Bare Minimum: How to Pack Less in a Carry-On Suitcase

My lightweight essentials: Blue carry-on suitcase: bit.ly/Blue20InchCarryon My light blue blouse: bit.ly/3TGEpO5 Rolling under airplane seat bag: bit.ly/3VIfSa4 Small liquids bag: bit.ly/3EzFp0n Regular liquids bag: shoptripped.com/Laurie-Spring24-Makeup Black tote bag: bit.ly/LaurieToteBag Teal t-shirt: bit.ly/4cKhTMR Waterproof shoes: bit.ly/459Rxip Green carry-on luggage: bit.ly/Pink20InchCarryOn (same bag) Wheel covers for luggage: amzn.to/4dxuCCY Striped sweater: bit.ly/43ZDtaq Pink carry-on suitcase: bit.ly/Pink20InchCarryOn Striped backpack (15.6): amzn.to/3Hh4zRN Airplane outfit: Aqua jeans: bit.ly/3vP7leE Striped t-shirt: bit.ly/3U5lqOy Crossbody bag purse: bit.ly/4bkXexs White water-repellent shoes: bit.ly/43uhh9W 3/4 length sleeve shirt: bit.ly/3MODUyG Gingham blouse: bit.ly/3kF8KPm Cashmere (back in stock July and Nov): J Crew cashmere tee: bit.ly/3gTrZCO Gray pants: bit.ly/3P6yeBr (10 or 12) Waterproof sneakers: bit.ly/459Rxip Joggers: bit.ly/3U68gAF (size medium or large is size 10) Slide sandals: bit.ly/3PphwOx Shoe inserts: amzn.to/3UPlBxU Shoe inserts (I have both): amzn.to/45DxTxc Compression cubes (6 in set): shoptripped.com/Laurie-Spring24-NatPark Travel set makeup brushes: bit.ly/3sRQDdr Lightweight backpack: bit.ly/49zLh5O Merino wool no show socks: Nordstrom or Walmart Curling iron dual voltage: bit.ly/3x4ihWg Tin: bit.ly/3vxeVL0 Toothpaste tablets: bit.ly/3FawRMc Lotion bar: amzn.to/3QZRCkD Shampoo bar: Lush Liquids bag that stands: shoptripped.com/Laurie-Spring24-Makeup Lambskin pouch: bit.ly/48WUNzR (set of 4) Set of 3 pouches: bit.ly/3QCSRWm FLY pink pouch: bit.ly/3LfDaAJ Small liquids bag Plane to See: bit.ly/3EzFp0n Gray backpack (15.6): bit.ly/3gddd9o Pill organizer: bit.ly/3JMnMMN Toiletry kit: shoptripped.com/Laurie-Spring24-Makeup Green shoes (other colors available): bit.ly/3SZCeWG Elastic shoe laces: bit.ly/3Uy6Uiq Black tote bag: bit.ly/LaurieToteBag Need to pack medicine? Watch this: bit.ly/PackMedicineTips Do not fly without these Inside the airplane: bit.ly/PackThese4AirplaneSeat Travel Mistakes to Avoid: bit.ly/TravelMistakesFor2024 Get Your Backpack Organized: bit.ly/HowToOrganizePersonalItemBag

After 1+MM miles and 30+ countries with carry on only, I learned to only use baggies. No cute pouches, no tech pouches, no makeup bags, no pill organizers, etc. Super light weight and space saving. Cheers!

After traveling to 38 countries what seems to work best for me is the 2-2-2 rule. Two bottoms, two tanks, two tshirts, two long sleeve shirts and two pairs of shoes. Add in a sweater or jacket depending on the weather. All in lightweight fabrics, of course.

Best advice from my stylish French niece: pack only 3 colors! Magic formula to stress less and make sure everything matches while looking effortlessly elegant.

