When I started travel nursing, I commuted weekly from my home in Illinois to my Airbnb in Indianapolis. I got a great carry-on suitcase for Christmas from my mom, and I found that it was FANTASTIC for packing clothes for my nursing contracts!

Because this was the only suitcase I owned and I couldn’t afford the matching larger version, I started traveling with a carry-on for my vacations too. I’ve considered buying a larger suitcase for longer trips and likely will need to eventually, but a carry-on bag can be plenty of space if you pack right!

Why bring a carry-on?

Have you ever checked a bag and waited an hour for it to arrive in baggage claim after your destination? It’s happened to me. Have you ever had an item break in your checked bag? It’s happened to me. Have you ever had your baggage get lost? To be fair, that one hasn’t happened to me, but probably because I avoid checking a bag at all costs!

I like to only use a carry-on whenever possible for multiple reasons. It prevents me from getting stuck in long baggage check lines on arrival, reducing the time I have to be in the airport. When I’m coming off a work shift and sleeping during the day before a late flight, even 15 extra minutes of sleep feels heavenly!

Bringing a carry-on keeps all of your belongings near you at all times. There are no “middlemen” managing your valuables, and your risk of losing your suitcase is significantly decreased.

Smaller suitcases are easier to navigate within the airport and at your destination. Smoothly wheeling your carry-on up to a hotel is much easier than dragging a huge suitcase up to the check-in counter. Carry-ons are lighter than large suitcases, which is ideal for me because I have chronic back problems.

Not checking a suitcase means more freedom when you arrive at your destination. On our recent trip to Las Vegas, we were hit by bright LED screens and slot machines as soon as we walked off the plane. We were so excited to start exploring and get to our hotel! Unfortunately, we checked both of our suitcases because they had full-size liquids, and we had to stand for over an hour in baggage claim before our bags finally showed up. Not fun.

That leads me to the con of not checking a bag: limitations with what you can pack. All liquids in a carry-on must follow the 3-1-1 rule. Liquids must be 3.4 ounces or less, fit in 1 quart-sized bag, and each passenger may only have one bag of liquids. If you check your suitcase, no matter its size, it does NOT have to follow the 3-1-1 guidelines. This rule was created in 2006 after terrorists in Britain tried to sneak liquid explosives onto an airplane. For this reason, if you expect to have a large number of liquids or cannot put your shampoo/conditioner into smaller bottles, you may have to check your baggage under the plane. Traveling with a carry-on is a great time to utilize those complimentary toiletries many hotels provide!

My tip: Walmart has cheap containers in their hygiene section that follow the 3-1-1 rule! They also have travel-sized deodorant, toothpaste, and mouthwash.

Keep reading below for my tried-and-tested suggestions for packing a carry-on!

Do you really need that extra jacket?

The answer is no; you don’t. Bring a jacket if you expect to be cold, but unless you’re visiting the middle of nowhere, you can always find a Walmart somewhere! Extra “just in case” clothing quickly adds up and can fill your suitcase with items you won’t ever use. My mama taught me to count how many pairs of socks, underwear, etc that I would need on my trip and add one of each. That rule hasn’t failed me yet!

Avoid bulky items

Light summer dresses that don’t wrinkle easily are my go-to on vacation. Leggings and soft t-shirts also roll relatively small and can fit in empty suitcase crevices. Wear your bulkiest shoes to the airport so they don’t limit your carry-on space or add weight! If you really want to bring those thigh-high boots, you better be willing to wear them on the plane. The airport is NOT the place to care about style! I usually wear sneakers on the plane and pack a pair of lightweight neutral flats to go with all of my dresses. If you pay close attention to my trip photos, you’ll see many pairs of repeated shoes! That is okay with me 😊 If you ended up bringing that extra jacket, wear it on your flight instead of using your suitcase space.

Unfortunately, avoiding bulky is difficult during winter or when visiting somewhere cold. Warm clothes are naturally larger than summer outfits, so you might need a bigger suitcase in this instance. If you still need to bring a carry-on, avoid sweaters; these take up a lot of space and you can’t discreetly wear them multiple times in one trip. That brings me to my next point!

Bring clothing that you can wear more than once

A good pair of jeans or a pair of black leggings are your friend here. No one will notice or care that you wore the same pair of jeans 2-3 days or layered a hoodie over the tank top that you wore yesterday. However, if you wear a patterned dress or brightly-colored heels in pictures, people on social media will definitely notice! Within reason, try to bring clothing pieces that are neutral or can become multiple outfits. You’ll thank yourself later for the extra souvenir space you saved in your suitcase!

Utilize the outside pockets of your suitcase

Yes, those are there for a reason! My husband and I usually store socks, underwear, and other soft items in the exterior pockets or interior “tops” of our suitcases. They serve as a cushion for the rest of our items, and we harmlessly squish them into tight places. If our suitcases get thrown into the trunk of our car or underneath the airplane, none of our belongings will be affected.

My tip: Once you arrive at your destination, use the exterior pockets for dirty clothes. Doing this will keep your dirty clothes separate, and you won’t have to worry about them getting wrinkled! Once we get home, I just unzip the pockets and dump our clothes straight into the washer.

Last but not least: Roll your clothing!

Most travelers know this by now, but you should not fold your clothes. Folding causes creases and does not maximize your suitcase space. Roll your clothing! It doesn’t have to be perfect; good rolling skills come with practice. If you don’t know how, click here for a great YouTube demonstration.

For more travel tips, check out my article on Flying Cheap: The Hopper App and Spirit Airlines!