Travel for a week with carry-ons only

How do you pack when you travel? Do you go all out and bring the whole wardrobe, or are you a minimalist? I used to be the laughingstock of those I traveled with, because my suitcase would always get marked “HEAVY”. Aside from hauling around an extremely heavy suitcase, I also always had to pay extra for my HEAVY bag. Additionally, I have an irrational fear that my bag will be lost and therefore my trip will be ruined. Carry ons take that possibility out of the equation.

Most importantly, I realized that I never wore half of the clothes (or shoes!) that I packed. Once I realized this, I knew that I could downsize. The last few times I have traveled, I brought carry-ons only.

Here is how I did it:

1) Find out the policy of the airline you are flying on. Carry on bags have to be a certain dimension, but usually you are allowed two. The first goes in the overhead bin, and the second is a personal item that has to fit under the seat in front of you. Here is the small suitcase I chose which fits nicely in the overhead compartment.

2) Choose your personal item wisely. You can greatly increase the stuff you bring if you pack smart. Use a packpack or a weekend bag instead of a purse. Here is the one I recently bought.

3) What will your laundry situation be? This changes everything. But even if you don’t have access to a washer and dryer, some things can still be spot cleaned and hung to dry to freshen up. For my upcoming trip, I brought enough clothes for half the trip, figuring that I would wash them and wear again.

4) Make a list. Check it twice, and then another two times. Stick to it. Really think about what you will actually wear. My standard outfit is jeans and a T shirt or tank, so why would this be different on vacation? I brought comfy clothes that are a similar color scheme. If you like more variety, just choose wisely. If everything is color coordinated, then you can mix and match to look fancy.

5) Remember the liquid rules. You cannot carry on containers of liquids larger than 3.2 oz. Additionally, all of your liquids must fit in a ziplock bag. Maybe the place you are going has the basics and you can skip a few things. Also, if you are near a store it may be easier to just buy some toiletries when you get to your destination.

6) Minimize your shoe choices. This is very hard for me. It’s best to bring one or two pairs of shoes that are comfortable and match the outfits you brought. For my upcoming trip, I had to sacrifice some space and bring along my hiking boots, but its ok. I am also going to sneak in my favorite Birkenstocks in my personal item instead of squeezing them in my little suitcase.

7) Consider how much you can wear to save space. For example, I am wearing my sneakers on the plane. Aside from being comfy, it will save room in my suitcase. I am bringing a light jacket, but I will wear it and maybe even use it as a pillow for my plane nap. If you had a bulky clothing item that you absolutely need to bring, wear it.

The moral of the story is pack smart. You are traveling to explore a new place, not to carry around lots of baggage!