Now more than ever you want to avoid having to check suitcases. I used to think it was impossible to travel for weeks or months with only carry-on, but I was wrong. We are just about to head out for our third multi-month trip with no checked bags. It has made our travels so much faster and easier. And it is truly amazing what you can pack into a carry-on bag.
Being travelers of a certain age (and — in my case — with severe allergies, so I need to bring multiple epi-pens and as much liquid Benadryl as they’ll let me carry on), a big chunk of what’s in the backpack is meds. Many will be consumed, but still more are “just-in case” meds. I don’t want to have to try to hunt for what I need in a place that might not have it.
Doing months of travel with only carry-on is, admittedly, a bit harder if true winter is one of the climates you’ll be visiting. We did get a blast of icy winter (40° below zero) when we returned to Edmonton at Christmas, but that’s our home, so we had warm gear there waiting for us. Other than that, we can deal with the full range of about -10° C (14° F) to +40° C (104° F) simply by layering (or stripping, in the latter case).
Tips for Packing Light
Packing Cubes
These were all the rage a few years ago and I was a skeptic. But they really help compress your clothes and make it much easier to find what you need when you are on the road. You can also use zip-lock bags and just squeeze the excess air out as you close them. I’ve got one of each in the photo at the top of this post. (Update: Compression cubes are now the trend, but I’m not sure they offer much beyond what you can do with a good ziplock bag.)
Layers
As noted above, layering is key. On a chilly day, you can wear a t-shirt + sweater + jacket + lightweight scarf and be fine. I do bring one, sheer, long-sleeved shirt that I can dress up with a silk scarf for evening wear. If going to places (as we do) where the weather is more spring than summer, you can also bring one cozier long-sleeve top for comfort on chillier days. But the latter isn’t essential. And don’t choose one that’s bulky.
Colour coordination
I made the mistake on our fall trip of bringing both navy blue and black pants. It was a mistake because then some tops only went with one pair of pants and not the other. So while it may be boring to only have one colour of slacks, I’d rather get the variety from tops and scarves.
Technical fabrics
You don’t have to buy a whole new wardrobe, but using light fabrics that wash and dry quickly is a real help. Forget cotton! I’m particularly a fan of the Knix tank tops and bras (use this link if you want $20 off), because they:
- are super-comfortable,
- can double as bathing suit tops (you can buy matching panties that will work as bathing suit bottoms),
- come in fun colours and prints (another reason why they also work well as bathing suits),
- give good support (even for full-busted women like me). On a hot day they are terrific for hiking — no bra required with the tank top. Also great for workouts.
- take almost no luggage space (if you want the padded bra inserts, just bring one set, and put them in whatever you choose to wear that day),
- they dry quickly.
I also have a lightweight, zip-up running jacket, which gives warmth and wind protection while taking up little space in luggage. And a lightweight rain jacket.
Accessories
If it isn’t super-hot, scarves are great! They take almost no space but can brighten up your basic outfits. They are not tempting to thieves, the way jewellry would be. I reallly love my magic shawl/scarf that I bought years ago. (I have two of them, but only bring one on a trip.) It can be worn as a scarf, as a vest, as a shawl, as a poncho. Not sure where you can buy them today, but if you see one, grab it!
If you want to bring some jewellry, don’t bring much and don’t bring anything expensive. I have one pair of clear, sparkly stud earrings that can go with everything.
Electronics
I like my tablet for reading, but since I’m a writer it is more important that I have a laptop with a full keyboard, so I leave the tablet at home. I can read on my phone or on my laptop. I love this style of universal travel adapter because it is small and light, and you can plug in multiple devices at once.
What to Pack Where
You are normally allowed one “personal item” such as a backpack or large purse in addition to your carry-on suitcase. Be sure to pack the valuables in the smaller, personal item, because these days sometimes the overhead bins fill up and they’ll force you to gate check your roll-on bag. So, all medicines, all electronics, money, passports, jewelry, a sweater and/or jacket, a change of underwear, and your toothbrush should all be in the smaller bag. Should disaster happen and they misplace your larger bag, you’ll still have the essentials.
Packing list
We finally got smart and put together a packing list, so we don’t have to try to remember everything from scratch every time we travel. Here’s what’s on my list.
