By now, I’ve done my fair share of traveling and I’ve finally gotten my packing routine down to a science. I will admit, I’m not great about being super strategic when it comes to packing outfits because I like to be spontaneous when it comes to what I’ll wear on vacation. You never how if you’ll feel bloated, start your period unexpectedly or just not be in the mood to dress up for dinner. This means I’m typically a chronic over-packer, but where I will pat myself on the back is my ability to fit everything into a carry on for a 4-5 day trip away because I’m super organized and efficient. I’m sharing all my tips for how to stay organized when traveling.

my tips & tricks for staying organized

Try on outfits ahead of time. As I mentioned above, planning outfits isn’t always easy for me, but I do always try on a few different outfits before I start packing (usually a week before so I’m not rushing and then I have time to shop for a thing or two if I need to). I try to only pack as many outfits as I’ll need for the entire trip and then throw in two extra tops or dresses in case I’m not feeling an outfit in the moment. I bring two pairs of pants or shorts max and then have a ton of tops to alternate from day to night. And I always bring a 1-2 layering pieces such as a denim jacket or long sweater and wear that on the plane so I don’t have to pack it.

Pre-pack all your toiletries. This one might be the most important of all, because no one wants to get to their destination and realize they forgot their entire makeup or skincare bag (hey, I’ve been there). I was notorious for packing my toiletries while I was packing my suitcase and it was always the last thing I did (which meant it was probably at 11pm when I had to get up at 5am for an early flight). This meant, something was usually always forgotten. So I finally wised up and realized I could pre-pack my toiletry bags and never un-pack them. Here’s how:

Buy multiple sets of everything travel sized like: toothpaste, contact solution, body wash etc. (pro tip: Sephora has an entire mini-size section on their website where you can shop the travel sizes of your favorite products - game changer). By doing this, you can keep your toiletry bag packed at all times and never have to take anything out. I even went as far as to buy a second Billie razor (because I’m obsessed) so I could keep a second one in my travel bag. I also buy mini re-usable bottles to fill them with my shampoo & conditioner so I don’t have to settle for drug store bought hair products or skincare (everything linked below).
To go even a step further, I use a small clear case for every category, such as:
- Shower/body: toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, lotion, contact solution, razor and shave cream
- Haircare: mini brush, shampoo/conditioner styling products
- Skincare: I never travel without my skincare so I bring my entire AM/PM routine with me. Most of my skincare is already carry-on approved sizes, but for those that aren’t, I use these bottles & jars which are perfect for face sprays and night creams.

Invest in a compact hardshell roller bag. I like the hardshell rollers because you don't have to second guess yourself when putting it in the overhead as the shape never changes no matter how much you have in there. This one is my absolute favorite (bonus that it’s aesthetically pretty to look at as well, but the organization components in this are amazing).

Roll your clothes or use packing cubes. Rolling your clothes saves so much space in your bag! But you could also use packing cubes (I do both. It just depends on what type of stuff I’m bringing as larger items don’t do as well in packing cubes). When I use cubes, I have one for each category such as: day looks, night looks, pajamas/loungewear, and swimsuits/coverups. Pro tip: I keep my packing cubes in my suitcase at all times so I don’t have to go searching for them when it comes time to pack.

Use clear pouches for everything. I personally like to see what I have, so using clear pouches is the easiest way. Oh, and just as I pre-pack my toiletries, I also have an entire drawer in my night stand dedicated to travel where I’ve pre-packed my carry-on essentials as well. I have two seperate pouches for these which include things like: headphones, extra chargers, gum, chapstick, tissue, vitamins, electrolyte packets, etc. (I linked a few different options on my Amazon storefront here).

Bring a weekender bag to fit under your seat. I do this instead of bringing a small tote bag or backpack because I gain so much more packing space in here (and it slides onto the handle of my roller bag so I don’t have to strain my back or neck). I use this one and what I love about it is the ability to fit shoes separately in the bottom compartment so I have more room in my suitcase for clothes & toiletries. Other things I usually keep in this bag are: laptop, notebook (I love to brain dump my to do list when I’m on the plane so I don’t feel so overwhelmed when I get home), books/magazines, makeup bag, clear pouch with travel essentials I mentioned above. Believe it or not this bag actually slides under the seat perfectly (but it is a little bulkier so I rest my feet on top of it).

So there you have it. Hope this post was helpful and gets you excited to pack for your upcoming trip! You can shop everything I’ve mentioned below. You can also visit the Travel section on our Amazon Storefront for even more of my travel favorites!

shop my travel store on amazon