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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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  • travel
  • 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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    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
    This window takes the cake for my favorite one in This window takes the cake for my favorite one in the house! It overlooks a giant silver maple from the second story of our old farmhouse and gets the absolute best light throughout the day ✨
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#cozy #hygge #hyggehome #hyggelife #jotul #jøtul #woodstovelife #woodstove #fireside
    Egg production for our hens has come to a screechi Egg production for our hens has come to a screeching halt lately with the exception of this white leghorn, who continues to faithfully lay one white egg each day! I don't blame them at all, these girls have endured quite the winter so far.
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This white leghorn is the newest addition to our flock, and she actually showed up randomly in the fall and would hang out near the run during the day and disappear towards the evening. This went on for a couple of weeks, and then one day she wandered in when I had the door open and I couldn't get her out. So in she stayed!
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One egg a day is not quite enough to keep up with the baking and cooking for us, so I did have to buy eggs at the store the other week. Talk about sticker shock! I'm curious what prices everyone has been paying for eggs these days.
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    Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not di Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not disappoint! Normally I do a lot more fall baking, but I've been soaking up all the newborn snuggles every chance I get 🥰

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Born 9.3.22 at 2:33am
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    Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully so Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully sooner rather than later 😅), but we've been busy harvesting honey from our hives! We just restocked with our freshly harvested raw honey at @martins.mercantile on Friday last week, so if you live in WNY you can head over there for your honey fix #🍯 I think it's extra delicious this year!! 😋 Just check out that beautiful golden color in the second picture 😍
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By popular demand, we'll have a couple of new size jars available at @martins.mercantile soon!
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    I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for the I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for their Farm-to-Table campaign! 
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We took a trip to Joe’s Farm Market in town to gather some of the produce we needed for dinner alfresco the other night! We enjoyed caprese salad with farm fresh tomatoes and basil, pasta salad with roasted veggies, iced tea made with mint from our garden, and focaccia from a local bakery.
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My favorite was the homemade peach and blackberry galette, topped with raw honey from our own bee hives! 🍯 The peaches were some of the best ones we’ve had all summer, and there almost weren’t enough left to make the galette because they were being eaten as fast as I could cut them up!
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Longaberger has the most beautiful vitrified pottery serving dishes! And I love how their baking dishes are pretty enough to use as serving dishes too, making it easy to simplify your kitchen since they are so versatile. They’re also pretty enough to use for special occasions, but simple and durable enough for everyday use. The matching plates and bowls are definitely on my wish list!!
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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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https://cedarandstonefarmhouse.com/perfectly-imperfect-chicken-coop/
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