Carry-on Travel for the Over Packer

Are you planning a getaway for July 4th or any time this summer? Are you guilty of over packing for a long weekend or weeklong trip? I think we all have been once or twice {maybe more}. Before making New York my home, I would travel from Ohio to NYC six or more times a year. Now, Brit and I are traveling at least twice as much to visit my family in Ohio {O-H!} and his in Connecticut and the UK. 

Over the past five years of excessive travel {yes, I consider 12+ times a year excessive}, we I have been forced to learn how to pack as lightly as possible to avoid baggage fees and back ache {Brit has a long history of travel so he mastered the skill ages ago}. Efficient, light packing involves more than just throwing everything into a suitcase at the last minute. However, with some planning it can be done, and, I promise, it is worth it in the end. Whether packing for a weekend in Ohio, or a week in Wales, the following guidelines allow us to make sure we don't break our backs or our budget when traveling. 

My July 4th Packing Plan

Brit and I are lucky enough to be able to venture to the great state of Ohio to celebrate our Independence Day {as ironic as it is, Brit looooves to celebrate the 4th}. Not only do we have 4th of July festivities to pack for, but also a baby shower and my niece's first birthday {so much to celebrate!}. 

Keeping in mind we know we have three "events" to pack for, we also have some relaxation time, pool time, and most likely, fire pit family time {we love just sitting outside with family, drinks, and a fire, enjoying the night. It is the Midwest after all}. So we have a lot to pack for, even though we're only going to be there for 4.5 days. No problem! Here are the steps I took to successfully pack into a carry-on for our busy, long weekend vacation. 

Check the weather

While the weatherman {or woman} is not always 100% accurate, they usually predict within 5-10 degrees of the correct temperature. Looking at the forecast of your destination in advance will typically give a close approximation of the weather you can expect. Noting the Highs/Lows and "Feels like" temperature can really make a difference in what to pack as well. 

{Who would want to vacation here? Yuck!}

Pack for your plans

When I was traveling back and forth to New York to visit Brit, packing became an artform. I would plan each outfit down to the earrings, and try to make it all fit in a carry-on. Planning each outfit while still leaving room for a spontaneous clothing change can easily be done. Having a color theme for items such as shoes, bags, and belts {if you're the kind of person who has to match those things}, can really lighten your load on packing as well. 

{By planning outfits in advance, you not only save space in your luggage, but you also save on the hassle of having to figure out what to wear.}

Loads of laundry

While I'm visiting my family, the last thing I want to do is chores. But it does help to know if you have the option when planning what to pack. Will you have the capability to do a load or hand wash anything? If so, pack less, and you can re-wear things in different combinations {such as the same top with a skirt, then jeans}. 

Be versatile

Packing clothes that can be worn in multiple ways is necessary for packing light. Pack tops that you can wear with different outfits, or plan to wear the same pair of pants or shorts more than once. Wearing shoes more than once is a huge space saver as well. I typically try to pack one to two pairs of shoes in my bag and wear a pair on the flight that I know I'll wear again. 

{Recognize anything? The white cardigan, navy tank, white pants, jean shorts, shoes and accessories are reused to create these additional outfits for the trip}

Load the luggage

I am in no way a six item packer {clearly}. But, the key to my packing light is that I pack clothing that I can re-wear and I follow a color theme. The theme for this weekend is navy blue and white {I tried to accessorize with some red for patriotic sake, but red really isn't my color}. By sticking to my color theme, I was able to pack a smaller amount of items that can be worn in more than one way. 

{There are numerous ways to fold items to save space when packing. Check back soon for Brit's shirt folding method that guarantees a wrinkle free trip!}

{I put my toiletries/makeup and jewelry in the top compartment so that I can easily grab them if I have to check my bag plane side. These are items I'm not willing to repurchase or replace if my luggage doesn't make the journey}

With these belongings, I was able to pack three party outfits, three workouts worth of gear {hopefully I use it all}, pool attire, four "daytime" outfits, a couple items that allow me to switch from "day" to fire pit" easily, and two extra tops, just in case. 

Home away from home

Since I try to go home as often as humanly possible, I also try to keep some essentials at my parents' house so that I won't have to waste packing space. If you visit the same home multiple times a year, consider leaving some items there to avoid carrying more than you need to over and over again {I store toiletries, jeans, tees, and a sweater in Ohio and Connecticut}. 

Buy it, borrow it, or bear it

There are some things that we just can't plan for. If a situation arises, such as a torrential downpour in London {how we didn't plan for that, I don't know}, improvise! 

{Selfies! At 5:34, enjoying a tour of a park from Brit's childhood}

{At 5:42, taking shelter from the unexpected rain shower}

I always try to leave a little more room in my luggage for unexpected purchases. Usually I'm hoping it will be something new and exciting I've picked up on my trip, but every now and then it will be some rain shoes, a jacket/sweater, or umbrella. Traveling with, or to see, friends and family allows you to possibly borrow such items as well. And sometimes, I'm just too stubborn to add another umbrella to the collections, so I grin and bear it. 

Alright, here it all is, everything I'll need for my extra long {and eventful} weekend in Ohio! 

Included in the picture above is also what I will be wearing on the flight {and to work... trust me, I'd rather be in my comfies on the plane}. But I'm dressing as comfortably as possible, and throwing an extra pair of sandals in my bag so I don't have to high-heel it around the airport. 

{Since the temperature on planes is so unpredictable I like to wear a jacket and open toed shoes. Jackets can be removed and socks can easily be put on}

And there you have it! Before high baggage fees and having to cart my luggage around the city, I was packing into the largest suitcase I could find and bringing EVERYTHING! I was so nervous about getting to my destination and not having options that I adopted a military spirit. Leave no man item behind, right? Wrong. The more I packed, the more stressed I felt. Now I know what my options are, and because I plan the outfits ahead of time, I'm typically satisfied with what I pack. 

One hiccup Brit and I have in regards to packing light is that we pack into two bags. I would love to be able to fit everything into one carry-on, but Brit has a huge crush on his Red Oxx bag and loves the organization it offers. It is an amazing bag, however, there's just no room for two. So I pack into my little red suitcase a friend gave ne years ago {thanks LP!}. It's definitely seen better days but it still gets the job done. 

{My bags are packed, I'm ready to go... to Ohio!! Honestly, I don't know anyone who gets this excited about going to Ohio.}

One more thing to keep in mind {then I promise I'm finished with this lengthy post, sorry!!}. Try to avoid packing clothing that easily wrinkles. How you fold your clothing can really make a difference in space-saving techniques and how your clothes look when you arrive {check back soon for Brit's master skills on folding shirts to prevent wrinkles}. 

Do you have any unique travel tips to keep your luggage load light? I hope you all have a happy, happy 4th of July!!

Thanks for visiting!