5 Tips on How to Pack for an Extended Trip in a Carry-On — The Starved Traveler
By: Victoria Sanchez
Tags: Travel Tips, Travel, Tips

5 Tips on How to Pack for an Extended Trip in a Carry-On — The Starved Traveler Victoria Sanchez Feb 12, 2020·5 min read

Packing is the bane of all of our existences. We all hate it, and we push it off until the last minute most of the time. Either it’s too heavy and you can’t take bring it on, or you didn’t bring enough to last your whole trip. The absolute worst is when you have to pay some ridiculous fee for your luggage and end up only being able to take your carry-on.

Making a packing list and actually packing seems like a monumental headache of a task that will just lead to you bawling your eyes out the night before or making you late for your flight.

You can’t figure out what you want to wear tonight, so how are you supposed to figure out what you want to wear for three or more weeks?

Here are some tips and tricks that I’ve used to help you build and manage the perfect carry-on wardrobe for your extended stay in unknown lands.

1. Prepare to become a Minimalist

While thinking about what you want to take with you, you should take some time to consider what your absolute necessities are.

Start to build a base for your luggage, and try to keep the list as tiny as you can.

Next, here are some other questions to ask yourself while thinking of your luggage:

Where exactly am I going?

Is it going to be warm or cold? (Check the weather a week before your arrival)

Does my destination have difficult or temperamental weather?

What time of year am I going?

What activities do I definitely want to do while I’m there?

Asking yourself these questions will help you consolidate your luggage list even more.

Packing two pairs of pants, two pairs of shorts, and three to four shirts on a carry-on with a jacket, either heavy or light, is usually a good rule to go by. This should give you about half a week’s worth of outfits.

As someone who enjoys hiking and walking around a lot, I’ll have two pairs of shoes in my luggage. One pair is for comfort, probably Converse or Vans. The other pair would be for a night out, maybe on a date or a night on the town.

You could always switch items out, but in general, it’s a good rule to have a max of three items per one article of clothing.

Although this doesn’t seem like much, the next tip will help you maximize your now minimized closet.

2. Stick to a Color Scheme!

Sticking to a specific and set color scheme will give you the ability to mix certain items of clothing while still matching.

I personally use black, white, and grey as they’re staples in any closet. I can always build an outfit around it, and I can add a small pop of color if I wanted.

Sticking to a color scheme will also help you out for the next tip!

3. Washer? Dryer? Yes, please!

Where are you staying? Are you staying in a hotel? Are you staying in an Airbnb or perhaps a hostel?

Look into where you’re staying and try your hardest to book somewhere with a washer! You’re essentially packing a week’s worth of clothes into a single carry-on, and you’ll be needing it for roughly three to four weeks.

Finding a place with a washer and a dryer, just a washer in Europe usually, is crucial for a successful extended stay in unfamiliar territory.

Throughout looking for places to stay during my month-long Europe trip, I found that a lot of Airbnb’s had a washer.

Before you book, check and see if the property has at least a washer. This might take a little more digging, but it is worth it.

Also, quite a few hostels will have a community washer/dryer center for everyone staying!

Sometimes staying in a hotel can be a little trickier, and it can be more expensive all the way around.

Some hotels have laundry services, or you could potentially find a laundromat nearby! This one will definitely take a little more digging, but it’s not impossible!

4. Compress! Compress! Compress!

Last, but not least at all, grab a set of packing cubes. Packing cubes are a lifesaver, as long as they’re the right kind. You can find them anywhere online, including Amazon.

Mesh or Solid Packing Cubes?

Usually, you can go either way, as long as they compress!

Sometimes mesh packing cubes don’t compress as well since there’s space to expand, and we don’t want that. We want everything to be as small as possible. I personally say to look at the reviews, of course, before purchasing.

Solid packing cubes are my favorite, and they will really help compress and keep everything together. Since they aren’t made of mesh, they can’t expand too much.

There are separate cubes for each article of clothing usually, but as long as you stick to a small number of items, everything should fit on your carry-on.

You can check out some awesome compression packing cubes here.

5. Don’t Buy Until You Arrive

To save some space AND money, buy your toiletries when you get to your destination!

When you buy your toiletries at your destination, you only buy what you need, which prevents overpacking. This also saves you money because you’re not buying unnecessary items.

Try to hold off on buying things that you only need on a specific part of your trip. You don’t want to be lugging a bunch of equipment everywhere you go, so try finding a place nearby that will help.

Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are also a gem anywhere you go. I love thrift stores, and I will always find one wherever I’m at.

It’ll give you the option to pick up some items that you either maybe forgot to bring, or realized that you need for cheap.

Utilizing these tips, in your own way, will make it easier for you to pack. Packing doesn’t always have to be a “tear-out-your-hair-and-scream” scenario all the time.

Sometimes the best thing to do is take a step back, take a deep breath, and tackle it one step at a time.