Mum reveals genius packing hacks for fitting a week’s worth of clothing into a small
Jenna Carr, who goes by the name ‘The Travel Mum’ on TikTok, has revealed how she fits a week’s worth of clothes into a single carry-on rucksack
A globe-trotting mum has found a way to fit a week’s worth of clothes into a single carry-on rucksack – and she’s convinced her packing method will help travellers save ‘hundreds’ on ‘extortionate’ airline baggage fees.
Jenna Carr, who goes by the name ‘The Travel Mum’ on TikTok, shared a video online that shows her squeezing everything from holiday outfits to cosmetics and footwear into a small blue backpack ahead of a recent family getaway, saving her from paying for extra baggage.
‘Budget airlines allow you to bring a free “personal item” on board,’ the 33-year-old explains, adding: ‘Each passenger, including children, gets their own rucksack.’
The mum of one, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, says: ‘Over time the hundreds of pounds you save on luggage really adds up. By making a few changes to how we travel as a family we’ve been able to travel so much more.’
The footage – which has garnered more than 31,000 views – shows Jenna gesturing to a small backpack and noting: ‘We’re going to use a vacuum bag to get double the amount of clothes in there.’
Jenna uses vacuum seal bags to carry her clothing in a rucksack – avoiding paying ‘extortionate’ baggage fees. ‘Budget airlines allow you to bring a free “personal item” on board,’ she says
Former NHS doctor Jenna vacuums the air out of the bag to halve the room her clothes take up. She also vacuums air from the plastic sealed bag once it’s placed inside the backpack, so it moulds to the shape of the rucksack
Jenna reveals she vacuums air from the plastic sealed bag once it’s placed inside the backpack, so it moulds to the shape of the rucksack.
In the clip, Jenna – who worked as an NHS doctor before leaving her medical career behind to become a full-time content creator – remarks that thanks to the vacuum packing trick, she still has ‘a lot more space’ to fit extra items into her backpack.
Next, she explains how she wears her ‘bulkier’ shoes on the plane and wraps her smaller shoes – such as sandals – in cling film to keep everything else in her bag clean.
After vacuum-packing her clothes, Jenna points out that she ‘still has ‘a lot more space’ to fit more items in her backpack. The TikToker puts underwear in a zip-seal freezer bag (right) which can be reduced in size using a vacuum
Jenna wears her ‘bulkier’ shoes on the plane and wraps her smaller shoes – such as sandals – in cling film to keep everything else in her bag clean
‘Food bags (left) are great for keeping things organised,’ Jenna says. The mum-of-one uses refillable travel perfume bottles (right) to take her perfume with her on her trip
Jenna, who has 367,000 TikTok followers and counting, then reveals she puts underwear in a zip-seal freezer bag which can also be reduced in size using a vacuum. She uses the freezer bags as a ‘place to put used underwear’ during the trip, she reveals.
When one user wondered whether she finds her clothes get quite creased after they’ve been vacuum-packed, she replied: ‘It depends on the material, most things survive it pretty well.’
Her next tip? ‘Food bags are great for keeping things organised,’ Jenna says. She explains how she likes to put her jewellery and her non-liquid makeup – which doesn’t need to be removed from her bag at security – into plastic food bags to keep them separate.
Each passenger, including children, is permitted to take a rucksack on board the flight for free, Jenna explains
Jenna puts her laptop and liquids in WHSmith carrier bags as they don’t count as carry-on luggage
Next, she demonstrates how she uses refillable travel perfume bottles to take her perfume with her on her trips.
She says: ‘I only take liquids that would be too expensive to buy when I get there.’
Her final trick? She puts her laptop and liquids in WHSmith carrier bags, explaining: ‘When I’m boarding the plane, it just looks like I’ve been shopping.’
Plastic carrier bags from shops within the airport don’t count as carry-on luggage, Jenna explains.
The reaction from her followers was a positive one, with ‘user0957747756’ writing: ‘WHSmith bag is such a good tip!’
And user ‘Shouldaknownbetta’ declared that the hacks are ‘amazing’.