You have an epic trip planned and you're trying to do it with carry-on only luggage.
Is it possible? Yep. And today I'm going to show you how!
If we haven't met, I'm Jana. And every year, my husband and I spend an extended summer in Europe,
which means I live out of this carry-on suitcase for, like, 5 or 6 months at a time.
I know it still sounds a little bit crazy to travel so long out of just a carry-on suitcase,
but today I'm going to show you exactly what I pack.
And if you pack similar to me, I promise it will make your trip so much better.
In fact, we have a bunch of family and friends coming to visit us in Europe this summer,
and I've already given them this exact same packing list.
So this is not just for YouTube, like, this is for real life, too.
First, I'm going to go over some essential items that I always pack, but I don't see a
lot of other people taking, then I'll move on to the basics, like clothing and toiletries.
Most other travel videos mainly focus on clothing and forget other essential items.
But after living out of a carry-on suitcase on and off for like 3 years, I've discovered that my experience
is way more enhanced not by the clothing I bring, but by these other essential items.
So here are the 10 things that I never travel to Europe without.
The first thing is a USB drive.
So we put copies of all of our important documents on here, like our passports.
That way, if they ever get stolen or lost, we have a copy of them.
And this is also password protected and encrypted for extra security.
The next thing is collapsible containers. Zippered bags can be really hard to find in Europe,
and we take a lot of picnics, so these collapsible containers are super convenient.
Actually, last year we just traveled with nestable ones,
but these save even more space so I'm really excited to try them out this year.
The third essential item is a packable daypack.
When we're traveling, I like to just carry my suitcase and not have to wear a backpack.
But when we go hiking, I like to have a bag. So this is perfect.
It is super packable. It folds in on itself,
and then I can squish it into any corner of my suitcase.
When you travel carry-on only you can only bring so many liquids,
which is why these foam laundry sheets are extra amazing.
I particularly love this fresh scent, but these are awesome because
you can just rip one off and put the whole sheet in the washing machine with your clothes.
Or if you need to hand-wash in the sink, you can just rip off a tiny piece and use that.
By the way, if you want links for this or any of the items I mentioned in today's video,
you can find those in the description below.
The next essential item is laundry bags. A few of the things that we
pack with us are delicate, so they need to be washed in these bags.
But these are also handy so you don't lose socks in the washing
machine or anything walking to and from the laundry room.
Essential item number six is spices, which I have to dig out of my shoe.
But you know how when you go to Airbnbs and they usually only have salt and pepper?
Well, after a few months on the road, that gets really boring.
So I've discovered that bringing one of our favorite seasonings
just makes our food taste a little bit better.
Did you know that you have to pay for grocery bags in most European grocery stores?
That's why we bring our own.
I prefer these thick plastic ones because they're more packable,
but you can bring fabric, whatever kind you like.
The point is, you should probably bring some of
these to save you money when you go to the grocery store.
Just need to find where it disappeared to. There it is, all the way in the bottom.
Next is a travel sewing kit. You would not believe the number of times that we
lose a button or get a hole in our shirt. And this little kit is just super handy.
Some might say it's even “sew” handy.
Number nine is thank you notes. We love to leave a handwritten note for our Airbnb host
or to write a note of thanks for our friends when we stay with them.
So these are a must for my bag.
And to keep them from getting damaged or bent, I just store them in my planner.
Gentlemen, you might want to close your ears for a moment
because this final item is just for the ladies.
I highly recommend packing some fabric daily pads.
I've used these for years and they are so convenient.
Now when I'm on the road I don't have to find a store or see if I
can find my favorite products. I have them right here with me in my bag.
And after I wear them, I stash them in one of these laundry bags
and then I just wash them in the washing machine with our clothes.
If you appreciate these essential items that other people aren't talking about,
please hit that like button.
It helps us know that you actually find our videos helpful
and it helps other people find our videos too.
Okay. Now that I've covered these essentials, let's move on to clothes.
I pack all of my clothes on the compression side of my Away Carry-On suitcase.
As you can tell, I'm a huge fan of packing cubes. In particular.
I love these Ebags slim cubes because just look at them—they fit perfectly in a carry-on suitcase!
And underneath all of my packing cubes is a zippered compression bag with my winter coat.
Down here I have my pair of pants rolled up. They nestle
perfectly right on top of this built in Away laundry bag.
This bottom packing cube has 1 sweatshirt,
1 lightweight cardigan, 1 dress, 1 skirt and 1 pair of jean shorts.
This middle packing cube has all of my shirts.
I travel with 2 long sleeved shirts, 2 t-shirts, 4 tank tops, and 2 undershirts.
This top packing cube basically has everything else in it.
I travel with 1 pair of pajamas, 1 pair of athletic shorts, 1 pair of leggings, 1 swimsuit,
1 winter hat, 1 pair of gloves, 1 buff, a couple bras, and all of my underwear and fabric pads.
As you can see on top, this is my blue jean jacket.
I know it's really bulky to travel with,
but it's one of my favorite pieces to wear, which is why I travel with it.
And you can also see there's a whole space up here that means more room to pack more clothes.
Although I did say I put all my
clothes on this side and actually my rain jacket is on the other side.
But it could technically fit here if I wanted to.
By the way, gentlemen, Brett packs pretty much the exact same things as me
minus the skirt and dress of course.
Before I go on to the other side of my suitcase, I wanted to tell you about my
purse. This is the Travelon Anti-theft Crossbody Bag, and it is pretty amazing.
I've traveled with it for 3 years now because it is slash-proof,
RFID-blocking, and even has a locking zipper, so I never worry about getting pickpocketed.
Now, I chose the mini size because
I didn't want to overpack, but it fits all the essentials that I need.
In this middle, I keep basically all of my small flat items, many of which you have already seen.
So in here I have my planner and thank you notes, my foam laundry sheets, some reusable grocery
bags, a travel first aid kit, a travel sewing kit, a bag of jewelry, and some extra face masks.
And on this other side is basically where I pack everything else.
I just lay these laundry bags right on top because they compress really easily.
I also lay my hat on top so it doesn't lose its shape.
And my hairbrush so it doesn't get smashed.
It actually looks really dirty so I'm going to turn it over.
On the bottom I put my heavy items, which means my 2 pairs of shoes.
So this is my trail tennis shoe. And inside of there I fit all of my socks,
which is 4 pairs of regular socks, 1 pair of warm socks and 1 pair of hiking socks.
And usually I can fit our travel spices in one of my shoes too.
Then I have my Chaco sandals. They are super comfortable and have
amazing support. I definitely recommend them.
And as you can see, I put both of these in grocery bags so they don't get my whole bag dirty.
I also keep our collapsible containers on the bottom.
Here are my 2 toiletry bags. In this bag are some of my toiletries, like my toothbrush,
toothpaste, hair supplies, deodorant, things like that.
This bag has all of my makeup. I travel with an SPF primer and SPF face powder,
mascara and some foundation.
This is my packable backpack, which you already saw.
Here is my raincoat all bundled up,
which I mentioned could actually fit on the other side of my suitcase.
Squeezed over here in the corner are some of my supplements and probiotics.
And right here on top so they don't get broken are my sunglasses.
The last thing I do before I close my bag is double-check my packing list. So when it's
time for you to pack for your epic vacation, you can download our free packing list, too.
But this isn't your standard packing checklist because we've
included personalized tips from nearly 3 plus years of travel.
That means you can actually pack in a carry-on and trust us,
it will make your experience so much better.
Wondering what it's like to travel carry-on only? Click here to see how
we travel on planes and trains with just a carry-on suitcase each. See ya there!