c/carry-on-only-packing

My $45 packing cube set finally got retired after 12 years

I bought three compression cubes back in 2013 for a trip to Portland and they just gave out last month, the zippers finally gave up on the way home from Chicago. Back then I thought they were a gimmick, but they honestly let me fit two weeks of clothes in a 40 liter bag without checking anything. The new set I picked up costs twice as much but has better straps, though I miss the old mesh tops that let me see everything at a glance. Has anyone else had a favorite packing item that lasted way longer than you expected before needing replaced?

My uncle's one-bag advice from 1998 finally clicked last month

Back in 1998 my uncle swore by rolling socks inside his boots and stuffing a jacket into the base of the bag, I thought he was nuts and packed flat for a decade. Last month I flew to Portland with a 30 liter bag and did exactly that, saved enough room for a second pair of shoes and a rain shell. Anyone else have an old family tip that took way too long to try?

Brought hiking boots instead of sandals to Costa Rica, RIP my feet

Had to pick between my trail runners and flip flops for a 10 day trip to Manuel Antonio. I chose the boots because of the rainforest hikes, but I forgot I'd be on the beach EVERY afternoon. My feet are permanently pruny and I lost a toenail walking 4 miles in wet socks. Has anyone else made the wrong shoe call and ended up wearing hotel slippers out to dinner?

The empty shampoo bottle trick I found in a Seoul hostel

Last month in Seoul I ran out of sunscreen on day 2 and this random guy at the hostel showed me he fills a tiny travel bottle with laundry detergent instead of buying a new one every trip. He said it works for hand washing socks too. I tried it on a 9 day trip and my bag got lighter by half a pound. Anyone else pack multi-use things like that?

Three years ago I swore by checked bags, now I'm the opposite

In 2021 I flew to Portland with a giant suitcase and nearly missed my connection hauling it through customs. Last month I did the same trip with just a 19 liter backpack and a packing cube, and I spent the layover eating pie instead of panicking. Anyone else flip from overpacking to minimal carry-on after one bad airport experience?

Rolled vs folded shirts, the scale finally tipped for me

I always folded my tees to save space, but rolled them for a 2 week trip to Lisbon and fit 3 extra outfits in my carry-on. Turns out rolling uses less corner space, not less total volume, so it works better for soft stuff. Anyone else have a packing method they stuck with for years that turned out to be wrong?

PSA: my liquid bag took 4 flights to figure out

Kept failing security in Denver because my toothpaste tube was too big, then I finally timed it and realized the real fix was using a contact lens case for it instead. Has anyone else spent that long on one dumb 3-1-1 rule?

Packing cubes felt like a gimmick till I hit 14 days in Japan

I laughed at my buddy for bringing them on a 2 week trip through Tokyo and Kyoto, but after living out of one 40L bag for that stretch, the compression ones saved me from digging through a wrinkled mess every morning. Anyone else sworn these off then caved after a long trip?

My inflatable pillow popped in Rome and I never looked back

Had two weeks across Italy with only a 40L bag, and the neck pillow burst on the train to Florence, so I ended up rolling up my puffer jacket into a little doughnut shape. Has anyone else found a clothing item that works better than any dedicated pillow they've tried?

Overheard a flight attendant say 'weigh your bag like it's a brick' and it clicked

I used to fold everything, now I roll only some things. What's your mix?

For years I folded every shirt and pair of pants flat, stacking them like a store display. That worked until a 4 day trip to Lisbon last spring where I couldn't fit my toiletries and a spare pair of shoes. I switched to rolling only the soft items like tees and joggers, but I still fold button-ups and anything that wrinkles easy. Now I pack about 80% rolled and 20% folded, and the bag stays under 7 kg every time. Do you go full roll, full fold, or something in between? And has anyone found a trick for keeping folded items from shifting during a flight?

Hit 30 trips with the same 20L bag last month, never expected that

I bought this 20L backpack back in 2018 for a weekend in Denver, figured I'd use it maybe twice a year. Last month I counted up and I've done 30 separate trips with it, from 2 nights to a 10 day stretch in Seattle. What surprised me is the 10 day one, I had to do laundry twice and skip my bulky jacket, but it worked. My old 35L suitcase used to stress me out with checking bag fees and waiting at carousels. Has anyone else hit a random milestone with one bag that made them realize their setup was better than they thought?

Just noticed how much lighter my bag got after dumping the neck pillow

I used to carry one of those inflatable neck pillows for every flight, plus a stuff sack for it, and my carry-on was always bulging at 6 pounds over the limit on a 4-day trip to Portland last month. This time I left it at home, rolled up my puffy jacket into a pillow case I made from an old t-shirt, and suddenly my 30-liter bag felt like it had room for a second pair of shoes. Anyone else found a simpler thing to swap out that made a huge difference in weight or space?

