Packing for a 10-Day Trip With a Single Carry-On: 7 Tips to Swear By

By Leah Melby

(Photo: BFA)

It’s true: I was just away for a 10-day vacation and was totally fine with just a carry-on roller suitcase. Better than fine in fact—it might have been the vacation where I was happiest with what I packed. The heartaches of poorly planned suitcases are easy to avoid; as long as you give yourself some real talk when needed, you’ll find that you’re in and out of the airport without shelling out for an excess-baggage charge (and looking like your very best self on all the days in between).

Tip #1: Be really tough on yourself when it comes to shoes.
Shoes take up a ton of suitcase real estate and as such, there’s nothing more frustrating than lugging a pair across the country only to never wear ‘em. Celeb stylist Cher Coulter is anti-stiletto too. “Plenty of women pack heels, then arrive at a relaxed location and feel too overdressed so they don’t wear them,” she once told us. I made room for a single pair of nude pumps but wish I’d totally skipped them per her advice. I wore them once.

Tip #2: Bring only pairs that can pull double-duty.
The shoes you do bring should work from breakfast to dinner. That means selecting the pairs you know look good with shorts for a day of sightseeing but also look chic with a strapless dress. Depending on your style and where you’re headed, this could mean a pair of classic white tennis shoes or an easy flat sandal.

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Tip #3: Bring the pieces you know you can get multiple wears from.
You know the items in your closet that get worn once and have to be thrown, immediately, into the hamper? Skip those. Instead, pluck out the stuff that’s wrinkle-resistant (it’s often fabric with a little bit more weight to it than light-as-air silk). Also avoid temptation to bring along your brightest and boldest. Those items are so look-at-me that it’s a little bit harder to wear them again two days later.

Tip #4: Be practical about the weather.
Look at the forecast for your destination and don’t ignore it. Since I was headed to the countryside and knew temperatures would hover in the 60s with scattered showers, into my bag went ankle-high wellies and a small umbrella. They took up space, yes, but I wore those babies as much as anything else I packed.

Tip #5: Limit yourself to one purse.
If you’re a bag lover, it’s tempting to bring a day tote and another favorite for drinks and dinner, but it’s completely unnecessary. Find a lightweight cross-body style that fits the essentials for a day of sightseeing but is chic enough for when the sun goes down. Bonus points if the strap is removable, thus turning your bag into a clutch.

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Tip #6: Master this clean-jean hack.
I lived in jeans while I was away and made sure to pack the pairs that would last the longest before stretching out. Still, I wasn’t expecting a particularly epic hike that left a favorite cropped pair baggy at the knees. I couldn’t give them a full soak for fear they wouldn’t totally dry before needing to be packed up, but I did wet the bum and behind-the-knee sections. They didn’t dry quite as tight as a freshly washed pair, but the fabric shrunk up just enough to make a difference.

Tip #7: Try everything on, together, before it goes in the suitcase.
This one sounds so simple, but it took me years to finally accept it. Laying things on a bed before tossing them in your bag isn’t enough; a top and skirt might not jibe physically due to funky hemlines or cuts. By test-driving all your outfits before bringing them, you’ll make sure everything works together and it serves as a final time to ask yourself, “Do I really love this enough to bring it?”

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