I’m a big believer in packing light, no matter the trip. With long trips by plane, I’m even more ruthless with my packing strategy. Besides the money saved on checked bags (for some airlines at least), you save time by not having to wait at baggage claim and stress by not having to worry about lost baggage. Plus, I love being able to quickly and easily grab my things and go. I like the feeling of packing “my life” into a neat little package rather than being literally weighed down by multiple large bags. I’ve written about packing light in the past, but it’s been a long time so it was high time I revisit the topic!
Over the years I’ve been conscientious of traveling light, I’ve definitely improved my strategy and have managed to cut down my packing to less and less. I’ve downsized from a rolling carry-on and large tote to a smaller duffel and purse.
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Ireland to sightsee with friends (recap post here). Including travel time, I was away from home for a week. I packed everything in my purse and duffel with room to spare. Here’s my actual packing list and how it worked for me.
Purse
For my “personal item”, I brought my Caraa studio bag. I used to use a large shoulder bag for traveling, but I haven’t been using it lately since it’s rather bulky. The studio bag is much smaller, which is great for everything except carrying my laptop. My laptop went in my duffel instead.
The biggest reason I wanted to bring my studio bag was because of its backpack capabilities. Since I knew I’d be walking a lot, I wanted to go easy on my shoulders. The locking zipper pulls were an added bonus since it meant that even though I carried the bag behind my back, I wouldn’t be an easy target for theft.
In addition to my everyday essentials, I carried a paperback book, my camera (not pictured because, well, I had to take this picture), an alternative lens, a mobile charging brick (CRUCIAL), and some snacks. Right before my trip, Caraa sent me their starlight case as a gift, which ended up being perfect for this trip. I used it to wrangle my most important things like extra cash, my passport, extra camera batteries, extra memory cards, camera lens filters, earphones, camera and phone chargers, and a small notebook and pen. The case has little pockets which was perfect for the batteries and memory cards. It’s actually pretty spacious for being so small, so I had room to spare even with all that tucked inside.
Between the starlight case and the pockets on the bag itself, my bag organization was locked up. I would definitely repeat this purse set-up for a future trip.
Plane outfit
My first priorities for choosing an outfit for the plane are comfort and warmth. The next most important consideration is space, i.e., wearing my bulkiest items to save space in my bag. My travel time was 20 hours to get there and 25 hours to get home, so a good plane outfit was vital! I ended up wearing my thickest sweater (with my free to be serene bra), a cozy cardigan, thick leggings, wool socks, and rain boots.
The rain boots weren’t the best option for the airport, since the laces make them a huge pain to get on and off at security, and they’re not as flexible and breathable as sneakers. But, there was no way I was stuffing these in my duffel, so I decided to just suck it up. Recently, I’ve gotten hooked on wearing wool socks under my shoes for plane rides, since they’re cozy and warm, plus they don’t stink during/after the flight. That last point is essential, because yeah, if I’m traveling for that long, I’m gonna quietly slip my shoes off while I try to curl up in my seat and sleep.
Tops
Packing list: 3 technical layering tanks, long sleeve tee, light/medium sweater, medium/heavy sweater, warm cashmere cardigan, light technical long sleeve, thermal technical long sleeve, thermal technical half zip
Strategy: I chose tank tops for layering or wearing on their own if it happened to be quite warm. Every shirt I brought was a different weight, which meant I could choose whatever was weather-appropriate. Having the tanks, cardigan, and rain shell (see below) meant that I could use those layers to make each top warmer as needed.
Bottoms
Packing list: 2 full length technical tights, full length thick leggings, skinny jeans
Strategy: I always bring more tops than bottoms on a trip because in my view, it’s easier to add variety with tops. I brought mostly active bottoms and just one pair of jeans, but I could’ve gotten away with just one pair of technical tights if I wanted to.
Extras
Packing list: 2 warm hats, running shoes, packing cube of personal essentials, rain shell
Strategy: I brought my Brooks running shoes because I figured I’d be running at least once. And as silly as I feel wearing athletic shoes with jeans, it works in dire circumstances if I needed a backup shoe. I ran in them once and then wore them walking around the city, but every other day I wore my rain boots.
