You know that shuffle at the front of the security queue. One hand on your passport, the other wrestling with a zip that suddenly feels welded shut, laptop half-buried under a jumper, liquids bag nowhere to be seen. You can feel people behind you exhale as you dig. By the time you’ve found everything, your heart rate is doing more work than the walk to the gate.
Frequent flyers and professional travel organisers don’t move faster because they’re calmer people. They move faster because their suitcase is doing some of the thinking for them. Specifically, one small, often-ignored bit of it: the side pocket.
Used properly, that slim, flat compartment becomes a pre-packed security tray. No rummaging, no panic, no apologising to the person you just accidentally whacked with your rucksack. Just zip, lift, done.
The pocket that’s hiding in plain sight
Most carry-on suitcases and weekend bags have some version of it: a long zip down the side, a shallow front compartment, or a flat panel that doesn’t look like it can hold much. It’s where boarding passes go to die and where old airport receipts crumple into a fossil record of past trips.
Travel organisers say that’s exactly the problem. We treat it like a junk drawer, not like prime real estate.
That side pocket is easy to reach when your bag is upright, designed to open without everything spilling out, and usually sits opposite your main clothing compartment. In other words, it’s perfectly positioned for the things security want you to pull out in seconds.
The trick isn’t stuffing more in. It’s deciding that this pocket has one job only: to get you through the checkpoint.
What the pros actually put in there
When organisers unpack the bags of people who travel for a living – consultants, crew, photographers – the same pattern pops up. Their “security pocket” isn’t random; it’s curated.
Here’s the short list they swear by:
Liquids bag, pre-loaded
A clear, resealable 1-litre bag with all your under-100ml bottles already inside. It lives in the side pocket between trips, not in your bathroom or handbag. You top it up the night before, then forget about it.Laptop and/or tablet (in a sleeve)
If your suitcase has a full-height side pocket, this is where your laptop goes, screen against the firm wall, cables elsewhere. Thin pocket? Put the device just behind it in the first layer of the main compartment, with the zip in line, so it still slides out in one movement.Small tech pouch
Earbuds, phone cable, a tiny powerbank, and any smartwatch you might need to remove. One organiser called this “the everything beeped pouch” – if it tends to set scanners off, it lives here.Travel documents you’ll actually show
Passport, boarding pass (digital is fine, but keep a printed backup if you ever fly non-EU/US routes), visa printouts. Not seven old luggage tags and half a pen.A flat valuables case (optional)
Watch, belt with a metal buckle, coins, jewellery you don’t want in checked luggage. These all go in together before you join the queue, so you’re not stripping like it’s surprise laundry day at the front of the line.
Anything that doesn’t need to come out for security – spare clothes, books, souvenirs – stays deep in the main compartment. The side pocket is the “show-and-tell” section only.
A quick cheat sheet
| Side pocket = “Security tray” | Main compartment = “Leave shut” |
|---|---|
| Liquids bag | Clothes & shoes |
| Laptop/tablet | Bulk toiletries in checked bag |
| Small tech pouch | Extra snacks & water |
| Passport & boarding pass | Gifts and non-essential gadgets |
| Belt/watch/coins | Anything that never leaves your bag in security |
Pack it like a mini security tray
Think of that pocket as the grey plastic tub you slide along the rollers. Travel organisers use a simple order, from front to back, so things come out in the order security usually ask for them.
Front: liquids bag
Flat against the zip, label side facing out. When you open the pocket, your hand lands on it first. No digging.Behind that: passport and boarding pass
In a slim wallet or sleeve. You show these, tuck them straight back, then close the pocket as you walk away from the desk.Middle: tech pouch and valuables case
They come out together and sit in the same tray as your liquids. When they’re done, they go back in together. Fewer loose bits to forget.Back: laptop or tablet
Closest to your suitcase shell for protection, furthest from the zip, so you pull it last and slide it straight into a tray of its own if required.
When your turn comes, the sequence is muscle memory:
- Zip open.
- Liquids bag out, on the belt.
- Laptop out, in a tray.
- Tech pouch and valuables case out, next to liquids.
- Passport back into the pocket, zip half shut, bag on the belt.
Two zips, one movement each. You’re through before your brain has time to panic.
A five-minute drill the night before
Most travel chaos starts 12 hours earlier. You throw things in “just in case”, tell yourself you’ll sort it at the airport, then end up kneeling by the check-in desk, decanting shampoo into the bin.
