What Do I Pack When I Travel?

Written By Beth Bostrom

Do you need the capsule wardrobe?
Do you always have to pack in a carry on?
Is minimalist always the right way to go?
There is no RIGHT or PERFECT WAY to pack!

But I’ve shared some of my thoughts on packing below.

There are a lot of blog posts and articles out there about how to pack for a trip. Most of them encourage you to take the least amount possible, pack in a carry on, get a capsule wardrobe, etc…

BUT I SAY… DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!

This may or may not work for you (and doesn’t always work for me).

My best recommendation for packing is to do what works for you! You don’t have to follow someone else’s guidance. Absolutely use it as a source of information. Then take what works for you and throw out what doesn’t.

We travel A LOT… For quite some time now, we’ve been traveling at least a couple of times a month - so I have lots of experience packing my bag. Sometimes I unpack only long enough to do laundry and repack for the next trip!

Do I follow all the minimalist packing recommendations? My husband and everyone who knows me will say NO!

When I travel, I prefer not to sacrifice having the stuff that’s important to me. So I pack more than most any blog will tell you to take. That doesn’t mean you have to do that because it might not be right for you. Just being honest here… and providing a different perspective that I haven’t seen in any packing posts I’ve read.

SOME OF MY GENERAL THOUGHTS ON PACKING

  • I like options! This is more important to me than a minimalist approach. I find that if I make all the decisions about which one outfit I will wear for each day/event before I leave, I inevitably regret it when I’m on my trip. It just wouldn’t work for me to take 1 skirt and 1 pair of shorts with multiple shirts to wear for every day plus 1 dress with different scarves and jewelry for all the dressier events/dinners out.

  • I want the hair care and beauty care products that I use at home. I don’t want to give that up on vacation. So using the shampoo, conditioner and soap that hotels provide isn’t always going to work for me. Plus there are serums, lotions, makeup, etc that I’m not going to leave behind to make my bag lighter.

  • I am not a fan of hotel blow dryers and I need a blow dryer. So I take my own. And I take my flat iron as well. These are essentials for me.

  • I’m also not a 1 or 2 pair of shoes person so I typically have at least 3-4 options with me.

MANY WOULD SAY I OVERPACK

Many people would say I overpack, but I take what works for me! Having said that, I do try to narrow down what I take and I try not to take way too much stuff that I won’t use. I do usually end up with an outfit or two that goes unworn (it’s that options thing and that’s ok with me).

I DO HAVE ONE RULE

My only real RULE is that I need to be able to handle my bag myself! Whatever I pack… I have to be able to get my bag up and down stairs, in and out of trains, up on the conveyer for airplane check in, etc.

NARROWING THE OPTIONS

One way I narrow my options is to give myself enough time ahead of a trip to put together what I think I want to take and then have time to weed things out. I usually start the packing process at least 2 days before leaving. My basic process is:

  • Make a list of days we will be gone and what we will be doing each day.

  • Make piles of everything I think I want to take.

  • Go back through the piles and compare the number of outfits I have selected to the list I made. See if I have what I need for each day/event. I can usually take a few things out during this process and might exchange things based on what we have planned.

  • I repeat this same thing again before I put the clothes in my suitcase – with a focus on what’s really needed for the trip (but allowing myself options). This gives me 2 times I can refine what I’m taking.

PACKING LISTS: So what should you pack?

I’m not going to share a detailed list of what exactly you should pack as I think we all have our own idea of what’s needed. But I have provided some general things to consider when packing.

Clothes

  • I’m a dress wearer so I typically take a dress (or sometimes other outfit) for each day/event and then add a couple to provide options

  • Then I determine the least number of pairs of shoes I can get away with to cover the dresses I’m taking (and sometimes I switch one dress out for another to limit shoes needed)

  • Enough underwear for every day (unless I’ll have access to laundry and think I’ll actually do it)

  • Bras, slips, socks to accommodate the clothes I’ve packed

  • 1 set of sleepwear

  • Hat(s) to protect from the sun and sunglasses

  • Any jewelry you’ll want with the clothes you’ve selected

  • Jacket, wraps, or sweatshirt if needed per the weather

Side note, I’m not a packing cube gal. I bought them. I tried them. But I didn’t feel like they were that beneficial for me. If you find them useful, go for it!

Toiletries

What toiletries you take will be different for everyone but consider the following categories as you pack.

  • Haircare products including shampoo and conditioner, comb and/or brush (could also be hairspray or other hair products)

  • Body Wash and Deodorant

  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss

  • Face lotion

  • Razor

  • Prescription medication

  • Make up

  • Sunscreen

  • Tweezers, nail clippers

  • Small lighted magnified make up mirror (not necessary but I find as my eyesight has gotten worse, it’s just easier if I have this)

  • First aid kit (adhesive bandages, antihistamine, etc.)

One option to lighten up your bag… If you are going somewhere that will have stores where you can buy toiletries, you can always leave much of this at home, buy travel size toiletries when you get to your destination, and leave them when you depart.

Electronics

I always think I’m going to be able to narrow this list as these things can be heavy/bulky. However, I’ve found that these are essentials when I travel.

  • Blow dryer (I always take one but feel free to rely on the hotel provided option or air drying). Note: I did recently acquire a Dyson travel dryer which is awesome and lighter than what I was carrying.

  • Flat iron

  • Laptop (take it when needed but not all the time)

  • Cell phone

  • Adaptor and/or converter (as needed)

  • Portable charger

  • Lightning cables to charge electronics

What do I put in my carry on bag (in addition to suitcase)?

In addition to my suitcase, I always have a carry on. Here is what you will typically find in it.

  • Book (I like the tactile part of turning pages when reading)

  • Laptop and charger (if I’m taking it with me)

  • Cell phone and portable charger

  • Reading glasses

  • Sunglasses and sunscreen

  • Blanket (I always travel with a blanket as I tend to get cold in airplanes and at night)

  • Some of my favorite tea bags (for when the airlines/restaurants have tea options I don’t like)

  • Small bag with toiletry type items (lip balm, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, Advil, etc.)

  • Jewelry (I like to carry it vs put it in my suitcase)

MUST HAVE TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

I’ve put together a one-page list of some of my favorite travel accessories. You will surely find all of these things with me when I’m traveling.

DOWNload my list of must have travel accessories

SUMMARY

When packing… More than anything, do what works for you! I’ve shared what works for me and some options to consider. But take that as input and make sure you do what works for you and not what someone else says you should do. I find that doing the latter can result in you wishing you had something you left behind or taking things you really didn’t need to carry with you.

HAPPY PACKING AND HAPPY TRAVELS!!

Beth Bostrom
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