--- title: 8 Simple Tips for Packing a Carry-On Suitcase description: Make the most out of limited space with smart packing tricks. canonical: https://time.com/4204850/8-simple-tips-for-packing-a-carry-on-suitcase/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-03T05:08:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:01:46.915Z og:title: 8 Simple Tips for Packing a Carry-On Suitcase og:description: Because no one wants to shell out money on checked bag fees og:url: https://time.com/4204850/8-simple-tips-for-packing-a-carry-on-suitcase/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2913f47c65e44bde/69887be5cd1bba71e86ff3d4/travel-packing-carry-on.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Preparing for summer vacation in red colour og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 8 Simple Tips for Packing a Carry-On Suitcase twitter:description: Because no one wants to shell out money on checked bag fees twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2913f47c65e44bde/69887be5cd1bba71e86ff3d4/travel-packing-carry-on.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Simple Tips for Packing a Carry-On Suitcase by [The Editors of Motto](https://time.com/author/the-editors-of-motto/) ## The Editors of Motto Feb 3, 2016 5:08 AM UTC  Preparing for summer vacation in red colour Preparing for summer vacation in red colourMulti-bits—Getty Images by [The Editors of Motto](https://time.com/author/the-editors-of-motto/) ## The Editors of Motto Feb 3, 2016 5:08 AM UTC With airlines charging their customers an arm and a leg just to check a bag, more and more people are resorting to the carry-on option when they travel. But you have to get a little creative with your packing when working with limited suitcase space. Bring items that have multiple uses—like a large scarf that can double into a blanket for chilly transit—and store small articles like socks in shoes for extra space. You can also give office and bath supplies new life to keep your toiletries and accessories tidy in transit. Tricks like these can help you bring everything you need for your trip without getting weighed down. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4204850/8-simple-tips-for-packing-a-carry-on-suitcase/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4204850/8-simple-tips-for-packing-a-carry-on-suitcase/"},"headline":"Simple Tips for Packing a Carry-On Suitcase","datePublished":"2016-02-03T05:08:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:01:46.915Z","description":"Because no one wants to shell out money on checked bag fees","url":"https://time.com/4204850/8-simple-tips-for-packing-a-carry-on-suitcase/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2913f47c65e44bde/69887be5cd1bba71e86ff3d4/travel-packing-carry-on.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Editors of Motto","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/the-editors-of-motto/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2913f47c65e44bde/69887be5cd1bba71e86ff3d4/travel-packing-carry-on.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Preparing for summer vacation in red colour","caption":"Preparing for summer vacation in red colour","creditText":"Multi-bits—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4204850/8-simple-tips-for-packing-a-carry-on-suitcase/","name":"Simple Tips for Packing a Carry-On Suitcase"}}]}] ```