I considered bringing my Allbirds runners, since they pack down well and are very comfortable for long days of walking. Because of space, I ended up nixing them. That said, it was too wet for them to have worked well so I wouldn’t have really worn them.
I like using a packing cube for my personal items like pajamas, socks, and underwear. I packed a mix of regular bras and sports bras since I brought a mix of tops. Putting a small pouch in my packing cube (which came with the set) means I can segregate my dirty socks and underwear from the clean ones as my trip progresses.
Hats are absolutely essential in slightly chilly weather, since they add a LOT of warmth for virtually no space. If there’s even a tiny chance I’ll be cold, a hat is the first thing I pack.
I also brought my Arc’teryx Beta LT shell for bad weather. Besides being waterproof, you can see that it packs down into a nicely compact burrito for space savings. I wore this jacket every single day (minus the days I was flying) since we got rained or misted on pretty much every single day.
How did I do?
Overall, my packing plan worked very well. I never felt like I was missing anything, I could dress appropriately for every occasion, and I was able to wear something a little bit different every day.
My biggest challenge with this packing plan was that I had to plan for a range of possible weather scenarios. Namely, based on the forecasts, it could’ve been anywhere from 60 and rainy to a balmy 75 and sunny. Before my trip, I looked at my packing list and tried to imagine how I would dress in each scenario and everything in between. I knew that if the weather ended up on either extreme, some items wouldn’t get worn much if at all, but I wanted to be prepared.
In reality, the weather was mostly on the colder end of what I planned for. As a result, I gravitated toward the warmer items in my bag–my jeans, herringbone leggings, thermal tops, and thicker sweaters. I don’t see this as a mistake or a planning problem, since the whole point was to be prepared for a range of scenarios. I’m counting it as a success!
A few details
Since most of what I packed is out of season or very old, I don’t have links to many of the specific items I packed here. Instead, here’s info for a few of picks from this trip that are currently available.
Caraa Studio bag
Caraa Starlight case
Mobile charger
Packing cubes
Everlane cashmere cardigan – on sale!
Lululemon free to be serene bra
Sorel Conquest Carly boots
Arc’teryx Beta LT jacket
REI wool socks – if you have small feet, get the kids version to save $$
And I thought I had packing light down to a science! This is pretty amazing. Did you like the Golden Compass? It’s one of my favorite books?
I haven’t finished it yet, so I’ll have to get back to you on that. ;) I ended up being too sleepy on the plane to read much, and too busy during the trip to have much downtime.
If you like the Golden Compass, I highly recommend finishing the His Dark Materials series. Pullman is coming out with another book(s?) that’s in the same universe, and apparently some network is doing a tv series. As a huge HDM fan, AAAAAAAH finally! That damn movie was so terrible, I hope this series gets the attention it deserves. :)
Oh yes if I like this one, I’ll definitely keep reading the series!! :) And I probably will, because I’m kind of a sucker for YA fiction, lol.
Nice work… I like that caraa wallet thingy!! I’m traveling sans child this weekend. I can’t wait to NOT bring a bunch of random kid crap… FREEDOM!!!!!
Yessss!!! I hope you have fun. :) My coworker was just lamenting this week how she feels like she has to pack up her whole house to go out of town so I can imagine!
How does that cashmere cardigan fit? I was looking at the size chart, trying to decide between S and M. It says the measurements are taken with the garment laid flat. Ok. But the sleeve length is around 30″ for the sizes I am looking at. That is several inches more than my measurement from shoulder to past my hand. It made me think it was made for gorilla arms! I’m 5’3″ so on the petite size. But if it works for you, surely it should work for me. What are your thoughts?
Unless you have very muscular arms, I would go with the S. It’s fairly loose through the body. Mine is an XXS and I still have a little room to spare through the middle, but the sleeves are more fitted (not too tight, just fitted). I don’t think the sleeves are any longer than your average cardi, no gorilla arms for me. The actual sleeve measurement (pit-to-hem) on mine is 18″. I hope that helps! :)
Edit to add: since Everlane’s listed measurements are *so* much longer than mine, I’m guessing they measure them in some other way. If the S sleeve length is 1-2″ longer than my XXS, that’s still 20″ or less, which is pretty reasonable for us shorties. :)
Thanks so much for measuring your sleeves! I took your advice and ordered the small. Right now it is 97 degrees so it will be a while before I experience cashmere weather, but at least I’ll be ready.
