When it comes to packing, clothes are the largest consumer. There are some tips and tricks I use to reduce the clothing I need while still having some variation in style and fit in a carry-on size piece of luggage.
- Pack the right type of clothing – focus on versatile, quick-dry clothing.
- Create a packing list – this is to remember what to pack as well as ensure you do not over-pack.
- Utilize packing cubes – the critical piece of gear you need to fit into a small space.
- Plan for Laundry – unless you are traveling for just a weekend, assume laundry will be required at some point.
Type of Clothing
When picking out clothing to fit in a backpack, choosing the right fabric and clothing mix can be the difference between fitting in a backpack/small suitcase versus checking your bag.
- Fabric – natural wool or synthetics (polyester, rayon, spandex) are quick drying, sweat wicking, wrinkle free, and light weight.
- There is a backpacking saying – cotton kills. As much as I love cotton it retains sweat, wrinkles easily, weighs more, and consumes more packing space.
- One trick I use to help minimize clothing quantity is anything below the waist (pants, skirts, shoes, etc) is a neutral color – black, grey, tan, khaki. Where I add my color and personality are the tops – purple, red, turquoise. That way no matter what top I select; it will go with any bottom. When packing a cardigan sweater (or a suit jacket, in my husband’s case), I normally choose black because it can be dressed up for the evening.
- Once your clothes are selected, take a step back and look at each garment, and ask yourself the following:
- Do you really need it?
- Can you pull out any bottom and match it with any top?
- How many times do you think you will use it?
- Is it worth lugging around?
- If the answer is no to any of the above, remove it.
- To further reduce clothing space consumption, wear your bulkiest clothes while travelling.
- When I am on the move, I wear my hiking boots, fleece jacket, and windbreaker/rain jacket. If it is too warm, then I will take a jacket or two off and tie them around my waist.
Packing List – Clothes
Creating a packing list is crucial to avoid overpacking. Prioritize essentials such as clothing, toiletries, and travel documents. Use a checklist to keep track of items and cross them off as you pack. To aid you in creating your checklist, I have included a template at the end.
Clothing has the largest variation between trips because what you bring is dependent on weather and destination. What to pack for Iceland in the fall vs. Europe in the summer varies greatly. Below are the packing lists that I have come up with for these different occasions.
Europe in the Summer
My Packing List
| Article | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Under Garments | 4 Exofficio Bikini Underwear 3 bras 1 pair nylons 1 pair underwear shorts |
| Shirts | 3 Quick Dry t-shirts 1 Dressy Shirt 1 Button 3/4 Sleeve Shirt 1 Long Sleeve Shirt |
| Pants | 2 Pants 1 Leggings 1 Skirt |
| Socks | 3 Smartwool |
| Dressy | 1 Little Black Dress (LBD) 1 Floral Dress 1 silk scarf |
| Coats | 1 – 3/4 sleeve black cardigan 1 fleece jacket 1 Windbreak/rain jacket |
| Shoes | 1 pair lace up (Keens) 1 pair sandals (Abeo) |
Mike’s Packing List
| Article | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Under Garments | 4 Uniqlo briefs 2 Uniqlo undershirts 1 Pair silk boxer shorts |
| Shirts | 3 Quick dry T-shirts 1 Botton short sleeve shirt 1 Long sleeve shirt 2 golf shirts |
| Pants | 3 Pants (2 zip off, 1 dressy) 1 Pair Jeans |
| Socks | 4 Smartwool – thick (3 brwn, 1 grey) 1 Smartwool – dress (thinner) |
| Dressy | 1 Uniqlo black jacket 1 Tie |
| Coats | 1 fleece/sweater jacket 1 Windbreaker/Rain jacket |
| Shoes | 1 Pair brown (Merrel’s) 1 Pair black (Sketchers) |
Europe in the Fall
My Packing List
| Article | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Under Garments | 4 KnowYou Underwear 3 Bras 1 Pair Nylons 3 Pair Socks 1 Pair Compression Socks |
| Shirts | 4 Quick Dry T-Shirts 1 Long Sleeve Shirt |
| Pants | 3 Pants 2 Leggings |
| Socks | 3 Pair Socks |
| Dressy | 1 Little Black Dress (LBD) 1 Silk Scarf |
| Coats | 1 Cardigan 1 Fleece Jacket 1 Waterproof Jacket |
| Shoes | 1 Pair Waterproof Boots 1 Pair Sandals |
Mike’s Packing List
| Article | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Under Garments | 4 Uniqlo Briefs 1 Uniqlo Undershirts |
| Shirts | 3 Quick Dry T-Shirts 1 Button Short Sleeve Shirt 1 Golf Shirts 1 Long Sleeve Shirt |
| Pants | 3 Pair Pants |
| Socks | 4 Smartwool (3 brown, 1 grey) |
| Dressy | 1 Uniqlo Blazer 1 Tie |
| Coats | 1 Fleece Sweater Jacket 1 Rain Jacket |
| Shoes | 1 Pair Brown (Merrells) 1 Pair Black (Sketchers) |
