Ladies, this one’s for you: 18 days and 5 countries with a carry-on bag and a personal item only!
No rolling clothes, no praying that the flight attendants ignore my overstuffed bag at the gate, and no worrying about the airline losing my luggage! This is how you pack for 2 weeks in a carry on bag!
I dressed for expensive dinners, rooftop bars, boats, and clubs, but also for getting outdoors, casual lunches, beach days, comfy travel days, and 8 hours of pounding pavement while sightseeing. As a *reformed over-packer and I’ve learned from trial and error that uncertainty is the driver of overpacking. What if I need X, Y, or Z? What if that outfit isn’t formal or casual enough?
Fortunately, there are a few key things you can do to pack everything you need into a carry on!
How to pack everything you need in carry-on luggage in 4 easy steps
1) Use a transitional wardrobe.
This is everything. A transitional wardrobe is one where you can swap pieces in and out of multiple outfits to create more with less and make outfits work with changing weather.
Example: Pair a black leather skirt with a crop top and heels for a fun rooftop bar one night, and then the next day pair that same skirt with a long sleeve bodysuit and white sneakers for art galleries. And then pair that same crop top with a midi skirt and sandals for dinner on a different day.
I never wore the same clothing item more than twice other than a bathing suit. Bring a few basic pieces that work for anything and are rewearable with different accessories or jackets to change up the look– a plain black mini dress is my go-to for any day when I don’t know what I may get up to or if I need an extra/back up outfit!
2) Carefully plan your outfits for each day before you pack.
This is key with a transitional wardrobe because when you’re packing, it’s a bit like a puzzle seeing where you can create overlap for pieces. Make a note in your phone or type up a Word doc with each day’s activities and what outfit you want to wear depending on the activities you have planned. I’ve always done this because I don’t like being unprepared or rushing, but it’s absolutely necessary unless you want to drag your entire wardrobe around with you.
3) You will NEVER need as many pairs of shoes as you think.
Shoes take up a ton of valuable space. I bring 4 pairs maximum and rarely need pair #4:
- Tennis shoes for the airport and any athletic activities (wear these on the plane- they’re bulky!).
- Casual comfy/fashion white sneakers for day wear. These are the best cute and comfy white sneakers that I recommend!
- Sandals for the beach or nights out. I brought what I consider “elevated” sandals that were a little overkill for the beach, but also cute for clubs if I couldn’t deal with heels.
- Classic heels (these rarely get worn and take up a lot of space in my suitcase).
4) Do laundry!
Yes, really! I check hotels for free laundry machines or a laundry service before I book. If it’s not available, I scope out a local laundromat for when I need it!
5) Repeat after me: “I don’t need my full size, name brand skin or hair care products.”
And this is coming from someone who was devout with my skincare routine. It’s simpler now and I have it down to a science, which definitely helps! Only you know what your absolute must haves are for skincare, hygiene, and cosmetics, but even when my skincare was more complicated and I wore makeup, I was able to make it work with my carry on!
- Simplify your routine a little- take a step or 2 out of your morning and evening routine.
- Stay organized- I use this cosmetic bag and have for years- I swear by it and it fits EVERYTHING!
- Remember that you can likely buy things there if you have things you can’t fit- sunscreen, toothpaste, shampoo, etc are all things you don’t have to pack and can plan to pick up when you arrive if you really don’t have the space. I used to be pretty resistant to this, but honestly, a lot of skincare and hair products are pretty much the same and just the marketing is different. You’ll be okay for a few weeks!
Pro tip: One corner I cut us bringing bar shampoo and conditioner and not bottles. You save space, weight, and have fewer liquids to squeeze into a TSA liquid-sized baggie. I have tried and tested a ridiculous number of shampoo and conditioner bars, and the best one for me is HiBAR!
HiBAR has been a game changer for me for packing AND they make my hair so clean and shiny that I actually use them whether I’m traveling or at home! Plus, you get so many more washes from them (so it saves a lot of money for me and my thick hair), they’re gentle for color-treated hair, and bonus- there’s no wasteful, bulky plastic packaging. Win/win!
Best packing hacks for women
If all else fails, I have a couple of other packing hacks for you:
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My go-to packing cubes are these vacuum seal packing cubes from Amazon– they’re affordable and they work.
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When going places with colder weather, like Iceland, I do tightly roll bulky pieces like coats and sweaters.
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Wear your bulkiest sweater or jacket to the airport to save some space, or just tie it around your waist. Same goes for shoes- I wear whichever pair of shoes are bulkiest on the plane.
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