Given that the beginnings of this post first formed while I was seated aisle-side on a flight (I have the heart of a window girl, but the bladder that requires an aisle seat) and that I’ve made progress towards booking up what is turning out to be a busy fall of travel (Europe! San Fran! Toronto! Europe … again!), I was feeling inspired to gather all my favorite travel items + tips into one post for those similarly turning their gaze abroad.
As far as my travel preferences / credentials go, I am a devoted carry-on only packer. I managed four weeks in Europe on my honeymoon and 20+ stops on my sold out book tour with just an overhead piece of luggage plus a personal item in tow. PHEW!
Like anything, with some foresight and thoughtful intention, the carry-on lifestyle is possible.
I’d like to preface my tips with a few caveats. Namely to acknowledge that I might be a travel anomaly for a number of reasons. First, I love planes. Perhaps it comes from poring over travel quizzes, plane routines, airport outfits, and the like - but I find the ritual of arriving to the airport, navigating security and customs, rolling a bag through terminals, laying eyes on the gate (LEOTG diva), and boarding to be soothing. The planning! The process! The routine! Second, I frequently opt for jeans on flights. Take of that fact what you may.
Below, my travel essentials lineup and a few tips I’ve learned along the way that’s made travel a more comfortable experience.
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The Lineup
The Carry-On: Last year I hit “check out” on this beautiful cognac carry-on bag whilst I was grumpily standing in line, relegated to boarding group 4, and huffing it with the hobbled plastic shell and broken telescoping handle of an unnamed luggage brand. The fact that I placed an order for anything on my phone rather than a desktop (my - perhaps millennial - preference) speaks volumes to the need. Never again! The color on this luggage is beautiful, the corner caps classy as heck, and everything from its roll, to its handle, to its locking mechanism has felt smooth and sturdy. Not to sound a wee bit silly, but I also genuinely love that the cognac brown is a warm neutral that goes with any airport outfit. Per TSS, always thinking about the visuals! I even grabbed Mr. TSS the ever-so-slightly smaller size (in TSS Green, natch). The difference feels so negligible I assume the only people who care work at Ryanair.
The Personal Item: In every airport selfie I’ve taken, the thing I get asked about most often is what compact bag is sat atop my carry-on luggage. It has two zippered compartments. One side for a laptop and other flat tech (think iPad or, in my case, an eReader). The opposite has a few pockets (in which goes a protein bar, electrolytes, sunglasses, passport) and a soft zippered inset area for stashing an airplane layer, toiletries, and a spare outfit (if you’re a checked bag individual, I’ll always rec throwing a tee and soft pants into your personal item should your items lose their way).
If I didn’t have this particular one, I love the puffy dimensions and interior organizing pockets of this bag and this bag. The materials make me think it’ll be feather light in hand or on the shoulder. Plus the patterns deliver a rush of whimsy I’m sure any careworn traveler could use a jolt of whilst in the boarding shuffle.
TOP REC: Throw an AirTag at it. Even a carry-on bag can get forcibly checked (a flight is full, you purchase oversized liquids while away). A four-pack of AirTags is an easy grab so you can chuck one in every bag and feel at-ease knowing exactly where everything is.
The Packing Accoutrements: When it comes to organizing all the bits and bobs that go inside those packing materials, there are two things I’ll never be without again. Packing cubes for the carry-on. Cadence Capsules and Parcels for the personal item.
Packing cubes have been immensely handy for squashing clothes down to size. I have these coordinating ones with my luggage but I feel this is an area you can skimp on with any budget-friendly one you happen to find.
What can’t be replaced are my solution for liquids. Given my devotion to the carry-on lifestyle, liquid allotments occupy a lot of my travel pre-planning. The Cadence Capsules are handy for decanting all the liquid toiletries you’ll need while abroad. The real difference maker, however, are the Adapters. They’re unbelievably handy. I use the Pour spout for shampoo and Splash for this dry skin holy grail.
The Parcels have also more than earned their spot in my travel lineup. On their own, each Parcel is weightless and transparent - making them TSA winners. But their real value comes when they’re placed together end on end. When opened, the magnet-lined design that folds them into a neat little envelope “catch” on one another to form a row of handy little trays. I keep one for toiletries, one for makeup, and one for tech. Part of my unpacking ritual upon getting to a destination is neatly placing these on a countertop like faithful little packing soldiers. Satisfying.
TOP REC: The Discovery Set (6 Capsules + 1 medium Parcel) is the perfect place to start for getting your liquids allotted and organized for spill-proof travels.
The Miscellaneous: A hodgepodge of what gets stacked inside the personal item that, I feel, are largely explanatory. One of my favorite personal purchases is that passport wallet - the bright zingy red color makes it impossible to lose even in the most cavernous of totes.
One particular shoutout that’s much deserved? The two “TSS Green” pieces gifted by Mr. TSS himself. Both the water bottle (which was custom-etched with the TSS logomark) and earbuds were exceedingly thoughtful Christmas presents that I use every day.
