There are two types of travellers in this world: those who pack for a trip with wild abandon, tossing in multiple outfit changes, their entire beauty and skincare regime, three hair tools and enough pants to change underwear three times a day. And then there are travellers like me, who will do almost anything to avoid having to check a bag into the hold, priding themselves on packing a tight edit of essentials into an even tighter space.
If, like me, you are adamantly against checking a bag into the hold, you know there are certain hacks you need to utilise to avoid a complete packing meltdown. If you’re uninitiated, I can explain the secret to carry-on only luggage in two words: packing cubes. The magic trick of this product becomes all the more magical when you add a third word: compression packing cubes.
It might sound simple (or like the kind of thing your dad might get excited about), but a good packing cube really is the only essential you need to embark on a light-luggage summer. Not only will a decent compression cube save you space, it will also keep you organised through security, the flight itself and beyond.
This is not a packing hack you can only utilise to save space when hopping to Europe for a long weekend; I have travelled with just a cabin bag for a 12-day winter holiday in Canada and a week in the Greek islands using the fantastic Gomatic compression packing cubes. Not only are they reasonably priced, but from one purchase they've saved me money on checking a bag in the long run, as well as saved time checking in or waiting for a bag on the carousel at either end of my flight, and the overwhelm of discovering you’ve simply packed too much luggage.
Top tips for using packing cubes
- Pack outfits together – and in the order you’ll need them. Throwing a bunch of bottoms, tops and outerwear into your carry on luggage willy-nilly will not work. Plan your outfits before you travel to stop you from packing unnecessary items; try to prioritise items that will go with lots of other things, and then pack these items together in the order that you’ll reach for them. I normally pack one big compression packing cube with all my outfits for the time I’ll be away, and a smaller cube containing underwear, pyjamas and workout gear.
- Roll, don’t fold. Goes without saying, but rolling your clothes will make them more compact, saving so much space.
- Wear your chunkiest items. Again, this is a simple tip, but it’s worth reiterating – wearing your biggest jumper, coat, and chunkiest shoes will make all the difference. I normally slip a pair of flip-flops into my handbag for the flight, especially for long-haul journeys.
- Edit down your skincare and beauty regime. Whenever I go to the airport, I pick up a few of the plastic bags they give you for liquids at security and stash them at home for future trips. This means I can make sure my liquids will fit, eradicating any possible airport disasters as I realise my favourite perfume won’t squeeze in. (Side note, for perfume, I love this mega-affordable refillable perfume bottle, which allows you to decant your favourite scent mess-free into a travel-friendly bottle.)
- Packing cubes can be used for more than just clothes. I use a cube for my wires, electrics, chargers and more – this means I’m not fumbling through rogue wires when I’m trying to find my passport or boarding pass. You could also use a packing cube for your shoes – and don’t forget to stuff shoes with socks or any other items that will fit to save more space, too.
