What we put in our hand luggage has become increasingly important in recent years, both due to travel restrictions and the increasing trend to try and avoid baggage charges by squeezing everything into one case. So how can you maximise this limited space, and how can the contents of your hand luggage help you minimise the disruption of security checks and other airport hiccups?

Check Hand Luggage Guidelines Beforehand

When it comes to airline restrictions, it’s not just about weight. You might not know that different airlines also have different restrictions when it comes to the size of cabin space available, and consequently, the size of the case you can carry on. Ok, so there may be only an inch or two in it, but it could make all the difference if you can’t take on your current small suitcase on board. So make sure you check the guidelines as far in advance as you can, especially if there’s the possibility of having to invest in a new suitcase or bag.

Other things worth researching beforehand – any changes to government travel restrictions (this should be up to date on airline, airport and government sites) and what constitutes a ‘liquid’ in respect of these restrictions (more about this below).

Liquid Restrictions

These have applied for many years now, but they still take some travellers by surprise. One of the most common mistakes is people not really knowing what constitutes a ‘liquid’ – for example lipstick and toothpaste are classified as such, so if these are more than 100ml and not in a plastic bag then you could find yourself having to ditch them. And about those plastic bags – to save time and a small amount of money, bring your own re-sealable ones or you might be charged for those available at the airport.

Use a Light Bag or Suitcase

Packing your hand luggage is a fine balance of getting as much in as you can (especially if you’re not bothering with any other baggage in the hold), and making sure you don’t go over the weight limit. One that can help enormously is using as light a suitcase or bag as possible, and many retailers now offer a good choice of lightweight options.

Saving Space

If you’re trying to get a whole holiday’s worth of clothing and items into your hand luggage, then there a number of things that can help. Follow the capsule wardrobe thinking – 2-3 day outfits, 1 evening outfit, 1 pair of sandals/1 pair of evening shoes, minimal toiletries and wearing everything else to the airport – and use small vac-pack bags to help get rid of as much air as possible as you roll everything up.

Smart Packing for Every Airport Eventuality

A lot of things can happen at airports. One of the most common hindrances are security checks, so if you have any electrical and tech items in your hand luggage, make sure they are within easy reach to remove them and put them back as quickly as possible and without disrupting the rest of your careful packing. Another annoying thing that can occur is that you might not be able to take your hand luggage in the cabin at all if priority passengers have taken up all the space already. So if there’s a chance of this happening (and there always is), make sure any in-flight essentials can be easily extracted from your case before you board.

So don’t leave packing your hand luggage to the last minute – take a bit more time and thought over what you’re putting in there could save you a huge amount of stress and drama, because who wants all that when you’re supposed to be a the start of a relaxing holiday?