The Best Way to Pack a Suitcase (2024)

FAQs

Should you fold or roll clothes to pack in suitcase? ›

Rolling your clothes in your suitcase will generally save space. This is because it squeezes air from between folds and means the most of available space is used. If done correctly, rolling can also ensure less wrinkles in your clothes.

Do the clothing countdown: If you need a mantra to help streamline your wardrobe, use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule for a weeklong trip: Limit yourself to no more than five sets of socks and underwear, four tops, three bottoms, two pairs of shoes and one hat. The list should be adjusted to suit your needs.

Place your softer, rolled items at the bottom of your suitcase first. Next comes your folded garments: For your middle layer, start with the longest items, like skirts and nice pants. Stack the garments on top of each other, alternating waists with hems.

Rolling clothes will not make your bag heavier—unless you pack more because of all of the space you saved! So be careful of overpacking. Instead of rolling to save space, roll clothes so that you can downside to a carry-on bag and enjoy a bag that weighs a lot less.

You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. This is also known as the 3-1-1 liquids rule.

Published February 24, 2012. • 5 min read. This may seem an ambitiously small suitcase, but the golden rule of packing is to always take half the clothes you were planning to bring (and twice the money). Photograph by Westend61, Getty Images.

Tetrahedra and octahedra together can fill all of space in an arrangement known as the tetrahedral-octahedral honeycomb. Simulations combining local improvement methods with random packings suggest that the lattice packings for icosahedra, dodecahedra, and octahedra are optimal in the broader class of all packings.

The 3:1 rule: Pack three tops for every pair of pants or skirt. Think lightweight and layers. T-shirts, tank tops and cardigans can pile in much easier and are lighter than jumpers and hefty jackets.

If you have unlimited suitcase space and don't want to do any laundry, a two-week trip means packing 14/2 = 7 bras and at least 14 pairs of underwear.

Do airlines prefer hard or soft luggage? ›

“Almost all U.S. airline crew members use soft-sided roll-aboard bags,” Patrick Smith, airline pilot, air travel blogger, and author, tells Reader's Digest.

Often the heaviest clothes are the warmest, so wear your jeans, your bulky sweaters, and your boots. You might feel a bit silly carrying your fur coat with you on the plane when it's warm, but it's a great way to make sure your baggage is light and within the weight restrictions.

When packing, make sure the heaviest items such as shoes or toiletry bags are closest to the bottom of the suitcase, by the wheels. This will also stop the case from toppling over.

Baggy clothing can add bulk and make you appear larger. Opt for clothes that fit well and slim the body. High heels can elongate the legs and make you appear taller and slimmer.

If you're packing delicate fabrics, dresses, dress pants, or skirts, try overlapping your garments. Lay the bottom half of the garment flat into the suitcase, and then layer other clothing on top. This can include your rolled jeans and folded knits.

Liquid or gel food items larger than 3.4 oz are not allowed in carry-on bags and should be placed in your checked bags if possible. TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.

TSA has a limit on the size of liquids, gels and aerosols that travelers can bring in their carry-on bags. It's called the 3-1-1 liquids rule. Each item must be 3.4 ounces or less and must be able to fit inside a one-quart size clear zip-top bag.

Safety Razors: Because the razor blades are so easy to remove, safety razors are not permitted in your carry-on luggage with the blade. They're fine to pack in your carry-on without the blade. The blades must be stored in your checked luggage. The same applies for straight razors.

One of the Most Commonly Forgotten Things to Pack Are Snacks

If you are not moving locally or visiting a nearby area, you should bring snacks for the road. Hunger is not a great travel companion, so make sure that you pack stuff like: a granola or protein bar.

Roll Clothes Instead Of Folding

Whether you're on team roll or on team fold, our experts say that rolling clothes saves space. Folded clothes take more of your suitcase's surface area and you end up stacking clothes, taking up more of your luggage's height space as well.

Is it better to overpack or Underpack? ›

As long as you are strategic with what you pack and the necessities, underpacking is probably the better option of the two!

Consider the 1-2-3-4-5-6 Rule

One general guideline is to pack one hat, two pairs of shoes, three bottoms, four tops (short or long-sleeve or outer layer), five pairs of socks, six pairs of underwear.

Yes, you guessed it – the '3 shoe rule' is only pack THREE pairs of shoes. For a summer vacation, this typically means a pair of sneakers and two pairs of sandals – one dressy and one casual. It's simple really.

According to Martin Gardner, Stanislaw Ulam guessed that in 3 dimensions, the worst is the round ball. This is called Ulam's packing conjecture.

Pack less clothing than you think you'll need.

For shorter trips, we're big fans of the 1-2-3-4-5-6 Rule for packing: 1 hat, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants or skirts, 4 shirts, 5 pairs of socks and 6 sets of underwear. It works for long trips, too, as long as you can do laundry once a week.

Pack more - Particularly true with compression packing cubes, you can fit more gear and clothes in a smaller space. This means you can travel longer and farther with a smaller bag which is easier to travel with and might save on checked bag fees.

To calculate the required number of packing rings you will need the stuffing box depth divide by the packing C/S and round to the nearest whole number. You will also need to know the shaft diameter or sleeve diameter (I.D.), the box diameter (O.D.), and the stuffing box depth: (c/s) = (O.D - I.D.)/ 2.

Is it gross to wear the same bra for a week? ›

It can irritate your skin.

All that sweat, oil and dead skin creates bacteria that can irritate your skin. Exposing your skin to that bacteria may cause acne in the areas your bra touches. It's also possible that wearing the bra daily means it won't fully dry from the previous wear.

Clothing: Always have at least two bottoms for every week you plan to stay. So for two weeks, you should have four pairs of bottoms total. Bottoms can include jeans, skirts, and shorts, depending on where you're going. You should also include various types of tops depending on your planned activities.

All that, of course, depends on the duration of your trip, but we'd say three is a safe bet for a week-long getaway. If you're staying any longer, throw in an extra bra or two, or consider giving them a wash at the very least.

Rolling them up takes up less space in your suitcase and helps minimize wrinkles. And wrapping them in the bottom of the pant leg ensures they stay neat and tidy.

“When you're traveling on a plane, loose clothing is best,” he says. “You'll be more comfortable and you won't have to worry about circulation issues.” Tight clothes are not only restricting but can also affect your circulation, especially when flying long-haul.

Though you might find an inch or two of a difference with various airlines, the standard domestic carry-on luggage size is 22" x 14" x 9", which includes the handle and the wheels. This size limit ensures your bag — and ideally everyone else's — will be able to be stored safely in the overhead bin for your flight.

The flat fold method is best for bulky items like jeans and sweaters. This method is best used to pack clothes in card boxes or vacuum bags. The military roll method is best for small or delicate items like shirts and dresses. This method is best used to pack clothes in suitcases or duffle bags.