Iceland in the Fall
My Packing List
| Article | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Under Garments | 5 Exofficio Bikini Underwear 3 bras |
| Shirts | 5 Quick Dry t-shirts (1 to sleep in) 3 Thermal long sleeve under shirts |
| Pants | 3 Pants 3 Thermal Leggings 1 Waterproof pants (Marmott) |
| Socks | 3 Wool Socks |
| Dressy | 1 silk scarf |
| Coats | 1 Puffy Jacket 1 fleece jacket 1 Rain/Windbreaker jacket |
| Shoes | 1 Pair hiking boots (Columbia) 1 Pair flip flops |
| Other | 1 Pair thin gloves 1 Pair waterproof gloves 1 Buff (thicker version) 1 Ear covering 1 Baseball Hat |
Mike’s Packing LIst
| Article | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Under Garments | 5 Uniqlo briefs |
| Shirts | 5 Quick dry T-shirts 3 Thermal long sleeve under shirts |
| Pants | 3 Pants 3 Thermal Leggings 1 Waterproof pants (Marmott) |
| Socks | 3 Wool Socks |
| Coats | 1 Puffy Jacket 1 fleece jacket 1 Rain/Windbreaker jacket |
| Shoes | 1 Pair hiking boots (Lowa’s) 1 Pair flip flops |
| Other | 1 Pair thin gloves 1 Pair waterproof gloves 1 Buff (thicker version) 1 Wool beanie 1 Rain Hat |
Anytime I return from a trip, I update my packing list to reflect what I actually needed/used. For example, I leveraged my Europe list as a starting to point on what to pack for my Iceland trip.
To give you a head start, below is a template you can use to start your own packing list.
Packing Cubes
Originally, I thought packing cubes were just a marketing gimmick. Boy, was I wrong! I could not believe how much I was able to pack/stuff in them and consume significantly less space!
The packing cubes I use are Sea to Summit Pack-It cubes. If you are traveling with a SO (Significant Other), then I recommend you each buy a different color. That way you know which bags are yours, and which are your SO’s. Also, if you are going to use these bags for other things (for example, electronics), then dedicate another color for those items. It will be easier for you to find your gear and you don’t have to open each bag.
How you pack your cubes is up to you. My cubes are broken out based on the type of clothing – under garments, tops, bottoms. When we are camping, Mike mixes it up and packs each day of clothing into a cube. I did try this approach, and it did not work for me. After the first couple of days, you will find what works for you. Just remember to note how you did it when you come back from your trip!
Below is how Mike and I packed in our packing cubes when we went to Europe in the summer:
My Cube Configuration (Europe)
| 1/2 Cube #1 (under garments) | 3 pair of underwear 3 pairs of socks 2 legging 1 pair panty hose 2 bras |
| 1/2 Cube #2 (tops) | 1 Cardigan 1 scarf 3 – T shirts 1 Dressy Shirt Long Sleeve Shirt |
| 1/2 Cube #3 | Little Black Dress 2 pair of pants skirt |
Mike’s Cube Configuration (Iceland)
| 1/2 Cube | 4 Shirts 3 Socks 2 Underwear |
| Full Cube | 2 Pants 3 Long Johns 3 Thermal Tops Skin Shirt Swim Trunks Rain Pants 2 Underwear Gloves Buff |
A couple of things to note :
- I have a different number of shirts vs. pants/skirts, and I rotate through each one. That way I do not have the same look every day.
- One challenge of packing cubes is sometimes your clothes will start to smell. One trick I use to extend the time between washings is I cut up a soap bar into 1″x1″ chunks (or so), put that into a nylon sock, and place one of those into each packing cube. The soap gives it a nice smell, and if you ever run out of soap, you have a few cubes in reserve!
Laundry
If you are traveling for more than a few days, then YOU WILL DO LAUNDRY. Prior to your trip, test and make sure your clothes will dry fast enough. For those of you new to doing laundry on the road here are some tips and tricks I have learned:
- Throw your clothes in the shower or tub when you take your shower/bath. Use soap or shampoo to build up a lather and rub it into your clothes. DO NOT RINSE, yet. Continue taking your shower and while doing so, stomp on the clothes to work out dirt, grime, etc. Only when you are done cleaning yourself rinse out the clothes.
- There is an “art” to drying clothes. The first thing you want to do is squeeze out as much water as possible and then hang them up for about 5-10 minutes. This allows more water to flow to the bottom of the garment, and it will allow you to squeeze out more water.
- After you done with the second water squeeze, lay a single layer of clothes on a dry towel and roll the towel up. This will pull out more water from your garments.
- Now, hang up your clothes in the shower, shower bar, doorknobs, whatever is accessible, and they should be dry by morning.
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