How to Pack a Carry-On

Check your airline's cabin dimensions before you buy — they vary, and a bag that's a couple of centimetres too big gets gate-checked. A soft-sided bag flexes into tight sizers; a hard shell protects fragile items better.

Wheels versus backpack is a lifestyle choice: wheels spare your shoulders on smooth floors, a backpack wins on stairs, cobbles and crowded transport. Whichever you pick, a bag that stands up on its own and opens flat is far easier to pack.

Roll soft items like t-shirts and knitwear — it saves space and creases less than you'd think. Fold structured items like shirts and trousers, and lay them flat across the bag.

Packing cubes are the real cheat code: they compress clothes, keep outfits together, and mean you never unpack the whole bag to find one thing. Put shoes sole-to-sole in a bag along the bottom edge and stuff socks inside them.

Wear your heaviest coat and shoes on the plane rather than packing them — it frees the most space of any single tip. A coat with big pockets doubles as extra carry-on.

Keep liquids to the airport limit in a clear bag near the top so security is quick, and take toiletries in solid or travel sizes. A capsule of mix-and-match clothes in two or three colours stretches a few pieces into a week of outfits.