I Fit a 28-Inch Suitcase into a 24-Inch — Here's My Exact Packing System

Hey everyone, May Day holiday is just around the corner — have you started packing yet?

Packing is always my most dreaded part before any trip. I’m going away for just four or five days, yet I open my closet and feel like I need to bring everything. Last time I went to Xiamen, I ended up with a 28-inch suitcase plus a backpack, and I looked like a moving company everywhere I went.

Then I learned this system from a friend who works in travel planning, and suddenly packing became easy. Now I can handle a four-day trip with just a 24-inch suitcase — and there’s always room to spare.

The core approach is three words: compress, compartmentalize, arrange.

Compress: Save space

Clothes take up the most space. The key technique is rolling, not folding. I used to fold everything neatly, but rolling saves at least one-third of the space. Plus, with rolled clothes, you don’t have to tear apart your whole suitcase to find one item.

There’s a right way to roll. For T-shirts: align the four corners, fold the sleeves in, then roll into a neat rectangle. For pants: turn them inside out first, then roll from the waist down. When you reach the hem, tuck it into the waistband — this keeps the shape stable so they don’t come undone.

For underwear and socks — this is my secret trick. Fold the bra cups together, stuff the socks inside the cups, nest the smaller ball into the larger one. This cuts volume by nearly half AND prevents deformation.

Compartmentalize: Separate by category

I used to just throw everything into the suitcase, then arrive at the hotel to find my skincare products had leaked everywhere, my clean clothes touched my dirty clothes — it was a disaster.

Now I use packing cubes to create four zones:

• Tops zone (T-shirts, shirts)
• Bottoms zone (pants, skirts)
• Toiletries zone (skincare, makeup, toothbrush)
• Electronics zone (chargers, power banks, earbuds)

The toiletries zone always gets double-seal bags. I’ve had enough leaks to last a lifetime — never again.

Arrange: Strategic placement

The final step, and one most people skip: the order in which you pack things.

The principle: heavy, hard, large items go at the bottom; light, soft, small items go on top. My specific order from bottom to top:

1. Shoes (wrapped in shoe bags or shower caps, one dedicated layer)
2. Pants (largest bottom items, lay these down first)
3. Tops (rolled, placed on top of pants)
4. Underwear and socks (fill gaps)
5. Toiletry bag (top layer, because it’s the first thing you need when you arrive)

When you open your suitcase at the hotel, everything on top is still neat — no “just got off the plane and my clothes are already wrinkled”崩溃 moment.

One final reminder: leave some room in your suitcase for May Day. You’re going to buy things — local specialties, souvenirs. What starts as “I’ll just take a look” usually ends up as “I’ll just get one more.”

Where are you headed for May Day? Any packing tips of your own? Share in the comments!