How To Fold Your Shirts For Traveling | Compact Cylinder Backpacker Style Folding

How to fold your shirts in a super easy backpacker style so that they're compact cylinders and don't take up a lot of space for travel. Step by step guide.

How To Fold Your Shirts For Traveling | Compact Cylinder Backpacker Style Folding

Especially if you're going carry-on only luggage on your backpacking trip, besides getting the best bag you can get, the next step becomes getting all your clothes in there. Some people use vacuum bags, some people just bring super thin active-wear, but there's 2 great ways to make sure everything fits and is organized.

One is using packing cubes (Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/36mpuOu) the other is folding your shirts backpacker style. Here's how you fold your shirts like a backpacker.


1. Lay your shirt with the front facing you, flat on a surface.

Step 1 - Lay the shirt flat on a surface

2. Like you're folding the shirt inside out, fold the bottom of the shirt, about 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) only. So just the bottom being finger length inside out, all around where your body goes in - it's not important to be exact.

Step 2 - Fold the bottom of the shirt inside out - up about 2 inches

3. Now fold the left side in towards the middle so the edge is aligned with the middle of the shirt, and do the same with the right side.

Step 3 - Fold each side inwards

4. Roll the shirt tightly from the collar to the bottom.

Step 4 - Roll the shirt tightly from the collar down

5. Once you reach the bottom, you can fold back the extra 2-3 inches we left on the bottom of our shirt over the rest of it. This makes sure the cylinder shape stays that way by holding it in place.

Step 5 - Fold back the previously left 2-3 inches, so it holds the rest of the cylinder in place

Congratulations! 🥳 You just did your first backpacker style fold. You can do this with all your shirts to easily store them in your backpack. It's also a great way to get through all your stuff when trying to find the shirt you're looking for - and this way you won't mess up every fold when looking.

Complete shirt nuggets ready to pack!

If you want the perfect bag to fit all this in, this is the best carry on backpack you can get for 2020. If you want some more travel tips and budget travel guides, make sure to get in on our email list below 😎