This Viral Packing Method Can Help You Save Space In Your Luggage While Still Looking Good

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Selecting the perfect hotel, picking the right flight, and finding parking at the airport are all frustrating parts of travel, but nothing can hold a candle to packing. Trying to get everything you need into a carry-on bag to keep from paying checked baggage fees can be a nightmare. However, there are some pretty great packing methods out there to try. If you're looking for one that can really save you space, but will keep you looking sleek and fashionable on vacation, the viral 333 packing method may be for you. If you haven't encountered this minimalist hack yet, it's going to change your life. In a TikTok video, @rachspeed explains that you pack only three bottoms, three tops, and three pairs of shoes, which you then mix and match into different outfits. While that might not sound like enough, the trick is to combine them in new ways. The poster managed to come up with a full 19 combinations. Your mileage may vary, depending on what items you choose, but it's pretty brilliant.

@rachspeed

guys did i find the 12 3 30 of getting dressed??? 🤪 #capsulewardrobe #falloutfits #tryon

♬ Oui,Oui,Oui,Oui – Sacha Distel

In the video, she grabs a pair of leather pants, a pair of jeans, and a skirt for the bottoms; a tank, a button-up shirt, and a cardigan for the tops; and boots, sneakers, and flats for the shoes. With the jeans, for example, you could wear the tank, the cardigan over it, the button-up over the tank, the cardigan alone, the button-up alone ... you see where this is going. The TikToker also uses the shirt, which is long, as a dress. If you fold these up and take expert traveler Samantha Brown's game-changing tip and use packing cubes, you'll have room for all the souvenirs you can buy on the way back.

The trick with the 333 packing method is to try your outfits at home to see how many different options you can come up with. Also, remember that you'll likely have a plane outfit and outerwear as well. For that, you can use travel pro Rick Steves' clothing recommendation, which is layering. That way, you're prepared for changes in temperature, and you can get a few more clothing pieces in there. (You can also stuff your travel pillow with socks instead of its cushion to save even more space.)

The other tip here is to pick neutral colors for your tops, bottoms, and shoes, so everything goes together. You can differentiate each outfit even more with accessories. Samantha Brown always brings scarves, which she calls the Swiss army knife of clothing, since you can use it for a pop of color, as a blanket, or as something to cover your shoulders in places of worship. Change it up a little if you'll be going out at night. You might want to switch out a pair of casual pants for a neutral dress. You can wear the button-down over it, maybe tied in the middle, put a tank (in a different color) under it if it's sleeveless for a little contrast around the shoulders, or throw the cardigan over it so it looks like a skirt. 

While you may have to alter this a bit if you're doing an all-outdoors vacation like camping (where you'd maybe swap the regular boots for hiking boots and the skirt for leggings, for instance), it's a really great place to start. Finally, if you plan to wash any of your garments during longer trips, you can bring something like Earth Breeze Laundry Detergent Sheets on Amazon, or do a wash with some soap in the hotel sink.