Whether you’re prepping for a weekend getaway, a destination wedding or a legit beach vacay, Instagram is often the first place you head to get inspo on where to eat, what to see and, most importantly, how to travel with a little less stress. Wait, what? Yup. Your fave social network is here to help you tackle those travel days like a boss. So don’t let that three-ounce rule cramp your style — especially if you’re trying to pack for an entire week in just a carry-on. To ensure your trip goes as seamlessly as possible, get ready to streamline your packing process, consolidate your makeup bag and survive airplane food with these 21 super efficient #travelhacks. Scroll down, and you’ll look like a pro in no time.
1. Portable Drink Holder: You just don’t have enough hands to juggle two carry-ons, a purse, a passport and the ever-necessary coffee. Wrap your blanket or scarf around the handle of your suitcase and tuck your drinks into the folds for a handy drink holder.
2. Cocktails on the Go: Nothing makes a cramped airplane seat more bearable than a good, stiff drink. Take those mini bottles to the next level with a cocktail kit the size of an Altoids tin.
3. DIY Healthy Breakfast: Airplane food is the worst. Skip the stale bagel and pack your own healthy breakfast inside of a thermos. Copy this fancy schmancy travel hack and bring a portable blender for DIY lattes.
4. Toothbrush Protection: Save your bristles from getting dusted with makeup and everything else that floats around the bottom of your makeup bag. If you don’t have a toothbrush holder, DIY your own with an empty Tic Tac box.
View this post on Instagram11 days in a carry-on. #masterpacker #fjordqueens @sky__lar
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5. Carry-On Only: You totally can fit two weeks’ worth of clothing in a carry-on if you play your cards right. The ultimate travel hack is to roll your clothes, not fold them. You’ll be amazed at how many outfits you can fit in your bag with this technique.
View this post on Instagrammy new travel game is 20/20 strong. #1dose #TSAproblems
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6. Liquids Hack: That whole 3oz rule can really put a cramp in your makeup routine. If your trip is a short one, pack all your fancy lotions and potions in contact lens containers. Seriously, you could almost fit your whole makeup collection into one quart-sized plastic bag.
7. Easy Organization: There’s nothing more annoying than digging through your entire suitcase for one thing. Drawstring bags are super useful when it comes to organizing all your hair products, soaps and makeup. They’re also great to have on hand if your bathroom isn’t in your bedroom or you’re out camping.
8. Seating Hack: If you’re traveling with a buddy, book the aisle and the window seat. People usually won’t book the middle seat if they’re flying solo, so you’re more likely to get the whole row to yourself.
9. Jewelry Storage: Headed to a special event that will require lots of pretty jewelry changes? Keep your earrings together and those necklaces untangled with dollar store ice cube trays and a sheet of plastic wrap.
10. Score All the Samples: Stock up on trial-sized lotions, makeup and shampoo. They literally lay flat, weigh almost nothing and you can just throw the pouch away when you’re done so you have even more room in your bag for souvenirs.
11. School Binder Hack: Big statement necklaces don’t take kindly to being balled up in your makeup bag. School binders and plastic organizers are just the thing you need to travel with your finest statement accessories, while keeping your everyday items untangled.
12. Tic Tac Storage: This might finally solve the problem of the missing bobby pins. Keep your bobby pins confined in an empty Tic Tac box and clamp a binder clip over your razor to keep it from collecting fuzz.
View this post on InstagramI love it when a travel hack really works. #travelhacks #alwaysforgetsomething #justgo @iphone
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13. Phone Charger Hack: Forget your wall charger? Before you panic, plug your phone charger into the USB port in the back of the TV. You’ll be Snapchatting up a storm in no time.
14. Vitamin Storage: Giant vitamin and pill bottles take up way too much room on your suitcase. Portion out the pills you’ll need for the entire trip and store them in a smaller liquid bottle for an on-the-go pharmacy hack.
15. Cord Storage: Whether you’re stuck in business class or a back seat, you’ll want to keep your time-passing essentials well-charged. Use an empty sunglasses case to keep your chargers and earphones from getting tangled and crimped.
View this post on InstagramLouise sure knows how to travel #extensioncable #travelhacks
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16. Power for Days: Hotel rooms are infamous for not having enough power plugs. Instead of unplugging all the lamps in the room, bring along a power strip so you can charge your phone, camera and other tech from the comfort of your nightstand.
17. Dirty Shoes: Yay, you went running! But now your shoes are wet and the last thing you want to do is put them back in your suitcase. Store shoes in a shower cap from the hotel vanity to keep your dirty shoes away from your clean clothes.
View this post on InstagramTravel hack: use binder clips to secure your wires in place while travelling! 🔌
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18. Easy Earphone Hack: Use a binder clip to keep your earphones from getting tangled up at the bottom of your purse. Clip it to a pocket for easy access.
19. Family Packing: Anyone living the #momlife knows how much more work it is to pack for the kiddos. Use Ziploc gallon bags to pack individual outfits for the littles to help avoid over-packing and keep everyone’s stuff organized.
20. No-Spill Trick: Get ready to take your love of Lush to a whole new level. Reuse empty Lush tins to ensure you get to your destination with zero spills.
21. Cling Wrap Jewelry: This blogger shows you how to use Press-n-Seal to keep your favorite pieces from getting broken. Heads up, this stuff seals really well, so you might want to bring an extra roll in case you have to cut your necklaces out of the seal.
