For almost 4 months now, I’ve been traveling with only this:
That’s right! Carry-on only! With weather that ranged from the beaches of Barcelona to the fancy streets of Paris to the mountains of Scotland. How do I do it? Well, I’ll tell you (with more details than anyone probably wants).
Shoes
Only three pairs of shoes: Sneakers/Runners, flippy floppies and nice looking comfortable flats.
The sneakers have insoles because so many people recommend them. I certainly do. These puppies have trekked hundreds of miles by now.
I always bring flip flops wherever I go and I’m surprised when people don’t (a girl in Galway borrowed them for 5 minutes cause she didn’t bring her own). They don’t take up that much room and you never know when you’ll need them just to walk down the hall or wear in a sketchy hostel shower. Or the beach, obviously.
I ordered the black flats on recommendation from Adventurous Kate (of adventurouskate.com) to wear when I wanted to be dressier than my other two options but still able to walk for miles. Instead of buying the $100 pair that she liked, I opted for the $60 pair that was on sale. I didn’t have time or opportunity to break them in before I left so they’ve given me blisters more often than I’d like. I believe in them, however, so I am happy to endure the pain of building up calluses in order to feel properly attired in a fancy restaurant. Like the sunburn I suffer for the tan it turns into, I will continue to wear these shoes until they are comfortable.
I wear the sneakers on the plane and pack tank tops and scarves inside the black flats. The flip flops are usually the top layer in my rolly bag.
Pants (or trousers for ya’ll in the UK)
My trusty track pants. I live in track pants. Perfect for sleeping, working out/yoga, running errands where I don’t have to dress to impress and for comfortably lounging. Back when I worked, if I wasn’t working, I was probably wearing track pants. I brought two pair so I can have one to get all sweaty in and still have a non stinky pair to sleep in.
Hot pants or lotus pants. When I was packing I started freaking out because I realized I’ve forgotten how to dress for summer. I’ve spent the last 4 summers in an air-conditioned building at work, with only an occasional Saturday or Sunday off. I think I wore these pants when it was really hot, but let’s be honest– I wore track pants. But I wasn’t going to wear track pants as I skipped around Paris. These are cool and airy, nicer than track pants and lighter than jeans. Plus I can wear them under a dress so my thighs don’t rub together.
Cold pants. Jeans. I wore out my original jeans and found these in a Primark in Inverness for 7 pounds sterling. I was so proud. The other pair is a little nicer.
They have a polka dot print. I wore these to my audition for the theatre company in Germany. 
Travel pants. These are my latest addition- a gift from my mom. They have lots of secret zipper pockets and they’re the bulkiest of my pants so they are my new airplane pants. They are as comfortable as track pants (I almost brought my long track pants but they didn’t make the cut) but less casual. They would have been perfect in Scotland, and I’m sure I’ll be wearing them more often once it starts to cool down.
Tops
I only brought comfortable tops that are loose and baggy so I could eat whatever I wanted and only bring sports bras. These are machine washable (or at least that’s what I do) and half of them I got cheap from Target so if I find something I like better, I can replace them and let them go. The black top hiding in the back has a layered front and an interesting hemline. I wore that one with the black polka dot pants to my audition. The dark purple top is also nice enough to wear to a job interview.
I wear the spaghetti strap tanks under the tops, under the racer back tanks, and I wear any of these to bed when it’s hot. I didn’t realize how many tanks I’d brought until I put them all together for this post, but I think they’re justified. They don’t take up a lot of room, and in hot (especially in hot humid) weather I go through all of them before I have a chance to do laundry.
T shirts– two for the same reasons for bringing two pairs of track pants. I brought one shirt I like and one I don’t care about in case I want to replace it.
One long-sleeved T shirt. This is an item I’ve used the least. I wore it enough in Ireland to justify bringing it but I could have done without it (I have other layers). I still keep it because I might encounter colder weather someday. And my mom said I should keep hauling it around.
Other Clothes
I got this dress for $10 at H&M in 2014. I love it because I can wear it over my swim suit to the beach (which I did in Barcelona) or wear it to a wedding (Kate’s) or wear it to a nice restaurant to dress up (I haven’t gone to that nice of a place yet) or a show. It’s floor length (if you can’t tell from the picture).
