7 Obvious Packing Hacks You Probably Aren’t Doing

Let’s be honest: Some of us are simply overpackers (you know who you are!). If you struggle with overpacking and even find you need to sit on your suitcase in order to zip it, then perhaps you could use a little help from the experts. Of course it wouldn’t hurt to re-evaluate how much you typically pack and why, and consider which items could be left behind. But there’s another option: You could learn how to better maximize your luggage capacity. In other words, pack smarter, not harder.

We’ve compiled a list of the best packing hacks, based on our own experiences as well as recommendations from top travel experts. Happy packing!

1. Use a Clothing Rental Company

Part of what makes vacation exciting, at least for me, is the excuse to buy a few new outfits that I wouldn’t normally wear. However, I always end up spending more money than I want and only wear the items a few times.

Enter Armoire, which allows you to pick items to rent for the month and then return them. It’s the perfect packing hack if you hate planning out your outfits, it reduces waste, and for me, saves money. There are a few nuances you have to work through, like scheduling your order and preparing for weather, but luckily the shipping and processing times are super fast from my experience. You can get your items delivered to your destination and shipped from your destination, so you don't even have to pack the majority of your outfits.

2. Invest in a Solid Toiletry Bag or Dopp Kit

Everyone knows that packing travel-sized toiletries (under 3.4 ounces) rather than full-sized bottles is almost necessary for most travel—especially if you're flying and have to adhere to liquid restrictions.

Using your own leak-proof bottles is one way to make this easier; they're made of silicone, include labels and other accessories, and come in the type of clear bag required by TSA (if you’d like to include them in your carry-on).

But not only that, you should consider investing in a toiletry bag or dopp kit that truly does it all—including acting as a semi-permanent home for your travel toiletries. It might seem like an unnecessary purchase to some, but they save space, you never have to unpack them, and most often they have compartments that will keep your mini bottles in line.

3. Turn Your Travel Pillow Into a Tool

When it comes condensing clothes into a small space, some people rely solely on compression packing cubes to help organize and compress clothing. It makes efficient use of your luggage space, but it's not the only way to hack your packing routine.

Consider the neck pillow: it's small, handy, easily attaches to your luggage and allows you to easily rest in transit. Most of the time, people use them as-is, but the next-level packers? They have started to use the humble travel neck pillow as yet another space to roll and store their socks, tees, undergarments, and any other piece of clothing that can fit into a small space.

4. Don’t Pack Bulky Items—Wear Them Instead

If you’d like to avoid packing your heaviest or bulkiest items entirely but still want access to them during your trip, consider wearing them. If something is too heavy to wear while traveling, you can opt to tie it around your waist or to the handles of your bag. You may even consider purchasing a 2-in-1 luggage strap with a “jacket gripper.”

These straps conveniently combine luggage grippers and bungee bag straps. You can use them to secure loose items like jackets or travel pillows to your luggage, or attach the gripper to stack multiple pieces of luggage together for easy transport. Sometimes, it just makes sense to wear your chunkiest boots with slim-fit yoga pants.

5. Learn the Wrong Way to Fold Clothes 

You might not think this is even possible, but there is absolutely a wrong way to fold clothes when you're packing. Although the wrinkle-avoidant might be avid supporters of folding clothing, it's actually a less efficient use of space. The mere action of rolling clothes compresses them, saving space and allowing you to stack more compressed units together.

If you want to branch out even further, you can use the bundle-wrapping method of rolling clothes. Essentially, you lay out and roll your outfits by wrapping them around a central core (like a small pouch of items or a cardboard tube filled with smaller rolled items). First, you lay items flat, then you roll them into compact tubes, using tissue paper between layers to prevent friction.

6. Fill the Gaps

Maximize every square inch of your luggage space by stuffing socks and other small things into hollow items, such as shoes. Fill additional gaps with underwear, accessories, and miscellaneous items such as snacks, ear plugs, a travel umbrella, a pocket first aid kit, etc. 

7. Purchase Luggage Designed to Maximize Space

In addition to following the aforementioned tips, you may consider purchasing luggage specifically designed to maximize luggage capacity. For instance, the Carry-On Flex by Away is ideal for overpackers, featuring a wraparound expandable zipper for additional packing space. Its signature interior compression system will help you to pack (and bring home) even more.

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