Travel organisers suggest a tiny ritual instead:
Lay everything “security-related” on a table
Liquids, devices, chargers, passport, belt with metal buckle, jewellery, coins, keys.Build your liquids bag with rules in mind
Under 100ml, lid tight, all in one clear bag if your airport still uses the classic restrictions. If your route has newer scanners and looser rules, still corral liquids together – it makes secondary searches quicker.Pre-load the side pocket in order
Back-to-front: laptop, tech pouch, valuables case, documents, liquids bag.Say a short checklist out loud
“Liquids, laptop, tech, passport.” It sounds silly, but hearing yourself confirms it’s done. The next morning, that sentence will float back just as you reach the belt.Promise the pocket only one job
No snacks, no magazines, no “I’ll just shove this here for a second”. Tomorrow-you will forget and hate you for it. Keep it pure.
If you give your side pocket five honest minutes before bed, the airport will pay you back in calm the next day.
Common mistakes that slow you down
The organisers who empty suitcases for a living see the same trip-wreckers over and over again.
The exploding paperwork file
Receipts, old print-at-home boarding passes, hotel leaflets, rail tickets from three trips ago. They hide the one document you actually need. Clear it out before each journey; past trips don’t get to ride along.Liquids everywhere except one place
Mini creams in a handbag, lip balm in a coat, hand sanitiser in a trouser pocket. Security doesn’t care where you hid them; the scanner sees all. Gather them before the queue sees you.Burying the laptop under clothes “for safety”
It feels protective, but you’ll have to unpack your bag in public to find it. Laptops are safer in a padded sleeve in a consistent place than under a pile of T-shirts.Putting valuables loose in the tray
A watch here, coins there, ring wrapped in a tissue that looks exactly like rubbish. Put removable valuables in a small, obvious pouch that returns to the same spot every time.Wearing your most “hardware-heavy” outfit
Chunky jewellery, big belt, boots with metal shanks, jacket full of zips. Great for a night out, terrible for the scanner. If you must wear them, commit to taking them off and having a home ready in that side pocket.
The goal isn’t to be perfect; it’s to avoid the handful of habits that reliably create chaos.
When different airports play by different rules
One of the quiet frustrations of modern travel is inconsistency. Some airports wave laptops and liquids through inside bags thanks to fancy scanners; others still want everything in separate trays, caps tight, labels facing up.
Travel organisers can’t change that, but they work with a simple principle: pack for the strictest rule you might meet.
- If your route might involve a traditional checkpoint, still use the clear liquids bag and easy-access laptop layout.
- If you’re connecting through multiple countries, assume at least one airport will be old-school about belts, boots and big electronics.
- If you know your departure airport has upgraded scanners, your set-up still works – it just means your pre-packed pocket becomes a happy overkill, not wasted effort.
Think of it this way: the more organised your “security tray pocket” is, the less it matters what version of the rules you meet. Your things are together either way.
Small rituals that keep it working trip after trip
The last piece isn’t the pocket itself; it’s the habit that keeps it honest.
Empty it fully when you get home
Take out the liquids bag, charge the powerbank, remove receipts and tissue fossils. An empty pocket is easier to reset than a mystery bag.Pre-pack a “travel-only” liquids kit
Decant duplicates of your daily products into travel bottles that never leave the side pocket except to be refilled. It removes one whole decision from the night-before list.Keep a tiny pen in the documents sleeve
Landing cards still exist in some places. A cheap biro in the side pocket saves you the awkward hunt for one at the back of the immigration hall.Do a two-second squeeze test
Before you leave home, run your hand down the outside of the pocket. You should feel flat layers, not bulging lumps. Bulge means you’ve turned it back into a junk drawer.
Let’s be honest: nobody keeps their suitcase in this perfect state every single time. But the trips where you do will feel noticeably calmer, from the taxi to the gate. Once you’ve glided through security with one zip and one smooth movement, it’s hard to go back to rummaging.
FAQ:
- What if my suitcase doesn’t have a proper side pocket?
Use the most accessible compartment you do have: a front pocket on a rucksack, a slim organiser pouch that sits on top inside your case, or even a dedicated zip section in your handbag. The principle is the same: one place, one job.- Do I really need a separate tech pouch and valuables case?
Not if you travel light. Many organisers combine them into one small zip case. The key is that everything which might need to come out at security lives together, not scattered across pockets.- Is it safe to keep my passport in the side pocket?
Yes, as long as you keep your bag zipped and in sight. Most travellers keep their passport there only between home and the gate, then move it to an inside pocket or hotel safe. The advantage is quick access at check-in and security.- What about families travelling with children?
Give each adult their own “security pocket” and use one extra pouch for children’s passports, liquids and small toys. Have kids step out of buggies and empty their own pockets before you reach the trays to avoid last-minute scrambles.- Does this help at security lanes where you don’t have to remove liquids or laptops?
Surprisingly, yes. Even when nothing comes out, knowing exactly where everything is lowers your stress and speeds you up if you’re randomly selected for extra screening. Your “one pocket, one job” rule still pays off.
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