I'm a Professional Packer, and These Are My 11 Hacks for Fitting 2 Weeks' Worth of Belongings in a Carry-on

"I have good news and bad news-but I'll get the bad out of the way first. As a travel writer and founder of the packing site, Just Packed, I feel the need to disclose that, unfortunately, packing will never be the easiest part of your trip. Some people may disagree, but I firmly believe that it should always be an intentional process, one that requires pre-planning and an understanding of how your destination and personal style will impact the contents of your suitcase."

"While I'll typically take advantage of the free checked bag that comes with airline status, there are some scenarios-like a Caribbean beach trip where the seaplane has luggage restrictions, or a multi-city European excursion with endless cobblestones and elevator-less accommodations-when it doesn't make sense to bring more than one small suitcase. And yes, this includes trips where you're traveling for weeks on end (although a full month may be pushing it, at least for me)."

Packing requires intentional pre-planning and an understanding of how destination and personal style will affect suitcase contents. Certain scenarios — seaplane luggage restrictions, cobblestone streets, and accommodations without elevators — make traveling with a single small suitcase preferable, even for multi-week trips. Choosing a spacious carry-on can yield significantly more capacity; the Away Bigger Carry-on reportedly holds at least two to three additional outfits compared with many other carry-ons. Field-testing and stress checks reinforce selecting durable, high-capacity luggage. Eleven targeted packing hacks can maximize carry-on real estate for efficient light travel.

Read at Travel + Leisure