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Packing carry-on only for an extended trip can be an extremely daunting task. But with lots of thought, practice, and a few tips from fellow travelers, anyone can travel carry-on only as well! I do understand that everyone has a different definition of minimalism. For some, pairing down from two suitcases to one is being minimalistic, for others, having less than 7 kgs (15 lbs) in a small backpack is their idea of minimalism. Whatever your idea of minimalism is, the ultimate goal is to pack less than normal and to live comfortably with the items you do bring.
Benefits to packing less:
- Less you have to lug around.
- Avoid fees for checked luggage or overweight luggage.
- Easier to lift into an overhead compartment.
- If traveling strictly carry-on, you never have to worry about your luggage getting lost!
- Easier for the airport, hotel, tour company personnel, etc to handle luggage. (Trust me, they will thank you for this!)
- Less to lose.
- My favorite…less stuff = happier life…and happier travels.
Whatever your reasons are for packing lighter, I hope the following tips for minimalistic packing can help you achieve your packing goals!
1. Packing Cubes
The Holy Grail of packing compact and staying organized. Packing Cubes are the number one item I suggest to everyone traveling. They are fabric, cubed, zippered compartments that let you organize your items and also compress them. There is nothing worse than having to rifle through your whole bag to find one item at the bottom and then have to refold and repack everything. With packing cubes, this doesn’t happen. All you have to do is grab the packing cube with the item you need and everything else in your bag stays folded, rolled, and organized. I personally use the e-Bags brand of packing cubes as well as an Eagle Creek compression cube.
2. Roll your clothes
Trust me, rolling your clothes will save you space in your bag! It will save you even more space if you roll your clothes and then put them in a packing cube. Also, if you roll your clothes properly, they will be less wrinkled than folding alone.
3. Multipurpose Items
Most of the items you pack should have more than one use to them. Items that I have that are multi-purpose include:
- Buff (neck warmer, headband, hat, eye mask, ear warmer, tube top, etc.)
2. Rain jacket (rain jacket -duh, windbreaker, pillow, blanket)
3. Microfiber towel (towel – duh, blanket, pillow)
4. Flip flops (shower shoes, everyday use)
5. Soaps (shampoo bar = shampoo, shaving cream, body wash. Facial bar = facial cleanser, body wash in a pinch)
6. Bathing suit (top can be used for swimming and/or bra, bottoms can be used for swimming or panties).
7. Compression socks (for flights and also when I’m cold)
8. Scrubba bag (dry bag, holds dirty laundry and can also wash laundry)
4. Solid Shampoo/Toiletries
I highly recommend bringing solids for shampoos, soaps, and other toiletries. By doing this, it cuts down on the number of liquids you bring on board and also prevents any liquids from leaking during the flight. Nothing worse than opening up your bag to find that your shampoo exploded mid-flight!
Solids also can be multi-purposeful as mentioned above. My solid shampoo bar can wash my hair, be used as shaving cream, or body wash. I also use a facial soap bar that is a great facial cleanser but can also be used as a body wash when in a pinch.
Ideas for solid toiletries:
- Lush shampoo bar
- Conditioner bars
- Facial soap
- Bar soap
- Toothpaste tabs or powder
- Solid deodorants or pastes
- Solid perfumes
5. Miniature sized items
For the toiletries that do not have a solid option, bring miniature sized ones. Or better yet, don’t pack any at all! You can find soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc in almost every destination in the world. If you need a specific type of product or are going extremely remote, then definitely bring along those items. My favorite miniature item to bring traveling is my Venus Snap Mini Razor!
Call your accommodation ahead of time to see if they have hairdryers, straighteners, etc so you don’t have to bring one. If they don’t, bring along a travel-sized one or purchase when you arrive at your destination.
6. Simple Color Palette
Every item of clothing you pack should be able to match each other. This allows you to pack less, but also create infinite outfits. As mentioned in my Complete Minimalist Packing List post, all my items are black, blue, or gray. All the shirts can match with the pants and vice versa.
7. Quick-dry clothing
In addition to making sure you have a matching color palette, you should also pack items that dry quickly. By packing less, you will probably have to wash your clothes more often and you want them to dry quickly if you have to air dry them. Synthetics and Merino Wool are the best for this!
8. Merino Wool
Merino Wool is the ultimate travel material. It is lightweight, odor-resistant, moisture-wicking, dries extremely fast, and warm! However, it is very expensive. I purchased some merino wool socks and I love them! I can wear them for two to three days straight and they don’t stink. Ewww gross!! I know, I know, but when you gotta, you gotta.
9. Learn to Layer
Relating to multipurpose items and merino wool, make sure that you know how to layer if you are traveling to a colder climate. Wear your tank, tee, sweater, puffer jacket, with your rain jacket over everything for ultimate warmth. The layers keep you warm and the rain jacket prevents moisture from getting in and also acts as a windbreaker. Or wear tights under your pants to help keep you warm. Or two to three pairs of socks.
10. Do your laundry
Packing light will ultimately mean you will need to do laundry while away. But by packing lightweight, quick-drying clothes, doing laundry in your laundry bag/washing bag is a breeze! The Scrubba washing bag is amazing and is ideal for washing a max of two outfits. It is a bit labor-intensive but does a great job. I use it for when I’m running out of undies, or need to do a quick wash.
Laundromats can be found everywhere in the world and some can be very inexpensive. Hostels, hotels, and Airbnbs usually have washing machines and services available on the premises. Take advantage of them!
Bonus: Love Yourself
I can hear you all thinking “Err…okay Andrea this one is weird”. Don’t worry I hear you on this one, but let me explain!
What is the number one reason why people over pack clothing, makeup, jewelry, etc?
Vanity.
We want to look amazing in all our photos at all these amazing places. We want to get the perfect Instagram photo and look like a model while doing it. We don’t want to wear the same thing twice because it is a fashion faux pas. But honestly…who cares?
The purpose of traveling is to experience new things and create lasting memories. Are you going to remember what you were wearing when you saw the Eiffel Tower, hiked in Glacier National Park, ate kangaroo burgers in Australia, or ziplined in Costa Rica? No. You will look back and remember the experiences, not your clothing.
So learn to love yourself the way you are. Go au naturale without makeup and hair products, wear the same outfit twice, or three times even, leave the jewelry at home, and learn to embrace yourself. By learning to love yourself the way you are and without society’s pressure to look perfect and artificial, you can then leave unnecessary products behind and pack more minimally.
Now am I saying to leave every single makeup and fashionable product at home? No. Just pack the essentials. Cut down. Bring only the basics. Embrace your natural beauty as well.
I am here to see the world, not for the world to see me…and judge.
