This weekend, my friend and I took a short unplanned trip to Vancouver (more on the next blog). First, I‘m in no way a light-packer. Second, we booked the cheapest flights which allowed for one free personal item (a tote, a laptop bag, etc) so unless I wanted to upgrade to a carry-on, I had to fit all my things into a large tote.

Long story short, that was MY Sisyphean task and I ended up upgrading to a carry-on.

Now, if you’re anything like me; you love to have all touches of you with you, you love options and varieties, then this is your first tip- skip straight to the carry-on.

Here are my other tips for packing light without feeling like you had to give up much.

1.

Make a list of all your necessities in advance.

The moment I booked my flight, I started writing a list of everything I wanted to have with me, regardless of whether I could fit it in or not. The idea is to curate your list as things come to you, and edit later. That way you get to accommodate all your favourites in time.

2.

Wear your bulkiest outfits.

For me travelling in the fall, these included my Sherpa jacket and knee-length chunky boots. I wanted those for my trip but they couldn’t fit in my carry-on, so I styled it as my airport fit. Chick, cosy, efficient.

3.

Have an idea, even a vague one of what events you want to do and plan outfits accordingly, down to the purses, accessories etc. I planned two main outfits and an extra for running errands if we had to + It’s always rainy in Vancouver so I tried to account for that in my choice of outfits.

4.

Travel-sized anything is your best friend. Shoppers and Winners are my go-to stores for travel-sized personal products. Shower gel, body lotion, (these are optional of course, cause your accommodation would provide them but I love to have my version of everything), dental products, skin care products, travel-sized fragrances, make-up, etc. Subsequently, you can buy travel-sized containers from the dollar store and transfer your products into them. Either way, you get to keep a touch of you on your trip.

5.

Everyone knows about travel-sized liquid products, but the hack is buying solid travel-sized products. Stick deodorants, lipsticks, shampoo bars, make-up powders etc. You only get a quart-sized bag for your liquids so you might as well buy the solid version of the things that have a solid form. This way you save a lot of space to incorporate your liquid products.

6.

Pack strategically AND in advance.

By strategically I mean, start by layering your larger outfits at the bottom, stuff things inside your shoes, fold small outfits into bigger outfits, etc. Also, pack a capsule wardrobe; outfits that can b mixed and matched, that complement each other. And this might seem inconsequential BUT definitely park in advance, not on the day of the trip. That way you know what fits and what doesn’t instead of having to abandon things you really wanted.

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That‘s all my tips for packing carry-on without feeling like you had to leave things behind. Stay tuned for my next post to know all about our trip!