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Top 5 Tips for Packing Light

Posted on July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 by jennifer froese
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Have you ever felt burdened by all of your luggage while traveling? It doesn’t have to be that way! You should be able to enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Unless your last name is Kardashian, you probably don’t have a private jet and people to cart your luggage around for you. Keep reading for my top 5 tips for packing light!

Top 5 Tips for Packing Light

Why Bother Packing Light?

Over the past several years (and after a couple of delays due to checked bags), Dave and I have officially converted to the carry-on only club. It’s not as hard as you might think to pack in only a carry-on bag, and the benefits are endless! No checked-bag fees, more flexibility and freedom, quicker packing, etc. Another great thing about having only carry-on luggage is that you can zip right past all the people waiting for their checked bags at the luggage carousels. You’ll be the first in line to get your rental car, and already on your way while they’re still waiting for their luggage!

Packing carry-on only has helped us to be more flexible when traveling. On one of our recent trips, we were supposed to have a 2 hour layover at JFK before flying home to Buffalo. That flight home ended up getting delayed by 4 hours, but there was another flight leaving for Buffalo within 45 minutes of when we landed for our layover. We got off our first flight and ran through the airport (we even had to change terminals), getting to the gate just in time to find out that they still had open seats. They were able to change our tickets so we could get on that flight within minutes of takeoff. Our layover ended up being 45 minutes instead of 6 hours! That definitely wouldn’t have happened if we had checked bags.

I promise, once you go carry-on only you won’t go back! Here are my top 5 tips for packing light:

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

1. Get a Carry-On Bag You Love

After countless hours of research, I finally decided to get an Osprey Farpoint 40 backpack last year right before our trip to the Azores. I got the S/M size based on my height, and it’s the perfect size for a carry-on. The dimensions are 20”H X 14”W X 8”D, which also qualifies as a carry-on with stricter international airlines. Even fully packed, the Farpoint 40 is super comfortable thanks to the fully-adjustable sternum strap and hip belt. It also has lots of security features, including zippers that you can lock with TSA-approved luggage locks.

Top 5 Tips for Packing Light - Osprey Farpoint 40

The great thing about packing in a backpack is that you can take all of your stuff out of it when you get to your destination and use it as a daypack for hiking or day trips if needed. The Farpoint 40 is probably larger than you actually need for a daypack, but that way you don’t have to bring a second backpack.

Some of the runners-up I researched alongside the Farpoint 40 include: the Osprey Fairview 40 Backpack, Peak Design 45L Travel Line Backpack (I have a couple Peak Design items and they are so well-designed!), and the Timbuk2 Wander Pack.

2. Make a List (First) and Stick To It

We love Rick Steves’ article “Packing Smart and Traveling Light” as well as his printable packing list. I recommend to go through your list before you start packing to determine what exactly you do and don’t need. It’s easier to be objective when making your list ahead of time. It’s harder when you’re looking at that giant pile of clothes on your bed and trying to decide what to pack. It’s important to be realistic; you don’t need 4 pairs of pants for a week-long trip to a warm weather destination.

Rick Steves Packing List - Packing Light

3. Be Selective About Your Clothes

Here are some general guidelines to follow:

All your clothes should mix and match with all other items.

This also helps to make layering easier since all your pieces go together. Bringing clothes that mix and match can make a small number of pieces more versatile. You can search Pinterest for “Carry-On Capsule Wardrobe” for some great ideas!

All your clothes should be fast-drying.

Being able to wash and dry your clothes quickly makes it easier to pack less clothes in your carry-on. You can wear them time and time again without running out of options.

All your clothes should pack down small.

I don’t pack denim any more; jeans don’t pack down small and are probably the slowest-drying item in my closet. My main travel pants are prAna Transform leggings and these North Face Aphrodite 2.0 Pants. They are super comfortable, pack down really small, and are quick-drying.

4. Use Packing Cubes

Packing cubes make it easier to keep your bag organized. There are also compression packing cubes that can help pack your clothes down even smaller. These Eagle Creek “Pack It Cubes” & “Pack It Sacs” are the ones we have used the past few years and they have held up great! My goal when packing is to fit all of my clothes into two of these cubes.

Top 5 Tips for Packing Light - Eagle Creek Pack-It Sacs
Top 5 Tips for Packing Light - Eagle Creek Pack-It Packing Cubes

5. Bring Laundry Soap

It’s easier to pack fewer clothes if you plan on washing them in the sink or tub with your laundry soap. Then you can hang them to dry on the backs of chairs, a balcony railing, or a travel clothesline. This is the main reason why I choose to bring light, fast-drying clothes on all of our trips. We have brought both liquid and solid bar types of detergent. If I have enough room in my liquids bag, I prefer to pack this Sea to Summit biodegradable liquid laundry soap concentrate. If I don’t have enough room in my liquids bag, I pack this little “Wash & Stain Bar” from The Laundress. Although I haven’t tried them out yet, if you’re short on space in your liquids bag, you can buy packets of powder detergent designed for washing clothes in the sink.

Top 5 Tips for Packing Light - Bring Laundry Soap

Do you have any other tips and tricks on how to pack light? What would you add to the list!

