Packing for a trip can be stressful. I know some of you will be tough to convince, but hear me out. If you pack smart, you can save a ton of money by not checking luggage and still bring everything you need with you. I traveled to Italy for 16 days and only brought a hiking pack and a camera bag. I didn’t have to check either of them. You 100% can pack regular clothes, beach wear, outerwear, formal wear, sneakers, sandals, AND heels in addition to your toiletries all in one pack. Packing cubes are a space and life saver, use them and love them! Let’s break it down a bit…
How much stuff to pack…
Tops: I usually pack enough shirts for half of the trip; so 10 days, 5 shirts.
Bottoms: Think about where you’re traveling, if it’s warm out then I’d only bring one pair of jeans or leggings. That gives me more room to pack jean shorts and athletic shorts or light material shorts. If you’re traveling somewhere cooler, you don’t need one pair of jeans for each day. You can wear each pair more than once.
Outerwear: This is always my weak point, I get cold easily so I will always pack at least one light jacket or sweatshirt. The past two times I traveled I didn’t use it once. That being said, I usually wear it on the plane and take it off during the flight to use as an extra pillow.
Underwear: I’ll never change my ways on this, I always pack +1 more than the amount of days I’m traveling. They really don’t take up much room, so I’m not going to sacrifice undies for minimal space, I just can’t.
Toiletries: Ok ladies, let me just say that I have extremely thick curly hair that requires a lot of work. I also have terrible skin that is prone to acne so stay with me here. I pack the basics first: Deodorant, toothbrush and paste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor (I double my conditioner as shaving cream). Then makeup and hair supplies: Hair gel, frizz cream, mascara, contour palette, makeup wipes, travel curling iron.
Shoes: I fly in my most bulky ones whether it’s sneakers or hiking boots. Then I pack sandals (if needed) and heels (cute, strappy 1 inch heels still look great and take up less room)
Misc: I always bring my camera bag (mind you DSLR with 3 lenses) as my carry on. I put my wallet, electronics, medications, book etc… in there as well.
That’s it. You only need enough for a few days! You can buy things when you get to your destination, or pick them up when you land at the airport if you’re going somewhere more remote. I cannot stress enough to pack and repack before you travel. I’ll start the week before and set out things I want to pack. As the week goes on I realize I’m not realistically going to need everything and take things out.