How to Travel Carry On Only
I will be the first to admit I am NOT good at this! I always need to have outfits for all the options and I am 100% guilty of overpacking most of the time. If I am going on a 4 day trip I will bring 97 different options for every scenario. However, I have recently learned how much EASIER it is when traveling to only have a carry on! Not only do some airlines give you a FREE carry on item, BUT it eliminates the need to wait an hour to retrieve your bags at the airport. So, traveling carry on only is now a goal of mine for as many future trips as I can.
Here are the best tips I have come across while trying to achieve this goal of mine…
Only pack what is NECESSARY- although those cute heels only go with one outfit are they really needed?
As nice as it is to be prepared for those 97 different scenarios, 96 of them will most likely never happen. If you are traveling to an all inclusive resort for 4 days, you will most likely need a couple bathing suits and 4 outfits for dinner (maybe a 5th if you want to shove it in there). Do you need shoes for every outfit- no! Pack 1-2 pairs of shoes that you can wear with multiple outfits and call it good. The exception to this rule would be if you are traveling somewhere a bit colder and need warm/bulky clothing. Then you may be choosing whether or not you can survive with 1-2 pairs of jeans rather than 5 to conserve space.
2. Pack lighter clothes they tend to take up less space
As I mentioned before, when you are traveling somewhere tropical, bathing suits don’t take up much space. But it is not as easy to pack sweatshirts and boots in a carry on unless its a short trip. So, my work around to this one…use your body! If you are needing sweatshirts and jackets…wear them (same with heavier shoes) ! Then you can pack an extra sweatshirt or 2 in your carry on to go with it. Consider if you are going somewhere with access to laundry. In this case you would only need a couple pairs of pants that can be reworn with different tops. And, as with shoes for nights out, pick 1-2 pair to bring (possibly wear one on the plane) to leave some extra space in the carry on.
3. Don’t forget about liquids! You need 3oz bottles of everything!
This is probably the hardest part of carry on traveling for women. How many hair products do you have that are in HUGE bottles :-( If you think ahead of time, you should be able to collect a little bit of everything in smaller bottles. Will it be your perfect product? Maybe not, but will it kill you to use something a little less than perfect for a couple days…also probably not.
4. Remember you have a personal item too- utilize this!
I always end up taking my big backpack as my personal item, but its usually half full. Well duh! Let’s use it. If you are like me, the staples for your backpack are your laptop/iPad, work items if needed, etc. but there is plenty of space for other things. Need extra space for your clothes or warm items, put them in here. I always suggest packing a few items in your personal bag just in case something were to happen with your luggage when you check bags, so why not apply that same theory when packing a carry on. Put at least one outfit/change of clothes in your personal item…maybe 2 if you don’t have the space in the carry on.
While I am still very new at surviving with a small suitcase, I firmly believe it is the easiest way to travel! Imagine, not having to worry about your bag getting lost or not making it to your destination, not having to wait with the masses to collect your bag once you arrive…oh it’s heavenly!