How to Pack a Suitcase and Carry-On Luggage

Easy Tips and Tricks

It isn't very often you see a person enter the airport without a single piece of luggage in hand. In most cases, people take at least a carry-on bag along with them for their flights, and many others will also have luggage that they plan to check. In order to avoid any possible run-ins with TSA (Transportation Security Administration), it's important that you know what to pack and exactly how to pack it. We've got some simple tips on how to pack a suitcase, and other types of luggage.

Tips for Packing Carry-On Luggage

Most anything can be packed in luggage that will be carried on, but there are still quite a few restrictions to which you should pay attention. For example, if you want to travel with sporting goods, tools, or weapons, they will need to remain in your luggage that you plan to check. People commonly pack books and simple activities in their on-board luggage because the plane entertainment tends to lack.

If you want to bring several activities on-board with you (this might be necessary for a long flight), employ the use of several efficient packing tips. For instance:

• Don't attempt to bring anything onto the plane that you wouldn't want TSA to know about. Your bags that you plan to bring on-board and your person will be thoroughly inspected before you're permitted to pass through security.
• Don't over-pack your on-board luggage. You will likely need to lift it up over your head and place it into the overhead compartment. If the bag is weighed down with a laptop, books, and other gadgets, lifting it high in the air might prove to be difficult. Quite simply, you should only pack the essentials.

Tips for Packing Checked Luggage

You can generally pack your checked luggage with anything that isn't on TSA's banned items list. If possible, try to fly with only a bag that you will take on-board with you. This is mainly because on any given round trip, a flyer has a roughly 2% chance of having his/her checked luggage lost, damaged, or stolen.

Take pictures of the contents in your checked luggage before you arrive at the airport. These photos can be used in the event that your luggage or items turn up missing.

Never store anything valuable or fragile in your checked luggage. As a rule of thumb, reserve your checked luggage for your clothing, self-care products, and other items that aren't necessary for your carry-on.

Always perform an audit of your checked bags once you arrive at your destination. The chance is low, but it's possible that there could be missing items from your bags. If so, you can use the pictures you took before you arrived at the first airport to prove their absence.