This guest post was written by Sunny Brady, her bio will appear at the end of the post. As someone who used to travel ALL.THE.TIME. for work, I can attest that these pointers are great. Feel free to add your own in the comment.

Anyone who has been in a line at the airport understands the hassle of managing checked bags and waiting for what seems like an eternity for them to arrive at baggage claim. By only bringing carry-on luggage, you will not only be saving yourself a significant amount of time, but you will also find traveling to be incredibly more convenient. Follow these tips and tricks below on how to pack all your essentials into carry-on bags:

1. Make a list of activities.

Sit down and make a list of all the things you plan on doing on your trip. For example, if you are going on a business trip, write down all the conferences and dinners you will be attending. If you are going on vacation, write down all the sites you are planning on visiting. Doing this will help you decide what outfits you plan on
wearing to each event and also helps cut down on bringing excess clothing.

1. Check the weather.

Make note of the weather of your destination for the duration of your trip a few days before your departure. By doing approximately what the temperature will be like, this will prevent you from bringing clothes or shoes that are inappropriate for that weather. If you are going to someplace warm, focus on bringing light clothes and only pack one jacket or cardigan in case it gets chilly.

1. Only bring a week’s worth of clothes.

Clothing is often the biggest villain when it comes to over-packing. Only pack a week’s worth of clothes, including undergarments. Even if you are staying somewhere for longer than a week, you can always do laundry at the end of the week. Furthermore, this forces you to choose your top favorite outfits and also plan them accordingly for each activity you plan on attending. Rolling clothes instead of laying them flat is an excellent way to maximize the space of your luggage bag.

1. Pack versatile shoes.

Many of us have fallen victim to the problem of carrying way too many shoes for just a short trip. We tell ourselves that we enjoy having the options. However, this can lead to using up an unnecessary amount of space with pairs that you may not even end up wearing. Choose neutral-colored shoes that will match with more than one outfit. Limit your shoes to a pair of flats and a pair of heels. If your trip involves lots of physical activity, bring a pair of sneakers, but plan on wearing these on the plane as sneakers tend to take up a lot of room.

1. Bring all toiletries in travel sizes.

In addition to saving space, airlines now enforce a limit on the amount of liquid you can bring onto a plane in your carry-on bag. Leave that huge bottle of perfume at home because it will get confiscated at security. For hair products, perfume, and lotion you want to bring with you, visit your nearest convenience store for travel-friendly sized bottles to store these in. Furthermore, if you are staying a hotel, you may not even need to bring shampoo or conditioner because many places provide them with your room.

Sunny Brady is an account manager for marylandstorage.com Her website helps customers find the best self storage in Maryland for their needs, for example self storage in Annapolis and other cities. In her spare time, Sunny likes to bike and participate in outdoor activities.