Old me: stuffed cubes to max weight. New me: leaves 20% empty. Why?

For like 7 years I rolled every t-shirt into tight little logs and stuffed my carry-on until the zipper screamed. Hit 15.2 pounds once on a Florence trip and got flagged at the gate. Total nightmare. Now I leave a visible gap at the top, maybe 4 inches of space, so I can shove in a hoodie or snacks last minute. What changed? I watched a packing video from a flight attendant who said airlines care about weight more than volume these days. Plus my back stopped hurting from lifting that brick. Has anyone else switched from cramming every square inch to leaving room and found it actually works better?

2 comments

2 Comments

blakem8226d ago

Dude, I once packed a whole espresso machine in my carry-on. Worst decision ever.

diana_park27d ago

Wait, are you saying I've been doing it wrong this whole time? Honestly, I used to think maxing out the space was the only smart way to pack. I always stuffed my bag until it was literally bulging at the seams, thinking every inch counted. But now that you mention the weight thing, it totally clicks. I got charged a crazy fee on a flight to Chicago last year and never connected it to my overweight carry-on. Ngl, having that extra 20% room sounds pretty nice for chucking in a jacket or a water bottle at the last minute. I'm definitely trying this on my next trip, my back thanks you in advance.