Packing for trips makes me anxious. I want to be a light packer, the chillest rolling stone. But as someone dealing with the one-two punch of asthma and deathly food allergy, I’ve found that this has never been my reality.Besides needing to carry life-saving medicine at all times, I also like to be prepared with allergy-safe snacks and meal accessories, stuffing them into my suitcase in whatever gaps I can conjure among my clothes. The more unpredictable the weather at my destination, and the more varied my planned activities, the more the available space shrinks and my stress intensifies. Once, I had to choose between packing homemade granola or a sweater (the granola won).For years, I devised a packing schedule that started days ahead, but inevitably, my hard-shell spinner carry-on would seem to shrink as soon as I unzipped it. I’d revise my list, repack and repack, and still I’d lurch through airport security with my allegedly breezy suitcase and a “personal item” that stretched the airline’s limits.After one too many packing panics, I splurged on the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential 22″ 2-Wheel Expandable Carry-On, the upgrade pick in Wirecutter’s guide to the best carry-on suitcases. It is every bit as spacious, compressible, and lightweight as our guide says. I’d be lying if I told you that a luxury suitcase has eliminated my anxiety. But it has certainly lightened the load.