Carry-On: Your Ultimate Guide to Stress-Free Travel

Look, I get it – I was that girl, overpacking for every possible scenario. Offended by the thought of traveling with just a carry-on. But, have you ever experienced the liberation of not checking a bag? Imagine: skipping baggage claim, zero lost-luggage worries, and no baggage fees! Trust me, that feeling is way better than having an extra pair of “just-in-case” leggings that never leave your suitcase. Packing light isn’t just about clothes – it’s about stress-free travel.

On our first international trip, we flew into London for a few days and then took a train to Edinburgh. We way overpacked. David and I each brought one full-size suitcase and a backpack. Big mistake. Lugging our ginormous 50-pound suitcases through train stations and then dragging them the half mile from Waverly station in Edinburgh to our hotel over the cobblestone streets was very humbling. We immediately regretted our choice.

As if that wasn’t enough, our luggage was lost on our way back from the UK. Since I had packed nearly all my clothes, I had nothing to wear for two days while waiting for the airline to deliver our bags (at least we were home; it could have been worse). I still have nightmares about it—I didn’t even wear half the clothes I brought! It just wasn’t worth it. After that, I swore I’d never do that again, and 15+ flights later, we still haven’t checked a bag. Lesson learned: less is more, especially when it comes to luggage!

Armed with our newfound knowledge, we made some purchases for our second international trip and it was 100% worth it. We travelled from Paris to Switzerland and all throughout Switzerland by train and let me tell you, you will be carrying your suitcase up at least 3 or more flights of stairs (or broken escalators) in a train station. The last thing you want to be doing that with is a 50 pound suitcase. The switch to a carry-on made it absolutely manageable. I felt like a pro.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, here’s my breakdown of why carry-on travel is the best kind of travel:

• No more waiting in long check-in lines
• No more baggage fees
• Don’t have to wait for bags at baggage claim
• No worries of lost luggage
• If anything happens to your flight your luggage is with you at all times
• When you deplane you can just leave the airport and be on your way

So, learn from our mistakes! Here are some tips for packing light so you can maximize your travel experience.

Picking Out a Suitcase

Our tried and true suitcase is a Swiss Gear hard side luggage with spinner wheels, 19 inch carry-on. If you want to splurge for a really nice piece, I would go for the Away carry-on or the bigger carry-on (but be careful, the bigger size doesn’t fit in some international overhead bins).

Packing Cubes

You have to invest in compression packing cubes. If you clicked on the link, don’t look at me like that – I know they’re pricey, but these will change your life. How do I pack for Europe for 2 weeks in a carry-on? These cubes. Trust me, even if you have regular packing cubes, you need these.

What Should You Pack?

When choosing what to pack, go for neutral colors so you can mix and match or a specific color palette. Go with leggings, jeans, bodysuits, and plain shirts, so you can end up getting multiple outfits out of one article of clothing.

Layers! If you’re packing for cold weather or just an unpredictable August in Europe, make sure to bring layers. It allows you to adapt to anything, from a chilly morning to a surprisingly warm afternoon while still packing light.

• Start with a base layer: This would be a thin, breathable layer, like a t-shirt or leggings.
• Choose a versatile mid-layer: Think long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, or a light fleece jacket. Again, opt for neutral colors that can be easily mixed and matched.
• Final outerwear layer: A packable windbreaker or a light down jacket will provide warmth and protection from unexpected rain or wind. My favorite is the Women’s Columbia East Park Mackintosh Jacket. This was a very affordable option, packs down to nothing, and is surprisingly warm. David has the Men’s Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacket for a bit of a boujier option. We also both have the Patagonia Puffy (these also pack down very small for really cold weather).

Now, lay everything out you want to bring with you and start putting outfits together. If you have more than one outfit per day, you’re going to have to start making some tough decisions. We’re going to start making some cuts like we’re picking the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading team here. You don’t need to bring as much as you think you do, I promise.

You only need 2 pairs of shoes, seriously. 3 is the absolute max if one is a pair of sandals. I believe in you!

Do Your Laundry on Vacation

I know this is the last thing you may want to do but it can be as simple as soaking your clothes in the sink with this sink laundry detergent. Some hotels in Europe we’ve stayed in actually have had a laundry line in the bathroom to hang up clothes to dry to make this really easy.

Some hotels may offer laundry service you can take advantage of. If you’re staying at an Airbnb or Vrbo – you can do your laundry there.

