It’s become something of a running joke with my husband that I am obsessed with packing lists. I use them for every single overnight excursion, whether it’s a 12-hour stay at my parents’ house or a two-week international adventure. You see, I am a reformed overpacker who, if left to her own unlisted devices would without a doubt arrive in my destination to find I’ve packed six pairs of shoes, one pair of jeans I haven’t worn in three years and eight tops that all require different bra situations. Packing lists are my friends and this past winter they were the only reason I was able to successfully travel using only a personal item, no carry-on or checked luggage.
How to Travel Using Just a Personal Item, According to a Fashion Editor Who Loves to Overpack
Packing lists are your friends
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I only recently became aware the many airlines these days charge you extra to bring a carry-on bag on board. When planning our Thanksgiving and Christmas travel, I found these extra fees—on top of the high holiday flight costs—to be inexcusable and so, out of principle, refused to make my life easier and just pony up for carry-on space. Thus my stubbornness necessitated I learn how to pack everything I needed for my entire trip into one petite bag that could fit under the seat in front of me. Here’s everything you need to know if you, too, want to get in on this minimalist mode of travel.
Step 1: Confirm Your Airline’s Personal Item Requirements
Some airlines are stricter than others when it comes to bag sizes, so first things first, you’re going to want to double check your airline’s rules. They should have sizes and measurements listed on their website, but generally most consider a personal item to be any bag under 18 inches by 14 inches by 8 inches. There are plenty of chic bags designed specifically to maximize the organization of your personal item, but I ultimately decided to go with my Tracksmith Club duffle which measures 17 by 15.75 inches with a 33L capacity. (I typically prefer a “black hole” bag for travel rather than one with lots of pockets or dividers.) Flying on Delta and Spirit Airlines, I was able to bring both my miniature duffle and a petite crossbody bag onto the flight, but Norwegian Air was very strict about only allowing one personal item per individual.

Step 2: Make a General Packing List—with Designated Outfits
This is the key, I’ve found, to successful packing in general. Not only should you make a list of all the things you want to bring—toiletries, clothing, medicines, books and entertainment, etc.—but I like to plan out what I’ll wear for each and every day or event during my trip. It’s essentially building a mini capsule wardrobe, ensuring that most if not all of the clothing, shoes and accessories I plan to bring can be mixed and matched with one another to create the greatest number of outfits. At this point, just put anything and everything on this general list without worrying about how it will all fit in your bag (spoiler alert: it won’t), because that is a puzzle for Step 3.
Step 3: Refine Your Packing List to Only the Essentials
Once you’ve listed all the items you want to bring, you can start to pare back without fear of forgetting something essential. For my Thanksgiving trip, I planned to stay with family so knew they would have shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and a hair dryer at the ready. I also probably could’ve cut face wash and moisturizer too, but my skin is very sensitive so I chose to make room for those extra toiletries. And while I’ve been known to bring two, or sometimes more, books on vacation, I decided to bring only my Kindle, which is much more compact. I also traded my bulky noise-cancelling headphones for minimalist earbuds—slightly less effective at blocking out crying children, but they saved me a ton of space.

As for clothing, this is where that capsule wardrobe mindset really becomes important. I will give you numbers, but ultimately they may change depending on your trip’s specifics and the events you have planned. In my case, for a four-day trip to Nashville I packed one pair of pants, two T-shirts, two sweaters, one dress and two pairs of shoes (one sneaker and one flat), along with pajamas. For a later trip of the same length, I swapped out the dress and flats for one set of running clothes (shorts, a T-shirt, a long-sleeve layer and a sports bra) instead. Plan to wear your bulkiest items on the plane, like a coat, a chunky sweater and sneakers or boots. And know that you can almost definitely do laundry wherever it is that you’re visiting, whether it’s a friend’s house, boutique hotel or hot-spot resort.
The one section of my packing list I didn’t limit? Jewelry. It takes up such little space and simply switching up your earrings or necklace can bring a fresh new vibe to your inevitable outfit repeats.

Step 4: Pack
Step away from the packing cubes and refrain from rolling all your clothing into neat cylinders. You need to use up every ounce of space in that personal item and almost all those nifty packing hacks you’ve learned in the past are likely to leave precious gaps that could otherwise be filled with a bathing suit or another cute top. Now is the time for you to take that T-shirt and stuff it into the corner, leaving no space unused. Scrunch, stuff and layer your clothes in whatever way you need to to fill in every little gap. (You can always iron or steam them once you get where you’re going.) I’ve also used my petite handbag as a sort of toiletry bag/packing cube for small items I don’t want getting lost in the mix and nestled it into the pile of clothing to prevent squishing. Use any smaller zippered pockets for essentials you want easy access to—your wallet, phone, cash, passport—and if you plan to bring a laptop, be sure to layer it on top so it’ll be easy to pull out when you go through TSA (some airports will require this, others might not).
Et voilà! In my experience, traveling using only a personal item is best reserved for times when you’ll be away for a maximum of four days and have a pretty low-key schedule planned. It’s also important to remember that any space you leave in your bag on the way to your destination is all the room you’ll have for packing any souvenirs on the way back. Below you’ll find my example packing list for a four-day trip to visit family to help get you started on your new minimalist-traveler lifestyle. Bon chance!
