People often fall into two camps when packing for their summer vacation. The average traveler and the light traveler. In recent years, the badge of honor for the latter has been to pack as little as possible so that you don’t have to check a single bag. I’m a die-hard carry-on lover. With the exception of ski vacations, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve opted to put my bags in the hold, and two of those were when I moved to New York and back five years later.
I’m addicted to the efficiency of it. Unnecessary clutter drives me crazy, and the less you carry, the less likely you are to lose something along the way. There’s something so liberating about having everything you need in one small suitcase, and then flying through the baggage carousels upon arrival.
It’s not that I’m unfamiliar with the (sorry) situation of checking luggage: not knowing what to wear in advance; needing flexibility and options, or leaving room for souvenirs. Some vacation destinations and activities simply require more stuff. But I’m a tanning girl, happiest when I’m reading book after book on my Kindle while the ice slowly melts in my Aperol spritz, and for that I don’t need much.
Even a longer trip, like my upcoming 10-day family vacation in Greece, will be carry-on only. It can be done, I promise, and I know this because, even with carry-on luggage, I always unpack clothes I haven’t worn at the end of every trip.
The key to success is planning. I start with a list and do a fitting of all the summer clothes I’m not sure I should pack. Be ruthless: in the past I’ve packed things with guilt that I felt I shouldn’t. should I’ve brought them home but never worn them because there was always something else that looked better. Or I’ve imagined a different style identity for myself on holiday, a Spanish señorita in cascading ruffles and chandelier earrings, only to find it’s all a bit OTT for the local taverna.
For frequent flyer Shiza Shahid, co-founder of kitchenware brand Our Place, coordination is key. “Stick to a cohesive color palette with gold or silver for accessories and black or brown basics so you don’t have to have multiple colored shoes, bags, and accessories,” she says.
This is not meant to be a joyless exercise. I write this as someone who loves fashion and the dressing up opportunities that a summer vacation brings. But it is not a fashion show, where you need a different outfit every day and every night. Social media influencers may say otherwise, but I love my favorite vacation clothes so much that I want to wear every item at least twice. I go crazy with things that take up as little space as possible, like swimwear and jewelry.
Check out (or click) the photos below to see how I created four outfits from one matching set:
If you need a reminder, look at your last summer vacation photos to see what you wore the most. For me, it’s mostly swimwear, shorts, and tees during the day, and flowy dresses and pants at night. My black and white ribbed racerback tank tops go with everything. I don’t wear heels because vacation is all about feeling relaxed for me, and we often walk to and from restaurants in the evenings. Small feet are a big plus.
I sometimes throw in a “just in case” piece – an extra T-shirt or dress is always handy. Important to know: you don’t want to arrive at your destination unprepared – that’s as much of a failure as giving up and taking a bigger suitcase.
To pack more, roll, don’t fold, and stuff smaller items like plug adapters, socks, and jewelry in your shoes. Beauty products are where many would-be carry-on travelers run into trouble. “Invest in travel-sized beauty products,” says Shahid. “And be realistic about the routines you’ll be following while traveling—are you really going to use a face mask on this trip?”
I like to decant my essentials into containers under 100ml (found at Boots or Amazon) and carry them in my handbag so I can get through security quickly. If I know my hotel or Airbnb provides body wash and shampoo, I leave them out of my bag. As a family, we use a lot of sunscreen, so I buy a large bottle from Duty-Free.
One caveat is that I don’t mind doing a little laundry on vacation. You may feel differently, but I usually bring some travel laundry so I can wear basics like t-shirts and underwear a second or third time. I rinse the chlorine or salt water out of my swimwear every day anyway, so it doesn’t feel like a lot of extra work.
Packing for the rest of the family
I have three year old twins and I haven’t considered their needs in my bag. Now that they both need their own seats on the plane, they are also entitled to a carry-on suitcase. The only big things needed are nappies for the night, inflatable pool toys and beach toys (they have collapsible buckets for sandcastles), a stuffed animal each and a few puzzles stuffed in old dust bags.
Together I pack about 10 T-shirts, five shorts, two swimsuits each, and three cotton dresses for my daughter. They have the same rule about wearing their bulkiest clothes for the trip, so they travel in sneakers and wear Crocs at the pool or on the beach. In my handbag I pack snacks, water, and some activity books for the flight. We are almost at the point where we can do without a stroller.
My husband’s approach to packing is also fairly simple. His biggest treat in the trunk is a clean T-shirt for every day of the vacation and two sets of running clothes. He also packs a couple of shirts, three pairs of shorts, and a pair of pants in case we decide to dress up for dinner. His Toms espadrilles can be worn for just about anything, but he also packs flip-flops for the beach and travels in his running shoes.
Patrick Grant, founder of Community Clothing and a judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, is even more of a packing minimalist, but that doesn’t get in the way of his style: “I pretty much wear the same things every day, whether I’m on holiday or at home, which makes packing super simple,” he says. “I wear a light raincoat, baggy cotton trousers and a jumper for travelling so I have warm things, which means I can pack super light for warm holidays; just a pair of Community Clothing lightweight cotton sports shorts in black, a pair of black speedos, an olive green and a navy cotton army shirt, a couple of cotton crew neck T-shirts, a pair of socks and trousers, leather sandals and a toiletry bag (with little more than a toothbrush and comb in it). That’s pretty much it.”
Now I just have to hope that the flight isn’t so full that the cabin crew decides to put my bag in the hold anyway. One of those things that no amount of clever packing can prevent.
