Figuring out what to pack for a week-long trip is hard enough, trying to make it fit in a carry-on is even harder. Trust me when I say that with experience and more than a few tricks, it is absolutely possible.

Shower caps are for shoes. Protect your belongings from sole-funk by wrapping them in an inexpensive shower cap. Unlike storing them in a bag, shower caps let the insoles breath so your shoes won’t smell like death after a particularly hard day. You can stockpile the free ones from your hotel room but I prefer spending a couple of bucks for cute ones that last longer.

…And oven mitts are for styling tools. Our sleep time is precious.  I may wake up early to curl or straighten my hair but waiting for the iron to cool feels like an eternity.  If you’re real fancy you can sew the ends of the
mitt together but wrapping a thick hair band around it works just as well.

Use the smallest container for your needs. Nothing drives me crazy like carting around a bottle of eye makeup remover that is 90% empty. Lucky for me, the essential oil craze has made the tiny oil-friendly containers easily accessible. I can carry around what I need and refill as necessary.  If you’re flying international, pre-soaked makeup removing wipes are a great way to get around the liquid restriction challenge.

Roll everything. Sometimes called “ranger rolling” this reduces fluff factor and maximizes space. Just be careful, it will become second nature and you will find yourself rolling everything.

Be honest with yourself. Are you really going to wear 4 different outfits on your 4-day trip? Or are you really going to wear the same jeans and t-shirt and hope no one notices? No judgment, I’m probably doing the same thing. Accessories can work magic at transforming the basics.

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Scarves, necklaces and other jewelry can transform the basics and are much easier to pack than several different outfits.

Be a Platypus. We are obsessed with hydration. If you aren’t, you should be. I like having a “bladder” water container on hand. I can fill, drink and then flatten it.

With the help of these tips, you see that you can, in fact, live comfortably out of a carry-on for weeks at a time.