Picture it: Your flight leaves tomorrow and you're sitting on the floor surrounded by piles of clothes, attempting to squeeze them all into one carry-on. Sound familiar? Not long ago, I found myself in a particularly tricky packing situation and had to figure out how to pack for two weeks with just a carry-on bag. I was traveling from New York to California for a week, only to hop on a plane straight back and then on to Paris for another seven days. The catch: With not enough time in-between flights to check a bag (I had to switch airports—it was a rough day), I had no choice but to use a carry-on for the entire duration of my trip.
However, what initially seemed to be a total nightmare ended up being a blessing in disguise. Packing light forced me to be ultra selective and taught me a few lessons along the way. I have a bad habit of packing things I never end up wearing, but this time around, I actually put everything I brought along to good use. Curious to learn a few of my personal secrets for mastering the art of carry-on packing? Keep scrolling to see my eight tips for packing a carry-on, and then shop pieces to help you travel light (without feeling like you're missing something important).