Packing Light: Packing List & Tips to Help You Travel Minimally

After having travelled to 21 countries and 35 states, I’ve become a master packer, trying to only pack the essentials. Especially after learning from my mistakes when backpacking through several countries in Europe and Japan, I’ve learned a ton. One of the most valuable lessons was after sweating through Japan. I quickly learned how to go from carrying 70 lbs on my back to about 40 lbs.  I’ve also been to Iceland on WOW Airlines. That right there meant we could only take a backpack for 4 days in September (when it was quite cold). It was worth not spending an extra $100/bag. But talk about difficult with camera gear!! All that said, I’m here to share with you some of my tips and give you a list of things to look into so you can pack minimally too!

Depending on where you go and for how long, most of this is necessary, but some things may not be or you may need different suggestions of what to take or how to take it. So take all that into consideration and feel free to comment with any questions about a more detailed trip you may be taking & I’ll respond! 🙂

Packing List: Here’s My Amazon List. I will also link everything below.

-Choose only two pairs of shoes + boots: I take sandals/flip flops and light, comfy tennis shoes, and boots like these or these.

–Light umbrella: This goes without saying, but check the weather beforehand and see if this is actually necessary. If it is, I’ve got an umbrella I recommend on my Amazon list above.

Packing Tips

–Use packing cubes! I feel like these are a game changer, especially when traveling to more than one destination. I put all clothes (shirts, pants, and dresses) into the large one, underwear into a small/ medium one, electronics/cords/chargers into a small one, & all toiletries into a small packing cube. Sometimes I put an extra pair of contacts, drops, and a couple necessities into a tiny cosmetic bag that goes in my carry-on.

-The easiest way to do combine all toiletries into one small bag is to use small bottles for shampoo, conditioner, etc. and bring a tiny razor and toothbrush.

-Another way to save space is to buy shampoo & conditioner when there and throw it away before you head back home.

-Wear your heaviest shoes on the plane.

-Clothes: Be smart with your wardrobe and take one shirt per day & plan to layer if necessary. Match most (if not all) clothes to just a few pairs of shots/pants. Sometimes you may bring more dresses than a shirt with pants, so plan accordingly based on what you’ll be doing. Don’t overthink clothes, try to go as basic as possible.

-Try to plan to take one carryon and a backpack – see my go-to backpack here (which is actually two backpacks attached to each other).

I hope those tips helped! I’d love to hear what you thought was most helpful below! 🙂