My Top 3 Carry On Packing Tips
I can’t believe I’ve been home from my trip to Europe for a couple of weeks - it’s amazing how time flies. My sister and I went to Europe for a 3 week summer holiday last month and we both only took carry on bags with us. We didn’t want the anxiety of potentially losing our bags (which I’ve seen is happening a lot this year) or having to lug big suitcases up several flights of stairs and down cobblestoned streets. There is a slight luxury that comes with taking a carry on bag on your holiday - you’re confident in knowing you have everything with you at all times, you don’t have to wait ages for your bag to turn up on the conveyor belt at the airport and it’s so easy to move around with you wherever you go. Obviously the only downside is not being able to buy lots of souvenirs and clothes, but we still managed to do that! We bought small gifts for our families and some clothes too. So it really is possible!
I don’t have major structure when I take carry on, I find a lot of packing guides tend to be quite rigid and not flexible enough depending on your own personal style and the season. I don’t want anyone telling me I can only take 4 tops or 3 pairs of swimsuits - what if I want to take 7 tops and only 1 swimsuit? Do these packing guides account for summer and winter holidays? Over time I have developed my own strategy for taking a carry on and these tips have worked really well for me. For my trip to Europe, I packed 20 pieces of clothing that gave me almost 60 different outfit options - amazing huh! Read on to find out my Top 3 Carry On Packing Tips and you can also watch this video over on TikTok. And if you’d like a bit more of a breakdown of what I took with me to Europe, check out these videos on TikTok:
Tip #1: Buy an inexpensive clothes rack
When I am planning a trip and what I am planning to pack with me, the first thing I do is start hanging pieces onto my cheap Kmart clothes rack. This helps me visualise how many pieces I will be taking, how cohesive the pieces are working together and what my outfits will look like. I recommend starting to do this at least one to two months before your holiday. By starting to organise your carry on packing early, you’ll leave plenty of time to add pieces in and take pieces out, therefore assisting in making the best decisions for your trip (and having no outfit regrets on your holiday!).
Tip #2: Choose a colour palette
My second tip is to choose a colour palette of 3 to 4 colours, and this includes black and white. For this trip my colours were black, white and browns with one statement red floral dress. My wardrobe is quite minimalist and you might have a really colourful one, but whichever one you prefer if you stick to a colour palette you’ll be able to mix and match all of your pieces and have so many daily outfit options. I took 20 pieces of clothes with me to Europe which gave me almost 60 different outfit options - amazing, right?
Tip #3: Don’t wear your pieces before you go
For my third and final tip, don’t wear any of the pieces you plan on taking with you at least one month before you leave, that way everything will feel fresh, new and exciting on your holiday.