When I solo travel, I almost always take a carry-on with me if possible. Longer conferences and trips may require me to check a bag, but as time has gone on, and prices for checked bags have gone up, I’ve become more and more determined to pack a carry on.
The same applies for when we travel as a family (and you can read my tips about travelling light as a family here), but I’ll do another post about how the four of us managed to travel to Disney with only carry-ons!
But for the sake of my fellow business travellers, or those able to take solo trips or couple-only trips and don’t require the same gear the kids bring along, I have learned some tips.
In truth, even though I often now travel by train for many business meetings, I still try to bring only a carry-on. I’m often running around Toronto, or hauling it up stairs at Go Stations, and don’t want a larger bag.
My biggest accomplishment in this endeavour came last year when I had two conferences to attended, literally back to back. I was travelling into Toronto for the Blissdom Canada Conference, was attending afternoon sessions, an evening party, followed by more sessions the next day AND then was flying out of Toronto that evening to land in Moncton to speak on the Saturday. Then would fly home on Sunday. Phew. Got all that?
But. I did it with a carry-on.
So what are some of my carry-on travel secrets?
First of all, determine if you can get away with just a carry-on. And I don’t mean ‘can you sacrifice all six pairs of shoes’ I mean, realistically, do you need a bigger bag?
When I went to the Mom 2.0 conference last year in Los Angeles, I was there for 5 days, with special events and outings, plus heat to contend with, so I brought the larger bag. Also, if you plan on getting wine, or other items that need to be checked after you travel, you’ll want the bigger bag.
Once you determine if you can get away with just a carry-on (without paying for extra weight!) try these tips:
Have the right luggage
We finally updated our family luggage a couple of years ago after using the same set since before we were married. Now, the carry-on is up-to-date in sizing for when I fly, it’s light, hard shelled, and has those wheels that spin easily. This means when I’m by myself, I can get around, lift it up, and move it easily.
Bring clothing that can be worn more than once
We typically wear hoodies, jackets and jeans more than once before we wash them, so why would this be any different when we travel?
I get it, we always worry that something will spill on our clothes, but realistically, there are many items like our sweaters and pants that can be worn multiple times in our trip.
Hoodies become like jackets anyway, so plan to wear them more than once. Plus, I always layer on the plane, so a big heavy hoodie can be worn to keep me cozy without taking up precious luggage room.
I own a pair of Encircled Dressy Sweat pants, and I love them (I scored a sample sale last Fall, although I think I could have gotten the small instead of medium, but maybe the extra room is why I love them ha). These pants were worn three times on our trip to Disney and we were there a week. There was never an issue. I almost always wear them on travel days, plus when I pair them with heels, they go from super casual travel pants to girl-on-the-town chic.
Same pants, three different looks. These were all on different trips, but you could see how easy it would be to repeat wearing them and switch up my day/travel look with a ‘going for drinks’ outfit.
They also get bonus points because they have pockets. I find travelling with leggings less convenient because I can’t tuck my phone or random things quickly in my pocket.
Often, my day-of travel clothes don’t get re-worn (unless it’s a multi-purpose item, see below), because I’ve been flying/travelling/eating/sleeping/sweating in them for a good part of the day.
Wear clothing on the plane that is multi-purpose
A large scarf becomes a blanket, a pillow, a cardigan, and in the case of my Chrysalis Cardi Wrap from Encircled, a dress as well as a scarf. Having these sort of items on hand not only helps reduce what’s in your luggage, but also come in handy over and over again.
Yes, these two items are the same! I wore the Cardi as a shawl for travel, and a dress for a party!
Be realistic about shoes
Sorry folks, but you don’t need as many as you think. You want options, I get that. But it’s time to be realistic. I always wear my cute running shoes on the train or plane for comfort, no matter the season (I cannot deal with bare feet when travelling) but in my bag are usually one heel, a flat, and a flip flop. Sometimes, I’ll sneak in the extra heels. And you know what? If you are clever about how you pack the other stuff, you should be able to tuck in extra shoes if need be.
Bring a back pack or large purse
I love having a back pack when travelling, especially with the kids. It gives me the hands free options I need. When travelling for work, a laptop bag or large purse helps keep notebooks, my scarf and everything else in one spot. I do find back packs work best for my shoulders though!
Also, pack a smaller purse for dinner out or the cocktail reception you have to go to. I hate dragging along my big bag everywhere, unless it’s at the conference or business meeting where I will be sitting for a bit anyway.
Tip: Tuck a folded reusable bag in your purse or bookbag as well, just in case you need to throw some stuff in there if your carry-on is a pinch too heavy!
One last thing about your bag, have a place where you are keeping your important travel documents. When we travel as a family, Andy handles all of this, so when I’m solo, I have to pay special attention to keeping track of things! A small folder or zipped back in my purse or back pack helps.
Watch those carry-on liquids!
One of the biggest issues with carry-on is the liquids that you can take. It’s worth investing in reusable, small bottles for your favourite shampoo, lotions, face cream and more so you always have travel sized liquids ready to go.
In my purse, on a day-to-day basis, I keep some things like a travel toothbrush, some makeup, deodorant and other items. So when I travel, that’s mini make up bag of goodies comes with me anyway. Then I just pack along my travel toiletry bag with the other stuff I need. Most hotels have hair dryers, so I skip hauling that, and just bring my hair straightener.
Tip: Invest in a great toiletry bag! It has been so beneficial to have a good one! They hold more stuff, take up less room and are easy to pop in and out of your luggage.
The biggest thing I’ve learned over the years is that I typically don’t need as much as I anticipate and even if I did need something, I can just buy it as a worst case scenario.
Do you have travel tips? I definitely feel like I’m missing something!
