Last updated: 28 June 2023
I’m renown for packing the kitchen sink when travelling. It’s a safety net. I have been very ill in foreign lands and struggled to see a doctor. Let alone one that spoke or understood ANY English other than ‘hello’. So I pack medically-prepared. Not a first-aid kit, but the basics. Bandaids (aka plasters), painkillers, cream for bites & stings, antihistamines and anything required depending on location & activities.
However since moving to London (with 60kg) of luggage I am slowly learning to downsize. But only for short trips, 4 days I can cope with carry-on. Anything more and I still need to check a bag. You can see that this is a work in progress. But carry-on is cheap, quicker and (almost) always easier.
If it’s a quick trip for a weekend you should be able to cope. But you have to makes sacrifices.
Most of my recent trips involved cabin baggage. I’m a lover of the internet so I spend time hunting for others in a similar situation or have found the answers. There’s plenty of blogs who have guide to packing light, some of which I agree with, other reviews I can’t see how they can possibly survive.
Cabin suitcase, backpack or duffle?
This is solely personal choice. London has many tube stations without lift access. I see many people struggle with their cabin suitcases or tripping people.
I currently use a duffle because it fits more, it’s light and is pliable to fit in the overhead compartments. To be fair, when I have been carrying it for a while or it’s nearing 10kg I wish for a bag with wheels.
Tips on what to pack
Many recommendations depend on your accommodation. Hostels are cheaper but offer nothing in the way of toiletries, hotels cost more but give you most of what you need.
- Make a list. You know what you have and haven’t got, you can cull items off it. Without a list I forget things or leave them behind. With a list I can cull any excess and so far I am yet forget anything. I tend to reuse the same list as long as the destination is a similar temperature.
- Those shampoo samples in magazines? Keep them. Pack them as your emergency shampoo if your hotel offers those feral, but green & cost-effective, shampoo/conditioner/soap all in one boxes on the wall. This isn’t a substitute for shampoo no matter what the label says.
- Consider packing a travel size dry shampoo. You can get another day or two from using it.
- If staying in a hotel that does offer little shampoo bottles, remove them everyday. Take them home and then use for your next trip. If they’re refillable then even better. They will fit the <100 mL liquid restriction for cabin luggage and give you peace of mind that you will be able to wash your hair.
- I pack a power-board. People laugh at this, but I travel with technology. Phone, tablet, laptop, camera all require power. I prefer to charge everything overnight and generally that way you’ll only need one power adapter i.e. UK to Europe or UK to USA as everything you own is likely from the same origin. Sure it takes space but for me it’s a non negotiable.
- Leave the hairdryer & straightener at home. Unless you can’t possibly survive without it, then buy a very small travel one.
- An oldie but a goodie, wear your heaviest and bulkiest items on the plane. Jacket, shoes, scarves all take up valuable space. By wearing it you will save space and you can always remove it for your flight. Get a small bag-in-a-bag that you can unfold and put everything once you’ve boarded & stash it under the seat in front of you. This stops you from losing it in the back of the overhead cabins and complies with the ‘one bag policy’ that RyanAir is famous for.
- Mainly directed to the ladies: you can wear things more than once. It is possible to wear that skirt again, or those shoes do go with those jeans. People don’t care, nor should you.
- Make up? Pack it. I’m not a troglodyte. But you don’t need that eyeshadow palette. Foundation, A lipstick, mascara and eyeliner should do you for a day or three. If you must take concealer or blush do so, but don’t dream about packing your entire makeup bag. You don’t need it.
And finally, learn from your mistakes. Like this post is a work in progress as should be your experience. Pack less, wash undies and socks in the hotel if you have to, and cull cull cull. You WILL survive without your GHD, you WILL have fun your Tesco ballet flats and they will hurt you much less than your Louboutin pumps.
