Packing Notes: Six Weeks, One Carry-on

I enjoy packing so much, I even made a video.

Next month, my husband and I leave for Italy, a trip we’ve been talking about for years. Because we both work from home and my husband has the option to work abroad for up to six weeks a year, we’ve been dreaming of a long-ish trip abroad, where we would plant ourselves in one city for a month, and work and explore locally, instead of hitting as many destinations as possible.

We’ll be basing ourselves in the Emilia-Romagna region for about a month (plus a handful of days in Rome), and I have to admit, when I booked our trip, I didn’t think about how over-touristed Italy has been lately (this post by

Emiko Davies

on the impact of modern tourism in Florence gives you a sense of what that’s like). But with flights secured and an apartment rental locked down, it felt a bit pointless to keep fretting. Better to just actually be a good traveller, than to endlessly navel-gaze about my place in the world.

Of course, we must talk about packing, because it is one of my favourite ways to waste time (instead of working). It will late-autumn/early winter in Italy, and temperatures look similar to a Melbourne winter (possibly colder by mid-December), but I also need to pack a few summer-weight pieces for the week or so I will be spending in Singapore, where we will be passing through en route to Italy.

My goal is to pack carry-on only, as this trip involves long-haul flights with stopovers and inter-city train rides, and I don’t want to risk lost luggage or feel weighed down on the road.

How I pack:

• Step 1: Consider the practicalities (obviously). Apart from weather, I think about setting and itinerary. As this is going to be a largely city-based trip (during which I would also be working from our rented apartment) with no special activities or occasions to work around, I was able to simply pick the day-to-day favourites I wear in Melbourne. Easy peasy. If special occasions are involved—dressy outfit, hiking kit etc—I would get them out at this point, before picking other clothes.

• Step 2: Select the tried-and-tested pieces. “Predictable” is the superpower I want from my clothes when I’m exploring a new place and want to be as present as possible. So I like to start by pulling out my favourite go-to pieces, which I trust to be practical, match effortlessly, have points of interest, and generally just work.

• Step 3: Adjust at the margins. Now that I’ve made my first picks, I make small swaps. For example, I’d picked a skirt and a dress with a similar silhouette, so I swapped the skirt (a bias cut) for one in a different shape (pleated, A-line). And instead of two wool jumpers, I swapped one out for a sweatshirt, which I think brings in a casual, sporty feel for a change. This is the time to contemplate vibes and texture, so bring in the pieces that feel right for whatever mood you want to channel for your trip.

• Step 4: Save room for “inside clothes”. I like packing light, but I always have a set of comfy, CLEAN, “inside” clothes that I can chill out in during the in-between moments. This is usually a pair of lightweight joggers and a soft long-sleeved tee that can also be rotated into everyday wear if needed. This way you don’t need to spend all day in not-so-fresh clothes, and you also extend your laundry cycle¹ by not wearing your “outside” clothes when you don’t need to.

• Step 5: Prune. After shortlisting 18 pieces of clothing, I started packing, paring back as I went along, and I ended up with 15 pieces (including my plane outfit). This gives me wriggle room to make last-minute additions.

What I’m packing

• 15 items of clothing (6 light/mid-weight tops, 1 jumper, 1 sweatshirt, 3 pairs of trousers, 1 pleated skirt, 1 slip dress, 1 down liner vest, 1 wool jacket)

• 2 pairs of shoes (1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of Birkenstock clogs)

• 2 bags (1 small crossbody bag, 1 canvas tote) + 1 personal carry-on bag

• Accessories (1 beanie, 1 silk scarf)

• Toiletries (face cream, soap, sunscreen, body lotion, facial exfoliant, all decanted into reusable travel bottles) + deodorant, reusable cotton rounds, brow tweezers, brow pencil and nail clipper

• Undergarments + socks and tights + sleepwear (compressed into one packing cube)

• E-reader + laptop (I need this for work) + chargers

• Umbrella

If I do carry-on only for trip, I always do a test pack to see if everything really fits, especially if I’m bringing items I’ve never travelled with before. I tested my list out over one weekend and to my delight, I got everything (except my plane outfit) in after two tries, including my boiled wool jacket and chunky Babaà jumper:

This packing video was inspired by this mind-blowing bit of packing by Louisa Hatt, this gloriously chill and maximalist one by Margherita Missoni for YOLO magazine, and this Style Class video on packing by Amy Smilovic (the link starts at 39:55, where she starts packing). All of them used cabin-size bags.

I packed fairly quickly—if I were neater or used another packing cube, I could probably jigsaw everything in more neatly and free up more space. But as it stands, I got everything in without much effort and I have plenty of room to change my mind—for example, the bulky jumper could be swapped out for more a streamlined option, and I could skip either the slip dress OR the pleated skirt and take at least one more top. And I still have space to bring some extra thermals if I’m worried about the cold.

My laptop, e-reader, cables, water bottle and my small crossbody bag will go into my “personal items” bag, which still has room for the sweatshirt I plan to wear on the plane. As always, I’ll pack a foldable tote to bring home any shopping (sorry Rule of Five!).

Packing carry-on makes me feel very cool and efficient, but I don’t do it that often. I usually do budget airlines when I fly domestic and they’re incredibly strict about weight, cabin-sized or not. Internationally, it varies with airlines — I’ve been asked to check my carry-on suitcase at the gate, because they considered my “personal” bag a second piece of luggage. I don’t mind it, it’s best not to let these things get in the way of enjoying the trip itself. There is no single ideal way to travel; just relax and do what works for you.

I’m really excited by the idea of “living” in a new city, albeit for merely a month—what new routines might I establish? What memories and lessons might I bring home with me?

1. If you’re staying in an apartment with washer, check if the machine has a “steam” function — this is a great way to refresh your clothes without doing a full wash and the clothes dry in about 1/5 of the time.