I was traveling overseas before I could walk, courtesy of a father in academic medicine who job-hopped between Australia and the U.S., so after a lifetime of long-haul trips I consider myself an expert packer. Here are my top 8 packing tips:

Roll, roll, roll. I thought this was my trade secret until I did an unofficial crowdsourcing experiment (aka asking my friends on Facebook), and 3 out of 4 suggested rolling your clothes (vs. folding) as well. Perfect for anything that creases easily or is a bit delicate, rolling ensures wrinkle free clothes right out of the suitcase.

Military corners. You don't really roll everything. T-shirts, jeans, sweaters, etc. should be folded to the exact same size and neatly stacked. Otherwise all those unmatched edges add up to a lot of wasted space. Yes, I'm serious.

Bag your bottles. Just because the FAA makes you do it now doesn't mean it's not a good idea. Even if you're going by car, if it can leak, spill or stain, sock it in a sealed baggie.

Garanimals. If you want to pack light, everything you take should match everything else. No, you don't "have to have" that one extra dress. And the shoes to match . . .

Do-overs. You can wear the same pair of jeans several times in one trip. Ditto for sweaters you wear over shirts. (You cannot do the same with underwear. Take enough or get thee to a local laundry!)

Abhor a vacuum. Or at least an unused space: socks get tucked inside shoes. Bathing suits slide into the crevices between piles. You get the idea.

The right bag. I used to be a huge fan of Tumi luggage. It's expensive, but also rugged and had a lifetime warranty - which I thought made it worth it - until now. Tumi's discontinued their warranty, and I found several reviews that raved about the Eagle Creek Tarmac 22.  Reports say it's lightweight, expandable, costs less than the comparable Tumi and has . . . a lifetime warranty!

Don't pack: anything you must have or can't afford to lose. Prescription medication, eyeglasses, jewelry, passport should all go in your carry-on bag.

Happy trails!