I’m a serial carry-on-er

All of my last few trips my luggage has been purely carry-on, including a trip of 5+ weeks all over Europe.

I hate carrying around big bulky suit cases, and when traveling internationally you run into the problem (during layovers) that you may have to go out of security to get your luggage and re-check it. Aside from just being a hassle, if your layover isn’t long enough it can actually cause  you to miss your next flight since you have to stand in the baggage check line and the security line again.

And of course, there’s the possibility that you will make it to Italy but your bag will start its vacation in France.

As a girl you run into some unique challenges while packing:

1. You often need more than one type of shoe (high heels, walking, sandals…) and those fuckers take up a hella lot of room
2. You often need to pack something formal or club-worthy, and appropriate accessories
3. You need room for your makeup and essentials

PLUS I no longer travel anywhere without my DSLR camera. I have the Canon 70D and it is my baby.

Packing your luggage around Europe in particular also presents one specific challenge:

STAIRS. STAIRS EVERYWHERE. Think you wanna pack your normal giant suitcase up a narrow little spiral staircase to the top floor where your room is ever-so-conveniently located? Noooooooope. Europe is full to the brim with ancient buildings, many of which don’t have elevators installed, so whatever you bring with you, be prepared to haul it up a few flights of stairs.

So here’s how to pack ALL THE THINGS into your carry-on for a 5-week or longer trip through Europe

I’ve recreated exactly what I do and took abuncha pics so you can get a visual Get your comprehensive packing list (downloadable or interactive online) here

1. The Bags

Here’s the options:

• A rolling backpack
• A camera bag & book bag

or

• a camera pack that also has room for your wallet and electronics (I prefer the latter, but I’ve done both)

Similar bag options from Amazon:

2. Clothes

Casual/Day Clothes

 Tops

I try to pack a variety of day clothes (especially if I’m covering a lot of locations where the weather could change) including

• a couple t-shirts
• at least one long sleeve shirt
• at least one cami
• a couple tank tops.

Try to keep the fabrics light so you can layer them, unless you know that it’s going to be cold. (cat optional)

Bottoms

Again, a variety of options, but at least

• a couple pairs of pants
• a pair of shorts
• long skirt
• I also bring a pair of flats that I use for daily walking
• a scarf for style and warmth

Adjust the options if you know what the weather will be (i.e. more shorts if it’s going to be warm). (cat still optional)

2. Formal/Club Wear

These sort of clothes and their accessories can end up taking up a ton of room, so I try to keep it as simple as possible.

• Long black dress can be a nice day dress (it’s pretty light, but not see-through… which is a idiotic problem many women’s dresses have) but with a few accessories – a belt, a shawl, the right jewelry and makeup, ect. – it can be a nice dinner dress
• The shorter dress is obviously a little fancier – and it brings me to my 3rd point…
• Don’t bring EVERYTHING with you. Leave room to buy something cool on your trip. I picked up the short dress in Barcelona and love it.
• SHOES: Shoes can be such a pain to pack but for formal-style outings, I try to use less bulky shoes so they don’t take up too much room. The heels are fairly short, and it’s a sandal style so it squishes down pretty well

(cat remains optional)

3. Comfy Clothes

For travel and sleep

This is my normal plane outfit, and doubles as pajamas.

• A light long-sleeve button-up
• A warm, soft jacket
• A tank top (not pictured)
• A scarf
• Yoga pants/sweat pants
• Slip on shoes

The 2 long sleeve items might seem like a bit much – BUT WAIT, there’s a reason:

• You never know what the plane will be like (I was on a flight once where the temp inside the plane dropped so low you could see your breath)
• You can layer it/take it off if it’s too warm
• You can use the extra clothes, including the scarf, as a pillow
• Now your bulky sweatshirt/jacket isn’t taking up space in your suitcase

Electronics

I’ve been taking the pictures on my bed, but at this point the aforementioned cat got a little too interested in the cords…

Dis is mine

?

Electronics I travel with:

• Phone
• Headphones
• iPad
• Charger/wires
• DSLR camera + lenses, memory card, accessories (not pictured)

For a more detailed look at my camera gear go here

I use my iPad for traveling. At this point you can pretty much do everything you need to from your tablet, but of course if you’d rather have a full laptop you can find a way to fit that in. I loooove my big headphones, but for traveling I’ll usually bring the ones on the right because they’re bluetooth and rest around my neck so they don’t get in the way when sitting in the airplane seats. I also only bring 1 charger base that has a USB port, so it works with my Apple iPad, and my Droid phone cords. I might bring 2 bases if I’m feelin’ paranoid. Plus a travel adapter (not pictured).

I have this Apple Camera Kit that let’s me download pictures from my camera to my iPad via a USB cable or directly from the memory card

I also suggest getting a keyboard case with your tablet to make using it easier and to give it a little extra protection. I use this one

 Makeup/Essentials

I’m not a big makeup wearer, and once again, since we’re packing for a carry-on, I try to keep it as light as possible.

• BB Cream (I’m not totally sure what BB is) it’s got SPF, covers some unevenness, and moisturizes
• Liquid foundation – I have dry combo skin, but powders look weird and flaky on me
• A cream stick concealer
• My favorite cream eyeshadow
• A cream blush
• A dark brown eyeliner pencil
• A black liquid eyeliner
• A face brush and double-sided eyeshadow brush
• A sheer lipgloss
• A eyelash curler
• Mascara
• Chapstick

I stick a lot to creams while traveling because powders and liquids can get super messy.

My Essentials

• Travel-size deodorant
• Travel-size toothbrush
• Travel-size toothpaste
• Contacts & contact liquids
• Hair brush (not pictured)
• Razor (not pictured)
• Face wipes (not pictures)

Putting it all in the bag!

So everything that has been pictured plus a couple more shirts & underwear are now packed away between 2 bags

• The rolling backpack has all the clothes and essentials

In the picture above the bag looks kinda stuffed, but there’s actually quite a bit of room left, it just has a lot of give.

So you can see the items shown previously I’ve taken out the bras and underwear.

• The pants, plus a couple bags – 1 for dirty clothes, one for keeping shoes in
• The dresses, skirt, and shirts

Twist the end of the shoe bag to keep dirt from getting out

Shoes!

The essentials & makeup all in the top, with PLENTY of room left over

The camera and charger stuff

My iPad, headphones, camera kit, and space for my wallet

The electronics backpack counts as your “personal item” that can be stored under your seat, while the rolling backpack goes in the overhead bin.

I like traveling this way because

1. It keeps all my stuff with me, so no lost luggage fiascos
2. I get to keep my expensive electronics right by my side the whole time
3. No check-in fees
4. European staircases are no problem – aside from being slightly out of breath

I hope this was helpful for you

Pin It