Travel Documents:
- Passport/Visas/Flight Itineraries/Travel Insurance
- Pre-trip packet, if relevant (we had one for Morocco, which we did as a small group tour)
- Credit/ATM cards
- Allergies lists (multiple languages)
- Local cash if available (we keep our leftovers in a folder called “Travel Funds”, and check it before heading off to see if we had any cash left from last time)
Electronics
- Noise cancelling headset & charging cables (also eye mask/ear plugs if desired)
- Smartphone & charging cords
- Laptop computer & charging cords
- International travel converter plug
- Sports watch & charging cable
Bathroom/medical
- Personal Medications: regular medications, ibuprofen, cold meds, for the allergy prone: prescription nasal spray and eye drops, liquid Benadryl, allerjects/epipens. (Try to pressure your pharmacist into getting you Allerjects instead of Epipens. They are way more compact! And they even give voice instructions to users about how to administer them, so if you are unconscious, somebody untrained can easily know what to do.)
- Sunscreen/lip balm/face sunscreen (you’ll need a starter supply, but can buy more when you get there)
- Insect repellent/bite cream/antihistamine cream
- Antibacterial gel/wipes
- toothbrush, toothpaste
- razor, blades
- contact lenses/contact lens solution
- First aid kit (bandages, gauze, ..)
- Essential makeup (I didn’t bring any last time, but in hot weather I missed having my UV-protection face powder)
- Travel scale (Most people probably don’t need this, but I find my weight tends to climb if I’m not paying attention. So I discovered this travel scale, which works well.)
Underwear
- Socks (3 x short, 1 x long)
- Panties (3 or 4 — go microfibre instead of cotton — it dries faster)
- Bras (2 or 3 – I use pretty Knix ones as a bathing suit top)
- Bathing suit (if not using the bra/panties approach) & cover up
- Lightweight housecoat (can also double as a bathing suit cover-up)
- Warm fluffy socks (optional. The place we stayed our first two winters in Malaga had chilly floors, so I liked having them, and they are easier to pack than slippers)
Shoes:
- running shoes
- rainboots
- sandals
- 1 pair of dress shoes (I don’t bring any, but if you insist…)
Bottoms:
- Shorts (1 legging; 1 dressier) – black
- Long leggings – 1 or 2 pairs (black, I’ve also got one that is a medium blue that I bring because it has pockets and my black ones don’t)
- ‘Nice’ pants – 1 pair
Dress/skirt:
- One for hot weather (If going somewhere really hot, bring 2, and ditch one pair of leggings or dress pants)
Tops
- Tank top (the type that can double as a bra) – solid colour that will go with the rest of your clothes.
- 2 or 3 short-sleeved shirts (one that can double as pyjamas, if desired)
- 1 Long-sleeved blouse (solid colour — I use a black one — that can be dressed up with scarf)
- 1 cozy long-sleeved shirt (neutral colour) – optional
- White jogging jacket
- Black sweater
Jackets
- Waterproof rain jacket
- blue raincoat (optional. Looks nicer than the sporty rain jacket)
- Poofy jacket (if going to a cool place. It can fit under the raincoat. Was the perfect combo for late December in rainy Paris or Amsterdam.)
Accessories
- Sunglasses
- prescription glasses/prescription sunglasses/
- Sun-hat
- Refillable water bottle
- Earrings
- Scarves (shawl scarf, plus a couple of others)
- Hiking poles (These won’t fit into a carry-on. I strap mine to the side, and when we go through airport security I explain that they are a “mobility aid” that I sometimes need for long distances in airports. Occasionally they give me a hard time, but in the end they always let me take them. Probably helps being a little white haired lady.)
- Backpack
- Luggage locks (in case they make you gate-check the roll on. Also a good idea if you leave your luggage in hotel lobbies or storage rooms on travel days.)
- Beach blanket (I love this super-lightweight, compact model)
- Multicolour pen & pencil
- Notebook for Spanish class or jotting notes at the beach
- Sewing kit
- Collapsible container(s) (I use these for restaurant left-overs or picnics. I only bring 1 medium-sized one when travelling)
- Lumbar support (inflatable, so it doesn’t take much space. Can also be used as a neck rest)
- Thin gloves (if going somewhere cool)
- Exercise band(s) – ‘cuz I always seem to need to do physio!
My DH (Darling Hubby) doesn’t have to bring things like bras and dresses, so he had room for his essentials: a bike helmet and fancy pedals. And/or a coffee maker and milk frother. And, of course, his trusty lemon zester, because what chef can go without one for three months?
So, there you have it. 100 days in a carry-on. Enjoy!
