How to Pack the Perfect Carry-On for Your Honeymoon
We talked with experts who pack suitcases for a living.
We've all been there: You want to pack an incredibly utilitarian piece of carry-on luggage (and maybe even forego checked baggage all together), but you just can't figure out how to make it all fit. And when it comes to your honeymoon—whether it's a few days or a few weeks long—you want to make sure you're hitting the right style note every second of the trip, especially since these are the photos you'll look back on for years to come. To help make the process of packing your honeymoon carry-on a little less daunting, we consulted some luggage pros for their expert tips.
"No matter whether you are traveling for a week or a month, you need about the same amount of clothes-particularly if you are sticking to one climate," says Anne Howard of Honeytrek.com, which documents the so-called world's longest honeymoon she embarked on with husband Mike in 2012. "Resist the urge to over pack. Find your flair with extra fun jewelry, colorful scarves, and string bikinis—the style per square inch is unbeatable!" Josh Udashkin, founder of tech-savvy suitcase manufacturer Raden, suggests choosing the most versatile footwear possible (super hard, we know!). "Bring shoes that can transfer form daytime to night time," he says. "Shoes generally take up the most space in luggage so this is a great way to make room for other necessities."
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Surprisingly, what you choose to pack your clothes in is just as important as what you actually load into your luggage. "Opt for a soft frame with sturdy in-line skate wheels that nestle into the body of the suitcase for more durability and way more space-in length and outside pockets," Howard advises. There's also a technique to stuffing your things into a bag. You may have heard of rolling your clothes, but Howard chooses to employ multiple methods. "I take a combination approach," she says. "I roll the unfussy things like t-shirts, jeans, and shorts, creating little grab-and-go packages and making it easier to see the majority of my stuff at a glance. For the fancy pieces or those more prone to wrinkling, I lay them flat on top. For socks and undies I use a packing cube to reign them in for easy daily access." Udashkin, on the other hand, is a huge fan of rolling his clothing in what he calls "the inter-fold technique." He suggests: "Wrap all items around a core, like a dopp kit [men's soft toiletries case]. It helps to avoid creasing. Instead of having the dopp kit as a separate piece, you wrap all t-shirts, shirts and pants around it."
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Another great packing tip from our pros: "Pack your dopp kit in your carry on even if it means buying additional travel-sized toiletries. That way you can freshen up on the plane before you land," Udashkin says. If you're headed on a more adventurous journey, Howard suggests items like a collapsible water bottle, mini power strip, wearing your bulkiest items on the plane, and packing an in-flight pouch of necessities. Leave things like a floppy sun hat and tons of foreign cash at home-those are all things you can get while you're traveling (for cash, make sure yo have a debit card with minimal-to-no foreign withdrawal fees).
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And when it comes time to edit down your travel wardrobe, be prudent. "Lay out all your favorite things then pick the most durable, wrinkle-resistant, and versatile in the bunch," Howard says. "If you see you have multiple things in the same color, pick your favorite one—okay, two in black. Everything in your bag should be able to be worn at least twice, so leave that long brightly patterned dress at home."