TravelTST’s Experts

Airlines are raising their charges for checked luggage. As a result, creative travelers are working on methods to reduce or even avoid those charges.

Some of those ideas are okay like: filling all their pockets instead of packing things in a bag, putting on multiple layers of clothes, or painstaking organization of carry-on bags to do more with less. Some of those ideas are not good like boarding at the last minute so they can try to check their bags at the gate – for free.

As the Airlines continue to have profit challenges, some have continued raising prices on basic service. Service that has been taken for granted. A recent article on NYTimes.com called Gaming the Luggage System brings this dilemma into sharp focus.

What are You Doing to Pack Smarter?

Here are 11 tips for packing more clothes and accessories into a single carry-on bag:

1. Be ruthless. Less is more! Be prepared to ask yourself, “Do I -Really- need to bring this?”

2. Know the rules. All carry-on liquids are to be in 3-ounce bottles and stowed in a 1-quart clear plastic bag. Ziploc bags in freezer weight are OK; Check out Container Store for heavy duty bags. containerstore.com)

3. Get the right bag. Most airlines limit carry-ons to 45 to 50 linear inches, meaning the width, length and height measurement cannot exceed that when added together. Check your airline’s Web site for details on their size restrictions for carry-on and invest in that size of bag – with wheels!

4. Small-ville. Travel-sized toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, etc. save space.

5. Plan to do laundry. Packing light requires reusing what you packed through your trip. You know that clothesline in your hotel shower? Be prepared to use it.

6. For longer trips, pack in threes. Shorts or skirts and three pair of slacks with three blouses or shirts and three T-shirts or tank tops in your carry-on. Wear your heaviest pair of shoes on the plane; packed pairs are the lightest and packed in the bottom, like sandals.

7. Roll up individual items of clothing. It saves space and makes less wrinkles. If you must lay items flat, check out Eagle Creek and Flight 001 for packing tools that will help.

8. Coordinate. Build your trip wardrobe around a neutral colour palette and get more outfits from fewer clothes! Posh dinner can even be handled since the simplest of pieces can look sharp if matching and darker in colour.

9. 2010 Materials. Choose wrinkle-resistant, lightweight fabrics that dry quickly; this means modern synthetics.

10. Organization. Put shoes and jeans on the bottom; lighter items like T-shirts on top. Fill spaces with accessories, rolled socks and underwear.

11. Layers. Wear layers on the plane, even two shirts. That saves room in the bag for other things. Wear an outer garment like a blazer or sport coat that can be dressed up or down.