Vacay Mode: Carry-On Packing hacks

Hello everyone 🙂  In a couple of days, I’ll be on my way to the beautiful city, Rome- how exciting! I figured that there isn’t a better timing to share my packing hacks with you than now. Since I travel with a low-cost company and don’t plan on pay for an extra luggage, I wanted to make a guide focused on packing for a week in a carry on while still having some free space for some shopping. so… should we start?

Pre-plan your outfits

Planning your outfits before packing won’t only save you so much time, but also a lot of space. Most of us tend to over-pack and wear only half of what we actually packed anyways, so pre-planning is the best idea. If you worry about options, don’t forget that you can mix & match the clothes you already bring with you- wearing a top above/under a dress, matching your bottoms with your top- you can create so many looks- let your creativity flow. I would say- the number of outfits you should choose is as the number of days of your trip plus one outfit in case something happens to the others/for a night out.

Pick outfits wisely

Are you going sightseeing? to the beach? maybe your plan is to sleep all day and dance all night (not me! lol)- remember to keep your outfit choices based on what you’ll actually do during your vacation. Think before you pack- what’s the weather in your destination? what are your plans?  If you’re going sightseeing and walking a lot, you probably don’t need a pair of heels. If you’ll spend most of the day at the beach you don’t actually need that many fancy clothes.

Choose a color palette

Choosing a color palette of 2-4 colors won’t only make your Instagram feed cohesive (#BloggerHack right here), it will also make it easier for you to mix and match your items to create awesome outfits. You can choose a few accessorize to spice up your looks and make them look even nicer.

Take pictures of your planned outfits

After choosing all your outfits and accessorize, just lay them flat on your bed/floor and take a picture. This way you’ll remember each look and how you styled it so when you arrive at your destination you’ll just need to check your pictures and see your outfit for each day of the trip. I personally use this trick every time I travel, it makes my life so much easier.

Fold your clothes vertically

Folding your clothes vertically won’t only save a lot of space in your carry-on, it will also prevent wrinkles on your clothes. I really like the “Marie Kondo” folding method when it comes to packing for a vacation. You can also roll your clothes and it will do the same thing.

Invest in packing cubes

I was so skeptical when I read about the packing cubes craziness online, but thought I should try them out for you all, and honestly- I am so happy I did. As an organization freak (but also the queen of MESS sometimes, I won’t lie) I really enjoyed the simple fact that everything just stays in place in packing cubes. When unpacking the suitcase, nothing falls or becomes a huge mess, It is easier to find everything and it saves space. It’s so much easier to pack everything into a carry-on with packing cubes and it’s a very affordable solution, too. I purchased mine here (click here)

Bring your samples/ travel-size items with you

Traveling is the best time to take all your sample/travel size cosmetics out of the drawer to take with you on your trip. Let’s face it- we don’t really need a full bottle of shampoo, soap or perfume when going abroad for a week or two, even three. Also, you can just take solid products like shampoo and soap bars- they are very lightweight, space-saving and environmentally friendly. Just make sure everything you buy is cruelty-free and vegan:)

Wear your heaviest items to the flight + layer

If you want to save some space in your carry on or to lower it’s weight, just wear your heaviest items to the flight or layer items of clothing. If you are doing this during the summer you will probably sweat a bit, but it will save you money in an overweight-luggage-emergency 🙂

tuck your socks and (vegan) belt inside your shoes

This hack will save space in your carry on and will keep the shape of your shoes. you can also put fragile items like a bottle of perfume inside the socks and layer them before placing them inside your shoes.

Bring some reusable bags with you

For your shoes, laundry, and shopping, reusable bags are handy to have everywhere you go. In some countries, plastic bags aren’t free and aren’t so good for the environment either, so having some reusable bags on hand will make your life easier.

Use a packing list

To make your life easier, I made one just for you! if you want to get it, just click here! It’s completely free of course 🙂

Products appearing on the pictures:

*Clove+Hallow lip glaze, Angelic: click here

Sophi Nail Polish: click here

Alverde Coconut body spray: click here

straw clutch (similar): click here

hat (similar): click here

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post! let me know what are your packing hacks in the comments below

Have a lovely vacay,

Noa

Interested in booking a hotel in Rome or any other place in the world?   I highly recommend you to book your hotel with Booking.com by clicking here

want to learn how to plan the best trip ever? >> click here

For my ultimate packing guide (+packing list) click here