For as long as I’ve been traveling, I’ve always made it a goal to pack light. I typically only travel with carry-on luggage, unless I’m flying trans-atlantic (when checked bags are generally free!). So for my big 6-week trip this summer, I told myself my goal was to pack just a carry-on. I was so nervous before I started packing, but I did it! I survived the entire trip with just my large carry-on Osprey backpack (you can check out a similar version on Amazon), and my smaller black backpack (which I’ve had for 10 years through 8 years of school and 4 years of extensive European travel).

Packing light is an art that will take years to refine and master. The truth about packing light? Honestly, you’ll just wear a lot of clothes over again and again. I always overpacked clothes—I wanted to have lots of “options” and felt like I needed to bring certain items to go with other items to make them work. Once I got over that, packing has been pretty easy. Check out my 5 clothing essentials here!

My number one suggestion for packing clothes is to buy simple, basic pieces in neutral colors that you can wear a number of ways. I frequently wear all black when I travel, because black goes with everything! Buy staple pieces that you can mix and match, and make sure you can wear every top with every bottom (and vice versa).

I seriously struggled with packing clothes for my trip, since I was going from drastically different climates. Starting off in Moscow, I knew that the temperature might be as low as 50˚F. When I ended the trip in Varna, it was 100˚F on the beach at the Black Sea. I needed clothes that would cover possibly 50 degrees of difference—from potential rain in chilly Russia, through to oppressive heat in Romania and Bulgaria. So I made the decision not to bring a pair of jeans, and just accept the fact that I’d wear my leggings nearly every single day for 2 weeks in Russia.

And there’s more to packing than just clothes! I also tried to cut down on the gear and “stuff” I brought. I also bought barely any souvenirs on this trip, which made a huge difference in the amount of space I had in my bag.

So what all did I actually bring?! I thought it might be helpful to share my packing list here on the blog. Here’s what I packed for 6 weeks of travel with just a carry-on:

Clothes

• 1 pair leggings (black) (I live in these leggings – buy on Amazon !)
• 2 pairs denim shorts (denim/black)
• 1 pair running shorts (which I also wore for sleeping)
• 1 skirt (black)
• 1 sweater
• 1 denim chambray shirt (buy it on Amazon UK!)
• 1 nice top (for going out)
• 4 t-shirts (including 1 for sleeping)
• 3 tank tops
• 1 cami (to go with my sweater)
• 2 dresses (one with sleeves, one without)
• 1 swimsuit
• 1 pair spandex shorts (for under dresses/with tights)
• 1 pair tights
• 1 scarf
• 1 real bra
• 3 sports bras
• 8 pairs underwear
• 8 pairs socks
• 1 fleece jacket
• 1 rain jacket

Shoes

• 1 pair running shoes (which I wore nearly everyday)
• 1 pair boots
• 1 pair sandals
• 1 pair flip-flops (for hostel showers and the beach)

Toiletries

• Towel (I always bring my own towel when staying in hostels!)
• Contact lenses for 6 weeks (I wear daily contacts)
• Glasses
• Deodorant
• Makeup: mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner, 2 lipsticks
• Jewelry: 2 pairs earrings
• 3 oz/100 ml containers of: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, sunscreen
• Mini tube of toothpaste
• Hairbrush, comb, toothbrush
• “First-aid kit”: Band-aids, q-tips, cough drops, painkillers (ibuprofen/Tylenol), immodium, Neosporin (anti-bacterial) (buy one on Amazon)
• Medications (enough to last for the entirety of my trip)
• Bar of laundry soap (for washing my clothes in the sink) (buy it on Amazon)
• Delicates bag (how I separate my dirty laundry in my bag)

Miscellaneous

• 1 book (for fun reading)
• 2 Lonely Planet guidebooks
• 2 European adapters + 1 British adapter
• Laptop + charger
• Camera + charger
• Phone + charger
• Random plastic bags
• Padlock
• Paperwork/itinerary/bookings/maps
• Passport

So there you have it! That’s every single item that I rolled, folded, maneuvered, and stuffed into my carry-on for 6 weeks of travel in Eastern Europe. It was a challenge, but I’m proud that I’ve mastered packing light. If you’re interested in general tips for preparing for a trip, check out my post on good travel practices here.

Do you pack light for trips? Have you ever traveled with just carry-on luggage? Share your tips in the comments below!

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