How to Pack Light, Travel Carryon Only, and Still Look Good Anywhere

Carryon is the Only Way

I admit, I'm a radical on this luxury travel issue. But I'm convinced that flying carryon is the only sensible way to travel.

I'm not alone. Many luxury travelers feel that packing light is a hallmark of a genuine lux traveler. We make it our mission to pack light and travel carryon. Even when we're granted a free checked bag by our airline or credit card.
• Packing carryon is an obvious one the 8 ways to avoid paying airline baggage fees

We Learned the Hard Way: Don't Pack So Much!

Many of us resolved to change our ways after the time...
•We made our connection, but our checked suitcase didn't
• The airline lost our luggage, and we arrived in Baja California in black wool
• We traveled with six bags and left one at the hotel's taxi stand, never to be seen again
• We had too much luggage to take the train from the airport, and spent a fortune on a cab
• We took a weekend getaway, packed enough for 10 days, and feared for our sanity
• Or maybe we're just sick and tired of dragging around half our wardrobe

Packing Carryon Is a Religion

We who have taken the carryon vow feel that we've lightened our load: physically, logistically, and emotionally.

I'm a zealot. I like being fast on my feet when I travel. And to me, the rigor of packing light is a pleasant challenge, like a crossword puzzle, as well as a fashion exercise.

Packing light is an art. Well done, it's a source of pride.

Less is More and Light Is Right

We can't let our luggage weigh us down, literally and figuratively.

If you can't walk a quarter-mile carrying all your bags, you have overpacked. (What's a quarter mile? Five minutes at a good clip. Five Manhattan blocks. From one concourse to another in a major airport's terminal.)

A Carryon Must Be a Certain Size

A carryon has to fit, more or less, into the metal "test racks" you'll see in airports for this purpose.
• Airlines uphold maximum dimensions for carryon bags
• Typically, length plus height plus depth cannot exceed around 45 inches total. Domestic flights allow more than international; check your airline's website

Luggage Preference Is an Individual Thing

Whatever bag you choose, it should be easy for you to carry, pack, and unpack.

Wheelies/Spinner Suitcases
Most travelers today like wheeled bags, the kind that George Clooney handles like an acrobat in Up in the Air.
• Wheelies ma be soft fabric or hard-shell
• About's Honeymoons Expert can show you the best wheelies and spinners

Fabric Bags: Duffels and Backpacks
Other travelers prefer bags you carry on your shoulder or in your hand.
• These bags are typically made of quilted fabric, ballistic nylon, or stylish (but heavy) leather
• Some travelers, especially of the rugged or collegiate persuasion, like camping-size backpacks

I Like a Duffel Bag I Can Grab
Personally, I prefer an unstructured, zippered duffel that I can toss everything into and throw over my shoulder.
• It's a little weighty when full, but that's what the gym is for
• And if it's too heavy, I know I've overpacked
• About's Greece Travel Expert thinks like I do. She recommends a folding, rollup, or collapsible bag

You're Allowed Two Carryon Bags. Make Them Count

Passengers can carry on two pieces of luggage. One is your suitcase, the other your "personal item."
• Airlines are vague on its definition of "personal item"

So go for it. Make your personal item a big tote, not a regular handbag or briefcase.
• It's supposed to fit under the seat in front of you, but this is an undefined directive, not a size limit.
• If your tote can't be shoved into that space, it can be crammed into the overhead bin

You Can Put a Lot in Your "Personal Item"
You can stash in your tote:
• Your handbag and/or briefcase
• Your laptop/iPad and other devices
• Your inflight essentials (more about all these below...)

Your Travel Handbag Is Not Your Usual Handbag

The bag you carry day-to-day at home is most likely not made for travel. Your at-home handbag is probably a heavy, structured, fashion bag.

Travel bags serve a different purpose. They should be easy to carry, roomy, and secure. Your ideal travel bag is:
• Large: big enough to fit everything you need for a day's worth of touring, including a water bottle, pashmina, phone, and more
• Lightweight: in nylon or other fabric, or a lightweight leather
• Streamlined: this is not the time for chains, buckles, fringe, and other weighty design details
• Designed with handy pockets and pouches
• Crushable and easy to carry
• With a main zipper; an open bag is an open invitation
• And with secure straps. A shoulderbag or crossbody style is best (no clutches or dainty handbags that can be grabbed right out of your hand)

Think: soft leather hobo bag, multi-pocketed nylon bag, messenger bag.
• Le Sportsac and Kipling make excellent fabric shoulderbags
• For dinners and evening events, pack a small, dressy, fabric bag that zips

Make a Packing List

Pack from a thorough list, and cross items off as you pack. (I have lists at the ready for places I visit regularly, like the Caribbean, Santa Fe, and Vegas.)

Your Suitcase Is Not Your Closet!

