On Monday I shared my thoughts after a year of using my Away Carry-On suitcase, and today I thought I’d share my packing strategy. It took several tries before I finally figured out what works best for me (my last suitcase had one large compartment rather than two smaller sides), and now I finally have it down to an art form. Today I’m sharing how I typically pack my suitcase, for trips long or short (update: I now prefer to pack this suitcase using Away’s packing cubes – you can read all about it here).
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I begin with my bulkiest and heaviest pieces, my shoes. As I’ve amassed a number of dust bags from shoemakers (the ones from Everlane and Sevilla Smith are my favorites) I put them to good use here in my suitcase, making sure that my shoes and the clothing that surrounds them stay protected.
If you don’t have dust bags, you can reuse plastic grocery store bags or old towels; if you’d like something more dedicated to the task, there are plenty of options available online. Once bagged, I place the shoes in the bottom of the large zippered side, arranging them like puzzle pieces so they take up as little room as possible.
Next, I add in any outerwear or other miscellaneous large items, such as towels or ponchos. I also slip any hair tools into this side about half of the time, the rest of the time I pack them into my nylon tote. I try to leave a little room to spare in this portion of the suitcase in case we bring any purchases home with us.
With all of those items packed, I zip up the large compartment and move on to packing my clothes below the compression pad.
My process for packing this side is the same – my heaviest and most durable garments are placed at the base of the suitcase, typically pants/jeans, skirts, and sweaters (though these photos were shot during the summer when tanks and bare legs are my uniform). I haven’t quite mastered the actual KonMari method of folding, though I do fold in a similar way to allow all items to be viewed and accessed at any time.
Next, my tops and dresses are added in a row above the bottoms. I take care to insert any more delicate items between two garments without hardware like zippers are buttons (as in the second photo below, where my navy silk dress is added in between two soft tees).
Next, I pack my undies, socks, camisoles, and swimwear in a small, two-sided packing cube. After having a TSA agent rifling through my belongings and lingering a bit too long on my panties, I began packing them in a separate bag. This packing cube is then added next to my tops, which helps them stay aligned and neat.
Though it appears that the bottom row is nearly at its max width, these items can be compacted further to allow for more space. With the folding method mentioned above, they would likely take up less horizontal space on their own, but the method is time-consuming, especially when unpacking and repacking multiple times over the course of a trip. Next, I pack my bras in their dust bag, stacking them one on top of the other for protection, and sliding them in vertically so the already-packed clothing can help support them (though I may eventually opt for something a little sturdier, just in case).
Once everything is in, I use the compression pad to condense it flat for easy zipping. To do this, I simply flip it over, close the buckle, and tighten the straps. I use this small pocket to store the wall charger for the suitcase’s battery.
With that done, I close up the suitcase, lock the zipper pulls in place, and I’m ready for the next adventure!
Enjoyed this post? You may also like:
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- Pack Smart, Not Hard: A Review of Away’s Packing Cubes
- My Travel Essentials
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- A Review of Cuyana’s Classic Leather Zipper Tote and Tote Organization Insert
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What are some of your favorite packing tips?
Would you happen to have a link to the double-sided cube that you used to put your undies in? I love that idea!
Hi Lauren! I believe it is this one here. One of the sides is water-resistant, which is great for swimwear if needed. Thanks for reading!
where do you put your toiletries and other small incidentals you might need to pack to take with you?
Hey Lisa – great question!
I usually stash all of my makeup, liquids, and other toiletries in these bags and place them in my tote bag, as most airlines allow you to fly with a carry on and one personal item. Just be sure to double-check with the airline before you fly, as occasionally some only let you bring one bag into the main cabin.