I have never met you however I adore you and appreciate you. Even your voice is comforting. Thank you for sharing what you know. ❤

Laurie, although I agree with you on most things, I disagree with taking only one pair of pants and one pair of shoes. If you spill or get wet, you need a backup and sometimes you need a different pair of shoes to give your feet a change to prevent blisters. I learned that the hard way years ago when I took two pairs of shoes that were the same style. Now I always take a pair that fits differently--especially if I'm going to be walking a lot. Thanks for all your work informing the public. Your approachable ways are very much appreciated.😊

Laurie - you communicate so smoothly that it’s obvious that you do a lot of planning and preparation. I so appreciate your many hacks- they are incredibly helpful, and you are a delight to watch. Thank you very much. You are a rockstar!

I thought of another hack learned from a friend. Pack clothing you’ll either toss or give to a charity. Except for what you’ll definitely take home, on your last wear of each item either leave it or toss in the trash. You’ll have lighter luggage or room for souvenirs/purchases on the return trip home. LOL

"You got to know when to roll 'em, Know when to fold 'em"

Goals ! I always take a pic of what I'm packing & then another pic on my return. This will help your future self to pack with less. This video is so timely. Hello Aullie & Nathan 🐾🦩🌴

We're in the midst of packing for a trip that will include no checked luggage on an Ait Lufthansa flight- WOW, very limiting sizes and weight (8kg-about 16lb). So yes, mulit layers being planned for what we are wearing on the plane. Dark colored bottoms and tops that go with mutiple items, including layering. 2 pair of flat shoes will go in the bottom of my personal item. And we aknowledge that we will A) do laundry and B) probabaly buy one or two shirts of some kind. Add to that we took out the insides of our neck pillows and filled them with socks and undies. I have a fresh outfit for 9 nights of cruising dinners, and a total of 16 nights of vacay. This puzzle has been challenging- and a little fun at the same time. Hoping to take photos each day of the outfits to share at some point ;)

Toothpaste tabs were definitely a game changer for me! Another thing I do to reduce liquids: normally I wear contacts that last for a month - they must be cleaned every night and morning, which means packing lens case, cleaning solutions, and lens wet drops. For travel, however, I use one day/disposable lenses. I don't need a case or cleaning solutions that way, and it does save space. I do need to pack an extra pair of bottoms and shoes, but I choose thin gauzy cotton for summer - I need something nicer for going out, and I need to change around my shoes or I get blisters. But I'd only pack sandals or walking flats in summer, so not much extra space or weight. If I'm limited to a personal item, I'll wear a shell tank, short sleeve blouse, layering shirt, and sweater or light jacket on the plane, and only pack 3 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve tops as well. And a packet of dry laundry soap sheets meant for camping. I wash the day's top, socks and unmentionables every evening and hang to dry, so I don't need as many tops even for a longer trip. In warm weather, a tank and a few gauzy scarf-like tops to go over will fit in a quart size baggie and give plenty of fashion options.