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  • 2 thoughts on “Top 5 Tips for Packing Light”

    1. Jordan says:
      January 3, 2020 at 9:39 am

      I don’t travel by plane too often but I have made it a point to be carry-on only if I’m flying. (I didn’t really have that option when going to Kazakhstan since I was there for ~9 months, but having checked bags just adds an extra variable to worry about! Thankfully, there were no snafus.) Years ago (when we were in high school), my dad lost a checked bag (that I don’t think he ever got back!) and he had (foolishly) packed our handheld camcorder in it — so that’s now lost forever! I never want something like that to happen to me if I can help it. When traveling with both carry-on and checked luggage, I think of that and put the “I absolutely don’t want to potentially lose this” items in my carry-on. But then it gets me thinking, “If I don’t have that same mindset about these other things I’m bringing, why am I bothering with another bag at all?!” haha I have been trying to be more intentional about the clothes I buy and not purchase things that I don’t love, but I still have a way to go with paring down the things I already have, but I digress!

      I just wanted to echo that pre-planning outfits and only bringing items that mix-and-match is SUCH a time and space saver! That’s the only way I pack now. It makes things SO much easier. I bought myself a travel backpack that falls under carry-on guidelines when I went to Hawaii in November 2018. It was so wonderful being hands-free and knowing that I only had to worry about one bag. 🙂 I’m going to use it at the end of the month when going on a weekend getaway with friends. Looking forward to the puzzle of outfit planning lol.

      p.s.: Your blog is so cute, Jenni! Came on here to check out the nursery tour but then started poking around lol

      Reply
      1. jennifer froese says:
        January 3, 2020 at 8:26 pm

        Thanks Jordan!! 😊 That’s my worst fear losing something so important in a checked bag! I definitely avoid it al all costs. I definitely agree about the clothes mixing and matching, it makes everything so much easier

        Reply

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    cedarandstonefarmhouse

    Jennifer Froese
    🌿 Living a slow, simple life in our 1832 farmhouse | western ny | 5w6 | the secret to having it all is knowing that you already do ✨

    Cedar & Stone Farmhouse
    The rest of the house is a complete disaster and t The rest of the house is a complete disaster and the to-do list is a mile long, but at least this little corner of the kitchen is still looking pretty 😅
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    It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you o It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you on a tour of our chicken coop! I’ve had a years-long dream to have chickens, and we were finally able to get them last spring.
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I just shared a blog post about how we converted this wonky old shed into a perfectly imperfect chicken coop last year! Definitely a labor of love, especially with the pandemic lumber prices 😅
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The link is in my bio if you want to check it out!
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Not sure if I have the patience to complete another cross stitch project ever again 😂 Just wanted to give her a permanent spot on the grid lol

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    #ad I received the most beautiful items from @Long #ad I received the most beautiful items from @Longaberger last week! I have been such a fan of Longaberger since basically the beginning of time, and I remember going to many Longaberger parties with my mom and aunts and grandma when I was growing up.

Everything that Longaberger makes is such amazing quality, and so many of my pieces have been passed down to me from my grandma and my mom, or they are treasures that I’ve found at the thrift store. Longaberger baskets (and their beautiful pottery) are amazing, heirloom-quality pieces that can be handed down through the generations.

I love being able to look on the bottom of the baskets to see the signature of the person that made it along with the year. Some of my baskets are actually older than I am! I love to think about someday when I can pass my favorite baskets on to Evie to use in her home. 

A couple of the items Longaberger sent me are in their newer colors that I had never seen in person before - Pewter (the Recipe Basket), and Pale Grey (the Baking Dish Basket). The newer colors are SO beautiful! They are a little bit updated, but still a timeless addition. As you can see, they fit right in with our old farmhouse!

I think my favorite piece is the Recipe Box - it is so pretty and practical. I love that you can set the recipe card on top and easily glance at it while cooking. It would definitely make a beautiful housewarming or bridal shower gift!

What’s on your Longaberger wishlist? I’ve been eyeing up their adorable Easter baskets! Also check out their feed for the cutest little jadeite Easter bunny you ever did see!

@longaberger offers the opportunity for anyone to become a stylist and be part of a modern sales program! You can learn more about it here: https://longaberger.com/pages/longaberger-family-sales-program

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I planted some flower bulbs in the fall, and I can't wait to see them bloom this year! I chose some giant allium, crocus, tulips and daffodils. For some reason I really don't like planting bulbs AT ALL, but I always try to remember that my future self will thank me.

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    Well, hello! There are a few new faces since the l Well, hello! There are a few new faces since the last time I introduced myself! I’m Jen - a wife and mom of an (almost) 2-year old girl named Evelyn Iris. We live in Western NY. I’ve lived here my whole life, and my husband Dave moved to the area when he was in elementary school.

I’m a pharmacist by profession, but shortly before my daughter was born I switched to working just part-time to have more time to spend with her. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and I know how lucky I am to be able to be home with her so much.

I’m a major homebody and LOVE to work on home projects and decorate and garden. We bought my grandma’s house a couple of years ago, and are madly in love with it - a charming, old 1832 saltbox farmhouse. I chose the name Cedar & Stone Farmhouse based on the house, with its cedar siding and the old stone walls that run along the property.

We started keeping bees about 7 years ago at our last house in the suburbs, and are now up to five hives here at the farmhouse.

We also recently started keeping chickens (a lifelong dream of mine!) - we have Dominiques, Easter Eggers, and Blue Orpingtons. We also have one guinea hen (it's a long story, but we started with 10 and sadly have only one left after some coyote attacks).

I’m a type 5 on the Enneagram (a personality test), specifically a 5w6 - also known as “the troubleshooter.” I tend to be very introverted and analytical, and usually do a ton of research before starting anything new (library books, YouTube, google, etc. are definitely my friends haha).

If you’ve taken the Enneagram quiz, I’d love to know your personality type too!
    Brought some of the outdoors inside today 🌿 I j Brought some of the outdoors inside today 🌿 I just love how these branches fill the space above the shelf in the kitchen! This beautiful stoneware pitcher was a @martins.mercantile vintage find!
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