How to Pack a Week's Worth of Clothes in a Carry-On Bag

Travelling with just a carry-on feels great. No checked bag fees, no waiting at the carousel and no worrying about lost luggage. The challenge is fitting a full week into one bag. This is how we do it.

1. Plan outfits, not items

Lay out what you'll actually wear each day, then cut it down. Choose a simple colour palette so every top works with every bottom. Two pairs of trousers or shorts, five tops and one layer is plenty for most trips.

2. Wear your bulkiest items

Your heaviest shoes, jacket and jumper should be on you, not in your bag. It feels odd for an hour at the airport, but it frees up a huge amount of space.

3. Roll, then compress

Rolling clothes reduces creases and fills gaps better than folding. Compression saves even more. Squeeze the air out of your clothes and they take up around half the room. A vacuum compression cube does this in seconds and keeps everything organised.

4. Use every pocket

Socks go inside shoes. Chargers and cables go in a small pouch. Toiletries go in a clear bag that's easy to pull out at security. Keep your passport, phone and wallet in an outside pocket so you're never digging for them in the queue.

5. Plan to do one wash

For trips longer than five days, plan a quick sink wash or a launderette visit. It halves what you need to bring and nobody will notice you've worn that shirt twice.

The right bag makes it easy

A good carry-on does a lot of the work for you. The SpaceSaver Travel Bag 2.0 has a built-in vacuum compression system that shrinks your clothes at the press of a button, plus an expandable zip for the trip home. If you're flying Ryanair's free allowance, The Vackpack uses the same compression idea in a smaller under-seat size.

Pack less, compress the rest, and you might not need to book a checked bag again.