Toiletries

The TSA’s 3-1-1 rule might seem impossible at first (liquids and gels must be no more than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters and in 1 quart-sized bag – this includes your liquid make-up!). But the beauty is, you only need to tackle it once. With a few travel-sized containers and some smart product choices, you’ll be a carry-on pro in no time.

Heathrow is notorious for being absolutely brutal about this rule. I got really lucky with a friendly TSA person or half of my brand new haul of much sought-after French pharmacy products would have been thrown away because I forgot I had to go back through security in London on our layover.

This may be controversial, but I never bring shampoo, conditioner, or body wash since these items are always available in hotels. Space in my toiletry bag is precious and I have a face routine to maintain.

My favorite tip is going to the little round things at Target in the beauty section for some of my mini’s because they’re always buy 3 get 1 free. Sometimes on top of that, those products will be eligible for a $5 gift card when you spend $25 – $30 on beauty or skin & hair care items. Here’s what’s available there that I have in my toiletry bag:

• Garnier SKINACTIVE Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Makeup Remover & Cleanser
• Lume Whole Body Women’s Deodorant – Mini Smooth Solid Stick – Aluminum Free – Soft Powder Scent – Trial Size – 0.5oz
• La Roche Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Face Cleanser – 1.69 fl oz
• Vaseline Creme Brulee Cutie Lip Balm – .25oz
• Wet Brush Go Green Mini Detangler Hair Brush – Lavender
• La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Mini Face Moisturizer, Travel Size Unscented – 1.01 fl oz
• La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizing Cream Unscented – 2.5 fl oz
• Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum Mini – 0.5 fl oz
• Hero Cosmetics Mighty Acne Pimple Patch Duo – 12ct
• Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer – Aloe You – 1 fl oz/500 sprays

Here’s some silicone travel bottles to fill with your own products if you don’t need to buy travel sizes.

Sample Clothing Checklist

(I took all of this with me to Europe in August)

1 dress
4 t-shirts/tops
2 sweaters/long sleeve
1 thin down jacket
1 raincoat
2 pairs of jeans
2 shorts (1 jean, 1 bike)
3 leggings
1 swimsuit
pair of hiking boots
pair of walking shoes
4 bras(1)/bralettes(1)/sports bras(2)1 pair of pajamas
1 sweatshirt
Underwear for x days
Socks for x days
1 hat

Tips on How to Pack

• Roll your clothes! I’m a big roller instead of folder. This keeps my clothes from wrinkling and I can fit more items in my cubes.
• I pack all my cubes on the left side and shoes, toiletry bag, outer layers, extra stuff goes on the right side.

• Organize outfits by packing cube – whatever works best for your brain. For myself, my cubes come with a smaller, long rectangular cube I put all my underwear, socks and things in. Then I have a medium size cube I put my pajamas, work out/hiking stuff, and leisure wear (sports bras, leggings, bathing suit) in. Then in my bigger cube I put my “street clothes” and nicer clothes in (jeans, rompers, shirts, dresses), along with any outer layers if they fit. Or, if you’re going to multiple locations, packing one cube per location is also a great idea.
• Utilize any empty space – put socks in your tennis shoes, lay scarves or a sweater that didn’t fit in your cube in the empty space on the other side of your suitcase to prevent any shifting.

• Don’t stuff your suitcase full because you won’t have room to bring any souvenirs home

I usually wear my biggest, bulkiest shoes and clothes on the plane so that frees up extra space in my luggage.

What to Pack in Your Personal Item

I use this travel backpack I saw everywhere on TikTok as my personal item. Can confirm it’s worth it. I bought this for our trip to Europe and it was perfect. While it can get a little heavy, I think it’s because all the electronics I put in it. It has a strap on the back that fits perfectly over my suitcase so I can just set it on top and roll them around. I take it everywhere with me and it has held up so well.

• Scarf (This always comes in handy as a blanket or a pillow on planes, and even it’s intended use as a scarf every now and then)
• Medication (this pocket organizer is big enough for a week’s plus worth of meds plus some OTC to keep on hand)
• Glasses/Contacts
• Change of clothes
• Makeup (here’s the bag I use, that’s TSA approved)
• iPad (remember to pre-download shows)
• Collapsible Water Bottle (so you can fill up for free after getting through security)
• Wireless Charger (This one tells you the battery percentage on the bottom)
• Snacks
• Mini Sound Machine (for those thin hotel walls, I prefer this to using an app on my phone)
• Extra ziplock bags (always good to have on hand just in case)

Mini Hygiene Kit – this comes in handy for long haul flights

• Nail file/clippers
• Eye drops
• Chapstick
• Face hydration spray
• Emergen-c
• Hand sanitizer
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste

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