10 Days in Carry On -- How to Pack
 

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/201...usinessspecial

A picture slide show from The NY Times

I looked at the picture and it doesn't appear that she has one "nice" outfit, just lots of Tshirts and jeans. My struggle is that I need to carryon with a 4 day schedule of casual day and dressy evenings. Could use some suggestions on how to do this?

For the evenings, would nice black pants and some fancy tops be dressy enough? Or a LBD changed up with scarves, jewelry, or a top?


For casual, I'd wear a pair of dark wash jeans, and pack a pair of lightweight pants. I'd take knit tops that fold up small. I'd wear shoes that would go with both the jeans and the other pants.

seems like a LOT of clothes to me for only 10 days. Many serving the same purpose. 7 pair of pants (3 casual, 3 dressy, plus 1 on the plane) AND 1 skirt AND 4 dresses??

I liked seeing how the various packing methods turned out and compared. Thanks for posting!!

I often do a combination of folding/rolling. I don't like to roll all items because I hate ironing.

I also think there are too many items for only 10 days. I wouldn't take more than 1 pair of jeans.

Aliska, for dressy I usually take a nice black cocktail dress and a skirt or dressy slacks with a nice top. Using accessories and scarves helps too.

I personally think the rolling method is too labor intensive, takes too long, and things wrinkle.

Bundling (sort of what she does in photos 9/10/11 but not exactly) keeps things totally wrinkle free, takes less time, and uses less space.

I'm a folder/stacker packer. In their example this looked the worst (bulkiest) but I don't find that to be true. I hate the rolling idea, not sure why, something about it just bugs me!

Aliska, when I need both casual and formal (like going on a cruise with formal days) I bring a black skirt or dress pants and several tops - casual and formal. Any top goes with black bottom!

Dayenu, I am SO sick & tired of black all the time. For this trip, I am using brown as the primary color and vanilla, coral, and beige print tops and sweaters to accessorize. I feel like a little old Italian grandmother with all black, all the time.

But, you are correct, that monochrome scheme does work.

Brown &/or olive green are my new "black". I have a ban on the purchase of any new black clothes (wish me luck).

They don't mention how much the suitcase weights packed, do they? It looks awful heavy and I wonder if it would make airline carry-on restrictions for weight. I still say she's got WAY too many (or the same type of) clothes for a 10 day trip.

Good luck suze! I've been "branching out" to brown but I still find black irresistible.

For years I have packed in a 22 inch carryon for as many as 14 days. I obtained a video a long time ago from Ann McAlpin called "Pack It Up". Wear walking shoes. Pack two other pair of shoes - one for dress, the other sandals, or whatever you like. These shoes go on the bottom by the wheels. Also on the bottom of the bag put toiletries (Except those liquids that go in your ziplock), and other items which are not part of the bundle of clothes you take. Place a divider on top of the bottom layer - I use Eagle Creek's large packing folder. Start with pants and place them like #9 in the NYTimes pictures. Alternate clothes and if you have knit tops you can roll these and place on top of the layers and then fold pants legs, sleeves, etc. in as in bundling. I don't know if this "video" is still available - I don't think so and the newer one uses a larger bag. For dressy or evening take a nice dress and scarves and jewelry for different looks. I take pants and a couple of tops with scarves. I am sorry I cannot explain this better. Take one basic color and coordinate others to go with it as others above seem to be doing. Of course, usually I have to do hand laundry but this is not a big deal for me as I shop really hard for washable clothing. Packing with only carry on has "saved" us a few times - when we had to change airlines because of delays and our bags were not checked. Also, no lost bags! Coming home sometimes we check these bags. Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps. Happy travels!!!!!!!!

I just completed a 9-day trip to a conference and family visit in the Midwest where snow threatened in Minneapolis. I used space bags to flatten a couple of sweaters. This worked pretty well. Three slacks worked just fine for 9 days. To Europe I would add in a dress.

I also do hand laundry but DH usually needs to do laundry. We used to have the hotel do it but now we make an adventure one weekday morning of most trips and go to the laundrette. We've figured them out in Paris and London, had a break from sight seeing, sit and read while the clothes are washing. Sometimes one of us goes out on a walking and photo excursion of the neighborhood. We're usually 1/2 way through the trip and have some quiet time to reflect and where we've been and what we still want to see. Sometimes we chat with other launderers. I actually have fond memories of these little breaks.

I find rolling pants and folding shirts works well. I even put a large rubber band around each pair of pants. If I roll shirts, I find that I need to reroll them after each day.

Avoid jeans. They take forever to dry. Instead, feel the fabric and pack the thinner clothes. I usually pack three pair of pants and three shorts if I'm going to a warmer climite. I even found underware that is not double-lined in the front so they dry overnight.

I went to Europe for three weeks with only a carry on. I took one nice pair of black pants, one pair of khakis, one pair of jeans; 10 shirts/4 tanks that would each go with all three pairs of pants. I used Rick Steves' travel bags to compact everything. I did laundry twice and was thoroughly sick of those 10 shirts/4 tanks and 3 pairs of pants by the time I got home.....

That's true tenthumbs. The one time I did 3 weeks in Europe in a carry-on only (duffle bag) I was ready to burn those clothes by the end of the trip!! But I didn't have anywhere near the number of pieces like this original link shows.

But what about the weight? Last Sept. when I checked in the agent kept making me take clothes out of my carry on until I only had underwear left in there. I just kept putting them in my husband's carry on. She didn't even weigh his. I guess he's cuter than me - lol. I even bought a lighweight carry on.

>>But what about the weight? Last Sept. when I checked in the agent kept making me take clothes out of my carry on until I only had underwear left in there.<<

What are you wearing - cast iron clothes? Depending on the trip specifics, my carry on usually weighs between 14 and maybe 22-ish lbs. 22 lbs is too heavy for some airlines but still plenty light enough for me to handle. In those cases I'll put some of the heavier bits in my handbag before checking in. They almost never weigh handbags. After security you can put some of the stuff back in the carry on.

That reminds me I must find a lighter carry on. I didn't have that much in there at all. No more than all the other trips I've taken. Maybe it was the airline - Thomas Cook. No problem coming back - same bag same clothes. I will bring a bigger handbag though - oh on one of the sidetrips (Easyjet I think) they made us put our handbags in the carry on.

But I think that was part of the point. In other words: Here's how you maximize space in a carry-on.


"seems like a LOT of clothes to me for only 10 days. Many serving the same purpose. 7 pair of pants (3 casual, 3 dressy, plus 1 on the plane) AND 1 skirt AND 4 dresses??"