How to Travel with only a Carry-On
You are on vacation and arrive at your destination ready to unwind and finally take that much needed deep breath. Your entire flight is flowing upstream like salmon to the baggage claim where it is guaranteed that your bag will be the last one to spit out of the center of the carousel. The smell of coconut sunscreen and the warmth of the sun is calling your name…you drift off into la-la-land only to snap out of it to an empty baggage claim. The conveyor belt is mocking you as it disappears into the depths of the airport innards. No bags left. Your entire vacation is now prefaced with panic and then an unplanned shopping trip to replace the items you need for the day. All your photos of the trip are highlighted by your tie dye “My mom went to Mexico and all I got was this T-shirt” shirt and your memories are of washing your underwear in the sink only hoping it would dry in time to wear to dinner the next day.
You’ve been there, right? Or have a similar story? While it’s not something that happens all the time, there is a chance this could happen at the start of your next vacation. The vacation you’ve been saving up for and planning all year. Is it really worth taking the chance and expense of a checked bag? For my family it’s not. If you are in the same boat, read on for how we as a family of 6 travel with only carry-ons, regardless of our destination.
Select versatile pieces that mix and match. A cardigan that can be worn over a summer dress or with your jeans will work better than one that only works with one outfit. A white tshirt goes with everything while the pink and green polka dot one might be trickier to make work. Think about accessories here too!
Use a limited color palette so everything matches. I have pretty much narrowed my wardrobe to a few main colors: blue, green, pink and sometimes yellow. When packing, I make sure that everything coordinates, so for example, my pink shirt works with jeans, but also all of the shorts and skirts I packed as well. My shirts match most of my bottoms and vise versa. It’s hard to mess up when you are using a smaller selection of colors.
Layering allows you to dress for a variety of temperatures. Things like cardigans, scarves, sweaters, and leggings can all help a warmer weather outfit work as the temperatures cool down.
Packing Cubes. While not necessarily reducing your packing volume (though you can find vacuum sealed or space saving packing cubes that do help), packing cubes (each of our family members has a set of 3 like this) do help me at least in giving me hard boundaries. If I can’t fit anymore in the space I deemed for my bathing suits and pajamas, then I need to make some adjustments.
Wear bulky items when you are flying. Airports and planes are usually cold anyway - so use that time to wear your warmest layer and your bulkier shoes so you can use the space in your luggage for other things.
Travel size for the win. Traveling with a carry-on means you need to follow TSA guidelines anyway, so stick with travel sized toiletries. Another option is simply purchasing them at your destination, especially if it’s a common drugstore item like sunscreen or lotion.
It’s ok to rewear clothing! With the exception of underwear and socks (for most of us at least!), most clothes can be reworn at least once or twice after the initial use. Hanging your clothes in the closet will help keep them wrinkle-free and ready to go next time you need them.
Laundry is almost always an option. Most hotels offer laundry, some AirBNBs do, and there are usually laundromats dotting cities and suburbs all over the world. Pack a lightweight laundry bag like this, powdered detergent and some coins so you are ready just in case the need comes up.
Shoes can take up a lot of space so try to limit them to 1-2 pair. Wear your bulkiest pair if you can while traveling and then carefully select one or two other pairs that will complement your wardrobe for the rest of the trip.
Limit just in case items and/or try to choose multifunctional items on your list. A waterproof midlayer makes more sense than a raincoat, a denim jacket, and a fleece.
I hope this gives you confidence while packing for your next trip, especially if you are usually a “maximalist” packer! You will love the freedom and confidence that packing minimally provides. Even better, when you get off your flight you can skip baggage claim completely, and get yourself to your destination that much faster!