Support TFG by using the links in our articles to shop. We receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) so we can continue to create helpful free content. We earn from qualifying purchases made to the featured retailers. Thank you, we appreciate your support!
If you need help downsizing your luggage, this is one of the best packing hacks that will instantly do the trick: use your packing cubes as compression sacks! Keep reading to see the step by step process!
How to Pack Like a Boss Using The Travel Essentials Packing List
In today’s packing tutorial, I show you how to pack light using the Travel Essentials Packing List. While the clothing could work for a trip of any length, the additional items (makeup, toiletries, etc) would work best for a weekend getaway, beach trip, or for extremely minimalist traveler.
4 Pieces from Minimalista Packing List including button up shirt, tank top, travel pants, and maxi dress
Layout your main clothing items
5 Additional pieces from the Travel Essentials Packing List including three bottoms and two tops.
Additional items include 5 underwear, 2 socks, reversible bathing suit, waterproof jacket and fleece.
Layout additional clothing
All the total contents in the bag including accessories, toiletry bag, makeup, and entertainment
One 35L travel backpack and 2 slim packing cubes, One packing cube: fleece, waterproof, and
Choose Your Method of Organization
2nd packing cube: 8 pieces of clothing
Roll clothing and use hair ties to hold larger items tightly in place
Adjust items until you find the right fit
Start working your zips around and adjust the clothing as you go
Once the cube is closed, look for any available spaces to squeeze additional items
Bring the zippers around close to the available space and push in the items
Inspect the remainder items and see if there are an opportunities to maximize space
I’ve got room in my Ziploc underwear bag so I add my socks
I only have my bathing suit left and find a bit of space in the other cube
everything’s now packed in two packing cubes and a small Ziploc
I use an easy to clean makeup bag
For Minimal Makeup and Accessories
Here you can see the difference between 80L, 55L, and 35L size backpacks.
As you can see in my ultimate packing hack, I like using packing cubes not only to organize but also compress my clothing to maximize my space. Using them as shown in this post will help you fit most clothing into a smaller bag. Please read this post for alternate ways of using packing cubes.
What are your packing hacks?
For more packing tips please read these posts:
- Which Packing Organizers Should I Choose?
- The Best Travel Backpack
- Top 20 Suitcase Recommendations
- Travel Experts Reveal the best Carry-on Bags
- Money-belts and Anti-theft Travel Accessories
- Top 5 Travel Bags for Women
We should always be organized in our things when travelling, a bag full of toiletries is very important, we can add roadeavour scented sheets to complete our hygiene accessories!
Great hacks! I am going to Paris for the weekend. I am so glad that I have found your article. I hate packing my clothes. When I read your tips it looks like easy job. I hope my clothes not be wrinkled when I arrive there. Thank you!
Hi Marta glad you liked these hacks! Have you seen our Ten Step Packing Guide for Paris? https://travelfashiongirl.com/10-step-packing-guides/10-step-packing-guide-for-paris/ If not, take a look!
Hey Alex, I really like your packing advice. This allows me to travel with carry-on only. Since I’m a long term traveler and not a big fan of long hikes, I use a small suitcase with 4 wheel system. The small zipper bags did allow me to fit a lot more things in my suitcase! Just have to put the effort in each time to use those appropriately…
Recently I have discovered through a friend that she is launching a new device, that allows to do laundry nearly anywhere. It looks really promising! What do you think about this? dolfi
Hi Elis, the device looks great especially for lazy travelers like me. Let me know if it works!
I enjoyed this – but ruined my day by also reading another blog’s list of bad advice for travellers. Before I consider any packing, I try to work out the minimum in clothes, shoes etc, to meet the needs of each trip. So I’m not encouraged to take lots more by having packing cubes or space bags to pack things into. I just find the organisation of my various categories to suit me – I can take out a bag/cube and place it in a hotel drawer and find everything easily. She also hates rolling bags – which tend to suit my style of travel (they’re great for the long, long platforms on train (and bus) stations and having a problem in my shoulder level vertebrae, tend to avoid bags I have to carry. So, I dare say, all advice is worth considering, but eventually you have to choose what works best for you. (PS I love your little backpack thingy.)
Hi Jennifer, agree with you 100%. All advice must be considered and ultimately you have to determine what suits your needs. Whether to have wheels or not, especially, is very personal. I have back problems and can no longer use a backpack or anything without the option for wheels. Thanks for being a TFG reader!