Recently the hubs and I went on a trip to Orlando, Florida. It was fun and exhausting all at the same time and I realized that I need to schedule more nap-time while vacationing! It’s actually been awhile since we’ve been on “real” vacation, I think ~4 years when we went on our honeymoon to Jamaica? But I always get home and feel like I need a 1-2 stay-cation to rest-up from vacation (and do laundry…). Vacationing just makes me dream of my next one when I return, so…hopefully we will make it a priority to vacation again sooner than 4 years. I have so many places I want to visit and experience and I don’t ever want to forget how great vacation feels! And I’m sure there’s a study somewhere that shows how wonderful it is for the psyche!

Anyway, most of the vacations we have taken in the past have been ~5-7 nights in duration. And I never check a bag. I think once for my high school language trip to London and Paris I packed a suitcase, but only because I thought it was what you were suppose to do. Now I only use a carry-on. And it’s not any fancy or special overpriced carry-on either. It is literally a gym bag I used in high school for sports gear and fortunately fits the carry-on requirements of almost every airline. Who would have thought that a bag my parents bought me 10-15 years ago for sports equipment would turn out to be a great investment!?!

Now, I know some of you might be freaking out right now about traveling for an extended duration and only packing a carry-on. If you are new to simplifying, de-cluttering, or minimalism this could be very overwhelming. Here are some of the reasons though I love traveling with only a carry-on:

1. No fees – With no bag to check I don’t have to worry whether or not my airline charges for a checked bag (most do now) or how much they charge. Being as frugal as I am, I feel like this is a huge win. Depending on how many people are in your household, checking a bag for everyone can get really expensive. You aren’t even on vacation yet and you are spending money!
2. No lost luggage – This is a huge fear of mine! I would hate to arrive to my destination with news that my luggage is lost, on the wrong flight, etc. All of my outfits I so carefully planned are gone. There’s no guarantee if or when I’ll get them back. I’d have to go and buy new outfits, so I’d be spending money and increasing the size of my wardrobe. Of course I’d need new toiletries (gotta bush my teeth at some point!). With all the stress of misplaced luggage and the time you’d be wasting to replace those items can you truly enjoy vacation? You could be spending your time oceanside instead of running all over an unfamiliar town trying to buy new clothes.
3. No damaged bags – Believe me when I say they do not handle your bags with care! You’ve seen the caddies they use to transport your luggage around – open on both sides, stacked to the brim with suitcases, with the driver pedal to the metal, always in a rush! They are on a mission, and it’s not to make sure everything arrives intact (or even stay on the caddie)! The one time I did check a bag, the suitcase which was new at the time, suffered a terrible rip on the front pocket making the pocket rather useless and unusable.
4. More room – The more people you are traveling with, the more room their luggage is going to take up. Whether you are flying on an airplane or traveling by car, the less luggage there is for each person, the more room everyone will have whether you are driving to the airport or driving across country.
5. Literally everything you could ever need on vacation will fit! I promise! Notice I said “need” and not “want”. You don’t need 10 pairs of shoes for every outfit or your “alternative” outfits, you want 10 pairs of shoes to match every outfit.

To be honest, I actually overpacked for this trip! I didn’t know how warm or cold it was going to be, or whether it was going to be rainy, so I brought every type of clothing I thought I would need! So how did I actually do it!?!?

We flew to Florida. There are obviously restrictions for liquids (<3 oz. or 100mL) in carry-ons and they all have to fit in 1 quart size bag. This quart size plastic bag, for me, contains all of my face wash, makeup, and toothpaste. I actually put these items in the side pocket of my gym bag for easy access in case it needs to be removed from the bag for some reason. Now, I don’t take shampoo or conditioner because I know all the hotels supply them. I have in the past brought hair products, unfortunately in very humid weather my hair rarely cooperates even with the best serums. We like to take active vacations, so a lot of the times my hair ends up in a ponytail anyway. If you need to bring these additional items, bring the least amount you’d need (smaller bottles) and choose a makeup palette that is more neutral (aka the basics). If you have a significant other that packs a lot less than you do in toiletries, utilize the rest of their 1 quart bag space 🙂

Clothing, oh where do I begin? So many options; so many choices. First off, before packing think about where you are going, what you’ll be doing, the climate, and how long you will be there for. Orlando the week we went was going to be about mid-80’s and 90 our last day, so I knew I wanted to bring some shorts, t-shirts, and tank tops. We were going to be doing a lot of walking on the days we went to the theme parks, so I knew I wanted to wear comfortable shoes and bring some sneakers. We also planned on going to the water parks, so I’d need some sandals and a couple of bathing suits. Even in 80 degree weather I can be cold (air-conditioning, cooler at night, or just being cold) so I knew I’d also want to bring some warmer clothes (pants, long shirts, and maybe a sweater) as well.

Then I started picking out my clothes to pack. Everything I wanted to take that came out of my dresser and was already folded, I rolled. Everything that came out my closet on hangers, I folded and rolled. Then I simply started piling them all into my gym bag. Rolling your clothes takes up a lot less space than trying to pack only folded clothes! Seriously, try it!

I was able to pack 5 tank tops, 1 pairs of jeans, 10 t-shirts, 5 long sleeve-shirts, 2 sweaters, 5 pairs of shorts, 2 bathing suits, all of my undergarments for the week, 6 pairs of socks, 1 pair of flip-flops and a belt. And I didn’t even wear all of it in the 7 nights we were in Orlando! We flew out of New England, so I wore one pair of jeans, a long sleeve-shirt, a sweater, and my coat (in case it rains; or is cold on the airplane) to Orlando. I also wore my sneakers and packed the flip flops since they take up a lot less space than sneakers do. For most of the days I wore shorts, a tank or t-shirt, socks, and sneakers. We spent two days at the water park, and for those days I wore a bathing suit and flip flops. Coming home, knowing it wouldn’t be 80 degrees, I wore jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and my coat.

The good thing about having a flexible carry-on is that you can fit some additional items if needed. The downside is that this carry-on does not have wheels, so if you are traveling from one side of the airport to the other or cannot carry anything with weight (this bag can get heavy the longer you are carrying it and depending on how much you have packed), a carry-on with wheels may be more ideal. If you are in need (NOT wanting) a stylish carry-on luggage that acts more like a suitcase with more compartments, you need to check out these PAKT bags.

Lastly, other items I didn’t take with me was my hair dryer or straightener. I knew the hotel had a hair dryer and I didn’t need my straightener because I wore my hair in a ponytail everyday due to humidity. If you feel like you need to pack these items, plan on bringing only enough outfits you’ll need for each day. Pick out a couple of shoes that’ll go with the majority of your outfits that also fit the activities you’ll be doing on vacation. The less shoes you bring, the more space you have for other clothes and/or souvenirs 🙂

I’d love to hear what other packing hacks you use when traveling via airline or vehicle. Also if you are new to simplifying, check out “Simplifying Your Wardrobe“, “Why is it Hard to Let Go“, and “Curating a Timeless Wardrobe“.