Packing is triage. Focus on what's essential.
• Bring what you need, not what you think you might need if, if, if...
• And not necessarily your favorite garments, but your most versatile
• The moment of truth: will you wear it at least twice?
• You'll get more out of what you pack if it's mix-and-matchable
• And remember: you can hand-wash most fabrics in your hotel-room sink

I pack one each:
• Pair of jeans or well-fitting cargoes
• Pair of yoga pants or Chilly Jilly lounge pants (worn on the plane)
• Hoodie or cardigan (I wear my black cashmere Nike hoodie on flights)
• Long-sleeve cotton top (air-conditioning can be frosty in the tropics)
• Silk or other lightweight top
• Black silk skirt
• Print cotton skirt
• Sleeveless black dress in a lightweight, wrinkle-resistant fabric like jersey knit, crinkle cotton, or pleated nylon such as by Miyake or Babette
• Lightweight designer dress for city vacations
• Gym tee and pants
• Swimsuit (two for the tropics) and thin-fabric coverup
• Sleep tee
• A minimum of undergarments

Plus these few accessories:
• Pashmina
• Weightless silk scarf or two
• Cashmere cap for the plane and cool days
• Small fabric handbag for restaurants
• Small jewelry bag with costume baubles in one color: silver, faux gold, black Bakelite
• Other items dictated by location: straw hat and sarong or beach coverup for resort destinations; silk cheongsam for China; tiny umbrella for rainy climates

One-Coat Application!

For a climate that requires outerwear, pack one all-occasion coat or jacket.
• My pick: an ultralight black nylon zippered jacket, quilted for cooler climates, by H&M, Zara, or Uniqlo
• You won't have room to pack it, so you'll have to wear it through security and onto the plane (where it can work as a blanket or back pillow)

Don't Let Your Shoes Weigh You Down

Shoes, your heaviest and bulkiest items, can be a traveler's downfall. Here's how to winnow down your travel footwear to three pairs. The must-packs:
• A pair of fashionable sneakers that can double as walking shoes. You know the kind: designer sneakers (such as Geox or Adidas) that look good outside the gym
• Ladies, lightweight heels for evening. They should allow you to walk a few blocks, so you're not dependent on cabs. Best for walking and foot support: ankle straps, platforms, chunky heels
• For warm climates: a pair of lightweight sandals you can walk in; nice flip-flops such as Havaianas rate. In steamy India, Southeast Asia, and Tahiti, jeweled flip-flops work well as evening shoes

Possible addition:
• In the American Southwest, sleek cowboy boots such as those from Santa Fe's Back at the Ranch work as evening shoes. (You'll have to wear these onto the plane to save bag space)

Other Must-Packs

You can't count on even a true luxury hotel to provide absolutely everything for you. It's a good idea to pack:
• A compact voltage adapter for Europe or Asia
• Your own music, whether on a phone, iPod, iPad, or laptop
• Chargers for all your electronics (a universal charger saves space)
• (Exception: an iPod/iPhone charger if you know your hotel room offers an iPod dock)
• A weightless nylon shopping bag such as by Rume for beach and retail expeditions
• A tiny bottle or stick of SPF
• A mini size of bug spray for the woods or tropics
• A tiny pot or stick of cortisone cream for the bites you get; FixMySkin makes these

Must Bring a Laptop? Make It Lightweight

The new generation of ultra-thin, lightweight laptops and tablets are made for travelers.
• My pick: the MacBook Air, which About's Macs Expert calls "a road warrior's dream"
• You can choose either an 11" screen (a status symbol of fashion editors typing at runway shows) or 13" (with a standard keyboard and good-size screen)

Your In-Flight Comfort Bag, for Convenience and Sanity

Certain items at your fingertips can make your flight easier and more comfortable. This holds true even if you're flying business class, where you'll be given an amenity kit.

My in-flight bag is a see-through zippered mesh bag from Walker. It holds a combination of travel and grooming supplies:
• My passport
• My travel wallet, a tiny zippered purse by Vera Bradley with chain and clip
• What you need in the wallet: cash, credit and ATM cards, airline and hotel VIP cards, medical insurance card, driver's license (for ID or for driving). Leave all your local cards at home
• Phone
• Camera
• Sunglasses
• Reading glasses and/or contact lens case
• Earplugs
• iPod
• Noise-cancelling headphones, even if I'm flying business class and will be lent a pair (the brilliantly effective in-ear model by Bose takes up no space)
• Fuzzy bootie-socks (plane floors are freezing)
• Small pen for filling out customs forms
• Tiny flashlight (also useful in hotel rooms)
• Meds
• Bandaids
• Exercise band (basically a big rubber band)
• Inflight travel accessories from Cabeau: a stay-on sleep mask, and for a long haul, a memory-foam neck pillow and fuzzy blanket
• A natural, all-purpose beauty balm that's like a toiletry kit in one 1.9-ounce spray bottle: CapriClear, a greaseless coconut-oil moisturizer that revives your skin and hair
• Lip balm, like the hard-to-lose colorful spheres by eos
• Mini perfume spritzer by Travalo
• Miniscule plastic bottle of antibacterial gel; those made by GermBloc clip onto your bag, so it's always at the ready
• Small water bottle (empty going through security, refilled in the terminal)