Swim suit. Even Rick Steves recommended bringing a swimsuit to Scotland where, unless you’re staying at a hotel with an indoor pool, little opportunity to wear it is provided. I got this two piece because it’s flowy over my belly and they kinda can be used for non-swim wear in the right circumstances– like if I desired to wear short shorts for some reason. I did wear the top to walk around the park with the dog so I could even out my sports bra tan line.
Socks and Underwear
You don’t need to see pictures of my undergarments. I brought 6 sports bras, 12 panties, 3 pairs of socks and this handy garment:
It’s like a tube top with removable straps. It sucks in my belly if I’ve eat too much of the local food, and I can wear it strapless when I want to even out my tan lines. I also brought it in the event that I fell in love with a dress or a top that wouldn’t work with a sports bra. I haven’t, however, found that mystery item yet.
The 3 pairs of socks got me around Europe fairly well. I found myself wearing the sporty pair so often that my feet would appreciate more variety. Luckily I had a $23 credit at REI. So I have recently increased my number of socks to 5 pairs– they don’t take up that much room anyway.
Jackets
The turquoise sweatshirt is my number one go-to for an outer layer. I was questioning why I brought it as I lugged it around Paris and Barcelona, but I snuggled right in and you’ve seen me wearing it almost constantly in Scotland and Ireland.
The purple raincoat fits over the sweatshirt (this purple one from my mom replaced the blue one I had in rainy Scotland and Ireland) and rolls up very compactly. I roll it up and put it in the second water bottle net in my backpack (see picture on top).
The blue cardigan provides a perfect layer of sleeves between tank top weather and sweatshirt weather. It even has secret zipper pockets.
Accessories
I just added these bandanas to the repertoire. I use them as sweat bands when my eyebrows can’t dam the flood of sweat cascading down from my thick hair helmet. I bet they can serve other purposes as well.
I brought all of these scarves to spice up my outfits without bringing more clothes. I don’t use them as much as I thought I would, but I have mostly been in summer.
The middle one is a travel scarf with a secret pocket that fits my passport and other essentials I want to keep handy.
The blue one is small so it works well for the summer (I thought, but haven’t worn it).
The colorful one I get the most compliments on.
And the big blue one is a sarong. I wore that one for warmth in Scotland and Ireland, but it would also be nice for a picnic or a shawl– it’s always good to bring multi purpose items– if you use them.
Jewelry doesn’t take up much space and spices up the wardrobe.
2 pair of sunglasses
Toiletries
I’ve been collecting little bottles and jars of travel size containers for years and then I put my stuff in them. Most of this stuff doesn’t have inside of it what the label says– instead it’s my expensive face wash or my prescription shampoo. But it all fits in a liter sized plastic bag as per airline regulations.
Note: the sunscreen is important. I wish I had brought a travel size after sun lotion or aloe gel.
So all my liquids go in the plastic bag for the airport. My non-liquids go in this bag– bandaids, cotton balls, hair ties, cold medicine, etc.
I’m very proud of my baby powder trick– when my feet get sweaty but I don’t want to wear socks (in the black flats), I put baby powder in my shoes. It’s lovely.
I heard somewhere that vitamin C helps the body absorb water better. I keep a stash of emergen- C for a little tickle in my throat or when it feels like I can’t get enough water.
I found this toothbrush with a travel top in Glasgow. I like it because I can stash my toothbrush in a handier place if I’m not staying somewhere very long and don’t want to entirely unpack my suitcase to get to it.
Minimal makeup— powder, mascara, eyeshadow with eyeliner and spot cover up that I barely use.
Electronics/Entertainment
Laptop and smartphone obviously. I didn’t use my bluetooth speaker when I was staying in hostels, but I use it a lot when I’m staying with friends (or by myself at other people’s houses). Anyway, it’s justified. I brought an external hard drive which I haven’t needed to use yet, but iCloud storage would also do. The power strip I got is awesome– it has 3 USB ports so I can charge multiple things at once. I also never feel bad about using a plug if there are a limited number.
I use my portable charger all the time- it’s nice not needing to worry when my phone warns of a low battery. I also like having the kindle— I like to read on a bigger page than my phone screen and it kept me from using up my phone battery when I was out all day. I have a paper notebook for when I want to write things down the old fashioned way. I keep all my cords in that flowery bag.
