HOW TO PACK IN A CARRY ON & WHY YOU WANT TO

We’ll start our journey with the WHY.

Let me tell you a story about my mother, bless her. I took her with me on one of my college trips to Europe (a 5 country tour). 

Yup, I earned a degree in Travel & Tourism, and part of the requirement for that was that I had to travel to Europe… Twice… Twist my arm!! Well, I guess I was a bit of a mama’s girl back then because I brought her with me on both of those college tours. Man was it a BLAST!! 

The Lesson:  ALWAYS check that your bags are checked all the way through the duration of your trip, especially if you have -heaven forbid- connecting flights  

(if you’re even checking bags that is -which you won’t be, because you’re reading this article). 

The Moral of the story here folks is Carry On ONLY!

Because it never leaves your sight. It is not guaranteed that your bags will land with you at your final destination, even when you do confirm all the details are correct. Sometimes bags still don’t make it to their final destination when you’ve done everything right. 

The journey of mom’s luggage:

It arrived at Houston thinking it would be joining us on our grand European adventure! It could Not have been more wrong. You see, mom’s luggage was NOT tagged for Athens with the rest of us. We learned later that we were supposed to check the luggage in again at Houston for the trans-Atlantic crossing.

So there we were. In Greece! Athens! We landed.

Mom’s luggage didn’t. 

We spoke with the airline. The luggage was misplaced! They would contact us when they had located it. 

While mom’s luggage waited to be found, we went about the Athens portion of our trip. We stopped over for one night for a meal, and hit the Parthenon the following morning! We did it! We saw it! I could not believe it was REAL! The stuff from literal literary legends! While we were taking in the stage of the gods, mom’s luggage was located, scared and alone, back in Houston. 

No problem, the airline said. We’ll bring it to Athens for you, the airline said. 

There was a problem. 

We departed on a cruise through the Greek Isles that evening; with different port calls each day until we returned to land in a different port. 

No problem, the airline said. We’ll get it to you on your cruise. 

And boy did they! 

On day 3 of a 4 day cruise! Via helicopter! To our port of call, Mykonos. 

Thank the gods for travel protection that covers lost or damaged luggage!

Or the cost of bringing your luggage to you. But we’ll talk more about that later.

Meanwhile my poor mother was in the same outfit she’s been in since she departed California 5 days ago. Washing her underwear in the sink, luckily she had a spare pair in her carry on, but that’s all she brought, as far as backup clothes in her carry on. 

Now she did have insurance. So she could have been reimbursed had she had access to go shopping to replace wardrobe items while she waited for her luggage to meet up with us on the ship. Unfortunately, our ship did not come equipped with a tourist gift shop and she didn’t have time to shop prior to boarding. 

Watching my mother go through this experience with grace really shaped the kind of traveler that I strive to be. She never complained once about her situation. She made the most of what she had, carried her head high, and went along with the ride. 

The other takeaway from this experience, is that I have NEVER, since that trip, checked a bag. Which means I pack for ALL of my travels in a carry on only (well plus a personal item of course).

How to: Pack for nearly any trip in a Carry On Only

I like to think I take a pretty minimalist approach when it comes to travel. Here’s how I keep it to a carry on or less.

First, let’s talk luggage.

This is NOT a sponsored ad but when I find a travel product I like, I’ve got to share it with everyone! I use my AWAY Bag for every single trip. I got the regulation carry on size. Next time I’m going to try my luck at the next size up - it’s just a couple extra inches and still technically a carry on, it passes most airlines specs. These bags roll so well on all 4 wheels, they have TSA approved lock built right in, and the #1 factor for me, that charging external battery!!! Chef's Kiss!! It’s just the best! 2 USB ports with up to 5 iphone charges before you’ve got to recharge your battery. It’s a no brainer for anyone who occasionally works while traveling.

