How to Travel with Carry-on Luggage

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I don’t like packing. I dread it every time I go on a trip.

There was a time when I’d try to pack my whole closet and always check my bag. My husband wasn’t a fan of this style of packing, so I learned how to travel with carry-on luggage. I don’t think he would have ever proposed if I still checked my luggage!🤣

Now I’ve been carrying on luggage for years, and I love how much time it saves. I don’t spend as much time packing and unpacking, get to skip the check luggage line at the airport, and I don’t have to wait for my luggage when we arrive (or worry that it didn’t make it)!

Don’t get me wrong, I still over-pack, but no harm, no foul if it all fits in my carry-on, right?! I’ve figured out that it helps to have the right luggage, lay out outfits, and pay attention to what I wore on past trips.

My go-to carry-on luggage

When it was time to invest in new luggage, my husband researched to figure out what to buy. He travels a lot for work, so he wanted luggage that was functional, durable, and easy to push around.

Carry-on suitcase

We both ordered the Briggs and Riley 21″ Baseline Carry-On Expandable Spinner.

It was a splurge, but it’s forever luggage. Briggs and Riley has a lifetime guarantee. If a bag gets damaged or broken, they’ll repair it no questions asked.

We’ve been using our luggage for six years now, and it’s the best! There’ve been no issues, and it still looks great. It has a few stains, but we’ve definitely put it through the wringer.

The top part of the suitcase has the option to hang nicer clothes that I don’t want to fold. It’s almost like having a garment bag and suitcase all in one.

The expandable function on the carry-on spinner is great, too. As a recovering over-packer, this allows me to pack more than I should and then compress it all in the suitcase! It’s actually kind of fun to watch my suitcase shink down to a reasonable size that easily fits into the overhead bins on airplanes.

Carry-on bag

Briggs and Riley has a variety of bags that slide onto the suitcase handle and fit under an airplane seat. We also have the Large Expandable Brief, which I love!

It can hold my laptop, tablet, two pairs of Bose noise-canceling headphones, snacks, 40 oz. water bottle, coloring books, and a lightweight hoodie. The picture below is the brief zipped up with everything mentioned above in it, and I don’t have the bag expanded!

My husband has been interested in the Large Cargo Backpack for a while for work trips. We’re trying to hold out until Black Friday because they typically have some good deals. I might also snag this super cute Travel Tote for weekend trips.

How to pick out outfits for carry-on luggage

This is always a challenge for me because I tend to change outfits once or twice throughout the day, so I like to have options. It drives my husband nuts. 😛

Which outfits do you love to wear?

What has worked best for me is to check the weather for my destination and then think about the outfits I like to wear in that type of climate. Then I start laying them out. This is definitely easier for warm or tropical destinations.

I try to pack one jacket or sweater and pair it with most of my outfits, and I include one leisure hoodie to go with joggers and athletic shorts.

Keep track and pack carry-on luggage in advance

I also try to keep track of the things I wore the most on past trips. There are times I have packed lots of options, but then I wore a few items more than once. It has even crossed my mind to keep a log of clothes I wore and didn’t wear on each trip, but I feel like that might take me to the next level of crazy.🤪

The last thing I usually do is pack a day or two before, and then I’ll remove items (or add some, haha) the night before our trip.

Stay somewhere with a washer and dryer

Being able to do laundry on vacation is great, especially if you’re on a longer trip.

We always do this when we go to Kauai. On nights we eat in or have some downtime, I throw a load in and do that a couple of times during the trip. Then I wash everything before we fly out and we can unpack our suitcases into our closets.

Organized packing

Have you ever tried packing cubes? These are great, especially when trying only to pack a carry-on. It helps with organization and is a space saver.

I have this small packing cube set. It’s nice to have different sizes, and I really like that one of the cubes has a dry pouch to keep swimsuits separate. This is perfect if my suits smell like chlorine or sunscreen.

Another great way to save space is to use vacuum storage bags. These are awesome if you’re going on a longer trip and want to pack more than usual. There are also bags that you can roll the air out of, but I found that the pump works to flatten the bags.

Kids carry-on luggage

I found this amazing luggage at Macy’s a couple of years ago, and I was able to snag it at a great price during one of their luggage sales. There are some different prints available on Amazon.

Travel tip! If you still travel with a booster seat, I recommend this one. Then buy the carrying bag for the seat. I stuff my son’s backpack inside before we get on the plane. Then it becomes his second carry-on item, and I don’t have to gate-check the booster seat!

To carry on or check it, that’s the question

Well, you already know my answer. I don’t think I could go back to checking a bag. I’m able to pack so much into my carry-ons, and I still don’t wear everything I bring on trips.

You’re call. There’s nothing wrong with checking bags, but if you’re looking to save time or have had issues with your luggage getting lost, give carry-on luggage a try!