travel like a minimalist: a complete packing guide
Travel is one of my favorite things to do, but it can be stressful. From preparing for a trip to arriving at your destination only to realize you’ve forgotten an essential item or brought way more than you needed, there’s a lot that can go wrong.
You can make packing and traveling easier by shifting your mindset and becoming a minimalist. How? By applying the same minimalist living principles to your packing method as you do to organizing in your everyday life.
Getting organized and maintaining systems doesn’t stop at your home or office. When you commit to packing light and designate a place for each essential item, you can have everything you need right where you need it and have less to lug around and unpack later.
I’ll be sharing my top 24 packing tips later in this post, but first, let’s talk about luggage.
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MY FAVORITE traVEL BAG
I highly recommend the Cuyana Leather Triple Zipper Weekender as a go-to overnight bag and personal item for air travel. It has three compartments with zipper closures so you can separate your items by category. The center compartment has four smaller compartments inside, three of which are the perfect size for shoes or travel pouches.
The Weekender has two carry handles as well as a long strap so you can carry it over your shoulder or as a cross-body. It also features a luggage handle sleeve that slides conveniently onto most suitcases so you don’t have to carry it all day.
THE ONLY LUGGAGE I use
When it comes to luggage, it’s worth it to invest in functional, well-made suitcases that you can bring on every single trip you take. Having the same suitcase in two different sizes limits the number of decisions you have to make each time you set out to pack and helps you create a streamlined travel look if you decide to take both.
I swear by Monos luggage. The Check-In Medium is perfect for when you’re checking a bag or going on a road trip but don’t want to take a huge suitcase. The Carry-On is ideal for shorter trips or instances where you need a second suitcase.
Both sizes have reliable handles, quiet 360-degree wheels, TSA-approved locks, and vegan leather detailing and luggage tags. Plus, the Carry-On nests inside the Check-In Medium for easy storage when you’re not using them.
Of course, choosing your luggage is only half the battle. The real challenge is how you choose what to pack and the systems you put in place to make the task easier.
24 tips for packing like a pro
As a professional home organizer in Portland, Oregon, I spend a lot of time helping people identify what sparks joy according to the Marie Kondo method so they can adopt a minimal lifestyle. But packing can be uniquely challenging because it forces people to choose between items they already know they love, at least temporarily.
Even so, leaving the majority of your belongings behind and taking a carefully selected collection of items on a trip can be extremely liberating if you learn to get comfortable with the process. Here are my top tips.
clothing
1. Be realistic. Let go of the “imaginary vacation you” and remember that you are who you are wherever you go, and that’s a good thing! It’s easier and simpler to have a standard wardrobe you wear everywhere and adapt it slightly based on the weather or activities you plan to do than it is to reinvent yourself for every vacation. Throw in one outfit you wouldn’t normally wear that’s specifically tailored to your destination. Otherwise, stick to the basics.
2. Before packing, research the high and low daily temperatures at your destination and see if there are any anticipated weather events you need to prepare for.
3. Pick out a bunch of clothing items then cut them by half. Narrow your final selection down to items that are multi-functional, such as jeans that go with everything instead of patterned pants that go with only a few things. Consider what you’re actually going to wear—not what your imaginary self would wear—and leave the rest behind.
4. Plan to re-wear clothes. No one knows who you are when you’re in a new place, so you have anonymity and can re-wear outfits without thinking twice about it. If you have access to a washer and dryer, you can re-wear your clothes even more. AirBnbs typically have washers and dryers available, and some hotels have laundry services available, too.
5. Pack three to four pairs of bottoms max.
6. Pack more shirts than bottoms because you probably won’t re-wear them as often.
7. Pack two swimsuits so you always have one that’s dry.
8. Plan to wear the same outfit for both of your main travel days.
9. Use a packing cube for each category of clothing and fold using the KonMari Method, that way you can unpack your clothes and place them directly into drawers without having to refold them.
10. Don’t worry about wrinkles. AirBnbs and hotels typically have irons or steamers. You can also steam a wrinkled garment by putting it in a dryer along with a few ice cubes for 10 minutes or placing it on a hanger in the bathroom while you take a hot shower.
shoes and accessories
1. Limit your accessories to one hat, one belt, and one scarf, plus jewelry.
2. Bring three to four pairs of shoes max, and make sure they’re all super comfortable. The last thing you want is a bunch of blisters or pain when you’re on vacation. Rothy’s Original Slip On Sneaker is one of my favorite shoe options for travel as well as everyday wear.
3. Wear your hat, jacket, scarf, and heaviest pair of shoes on your travel days.
toiletries
1. Plan to use the bath and body products they have where you’re staying. Then bring personal items such as contact solution, eye drops, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, and your go-to hair product.
2. If you wear makeup, stick to four or five quality items. I always pack concealer, mascara, a lip product, and a beauty blender. Avoid packing specialty eyeshadows and lip colors, because you probably won’t even wear them anyway.
3. If you’re traveling with a partner, share a toiletry bag with them.
personal items
1. If you’re a highly sensitive person (HSP) like me, noise-canceling headphones can be a game-changer for places like crowded airports and hotels. My favorite pair are the Beats Studio3 Wireless OverEar Headphones, and I never travel without them.
2. It’s important to take the things you enjoy in your everyday life on trips with you so you can take care of yourself and maintain continuity. For example, I always pack a book, a journal, snacks, supplements, collagen packets, and tea in my travel bag.
3. If you’re flying, keep your most essential items in the bag you use as your personal item in case your connecting flight gets delayed or the airline loses your luggage.
souvenirs
1. Try not to buy trinkets on vacation.
2. If you find something you really love or want to give to someone as a gift, look into shipping options instead of bringing an extra-large bag just to fill with things you’ll have to make space for when you get home.
3. If you want to purchase a clothing or jewelry item that isn’t large enough to warrant
shipping, wear it on your way home.
make things simple
1. Create standard packing lists ahead of time so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you travel and can avoid forgetting something important. I keep one central packing list for vacation in general, plus an additional list for road trips. Here’s what my packing lists look like.
general packing list:
o Clothes
o Glasses
o Hats
o Shoes
o Swimsuit
o Jewelry
o Sunglasses
o Toiletries
o Sunscreen
o Tampons
o Passport
o Wallet
o Ear plugs
o Headphones
o Chargers
o Book
o Journal
o Supplements
o Snacks
o Camera
o iPad
road trip packing list:
o Cooler
o Towels
o Pillows
o Dog bed
o Dog leashes
o Dog food
o Dog treats
2. Spring for TSA PreCheck. I’m a big proponent of PreCheck because it saves time, prevents you from having to wait in long airport lines, and makes airport security screening less stressful because you typically don’t have to take your shoes off or remove anything from your luggage. All you have to do to get PreCheck status is apply online and go to a brief enrollment appointment, then it lasts for five years.
practicing minimalism wherever you go
The average person needs much fewer items than they think they do, even when traveling outside of their comfort zone. By learning how to travel with less and being intentional about how you store items when you’re on the go, you can bring a sense of lightness to your travels and focus on experiences over things.
When you shift your attention to all the things you get to do and see and less on the things you’re going to bring or buy, you feel freer and more present. And for me at least, that’s what travel is all about.
