8 Carry-on Packing Mistakes to Avoid

I come from a family of avid travelers. My mom has been traveling for more than 40 years and has racked up at least 2,000 hotel stays, and my dad takes an average of four work trips a year to Europe. I’ve been taking regular trips—both domestic and international—for more than 20 years, and I never check my bags. Needless to say, I’ve become a pro at packing a carry-on.

Whether it’s for a weekend getaway or weeklong trip, I strictly travel with carry-on luggage to keep my belongings close and to avoid a checked-bag fee. So I’ve had a lot of practice, and there are eight mistakes I see many travelers make that lead to overstuffing their bags. Below, I’ve broken down what you should pack instead to avoid those mistakes, and to become a pro carry-on-only traveler, and you can find everything in Amazon’s travel store for as little as $9. 

Don’t: Throw clothes into your carry-on

Instead: Use compression packing cubes

Before discovering these packing cubes, I would just roll my clothes into my carry-on. It helped save some space, but I also had to unpack my bag just to find a belt or vitamins. With compression packing cubes, you can organize your bag by outfit or article of clothing. Bagail’s packing cube set comes with four different-sized bags that, when zipped, condense everything down to a more compact size.

Save additional space by creating a capsule wardrobe of a few bottoms and tops that can be mixed and matched to create different travel outfits.

Don’t: Bring a portable steamer

Instead: Pack wrinkle release spray

Wrinkle release spray is my secret weapon for keeping vacation outfits looking smooth and fresh without a lot of work. Portable steamers and irons are bulky and require an outlet, time, and patience. Downy’s wrinkle spray works in a matter of seconds: Just lay your clothing flat, spritz it with wrinkle release spray, and use your hands to smooth the material out. That way, you can spend less time on your clothes and more time exploring.

Don’t: Pack a traditional toiletry bag

Instead: Use a hanging toiletry bag

A hanging toiletry bag, like this one from Bagsmart, won’t require digging around to find your makeup and skincare products. Instead, the built-in hanger can be placed on a hook or over the door to help you get to your products easily. Plus, the clear pockets put your toiletries on display, so all you have to do is glance, grab, and apply.

Don’t: Pack shampoo and conditioner

Instead: Pack travel-sized hair oil

Hotels provide a mix of toiletries, like shampoo and conditioner, that’ll help you conserve bag space. So, I only bring a small hair oil, like this shopper-loved formula by Verb. Not only does it help reduce frizz, but it protects my strands from heat, and I find it makes my hair softer and shinier. 

Don’t: Pack hot hair tools

Instead: Pack heatless hair rods

Storage space is limited in a carry-on, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still pack hair accessories. Hot tools are big and bulky, and most hotels provide some sort of blow dryer. These Luckybear hair rods can give you curls or a fresh blowout look overnight; Just roll your hair before bed and use the built-in clips to keep it in place. 

Don’t: Pack a bulky jacket

Instead: Bring a packable rain jacket

Packable rain jackets make it easy to bring an extra layer without taking up a lot of space in your bag. This style from Outdoor Ventures is water- and wind-proof to keep you dry and warm during rainy days. The jacket can fold down into a packable size you can store in your carry-on and still have space for a pair of shoes.

Don’t: Pack full-size pill bottles

Instead: Use a pill organizer

When you pack pill bottles separately, they take up space, and you have to spend time digging around your carry-on to find each one. Pill organizers are small enough to fit in a personal item bag and keep all of your vitamins and medicine in one convenient spot. Betife’s travel-friendly design has seven compartments to separate what you need by day of the week or type of pill, and it has side locks to keep everything secure.

Don’t: Put jewelry in a plastic bag 

Instead: Bring a travel jewelry case

I used to throw my necklaces into a side mesh pocket inside my carry-on, but it always left my jewelry all knotted up. Fed up with wasting time unknotting necklaces, I started using a travel jewelry case, and it completely transformed my unpacking experience. 

This Bagsmart travel jewelry bag has a fabric that’s flexible enough to bend and fold into your luggage. It also has a button closure to keep everything extra secure. My jewelry is now organized into separate pockets and hooks, which makes it easier to locate what piece I want to wear when I’m ready to go out. 

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