How to Pack a Carryaboard

Whether you travel frequently for business or are the kind of person who simply refuses to waste valuable vacation time waiting for your bags at the luggage carousel, being able to pack light is a good skill set to have. In the face of rising fuel costs that are compelling airlines to start charging additional fees for checked suitcases, it makes even more sense to carry everything with you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Carryaboard
• Clothes
• Shoes
• Toiletries
• Medium/large plastic shopping bags

Thinking Light

1. Assemble the clothes, shoes, and toiletries you think you will need based on your destination, the duration of your stay, and what activities you'll be doing. Since shoes are generally the heaviest items and take up a lot of space, consider whether you can get by with just the ones you'll be wearing on the day of travel. If it's a business trip and you'll be spending all your time in meetings, make sure that the shoes you wear will be compatible with the color scheme of your suits, slacks or skirts. For women, an evening out may call for a dressier pair of heels than you feel like wearing as you run from one end of the terminal to the other. For leisure activities, a pair of tennis shoes or sandals will take up less room than regular footwear.

2. Collect an assortment of medium to large plastic shopping bags (the kind you get from department stores). These are the secret weapon to wrinkle-prevention and can be used whether you're packing a carryaboard or a full-size suitcase. Though some people swear that the secret is tissue paper, the slick surface of the plastic bags gives a more "fluid" structure to your packing; even if the items wrapped in them shift around in the overhead rack or in a cargo hold, they're not going to get as wrinkled as if they're tightly packed with tissue paper.

3. Assess whether your travel wardrobe is comprised of items that (1) can do double-duty and (2) won't show wrinkles and dirt. There's a broad breadth of travel knits available today that can be folded or rolled into small spaces and yet shake out perfectly upon arrival. Likewise, a patterned or textured ensemble is a good choice if you plan to wear it more than once. How many outfits in your travel wardrobe can be paired with other items to create a different look? A sleeveless turtleneck, for instance, can be paired with slacks or a skirt and can also be transformed by adding a scarf or wearing a V-neck or cardigan sweater over it. If you find that you're packing a lot of items that only go with one specific thing or are of a fabric like linen that wrinkles horribly before you've even put it on, you'll need to rethink whether it would be better off staying on a hanger at home. Once you have winnowed out the unnecessary items, it's time to start packing them.

4. Wrap your extra pair of shoes (if you're taking some) in one of the medium plastic bags and place this at one end of the bottom of your carryaboard. The next step is to neatly fold into thirds those items that are made of the most wrinkle-resistant material. Place no more than three of these items in a single plastic bag and fold the opening of the bag and any extra part of the side of the bag under so that you've made a nice little bundle. Place this in the bottom of the bag next to the bag containing your shoes. Put your lingerie/underwear in a plastic bag and tuck this small bundle into the opposite end of the bag from your shoes. Continue the layering with blouses and shirts. The marvelous thing about loosely layering your items in this fashion is that after they are worn, they can be folded or rolled into tighter configurations and give you lots of extra space to bring home souvenirs!

5. Fold slacks, skirts and dresses in thirds, slips them into the largest bags and make these your top layer.

6. Place liquid toiletries in a zip-lock plastic bag and set this on the top. During check-in security procedures, this bag will need to be removed for inspection and you'll want it to be as accessible as possible. Non-liquid toiletries (i.e., hairbrushes, mirrors, toothbrushes) should be placed in a plastic bag and tucked into the side of your carryaboard. Compact umbrellas can also go into the sides. Cameras should be placed near the top and nicely cushioned. Tuck an extra plastic bag into your carryaboard that can be used for your dirty clothes.

Tips & Warnings

• Unless you're going to be sweltering, wear your bulkiest item on the day of travel. You'll be carrying your coat or jacket rather than packing it since you'll need to remove it prior to passing through security checkpoints. A bulky sweater can easily be doffed and stored in the overhead rack.
• A simple trick for getting the hang of neatly folding dress shirts and blouses is to lay them button-side down on a bed and place a plastic rectangular cutting board on the "back" just below the collar. Fold one side in toward the center and fold the sleeve so it's parallel to the edge of the cutting board. Do the same with the opposite side. Fold the bottom of the shirt toward the center of the cutting board. Slide the cutting board out and fold the remaining top third of the shirt.
• Most hotels will supply you with courtesy bottles of shampoo, conditioner and mouthwash so you don't have to pack them. If you do pack these items for a short trip, though, take the ones you got from your last hotel stay so you can simply discard them when they're empty. If your stay is going to be longer than two nights, keep in mind that you can probably buy all the toiletries you need when you arrive. If you regularly receive lotion samples in the mail or mini-vials of perfume, save them for your next trip.
• Even if you don't plan for your carryaboard to be out of your sight the entire trip, you should still make sure it has a luggage tag on it. It's also wise to carry a small lock just in case you arrive at your hotel prior to check-in and they offer to take your bag and hold it for you.