How to pack lightly & travel with carry-on luggage only

We all have our talents, and one of mine is packing lightly. I’ve got it down to a fine art, and people are always amazed when I head off for a fortnight or more with only a small wheelie case in tow.

This weekend I’ll be embarking on a 12-day road trip around northern Spain, and as usual I’ll be travelling with cabin luggage only. It’s years since I last checked anything into the hold, and I don’t plan on doing so again any time soon – I can skip straight past the airport bag-drop queues, and I never have the nervous wait at the baggage belt to find out if my case has got lost, stolen or damaged. It’s particularly useful when changing flights – last month, for example, a weather delay meant I ended up with a 10-minute connection window in Stockholm, and after a mad dash from one end of the terminal to the other, I managed to board my next plane with only seconds to spare. I know from other passengers transferring between the same flights that checked bags didn’t make it, and they had to wait until the next day to be reunited with their belongings. Even when I’m travelling by train rather than flying, chronic pain from a spinal condition means I’d struggle to take any more with me.

When I mentioned my minimalist packing habits on Instagram, I had numerous messages asking me to share I how I do it. So, by popular demand, here are my top tips for packing lightly and travelling with carry-on luggage only…

Choose the right suitcase

First things first: check airline baggage allowances and choose the biggest cabin case you can get away with. The one I have isn’t particularly stylish – it’s a rather corporate-looking black Samsonite model [AD – affiliate link] – but it’s sturdy, it has lots of handy front pockets, and it just falls within the maximum carry-on dimensions of the airlines I fly most often (EasyJet, British Airways, Iberia, SAS and Finnair). If you want something more aesthetically pleasing, I love the look of this recycled polycarbonate case from NORTVI.

Also make sure you check that your ticket allows for a cabin case and not just a small bag that fits under the seat in front of you. On some airlines this comes as standard with even the most basic fares, but on others you might have to pay a bit extra. If you do, it’s worth investigating which option offers the best value for money. With EasyJet, for example, I pay for an ‘upfront’ seat, which allows for a carry-on case in addition to an under-seat bag – as well as giving extra benefits such as speedy boarding and more legroom – for less than the cost of hold luggage.

It’s worth noting that there are some very clever rucksacks and weekender bags [AD – affiliate link] that maximise every cm of the under-seat space, too. They’re ideal if you need to squeeze as much out of your allowance as you can, and many have sleeves that slot over the handle of your case for easy carrying. On very short trips, you may even find they’re all you need.

PLAN a capsule wardrobe

I plan outfits in advance, focusing on mix-and-match pieces that can be worn in multiple ways. And I always write a packing list a few days before I travel. It gives me time to make sure everything I want to take is washed and ready, and it means I don’t end up panic-packing at the last minute and shoving loads of stuff that I won’t use into my case.

For my upcoming Spain trip I’m taking the following, which will give me enough combinations to get through 12 days and a few evenings out:

• Three dresses (one green, one beige and one black-and-white striped)
• Three vest tops (one green, one black and one black-and-white striped)
• Two t-shirts (one green, one white)
• Two pairs of wide-leg trousers (one beige linen, one black crepe)
• Cropped jeans
• A black satin skirt
• An oversized white linen shirt, which can be used as a beach / pool cover-up or as an extra layer over any outfit
• A lightweight black sweater
• A black swimsuit (if it was more of a beach holiday, I’d take two)
• Flat black-leather sandals
• White trainers
• A black leather cross-body bag, which will be my additional under-seat bag on the journey and my main day-to-day bag once I arrive in Spain
• A woven beach bag, which squashes down small inside my case

Pack multi-purpose items

It’s not only my clothes that are multi-purpose – I make sure everything else I pack is as versatile as possible, too. For example, if I need a beach or swimming towel, I take a linen one from Lapuan Kankurit. It’s lightweight and quick to dry, and it can double as a sarong, a wrap and even a blanket.

Use packing cubes

Packing cubes are a total game-changer. I have this set, and the compression zips mean I can squeeze almost twice as much stuff into my case when I use them. They also help me to keep things organised, especially on multi-destination trips where I don’t have chance to unpack at each place. I tend to use the largest cube for dresses, skirts and trousers, the two medium-sized ones for tops and the smallest one for underwear. Things such as pyjamas, which I need to access every day, then sit at the top of my case where I can get to them easily.

Other nifty tricks for maximising space inside your case include making the most of the inside of shoes (I pop socks and my hairbrush in mine) and taking a little laundry bag where you can keep dirty clothes separate from the rest of your things.

Be clever with toiletries

Most airports still impose 100ml liquid rules for carry-on baggage, so you’re forced to pack lightly when it comes to toiletries and make-up. I decant mine into refillable 100ml bottles and I have this leak-proof silicone set [AD – affiliate link], which comes with an array of stick-on labels so I know what’s in each one. Of course, you can buy dedicated travel-sized versions of many products, but they generate a lot of packaging waste and are normally only 50-75ml in size.

My liquids then go into a reusable clear-plastic toiletry bag, which means I don’t have to faff around in the security queue putting everything into the little bags the airports provide. As with my suitcase, it’s the maximum size that I can get away with and has travelled around the world without any problem – except Sweden, which seems to have its own very arbitrary rules (I’ve had no issues at Gothenburg and Stockholm Arlanda Terminal 5, but at Kiruna and Arlanda Terminal 2 I’ve been told it’s too big).

To maximise my liquid allowance, I use solid bars for things like shampoo. These then go in a separate bag with other non-liquid items such as face powder, eye pencils and eye shadow. I also have a mini travel razor [AD – affiliate link] and a compact bamboo travel toothbrush, which save a bit of additional space.

If you’re really struggling with liquids, use your allowance for favourite / essential products and buy things that you’re not as particular about once you’re through security or you reach your destination. There’s no point paying checked-baggage fees for the sake of a £2 bottle of shower gel that you can get anywhere.

Minimise cables, devices & chargers

I always pack my own hairdryer (hotel ones tend to be pathetic – like someone’s gently sighing on you), but I have a fantastic GHD travel hairdryer [AD – affiliate link] that’s powerful, folds down small and can be adapted to suit different voltages in different countries. And as much as I love old-fashioned paper books, when I travel I use my Kindle so that I can take more than one thing to read without filling up my luggage.

If I’m journeying to a country where I need a plug adaptor, I take one with an integrated USB port [AD – affiliate link] so that I can use it for two devices at the same time and don’t need another. I also have a three-in-one charging cable [AD – affiliate link], which fits my phone, my Kindle, my camera and my ear buds and means I don’t have to pack separate cables for each device.

Use a jewellery roll

I used to put all my jewellery in a little drawstring bag, but after one too many tangled chains and earrings lost to the depths of my case, I decided it was time to invest in a jewellery roll. This zip-up linen design from Stackers [AD – affiliate link] has proven ideal – it has separate sections for necklaces and bracelets, removable ring and stud-earring holders, and compartments for larger pieces like the oversized earrings that I like to wear. It’s also padded, so there’s no risk of anything getting damaged, and as it’s fairly slimline it slips straight into the front pocket of my case.

Think carefully about what to wear on the journey

I tend to wear my bulkiest items on the journey to free up as much space inside my case as possible – for my Spain trip, for example, I’ll travel in my trainers and jeans. I always keep the climate at my destination in mind, though, and I’ll make sure my sandals are at the top of my case so that I can change into them easily if it’s very hot when I land. I’m not planning on taking a jacket or coat this time around, but if I was then I’d wear or carry it rather than putting it in my luggage.

Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting sales. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly, and it helps to support the free content I share here.

All photography by Abi Dare