I do love a challenge and when it comes to packing there’s no better way to travel than to travel light. But don’t let me fool you: I don’t always travel light. I sure do prefer it when I do, but sometimes my trips will require taking heavy tripods, extra camera lenses and oodles of tech-y-gear that leaves me bogged down in extra baggage charges. But if I’m going on a short trip of up to a week, you won’t find me taking any more than necessary. In fact, I’d say I have it down to some sort of art form by now.
Matalan gave me the challenge of seeing how much I could pack in a lightweight carry-on case they sent me. The aim was to pack everything I would need and leave anything I didn’t need at home. As my airline only allowed seven kilograms for carry-on luggage, it was quite a stretch! But alas I managed to squeeze in enough outfits and tech gear for a week-long trip to the beach. Here’s the result!
Everything you do need
Lets cut straight to the point: here are all the items you do need to take in your carry-on for a week long trip away, not including any essentials that will get you buzzing and beeping at the security check point (because really, you can do without a pair of nail clippers or tweezers for a week anyway).
Clothes – an obvious choice but a mandatory one all the same! Keep it light with thinner fabrics and just one jumper/sweater/jacket to keep you warm in the evenings.
Shoes – two pairs will do the trick. One for adventurous activities and another pair to wear to dinners, etc.
Skincare regime – don’t let your skin suffer when you’re away from home! Keep up all your regimes whilst away or you’ll return home feeling a little worse for wear. This is my favourite way to combat jetlag by doing all the things you still do at home.
Tech gear – I’m talking camera(s), chargers, phones, etc. Sometimes it is however nice to switch off so you could do without!
Accessories – for a beachy getaway I never travel without a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and a light scarf to transition a day outfit > night.
Items you will want to take but do not need
And now to the fun stuff (I know, I know… how do I find pleasure in such things!?) If you’re aiming to pack carry-on only, leave the following items at home:
Choices – remember you can only ever wear one pair of trousers or a jacket at the one time. Pack one of everything and leave the rest at home (unless you like to wear different outfits depending on your mood, then pack a few choices for the main garment).
Books – I’m always tempted to take books on trips but I almost always end up gifting them instead of keeping them for my bookshelf, in an effort to shed a little weight from my case during my trip. If you’re like me and you like to hang on to your books, try purchasing Ebooks or Kindle books to read for your holidays.
Anything you don’t use daily at home – the idea is to pack everything you do use daily at home and leave any extras at home. If you don’t wash your hair on a daily basis then there’s no need to bring your whole haircare regime along with you. To the contrary if you’re protective of your skin and like to look after it well, be sure to pack your usual regime.
Everything I Packed:
Lightweight Suitcase by Matalan , Converse shoes , Country Road Jumper, Zara Jeans, Gigi New York Handbag , Apple Macbook Air 13″, Lack of Color Hat , Tularosa Dress 1 2 3 , Lily Pulitzer Dress + Scarf , Victoria’s Secret Bikini, Olympus PEN EPL7 , Olympus OMD Mark II (filmed on), Nike Gym Gear, Ray Bans Sunglasses , Dry Shampoo , GoPro Camera, Cleanser , Nail Polish.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-5sEU0MzGE]
This post contains sponsored content in the form of a suitcase so light I can lift it with my left pinky… which is understandably weaker than my right. So yeah, it’s pretty light. Thanks Matalan!
Brooke Saward
Brooke founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. Now in it's third year, World of Wanderlust is home to a collection of the world's best experiences, destinations, tours, hotels, restaurants, and lifestyle brands.
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Diana Maria
May 16, 2016 at 9:03 amI loved watching your video and am so impressed by your packing abilities! I definitely need to learn how to pack my carry on’s more efficiently as I tend to over pack and pack things I just don’t need!
Bethany Sara Kaye
May 15, 2016 at 9:53 pmyes this is so helpful! I’m always travelling but I have not yet mastered the art of packing. Overpacking I am excellent at though
Ali May
May 15, 2016 at 2:35 pmGreat advice! It’s ridiculous how every tie I go away, I always seem to over-pack, and totally overlook the prospect of wearing the same clothes twice. Your tips are awesome, and I will put them to the test this week when packing for a 5 night trip.
