Traveling Carry-on Only? This Packing Hack Can Save You HUNDREDS of Dollars and Headaches
Updated: Sep 20, 2022
This past summer could be described as the great travel boom of 2022. Some news outlets even called it the "summer of revenge travel" -a bit dramatic, right? This "revenge" brought fear to my spirit because when you mix a lot of people traveling with airlines that fired a lot of people during a pandemic, that usually results in...lost bags.
And that's exactly what we saw. Airports already known for their chaotic nature *cough cough Amsterdam* went viral on social media for what seemed like oceans of abandoned suitcases lining its terminals with no owners in sight.

So when I bought a ticket to Kenya this July, I knew I would not be checking a bag. I scoured the internet attempting to find a solution, even asking my Instagram audience if they knew how I could fit all my outfits in my small carry-on. And when the answer finally came to me, I knew I hit the jackpot.
Space...saver...bags.

YES, those good ole fashioned vacuum bags that had all of those commercials back in the day. I ordered the bags from Amazon. I was so excited because the bags came with a handheld pump which was lightweight and perfect for compressing my clothes (and provided me with a little arm workout.) Within 20-ish minutes, my clothes were fully compact. I was able to fit 15 different outfits, workout clothes, shoes, undergarments, and a large hat in my carry-on suitcase! I didn't even wear all of the outfits I packed.
Let's quickly overview the pros and cons:
Pros: affordable space-saving solution, could fit a ton of clothes in my carry-on, comes with a handheld pump, stays compressed and sealed
Cons: a little bit of an arm workout, my carry-on bag was a little overweight (but airlines typically don't weigh those), my clothes came out a bit wrinkled (but nothing humidity or a good handheld travel steamer can't fix)
No, it's not a perfect method. But, if you're in a pinch and you don't want to check a bag try this out.
Tutorial:
Happy Travels,
Alexa




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