I'm a Professional Packer, and These Are My 11 Hacks for Fitting 2 Weeks' Worth of Belongings in a Carry-on

"As a travel writer and founder of the packing site, Just Packed, I feel the need to disclose that, unfortunately, packing will never be the easiest part of your trip. Some people may disagree, but I firmly believe that it should always be an intentional process, one that requires pre-planning and an understanding of how your destination and personal style will impact the contents of your suitcase."

"While I'll typically take advantage of the free checked bag that comes with airline status, there are some scenarios-like a Caribbean beach trip where the seaplane has luggage restrictions, or a multi-city European excursion with endless cobblestones and elevator-less accommodations-when it doesn't make sense to bring more than one small suitcase. And yes, this includes trips where you're traveling for weeks on end. When I'm traveling light, I use these 11 packing hacks to get the most out of my carry-on suitcase real estate."

"Rule no. 1 when traveling sans checked bag: Make sure your carry-on is as spacious as possible. Working in the travel space, I've tested nearly every major suitcase brand on the market-from the companies that claim their technology is the first of its kind to the ones with unbelievably high price tags on their luggage. Yet I continue to repeatedly return to my Away Bigger Carry-on. I can say with full confidence it holds significantly more (at least two to three additional outfits) than any of my other carry-ons."

Packing requires intentional pre-planning and an understanding of destination and personal style to determine suitcase contents. Certain trips—seaplane-restricted Caribbean islands or multi-city European tours with cobblestones and no elevators—make carry-on-only travel preferable. Selecting the largest possible carry-on maximizes space. Testing suitcases across brands led to favoring a roomy model that holds two to three extra outfits. Traveling light can span weeks with careful planning. Applying specific packing hacks optimizes carry-on real estate and makes streamlined travel feasible for short or extended trips without checked luggage.

Read at Travel + Leisure