I have an Away carry on. It measures 22”x13”x8.5”. I packed for a 10 day trip to Spain in this and an Osprey commuter backpack. Follow the weather reports. Was 3wks before flight >70 daytime. By travel day temps low to upper 60’s with night temps in the 40s. Night temps matter in Spain as locals’ restaurants start dinner at 8 or 9pm. I’d rather experience local food than tourist trap food. Clothes can be washed in shampoo or body wash provided by hotel, if it gets your funk of your body, it’ll get your funk off your clothes. Also bear in mind, if the high is 63F, most of your day is in the 50’s. So layer. I wore a thin top, a sweater & a jacket or rain jacket to start the day. We also spent 2 days in Madrid and used the Metro and walked to get around. We rented a car to get from Madrid to Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona and back to Madrid to fly home with a stop at a city along the way to stretch legs & eat. In the cities we walked everywhere. If you have ever been in an ancient or medieval town, you know to say the streets are narrow is an understatement. So you park and leave it there until you leave. I packed 3 pr merino wool socks(sockwells feather wt mod. compression for flight) black crew socks, black knee socks, all merino wool blend. 2 bras (1 to wear) 5 pr panties (merino wool, light & dry over night) 2 pr leggings, mid wt. gray for travel day and black. 1 nicer pr black for dressier places. 3/4 sleeve merino sweater top to go with pants. 2 long and 2short sleeve merino tops, 3 merino sweaters heaviest to wear travel day. 1 pr allbirds ballet flats (dressier), JBU flat shoes, ankle hiking boots for flight and most days as I have a bad ankle and need support. Small 3x5” bag for makeup. TSA bag for liquids & one for supplements & meds (allergies &asthma) a tiny tin of emergency meds 1x2” with 3 mucinex tabs, chlor tabs & 6 acetaminophen. Patagonia nano puff (L) & torrentshell (XL) in navy, to layer. Rain jackets are also windbreakers. Merino wool can be worn several days and won’t stink. The tops were in different colors as pants and sweaters were all in shades of gray & black so I had enough variety to not tire of my wardrobe. I also bought the pricier items on poshmark (away suitcase ($160), Patagonia jackets ($90 &$45), 2 of 3 sweaters($50, ibex & $75, icebreaker) & sweater top ($45, ibex). All of these looked brand new. OTC meds can be purchased in a pharmacy, got Covid last 3 days so googled & screen shot what I needed (more mucinex, afrin, and delsym) and pharmacist understood what I needed. They don’t have these things on shelves, they have large back rooms with drawers that they get them from so don’t waste time looking around just go to the desk. Do screen shots at hotel, as search & loading can take minutes & be frustrating. I also packed a travel kettle and hair dryer that are dual voltage (Elitegourmet & Conair) as keuregs have replace kettles in rooms and some places don’t have hair dryers or they shut off after a minute. Turn them to 240 before you pack them! Jet lag! I like tea & can’t sleep on planes so I bring instant oatmeal, tea, & instant coffee packets so I don’t have to leave the room for the first 6-8 hrs and can sleep. I also bring jerky & a pkt of koyo ramen &a sea to summit collapsible lidded bowl in case I can’t eat airline meal (tomato & bell pepper allergies) and a sea to summit collapsing cup with ml & oz. measurements &lid. Noise canceling headphones and travelon 3 compartment cord organizer which was a life changer. They fit my ear buds, usb plug, 3in1 charger cord in one and the other holds my apple cord, headphones cord and corded earbuds for the plane. Put them in skinny side down and you can see them at the top of your backpack easily and even put one in the seat pocket for in flight use. Also pack a cross body purse (bagalini) for use at destination. And a gossamer gear hip/ fanny pack to hold my phone, eye drops, snack, handkerchief, lip balm for in flight use. I also switched to handkerchiefs during Covid as they work even when wet and can be washed and dry in less than 24hrs (packed 5). Also packed a PackTowl to dry my hands in restrooms and use as a wash cloth as they don’t provide them in Europe or England. I also have this in my purse always as I hate hand dryers, they take too long and are too loud. I also pack nylon shopping bags (2”x3”x1/4”) to carry shopping in so I don’t look so touristy and become a mark. I like fresh fruit and in Europe it is picked ripe so it’s tastier and sweeter than here. I also take it on the plane home, but it must be eaten before you land in the US or they will make you toss it. You can bring chocolates, tea and cookies thru customs.

One of the comments here reminded me of a packing hack I learned from a trip involving both indoor dinner functions and outdoor painting. Take a photo of HOW you packed everything. This helped me remember how to repack as well as how to pack for similar future excursions.

Thank you Laurie! Always ! 👍👍👍👍👍

We can never stress all these enough. Great video!!

Love your tips, Laurie. My niece and I are going to Japan next February for a couple of months and I’m challenging myself to go carry-on only. My niece has always been much more low-maintenance than me, so it’s a piece of cake for her. One thing I find helpful is to leave my phone at home and just take my iPad mini. It has a great camera, google maps, Netflix, all my e books, etc. I use Skype to call home if I need to. Very inexpensive and I don’t have to worry about roaming charges. And only one charging cord required. Another thing I like is that a lot of places have donation boxes at the airport to drop whatever change and small bills you have leftover in the local currency. It goes to local charities and your pockets are lighter for your trip home.

Thanks for your tips. I have worn Marino wool socks for years. I only need about three pairs when I travel as they don’t need to be laundered after every wearing. They are a bit expensive, but they almost never wear out as I’ve had some of mine for five years or more. I also pack in baggies to save room.

Laurie’s tips are the best! She helped me break my bad habit of over packing!

Thank you so much for sharing. ❤✈️