight — especially if you wear some nice compression socks.
35. Rather than packing a giant sweatshirt you might not wear again, if you run cold, keep a blanket scarf easily accessible in your carry-on. It'll be lightweight enough to pack up small, but keep you significantly warmer in the freezing desert that is the internal airplane climate.
36. Big vacation reader? Leave the heavy, bulky books at home and bring HUNDREDS (or even THOUSANDS) of books with you in one little device — a Kindle!
37. Include a fold-up duffel on trips when you KNOW you'll be bringing back more than you came with. Just pack your purse on the way back and count this as your "personal item" — I won't tell.
38. If you're traveling with kids, switch to a super-compact stroller that weighs less than 12 pounds and can fit in an overhead bin or even under a seat, because every penny counts when it comes to family vacations.
Because spoiler alert: This won't fit into the overhead compartment.
