How to (Successfully) Pack Carry-on for Your Summer Vacation
From someone who lives out of a suitcase
Never does simple living make more sense than when you’re on vacation.
For a start, your brain goes into vacation mode, that wonderful state of mind when you forget about daily life and you (hopefully) have the time to wander, think, absorb, and enjoy.
For me, that vacation mode has as much to do with what you choose to pack as it does anything else. After all, it’s hard to stay chill when you’re lugging 30kg suitcases around the airport or have brought so many items of clothing you spend half an hour wondering what to wear for dinner.
Many of you know that I’ve lived out of a suitcase for nearly 3 years now. Full disclosure, I often take checked baggage because, although you can live my life with hand luggage only, it’s not especially comfortable. I don’t want to, for instance, live without my chef’s knife. The Capsule Pantry wouldn’t be the same.
But when I go for shorter trips — say 1-3 weeks — I’m all over the carry-on. Especially in the Summer when clothes are lighter.
As the Summer approaches, I thought it might be fun to let you into all my tips for successfully taking carry-on luggage only for your vacation this year. Hopefully, this will save you money (£48 for check-in baggage, Ryanair? Really?) and allow you to focus on the finer things in vacation life.
Clothes
These are the clothes I take for a week-long vacation in a warm place that should easily fit in carry-on (and on your person):
Socks x 3 (I’d mainly be wearing sandals so few socks required)
Underwear x 4 (with a plan to wash clothes halfway through the week)
Bras x 2 (wash one, wear one)
T-shirts/vest tops x 5
One pair of sneakers and one pair of sandals
Skirt, summer trousers, and shorts — one of each
1 x sweater (for the plane only)
1 x lightweight jacket
1 pair of leggings
3 x dresses
1 x jumpsuit
2 x swimsuits
1 x sarong
Sleeping clothes
My husband would take:
2 x shorts
1 x trousers
3 x wool blend T-shirts
1 x beach T-shirt (you know, the one that gets gross but only gets worn at the beach so it doesn’t matter)
5 x underwear
5 x socks
1 pair sneakers
2 x swim shorts
1 x thin beach towel
Lightweight jacket
Sleep t-shirt
Two pairs of shoes will normally do. I wear sneakers on the plane and pack a small pair of all-purpose sandals. Saltwaters are my go-to because they are a) insanely comfortable b) look great and c) you can wear them in the water which saves on buying aqua shoes.
My husband swears by wool blend t-shirts because of their antibacterial nature. That means you can wear one for multiple days thus reducing how many shirts you need to take.
When it comes to beach towels, if you’re going somewhere warm, a sarong will normally suffice. They’re thin so take up no space at all and dry super quick.
When it comes to saving space, tightly rolling each item is your friend. I roll and fill every little crevice of my bag.
For me, the jury is out when it comes to packing cubes. I like the idea of them but if they don’t perfectly fit your suitcase, you might find they take up more space than you’d like. Sometimes it’s better to roll and stuff.
When it comes to a purse, I love a fabric tote bag. They roll up easily into a carry-on suitcase, you can fit a ton in them, they work on the beach and in the city. If I’m going somewhere where pickpocketing is an issue, I might also take one of those little security packs that fit under your clothes for money, keys, passport, etc.
Toiletries
Plan to buy most of your main toiletries — shampoo, body wash, sunscreen — when you arrive so you don’t need to carry them with you.
Coconut oil doubles up as make-up remover and aftersun. It’s also thought to be anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Decant a small amount into a reusable plastic pot to take through airport security.
Take a small first aid kit. I keep mine in a small makeup bag and it contains:
Antiseptic cream
Plasters
Ibuprofen and paracetamol
Sting cream
Diarrhea tablets
No one needs much makeup on vacation, so I always just take the bare essentials that easily go through security.
Electronics
My number one electronics tip is to buy an e-reader like a Kindle. I know it’s not the same as reading proper books but they take up literally no room and you can download as many books as you like before you go.
For a vacation, this is what I would take electronics-wise:
Pair of wireless headphones
Kindle
Small bluetooth speaker
Laptop and phone
Chargers
A charging brick
Other tips
I would normally wash clothes once during a week-long vacation so I don’t have to bring so many items of clothing. Take some powdered laundry detergent in a small Ziploc bag so you can wash whilst you’re away. Laundrettes and Airbnbs don’t always have detergent so this will save you buying a whole box.
I have a small sleeping kit that comes with me everywhere. It includes an eye mask, earplugs, painkillers, and lip balm so I have them all to hand in the middle of the night.
I have two packing lists on my phone — one for long-term and one for short-term travel. These lists mean you’ll (almost) never forget anything you need. I swear by them.
Items I’ll never take on vacation with me
Because it’s just as much about what you don’t take as what you do:
Multiple sets of shoes. They just take up space.
Exercise gear. Unless your priority is excercise, you’ll get enough wandering or swimming. And those running shoes can be bulky.
Multiple purses. Like I say, a fabric tote bag normally does the trick.
Just-in-case items I know I can buy where I’m going. Because you probably won’t need them and you can buy them if you do.
A different outfit for every night. No one will care. Including, hopefully, you.