I only ever travel with hand luggage even on long-haul holidays – here is how I did 10 days with an £11 item

PACKING lightly is definitely a skill - and it's one I've honed over the past decade of travelling.

And there is one clever Item I swear by that means I never have to check in a bag, no matter how long the trip is.

I've been able to travel with just hand luggage or all kinds of trips, including 10 days in Bali, a week in Columbia or even a long weekend on a cruise that required a number of fancy - and bulky - items.

And it's all thanks to the humble packing cube.

Despite many friends not understanding the wonder that they are, it is the same friends who end up bringing huge suitcases with them, costing them extra money and extra time at the conveyor belt.

There are two ways these will change the way you pack.

Firstly, they compress everything so means you can pack a lot more than you may think.

On a recent trip, I managed to fit in 10 days of clothes, which includes five dresses, three pairs of trousers and more than 10 tops along with underwear and a choice of bikinis.

I even squeezed in three pairs of shoes and all of my toiletries thanks to the cubes.

Mine come in five sizes - the smallest being perfect for underwear and swimwear, while the largest is for trousers and dresses.