Kenza
May 15, 2016 at 5:21 amGreat article !
So hard to only pick the essential things ….
Kenza from
Shannon
May 15, 2016 at 12:24 amLove this! I find it so hard to travel light. This helps a lot!
Tamy
May 14, 2016 at 7:33 pmThanks for the tips! I really suck at packing and always take to much stuff with me.
camille
May 14, 2016 at 6:33 pmSuch a helpful post
Xoxo
Golden Triangle Tour with khajuraho
May 14, 2016 at 3:54 pmBag packing is art, I always prefer necessary things, I am good bag packer, But I always prefer only important thinks.
Lucy
May 14, 2016 at 7:36 amMy Kindle is the biggest saviour when it comes to packing! When travelling between the UK and Italy, I always have the problem of preparing for both climates – I leave the UK bundled up in jumpers and coats but then have no room to squeeze them in my suitcase when I get off the plane in the lovely mediterranean air! xxx
Lucy @
Emily
May 14, 2016 at 5:36 amI do the same when packing! I recently went to Europe for two weeks and only took a carry on! I was so proud of myself. But you really do have to ask yourself the important questions. I almost wanted to bring this one pair of shoes ‘just in case’, but they would have put me over the edge. So I had to toss em! It really makes you think about the things you NEED.
-Emily
Brittany Thiessen
May 13, 2016 at 11:15 pmThanks for the great packing tips! What’s always a challenge for me, is leaving behind the “just in case” items. I am a planner and I like to be prepared for all potential scenarios/weather/situations, so narrowing down my clothing choices is difficult. But with each trip, I am getting better and better at being more ruthless with my packing and only taking what I need. I hope to keep improving!
Thanks for sharing this article.
jo silverman
May 13, 2016 at 10:25 pmOne thing that always gets me about packing is how the shoes are packed; they’re always pictured as being right in there with all the clothes. Does no one ever think about where those shoes have been? What they’ve been walked through? City (Paris, NYC – dogs), or country (pastures – with cows!). One can buy shoes bags specifically for carrying shoes or what I do – plastic carry bags from the market. Much more sanitary, especially today.
Triin
May 13, 2016 at 8:48 pmLovely tips, travelling light is one of favourite things too. I discovered that on beach holidays the best beauty treatments are to buy local coconut, olive oil for the skin and hair mask. And silk is great as it takes so little space and looks great.
Carina
May 13, 2016 at 6:51 pmHaha LOVE that little sponsored disclaimer. And thanks for this post! Going on a 1 week trip in July, and these packing tips would definitely help 😉
X
Darina
May 13, 2016 at 6:20 pmGreat tips! I always pack too much 🙂 I will try to pack less the next time according to your tips!
Kate
May 13, 2016 at 6:11 pmGreat tips!
Kate |
Carina
May 13, 2016 at 5:51 pmYou´re so sympathetic! Love your videos. And your blog of course. I used to overpack all the time, before I really started to travel more regularly, but now it´s become such a routine (obviously not nearly as much as for you, but still) that everyone´s always asking me: Is that all you´re taking? I love to challenge myself.
But this summer I´ll have to pack for a long backpacking trip, so that´s going to be a whole new pair of shoes. Any tips on that?
Thanks for all the inspiration every day! Hugs from Madrid,
Carina
the adventurer
May 13, 2016 at 11:49 amGreat tips! So nice to read before I pack for a weekend trip to Miami next week. I need to learn to pack more lightly =o)
Stefanie
May 13, 2016 at 10:33 amThis was so helpful! I always over pack lol
Charlotte Buckle
May 13, 2016 at 9:54 amThis is just what I needed! When I go to pack for a short trip, I pack quick and believe that I have everything I need… but I look around the place and suddenly my bag is pack to the brim with nonsense items! Haha! Thank you so much for the advice!
C |
Aoife Marie
May 13, 2016 at 9:49 amI love this! I am such an over-packer, but this year I’m going for more of a minimal theme… Thanks for the advice!
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