Travel Accessories
Cross body purse (when I want to carry more than what fits in my pocket and less than a backpack) and grocery bags. I use these all the time and they fold up, taking up very little space. I use the purple one as my laundry bag, and the other two are great for grocery shopping and for when I’m transiting not by plane and don’t want to pack as efficiently (or wear my bulkiest clothes).
Water bottle!
You know, take it empty to the airport and then fill up after security. My backpack also has a camel back pocket. While hiking in Spain (as one does), I filled up the camelback with ice and then sipped on the cold water as it melted in the 90 degree heat. It was amazing.
Umbrella (it’s from Telluride Film Festival. It’s tiny and I’m impressed it’s still alive), copy of my drivers license and passport in every bag, eye mask, sewing kit, sticky notes, clip for extraneous stuff, padlock (for lockers), TSA approved locks for bags left in storage at hostels, pens, pencil, sharpie, highlighter, nail file, nail clippers (I do miss my cuticle scissors but they aren’t allowed through security), glasses and case, mint, 8GB USB, chapstick, cough drop, USB plug, Advil, floss, tissues (in the event there is no toilet paper), bamboo silverware, orange peeler (absolutely necessary), Yerba Mate (when green tea is just too strong but I still need a little kick of energy), stickers (this is from being an English tutor- you never know when you need stickers), thank you notes (not pictured), backup cords and earbuds, and thing to clip on keys that can go around your neck if I got them and wanted the keys to be easier to find.
I’m especially proud of thinking to bring a tape measure. Nowadays every discount airline has specific regulations for the size of bags they will allow. It was nice not to have to guess the dimensions of my bag when deciding between checking or carrying on (sometimes it’s cheaper to check the bag, and I flew on one tiny plane where my rolly bag was too big for the overhead compartment, plus it’s always cheaper to know these things when you book the ticket).
ALL COUNTRY adapter (my power strip acts as a converter)
Plastic bags of all sizes
Melatonin helps me sleep (I take one regular and one timed release). The travel alarm clock is helpful when the only plug for my phone is across the room.
And this sandpaper thing softens my heels when they get prickly between pedicures (massive amounts of lotion didn’t work- I tried).
I used my travel towel at hostels and at the beach, and I use my hair towel every time I shower.
Oh, and the neck pillow (pictured hanging off my backpack at the top)? I wasn’t sure it was worth the investment, so I borrowed that black one from my friend Sarah. It was so amazing that I invested in my own. It totally helped me sleep on planes (or trains) and I also used it as an extra layer when there was essentially no pillow at some hostels. Make sure to get one that fastens into a circle so it can be tied onto something.
Finally, this travel pillow is the most controversial item in my suitcase. It’s only controversial in my mind– I’m on both sides in terms of bringing it or leaving it. This pillow contributed greatly to my comfort and quality of rest in hostels and airplanes but I hardly use it when I’m staying with friends. It rolls up tightly:
However, it’s the biggest thing in my suitcase. In a pickle, I could tie it to my backpack to get on the airplane, but I didn’t want to have to do that all the time. Is it worth almost a quarter of the space in my suitcase? For 2 months I slept on it every night. So I guess so. I could live without it, but there have been many times that I felt totally justified in bringing it.
Final packing secrets:
Roll the clothes rather than fold them– they fit better. A travel podcast told me to do this. I haven’t actually tried fitting all my stuff in folded, but it fits well rolled. I pack the biggest stuff first, put the stuff I use less frequently on the bottom, and then seal the cracks with the small stuff (like tank tops and bandanas). Flip flops and whatever I’m sleeping in always go in near the surface.
Color scheme– bring clothes that mix and match together. The only combo that I’m a little uncomfortable with is the red lotus pants with the purple top. I was left with that combo when I was desperate for a washing machine in Barcelona, but Joanna said I fit right in with the loud colors.
I bring two of a lot of things that I’ve been grateful for– track pants, sunglasses, phone charger cord, USB plug, ear buds– anything that might break or accidentally be left behind.
Wear the bulkiest stuff in transit. You know, more room in your bag.
When you’re deciding what to bring, put the essentials in first and then pack the maybe stuff last. If you’re like me, the maybe stuff won’t fit.
When my bags are bursting at the seams and there isn’t an inch of space, I put my sweatshirt jacket (and sometimes the purse and snacks, the windbreaker and the neck pillow) in one of my extra grocery bags and then wait to put it on right before I get on the plane. That way my arm doesn’t get all sweaty with the sweatshirt draping over it.