Guide: How To Pack Smarter - Hacks To Maximise Space and Organisation!

We’ve all been there - digging through an overstuffed tote for your passport, untangling cords mid-flight, or arguably worst of all - realising your shampoo has leaked through your clothes. Travel is meant to be exciting, but without the right systems in place, it can feel more chaotic than calm!

The good news? A few smart packing strategies (and the right accessories) can make all the difference. From structured totes to leak-proof pouches, these are the tools we swear by for staying organised, stylish, and stress-free from take-off to touch-down.

Hack 1: Use Packing Cubes to Maximise Space and Keep Things Sorted

Packing cubes are a total game-changer when it comes to fitting more into your suitcase and keeping things organised. Try grouping outfits by day or category - think casual, activewear, or evening - so you’re not rummaging through your bag trying to find that one missing piece!

They also make repacking easier if you're hopping between destinations (no more suitcase explosions every few nights). Our Ela & Earth Compression Packing Cubes are not only structured and space-saving, but they also match the rest of your travel essentials for a cohesive, considered look. 

Lightweight and beautifully designed, featuring the double compression zip, they help compress your clothes and keep everything neat from start to finish - no extra effort required!

Hack 2: Create a Dedicated Tech Pouch

Nothing slows you down like untangling cords or digging through every zip pocket in your bag to find a charger. Keeping all your tech essentials - chargers, adapters, power banks, AirPods - in one dedicated pouch makes a world of difference. No more last-minute panics at the boarding gate or wrestling cables mid-flight.

Our Small Travel Case is the perfect size for a tech organiser, with structured sides and one main compartment to keep everything secure and easy to access. It slips easily into your tote or backpack and makes switching bags mid-trip effortless. One pouch, zero mess.

Hack 3: Keep Toiletries Easy to Access (and Leak-Proof)

There’s nothing more heartbreaking than discovering your expensive skincare routine has leaked through your suitcase. The solution? A dedicated, wipeable toiletries bag with compartments that keep everything upright, secure, and easy to reach.

Our Fold-Out Toiletries Bag is designed exactly for this. With multiple zip sections, a transparent mesh pocket for liquids, and a built-in hanging hook, it keeps your essentials organised and off the bathroom counter (especially handy in tight hotel spaces).

Prefer an alternative style? The Odyssey Toiletries Bag offers a generous amount of space and is a structured option that’s just as practical, with easy-to-clean windows and a smart internal layout. No more spills. No more chaos - (thank us later). 

Hack 4: Keep Essentials Within Reach in Your Carry-On

You don’t want to be rummaging through your suitcase for your passport, snacks or hand sanitiser mid-transit - especially not when you’re juggling multiple bags. Keeping your most-used essentials in one structured, easy-access carry-on makes travel smoother before you even leave the house!

Our Overnight Travel Tote is a carry-on MVP. With a wide zip opening, internal compartments, a laptop sleeve, dedicated internal 1L water bottle pocket and a built-in luggage sleeve, it’s made for stress-free travel days. There’s space for everything you actually need on hand - think passport, water bottle, AirPods, snacks - without turning into a black hole. Just zip, grab and go.

Hack 5: Use Smaller Pouches to Group “Like” Items

One of the easiest ways to stay organised on the move? Group similar items into separate pouches. Think: one for snacks, one for medicine, one for travel documents. That way, you’re never rummaging through your bag for that one lip balm, boarding pass or emergency bandaid.

Our Cosmetic Pouches, Medium Pouches, and Travel Cases are perfect for this kind of micro-organisation. Mix and match sizes to suit your needs - and your bags - and enjoy that satisfying feeling of knowing exactly where everything is. It’s a small change that makes a big difference (and looks good doing it).

Hack 6: Use Water Bottle Bag for Easy Hydration

Between airport security, sightseeing and racing to catch transport, staying hydrated often falls to the bottom of the list - or worse, you’re stuck juggling a bottle in one hand and your everything else in the other. Enter: the Water Bottle Bag. A game-changer for travel days, it keeps your bottle close, your hands free, and your essentials zipped safely away!

Our Ela & Earth Water Bottle Bags are fully insulated to keep your drink cool and designed to comfortably hold our 1L Water Bottle. With handy compartments on the front and both sides for your phone, passport, lip balm and snacks, it’s the bag that does more than just carry water. Sling it crossbody through the airport or wear it on long travel days when you want to stay light but have the essentials on-body. Once you’ve travelled with one, you won’t go back.

Travel smart, not harder! Travel doesn’t have to be chaotic and messy. With a few smart packing strategies - and the right tools to support you - you can stay organised, calm, and confidently prepared from take off to touch down. 

Whether you’re a carry-on-only kind of traveller or packing for the whole family, these functional (and seriously good-looking) essentials will make all the difference!

Ready to build your own go-to packing system? Explore our full travel range and make your next trip your smoothest one yet.