Emmy-winning actor Colman Domingo is currently hopping between Santa Fe, Malibu and Reykjavik to film season three of Netflix's The Four Seasons alongside Tina Fey and Will Forte — and somehow still gets packed, laundered and in bed within about an hour of walking through the door. His secret, he told Condé Nast Traveler, dates back to early retail jobs at J. Crew and Banana Republic: everything folded, organised and colour-coordinated, ideally in one palette. An all-black wardrobe — think an Ami turtleneck and Double RL jeans — means every piece mixes and matches, so the suitcase quietly holds more outfits than it appears to.

He's also a recent convert to compression packing (and compression socks, a gift from his husband Raúl), and never checks a bag. His rule is simple: whatever doesn't fit in the carry-on doesn't come. He claims he can manage a month away this way, and for this trip he's testing Away's new Series 3 line, launched September 29, with wheel brakes, hands-free hooks and a hidden Bluetooth tracker pocket. He pairs the Bigger Carry-On Flex 3 with a soft Signature Weekender or Triple-Zip Duffle on top — and no backpacks, which he feels instantly mark you out as a tourist. A cross-body bag, in his view, makes you feel like a local.

His on-the-road philosophy leans the same way. He ignores restaurant recommendations and instead picks places by walking past, peeking in and reading the mood of the room — a trick he says has never failed him, whether in Japan or Italy. It worked spectacularly on a bucket-list trip to Easter Island in December 2022, planned in just six days: the pair flew LA to Atlanta to Santiago, then five more hours into the Pacific, checked into the eco hotel Nayara Hangaroa, and were invited to a local barbecue within steps of the lobby. A waiter later gifted him a miniature Moai that now sits in his office.

His packing list for that warm-weather escape is a masterclass in small details: shorts and swim trunks, plenty of tees ranging from Costco bulk buys to a $500 fabric splurge, three or four baseball caps (he hoards merch hats from motels), and neckerchiefs — often picked up in hotel lobbies — to make repeat outfits feel new. He carries fine jewellery for evenings, including a vintage 1942 ring belonging to his father, a Leica Q3 camera, Haribo gummy bears (Percy Pigs when in London), and, on long hauls, an old photograph of his parents for the nightstand. And once he's in the room, he unpacks immediately and does it himself — a ritual, he says, that makes any hotel feel like home. For anyone tired of overstuffed suitcases, his approach boils down to a strict palette, ruthless editing and a willingness to let the destination surprise you. — Condé Nast Traveler