I’m a Travel Editor and This Packing Hack Changed My Life

I’m only slightly ashamed to admit that I’m a serial over-packer. What one person might pack for a two-week journey through Europe, I’ll pack for a weekend staycation. For a two-night trip to Philadelphia, I once packed seven pairs of shoes. When would I even have worn SEVEN pairs of shoes? Never. The answer is never.

Yes, I know that if I forget something I could buy it at my destination, and yes, I know I can probably find a washer-dryer somewhere or rewear my jeans or whatever other explanation assorted family members, colleagues, and boyfriends have given me over the years. But even when I’m really trying to pare things down, it’s still a lot.

The bigger issue is how to fit all of that stuff in a carry-on—because who wants to check baggage? For years, I’ve tried different hacks to shove more stuff in my bag: I’ve rolled things tightly, I’ve used packing cubes, I’ve vacuum sealed my sweaters, I’ve had friends sit on my suitcase while I try to close it. Those all worked just fine, until I found the best hack of all: packing vertically!

Let me explain. Most of us lay out our suitcase, then fold our clothes and stack them inside one on top of the other. Instead, I fold the garments, then line them up next to each other, with just one thin side sticking out. It basically looks as though I stood my suitcase up on its wheels and stacked my clothes that way. Now, I’m able to see every item at a glance (nothing buried at the bottom) and it can fit a whole lot more stuff. I have seen people do this with clothing drawers over the years, but it only recently struck me that this method could translate to packing suitcases too.

This minor switch has allowed me to pack to my heart’s content with a lot less stress (and a lot more T-shirts). Give it a try if you’re traveling for the holidays, and let me know what you think!