If you’re using a hard case like an AWAY Bag, you’ll want packing cubes! They are pure MAGIC!! I bought myself a set when I purchased my bag and I’ve never looked back! They help me stay organized throughout the trip and they really help maximize the space in my luggage. 10/10 would recommended for my fellow rollers. IYKYK. I just leave my cubes in my bag so they’re ready to go for the next trip when I need them. 

Mini Spa Kit -AKA

Toiletries (I hate that word, can we find another?)

I also keep this packed and ready for when that last minute opportunity pops up, so that I can be packed in an instant! 

I hope you know the products you like to bring with you, but for tutorial sake, I’ll list my go to items here. 

• I keep a curly hair friendly shampoo/conditioner, 

• a wedge of some kind of locally made body soap, 

• a disposable razor (not the most eco friendly, I know, but I’m working on it -progress over perfection), 

• toothbrush/ paste/ mouthwash / floss, 

• face wipes, baby wipes (both biodegradable & flushable), 

• travel size face & body oil, reusable cotton face pads, toner, sunscreen, chapstick. 

I do most of my traveling solo, for work trips, so I like to throw in a few sample size spa goodies too. Why not indulge when I’m in a lux room with no one to please but myself? Did I mention that my luxury splurge/must have is a soaking tub? 

• My go to spa treats are a face mask or scrub & an infused bath bomb.

Pro Tip: from a tub connoisseur (me), most hotels/ resorts will have candles on hand for any romantic upgrades that they offer. If you ask very nicely for one or two candles to use while you soak in your tub, they’ll likely provide this amenity free of charge. If you’re wanting to splurge: order that rose petal romantic bath package!! 

Main Gear:

I’ve mentioned before I like to keep it minimal, here’s how I got about that:

• I try to mix and match outfits like a capsule wardrobe. I’ll bring a few pieces that can be combined in multiple ways to create more outfit options. Example, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 1 skirt with 3 tops can make 9 outfits.

• I pack enough underwear for each day of travel plus an extra pair for every 2 days. It’s a strange rule but it’s served me pretty well in the past. 

• If you’re not going solo, you’ll want to pack some sleepwear. Even if you are solo, it’s nice to have something lux to wear when you’re lounging on the balcony in the morning with your cup of coffee. 

• I always bring 3-4 dresses for a weeklong trip, this way I have evening wear for dinners, and it’s what I feel most comfortable in. 

• I’ll bring 1-2 workout gear type outfits because I do try to incorporate some sort of physical exploration and exercise on all of my trips. Swimwear or any other gear that’s specific to the trip I’m taking (ex: hiking gear for mountain trek).

Pro Tip: Bring a travel towel, we love surfer towel! (no ads, just good products). It ALWAYS comes in handy for something and takes up no space in your pack. 

Day Pack:

I like to bring a backpack as my personal item and use this as my day pack. Lululemon always has great options for travel. 

I’m always open to suggestions for travel gear though, so if you have any, feel free to drop me a message!! 

In my day pack you’ll find: 

• Journal & pen(s), I love to jot down gratitude as I experience it, so that I don’t forget. Or while I’m sitting at a park or waiting on transit. 

• Book (or Kindle/Audiobook)

• Refillable water bottle (eco-friendly! Easy to do)

• Mini First Aid Kit (I’m super clumsy and I need it! Bandaids, tylenol, lysol wipes etc). 

• Hand sanitizer

• Reusable shopping bag, the cute ones that fold into a little pouch

• Money, documents, wallet, copy of Passport (if passport is in a safe) etc. 

• SNACKS

• Gear for the day

  • Usually my camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, extra battery & cord for charging my phone

  • Accessories differ depending on what the activity is (hike for exercise with dogs or for a photoshoot, or a swim for time or for collecting shells, etc)

Pro Tip: If you are comfortable dressing in scarves, bring one for your travel days. Airports, trains, taxis, are notoriously wild in their temperature fluctuations. A scarf is easy to wrap around if you’re cold, or can easily be removed and stored if you’re too warm.  

Last Pro Tip: Remember to leave a little room to bring back gifts for your loved ones.