Dos And Don'ts Of Packing For A Flight

Let’s be honest: the only thing worse than airport security is the Tetris game you play with your suitcase the night before. You’re trying to cram a blow-dryer, three books, and a suspiciously shaped cheese wheel into a bag that has the structural integrity of a paper napkin. Fear not, because I have navigated the dark arts of packing so you don’t end up as that person wrestling a feral suitcase in the middle of the terminal.

The Grand Don’t: Surrendering to Chaos

Do not simply throw things in, like you’re feeding a garbage disposal. This is how you end up with a broken souvenir and a pair of pants inexplicably soaked in shampoo. You are not a dragon hoarding treasure; you are a human trying to fit a life into a rectangle.

Instead, roll your clothes. It’s not a myth; it’s physics. Rolling saves space and reduces wrinkles, turning your underwear drawer into a set of tiny burritos. A surprising fact: a rolled t-shirt takes up 30% less space than a folded one. That means more room for that cheese wheel.

Footwear: The Great Betrayer

Do not wear brand-new boots or heels to the airport. You might think you look like a fashion icon, but you’ll look like a hobbled penguin waddling to gate B37. Your feet will swell at altitude, and you will have to remove those boots for security, which is a public performance nobody wants to see.

Do wear the ugliest, most comfortable shoes you own. I’m talking about the ones with the sole that has a slight smell of regret from that 2017 hiking trip. Slip-ons are your best friend. A study from the TSA shows that loafers save an average of 47 seconds per screening—time you can spend judging the person ahead of you who brought a giant teddy bear.

The Liquid Conspiracy

Here is the one rule you cannot break: the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. That means 3.4 ounces (100ml) per container, all fitting in one clear quart-sized bag. This is not a suggestion; it’s a holy commandment handed down from the TSA gods.

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Don’t try to be clever by putting your giant shampoo bottle in a “discrete” spot. The X-ray machine has no mercy. It will find your expensive moisturizer, and you will have to watch a bored agent toss it into a bin full of spilled Gatorade and human dignity. Surprising fact: the TSA confiscates over 15 million liquid items a year. That’s enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool with your precious, expensive sunscreen.

The Packing Cube Conspiracy

Packing cubes are not just for influencers who live in a beige aesthetic. They are actual magic. Do use them to separate your dirty socks from your clean shirts. It prevents that moment when your denim jacket smells like a gym sock from 2019.

Don’t, however, buy the most expensive ones made of unicorn fleece. A simple cheap mesh bag works fine. The key is organization, not fabric thread count. Think of packing cubes as a filing cabinet for your clothes, except instead of tax documents, you have underwear.

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The “JIC” Bag (Just In Case)

Do pack a tiny bag of “emergency” items in your personal item (the smaller bag under the seat). This includes: a phone charger, a single granola bar, a book, a clean pair of socks, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. If your main luggage gets lost, you will feel like a survivalist genius.

Don’t, however, throw in your entire medicine cabinet. You do not need a personal pharmacy for a 90-minute flight. A few ibuprofen and a Dramamine is enough. Anything more, and you look like a character from a spy movie who is also a hypochondriac.

The Snack Strategy

Airline food is a lottery you never win. Do bring your own snacks. Nuts, dried fruit, or a bag of pretzels that don’t require a can opener are perfect. Pro tip: crackers are your enemy because they break into a billion pieces.

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Don’t, under any circumstances, bring a tuna fish sandwich. I cannot stress this enough. You will be that person. The smell of warm tuna on a plane is a war crime. Stick to something quiet and non-offensive, like a plain bagel. Your seatmate will thank you silently, with a look of pure relief.

The Final Tip: The Power of Pockets

Do wear a jacket with many pockets. It is the unsung hero of packing. Stuff your phone, wallet, passport, and charging cable into those pockets. It’s like having a secret second carry-on that never gets weighed.

Don’t, however, fill every single pocket with cans of soda. I saw a man get stopped for having a suspiciously jingly jacket. It was just loose change. The TSA agent was not amused. Keep it light, keep it legal, and keep that cheese wheel out of sight. Now go forth and conquer your overhead bin.