I crammed 10 days of outfits into a carry-on – but hack helped me sneak 4 bags

PACKING for a trip to another country isn’t always a walk in the park – especially when you need 10 days of outfits and only have a carry-on to work with.

On a recent trip from New York to London, I had to find a way to get everything I needed across the pond – and came up with a clever hack.

My luggage for the trip consisted of a standard carry-on suitcase, an accompanying tote bag, and a garment bag.

But I was packing for a variety of adventures, including work and a wedding, which complicated matters.

I hadn’t paid to check a bag, so I was relying only on the airline’s standard carry-on and personal item allowance.

So how was I going to fit a floor-length gown into my tiny carry-on and still manage to fit my work outfits and other necessities?

Somehow I managed to get everything on my list – including three pairs of shoes, the gown, and a laptop – over to London, thanks to a clever hack.

THE PACKING HAUL

For starters, I made a packing list weeks in advance, adding to it when I came across a must-bring item or dress in my closet.

From there, I was able to strategically plan outfits for each day, making notes of what to wear when depending on my schedule and planned events.

This also helped me avoid overpacking as I scheduled my itinerary and largely knew what activities to expect during my stay.

I mostly stuck to dresses, as they were much easier to roll up and sort into packing cubes than pants and shirts.

Clothing-wise, I packed into my suitcase:

• Seven dresses
• One jumpsuit
• A two-piece skirt set
• Denim jacket
• Three-piece athleisure set
• Two tank tops
• Two pairs of shorts
• Pair of leggings
• One pair of jeans
• One pair of heels
• One pair of sneakers
• One pair of sandals
• All other necessary garments

The other side of my suitcase held accessories, including a curling iron, a tote bag for work, a fascinator, a notebook, and some toiletries.

Then, my garment bag had:

• One floor-length gown
• A two-piece pink suit
• Raincoat

And my personal item – a medium-sized tote – was stuffed to the brim with toiletries, make-up, snacks, my laptop, and a small purse.

The bag-within-a-bag trend was strong this trip, as it usually is whenever I travel – and which is how I managed to avoid checking a suitcase.

THE HACK

I knew I needed to travel with my gown in my garment bag, as it was going to take up too much room in my suitcase and I wouldn’t have been able to fit everything else in.

But naturally, I was panicked at the thought of having that in addition to my suitcase and tote bag, knowing I was only allowed two items.

That’s when I realized my garment bag zipped all the way around into a duffle-style bag.

So by zipping it up to create a bag of its own, I was able to tuck my tote inside to have it appear as though I only had a suitcase and a personal item.

And it totally worked.

I arrived at the airport and went straight to security, as I didn’t need to check a bag.

Once I got through and arrived at my gate, I knew I’d made it without issue.

The same plan worked for my return flight – even when I was summoned to the airline’s check-in desk before security for a passport check, I made it through with my oversized personal item unscathed.

TAKEAWAYS

My plan was clever, though I had to be sneaky in approaching the counters when summoned to show my passport.

I did wind up having to gate-check my carry-on for the flight to London – but the fact that I didn’t have to pay to do so was a huge win.

Overall, I managed to wear everything once except for one dress and the two-piece skirt set.

Some items, like my jeans and sneakers, saw way more use than I was anticipating.

I was thrilled with everything I packed, the strategy I used to cram it all into my bags, and the hack that made it possible to avoid bag fees.