Packing cubes vs rolling, tested on a 9 day trip to Chicago

I used to swear by just rolling everything loose but tried those compression cubes last month. Fit way more in my 22 inch bag and digging for socks at 6am wasnt a disaster. Anyone else make the switch and never look back?

Learned the hard way at LAX security last month

I was flying out of LAX and my carry-on got flagged. TSA opened it up and pulled out a full sized shampoo bottle I forgot about. Cost me 10 minutes plus they tossed the bottle. Right then I switched to solid shampoo bars and travel tubes only. Anyone else had TSA throw away something important?

Old habit of packing way too many shirts finally made me try the capsule thing

I used to stuff like 5 or 6 t-shirts into my carry-on for a 3 day trip to Austin, just in case I got sweaty or spilled something lol. Last month I forced myself to only bring 3 neutral colors and mix them with the same pair of jeans, and honestly I had room for my sneakers for once. Has anyone else found that having fewer options actually makes your trip easier or am I just getting old?

I keep seeing people pack 3 pairs of shoes for a 4 day trip

Was waiting for my flight yesterday and watched a guy cram 3 pairs of sneakers into a tiny carry-on. I only bring one pair of comfy walking shoes and one pair of sandals that double as shower shoes. Has anyone else noticed how many shoes people try to squeeze in?

Hotel bathrooms in Tokyo made me rethink my whole packing system

I was in Tokyo last month for a week and every hotel room had these tiny sinks and no counter space at all. Had to lay my toiletries out on the bed just to get ready in the morning. Made me wonder how do you folks handle your grooming kit when you're stuck with zero surfaces to work on?

Rolled my eyes at the hiking pole trick for packing... then I tried it

For years I swore I'd never be that person strapping a hiking pole to the outside of my carry-on. Looked so awkward and clunky to me. Then last month I took a trip to Denver where I needed poles for a trail near Boulder but also wanted to stay carry-on only. I finally gave in and used a simple velcro strap to attach them along the side of my backpack. It freed up so much space inside for my cold weather jacket and extra socks. Honestly the poles didn't get snagged on anything at the airport or in the overhead bin. Has anyone else had a weird packing trick they resisted forever but now swear by?

My rolling duffel got stuck in a mud puddle in Dublin Airport parking lot

Last spring I was flying out of Dublin to Istanbul for a 10 day trip, and it started pouring rain as I walked from the car to the terminal. My carry-on rolling duffel (a cheap one I'd had for years) tipped over into a huge mud puddle, soaking the bottom half right through the fabric. I had no choice but to grab everything out in the terminal bathroom, wipe it down with paper towels, and repack using ziploc bags I luckily had for toiletries. The worst part was that my spare shoes were muddy and I had to wear them on the plane. Has anyone else had a bag disaster right before boarding that forced you to rethink your whole packing system?

Just hit 30 trips with the same 21 liter pack and I'm shook

I've been using the same little Mystery Ranch backpack for 3 years now, 30 flights total, and it never dawned on me how much I saved on bag fees until I added it up last night. That's like $900 in avoidable charges if I had checked a bag even half the time. Has anyone else run the numbers on what their carry-on habit is actually worth?

Unpopular opinion: packing cubes are overrated for small carry-ons

I used to swear by packing cubes for a 10 day trip to Barcelona, but after switching to just rolling everything loose in my 30L bag, I actually fit more (like 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants extra). The difference happened over 2 months of testing, going back and forth between the two methods on short weekend trips. I think the cubes waste space because they force you into rigid shapes, while loose rolling lets me squish stuff into every gap. But then again, some folks say cubes keep them organized so they don't panic digging through layers at security. What's your take - do cubes help or just eat up room for you?

Used to stuff one massive suitcase for a 2 week trip to Japan, now I bring a 35L backpack after getting stuck climbing 4 flights of stairs in Shinjuku with my roller bag at 2am.

Has anyone else made the switch and found they actually pack less crap when they have a weight limit on their shoulder?

Wasted $25 on packing cubes that didn't fit my bag

I bought a set of those cheap nylon packing cubes from a random website last month, trying to organize my carry-on for a trip to Denver... They were labeled as "standard size" but when I tried to zip them into my backpack, they stuck out and I had to leave one behind at the hotel. Has anyone else had a set of cubes that just didn't match the dimensions of your bag?

I tried the rolling method for packing my clothes and it flopped hard

Everyone raves about rolling shirts to save space, but I packed a 6-day trip to Austin last month and my rolled t-shirts took up way more room than folding flat. When I got to the hotel, half of them were wrinkled worse than if I just stuffed them in. Has anyone else gotten worse results from rolling?