The Packing List
While my exact packing list will adjust to meet the itinerary and environment of the place I’m traveling to, there are a few closet staples of mine that are practically always guaranteed to make their way into my carry-on. Ones that typically make the cut? My favorite box cut tees, a beautiful drapey trench, jewels that let you “glam” up any outfit. Basics that work!
The “sauce” that might shift this edit more specifically to the trip often comes down to accessories. Bags, jewelry, shoes can all dramatically impact an outfit and swing it towards the occasion and place you might need it to fit.
If you do ever find yourself in need of a packing list that lessens the brain’s heavy lifting, the wonderful Anna Newton (queen of the Virgos) has created a template I find myself unable to improve upon.
The Tips
Outfit plan in Indyx: Speaking of packing, I’ll often throw all the pieces I’m considering packing into a “Collection” in Indyx, my virtual closet organizer app. This feature allows me the quick ability to pump out outfit combinations of the items I plan on schlepping with me. This tactic not only works great for those who enjoy a visual, but it also becomes a great litmus test of what is/isn’t worthy of being packed. If I’m not quickly able to mix/match a few ensembles for the trip - based on weather, itinerary activities, vibes - it becomes an easy way to filter out what won’t serve me when space is at a premium.
Duty-free scents: One little treat I’ll indulge in while traipsing on the other side of customs and security? The luxury fragrance counters in the nearest duty-free. I’ll often meander over to the Tom Ford section and give an Ombre Leather or Tobacco Vanille a few spritzes on my clothes or hair before making my way over to my gate. In between breathing in stale recirculated air for the next few hours, catching a whiff of something familiar and luxe feels wonderfully comforting and calming.
Look cute at the airport: My approach to personal style is not limited just to when I’m at home or even while I’m abroad at my travel destination but also to those moments of transit in between. Nailing an airport outfit that is versatile enough to rise to the occasion of dramatically shifting temperatures, comfortable enough for extended moments in tight quarters, and that still ticks all my personal Three Words is a lot to ask of an outfit. But I feel getting this tricky formula down has contributed to the ease I feel when traveling because I know regardless of any stressors that might arise (delays, traffic, challenging neighbors in nearby rows) I’ll feel like the version of myself I want to show up as. That closely-held confidence and self-assurance might be the steadying thing you need when everything else around you feels uncertain or out of your control.
I know this might seem like I’m giving clothes an inordinate amount of authority, but I hope if you’re here you’re part of the party who subscribes to the power of fashion.
TOP REC: If I had to choose my go-to travel outfit it would be a roomy trench with a lovely billowing drape, a cotton rollneck sweater (tied at the waist), boxy tee, and pull-on pants or my most lovingly worn-in pair of jeans I own. I’d finish off with comfy - but Edgy - flats or sneakers. Classic, crisp, and easy to shift layers as needed.
Sweat upon arrival: Particularly in instances with a significant time difference, one of my best remedies for jet lag is to sweat it out. It might well be the very last thing I want to do, but every time I prioritize squeezing in a workout upon landing my body thanks me for it. I recognize the ritual as part of a routine from home and I feel the physical response to it almost immediately. The appeal of an on-site gym (among other amenities) is part of what’s motivated my recent pivot back to hotels after years of opting for AirBnbs.
Skincare routine pre-flight: Contrary to this sacred past-time much logged on the Internet, I would personally rather have a faucet, a mirror, and a countertop at my disposal when applying my preciously priced skincare rather than delicately balancing everything on a flimsy pull-down tray that can easily be jostled by turbulence or a neighbor in my row needing to get up to use the bathroom. If you regularly sit in a first class pod, this does not apply to you. (Also - jealous!) But you’ll more likely catch me conducting application in the bathroom at my gate than hauling things out mid-flight.
High maintenance to be low maintenance: The week before travel usually consists of all. the. appointments. I’ve tried to take the “habit stacking” approach to booking things / reservations ahead of time. That is, when one thing gets done to immediately and routinely follow up with another task in tandem. Rather than checking something off just to immediately tack on yet another thing to the end of your list, I find habituating yourself to pairing tasks is ultimately in service of the brain space of future you. I’m always going to be a proponent of thinking of the future version of myself and doing right by them (Pro Tip: Generally a great philosophy to blanket apply to life, no?). Once a flight is booked, I’ll schedule a haircut, facial, wax, and lash lift appointment in the 7-10 day window before takeoff plus block off time for a drop-by at a salon for a mani/pedi leading up to departure. While I’m at it, I’ll book a massage for the day after I get home. An hour of someone else kneading the tension out of my neck after a succession of upright sleeping? Heaven.
I hope you found my takes on travel to be helpful for your next adventure. And in the meantime …
Your turn! I’d love to know:
Are you traveling anywhere this year? If so, where?
Do you carry-on or check bag?
Travel tips one must know?
The best travel tip I give myself is to deep clean my house two days before we leave (the day before is for packing). Then when we get home, it’s relaxed and comfortable, but not sterile!
I have a 12 day trip to Italy in October and I am INSPIRED by you to fit my life into a carry-on + personal item. I even (through coincidence, honestly) have the same Away bags you do. Fingers crossed I have it in me to keep it cute + minimal!