Traveling Carry-on Only? This Packing Hack Can Save You HUNDREDS of Dollars and Headaches

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