The packing technique matters as much as what you pack, and good packing technique is a learnable skill.

The rolling method vs folding: rolling works better for t-shirts, underwear, and casual clothes — minimizes wrinkles and is more space-efficient. Folding works better for anything that benefits from maintaining a crease.

Packing cubes: genuinely useful, not marketing fluff. They allow you to group categories (tops in one cube, bottoms in another, electronics in another) so you never unpack the entire bag to find one item. More importantly, a full bag with packing cubes compresses to a more packable shape than clothes loose in a bag.

Liquid management: pack toiletry bottles only to the point you need them, not full. A half-full shampoo bottle weighs less than a full one and takes less space. Transfer to travel-size bottles. Better: solid toiletries (shampoo bars, conditioner bars, solid soap) eliminate the liquid entirely and bypass airport security restrictions.

Weight distribution: heaviest items (laptop, shoes) closest to your back for center-of-gravity reasons. Light, fluffy items (jacket, sleep bag) toward the outside. Liquids accessible without unpacking for security.

The airport bag check: at security, you'll know how well you've packed. If you're pulling things out frantically while the person behind you waits, your system needs work. A good system means one deliberate movement to access the laptop and liquids, then the bag goes through intact.