You’re welcome! And yes, it’ll be cold before you know it, and you’ll be glad not to have paid full price. :)
I got the cardigan yesterday and love it! Small was the right size. There is room in the body (but I wouldn’t want it to be skin tight) without looking sloppy. The sleeves are slightly long which can be taken care of by folding the ribbing in half to make a cuff. I’m very glad for no gorilla arms!
The cashmere seems substantial and good quality. Very happy with my purchase so far! Hopeful it will continue to make me happy when I actually get to wear it, which seems likely.
Yay!!! Glad I didn’t lead you astray with my sizing suggestion. :) I agree, I’m happy with how thick and warm the cashmere is. Mine has developed a few pills, but that’s pretty much to be expected with knits of that type and isn’t too hard to clean up.
I love The Golden Compass! On a side note, I snagged a pair of Alala captain crops in Cerise for $40 this week with their super sale, and I’m really hoping they fit right!
I haven’t finished it yet so we’ll see if I love it too, heh. :) One of my friends on the trip was so jealous that I was reading it for the first time, she said it’s one of her favorites. And fingers crossed on the cerise crops!!! I hope you love them.
my tracksmith stuff came! the brighton tank is super duper. i love it and i love the material. i also got 2 harrier long sleeves which i really like a lot. unfortunately the 2 harrier tanks i ordered are pretty awful. i mean, they fit, but they are so short and the curved front hemline that kinda points down to your crotch is so weird and unflattering (at least on me).
i guess 3/5 isn’t bad for final sale – i just wish their website had better pictures (like on a person where you can actually see the shirt would be nice).
oh well… my total was still cheaper than if i had bought just the brighton tank and long sleeve tops not on sale :)
Thanks for the report! I also ordered the harrier tank (for full price–d’oh) and I actually love mine (the thicker material and wine fabric will be peeeerfect in a few weeks here!), so it’s interesting that they were a bust for you. Glad the others were better though, like you said 3/5 isn’t bad! And I bet you can sell the harriers on posh or ebay, it seems to be a popular enough brand that people are probably looking for it.
i ran in the harrier tank yesterday in 90 degree weather. it was pretty great, i have to admit. I’m gonna keep them and see how it goes. the green color is gorgeous! i also think it will be a great base layer in cooler weather underneath a LS top.
i did tuck in the front hem though cause i couldn’t handle the curved part showing :P
if you like merino for running, check out the sweaty betty breeze merino LS tops for running in the cooler weather. they are my favorite – they are merino in the torso with a perforated breathable material on the arms and back.
Haha well glad it wasn’t a total bust! ;) My Tracksmith tops are my first foray into merino for technical gear (other than socks) so I might get a little braver and try the SB ones you recommended. Previously I’ve had major trouble with wool, but I’m not sure if I “grew out” of that or if it’s just a question of fiber quality.
The harrier top is definitely more “wool like” than SB’s merino tops! :)
I meant more than SB’s breeze merino tops (some of their warmer merino tops I can’t wear at all cause they’re totes itchy)
Roger that! I don’t think that harrier is overly “woolly” so that’s promising. Thanks for the note. :)
Love that you’re loving your Caraa studio bag! And I totally want that pouch too and want the larger version they just launched.
I’m all for light travelling. I recently spent 10 days in Mexico and I have a recommendation for a carry-on suitcase in case you want to check it out: https://www.smartbirdy.com/
The vegan option is *slightly* more affordable. I used to travel with an osprey backpack but my back always ended up hurting or I’d get extremely sweaty while carrying it. This is a dream and since I travel a lot for work I see it as an investment.
Wow that’s definitely one of the most unique suitcases I’ve seen! Thanks for the recommendation. I’m not gunning for a new suitcase just yet, but I’ll definitely keep that one in mind if the need arises, it looks great. :)