Fuss-free way to get everything in hand luggage without packing cubes or rolling

TRYING to fit everything you need for a holiday into a hand luggage size suitcase can be a difficult task.

And advice on how to do it varies – from folding and rolling to using packing cubes and compression cubes.

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However, a study has found that the best technique may be the classic folding one, using four different travel bags.

Conducted by Which?, they managed to fit 67 pieces of clothing into an underseat travel bag.

In comparison, they could only fit 60 items when using vacuum bags, when you suck out the air.

Only 66 items fit using packing cubes, as it left “gaps between each cube”.

Overall, 129 items fit in the four bags (two underseat and two carry-on size) when rolling, compared to 121 rolling, 118 using compression cubes and 113 using vacuum packing.

The research said: “The easiest, most time-efficient method triumphed.

“Folding was best in suitcases that opened fully and had square corners.

“In the rucksacks that only unzipped halfway, we had to slide the folded squares of clothing inside.”

While they said this made things “less neat” it was still the best approach to packing the most, calling the verdict “no faff and free”.

However, the study admitted that while rolling left clothes much less creased, and worked in squishy bags, it was a much harder method.

They explained: “Rolling is harder work than folding.

“If the rolled-up clothing was too long or wide to neatly slot into the case, we either had to reroll or curve it to fit the bag’s shape.

“This felt like Tetris – especially in the hard-sided rectangle suitcase.

Vacuum bags came out poorly too. While praising how well they shrank, they said they were “bulky to fit” leaving space in the case, and left stuff wrinkled.

Compression cubes were praised for being more organised and letting you find items more easily, but were “easy to overfill” so often had to take clothes out afterwards, taking more time.

They finished by saying: “When it comes to packing, you don’t need to spend £50 on compression packing cubes or vacuum roll bags – just get folding.”

Other travellers have shared their packing tips over the years.

Daniel Green, who owns travel insurance company Faye and has travelled the world explained his 1-2-3-4-5-6 rule.

He told Business Insider: “Pack one hat, two pairs of shoes, three bottoms, four tops, five pairs of socks, and six pairs of underwear.”

The ‘world’s most seasoned’ flyer Tom Stucker, who has racked up a whopping 23 million miles, explained is “plus one” rule.

This means only packing the absolute essentials, and a back-up.