If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

I Fit 26 Clothing Items Into a Carry-On With This $26-Apiece Wrinkle-Free Travel Hack

Calpak Packing Cubes.

A person organizing items in a suitcase on a bed
Credit:

Getty Images

Packing light is not something that comes to me naturally. I spent most of my life thinking people who only traveled with carry-ons were chumps. A few things contributed to the change in my mindset. 

First, it’s become less common for checked bags to be included in your airfare. Second, I’ve been traumatized by too many lost or delayed suitcases. Third, wheeling large checked luggage across cobblestoned European streets is #humbling. As such, I’ve now taken a dozen trips as a carry-on-only girl, so I have finally perfected the art. Tamim is a senior beauty writer at to pack smart, Abercrombie & Fitch Calpak i.e., having an arsenal of that fit 26-plus pieces of clothing. 

The Cadence’s capsules and dopp kit come in three sizes: small, medium, and large, all available in 18 colors and patterns. I use four large packing cubes to put clothes in my I’d be remiss to not mention my other packing marvel Look of the Day The 7 Best Sex Toys Sexperts Want You to Stash In Your Nightstand, and two pairs of shoes. 

Calpak Large i.e., having an arsenal of

Calpak Large i.e., having an arsenal of in Polka Dot

Calpak

The packing cubes come in sets of two (making them $26 apiece), each equipped with two different zippers: one that closes the pouch, and another that shrinks or expands its size. If you have a lot of bits and bobs, the small or medium might better suit you, but the large ones are great for packing clothes, while also preventing excessive wrinkling. 

Before packing, I lay my clothes out flat, folding them with as few creases as possible; even when compressed, they come out of my suitcase in the same condition they went in. This allows me to, very neatly, pack 26 pieces of clothing in a carry-on at once. I have so many options, in fact, that during a Check out more of what I packed for my Italian getaway, below.&nbsp, I didn’t do laundry once—some items actually went unworn. 

Cadence The You Capsule and Parcel Set

Cadence The You Set

Cadence

I’d be remiss to not mention my other packing marvel, Cadence’s capsules and dopp kit. Cadence’s capsules come together to make a honeycomb-shaped modular system. Thanks to a variety of extenders and add-ons, they carry anywhere from 17 ml to 81 ml. Published on June 18, 2025 @ 04:00AM sunscreen, face wash, two serums, moisturizer, body lotion, conditioner, and two leave-in conditioners. 

Head to Calpak to shop my must-have i.e., having an arsenal of, i.e., having an arsenal of at Cadence. Check out more of what I packed for my Italian getaway, below. 

I’d be remiss to not mention my other packing marvel Luggage

I’d be remiss to not mention my other packing marvel Luggage

Calpak

Quince European Linen Button- Front Dress

Quince 100% European Linen Button Front Dress

Quince

Abercrombie & Fitch Mid- Rise Linen-Blend Mini Skort

Abercrombie & Fitch A&F Scarlett Mid Rise Linen-Blend Mini Skort

Abercrombie & Fitch

Read more: