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We only carry on ever and don't own anything bigger than a carry on. We went to Europe for just over 2 weeks last year with nothing but one carry on each. Roll your clothes, bring items you can easily wear with others and ladies, you don't need 13 pairs of shoes for a 2 week trip. As far as the ziploc rule, I never follow it. I just bring my makeup case, stuff whatever I need in there and am good to go. In all my traveling, I have yet to be stopped for liquid restrictions, including the large hand sanitizer I have in my purse. And remember, all hotels have toothbrushes/toothpaste, so unless you really want to, you don't have to bring your own or buy those little tubes just for the trip. It makes life so much easier to just have one bag with you at all times. No lost luggage, and you're out of the airport in no time.
And some people swear by these packing cubes, though I have never used them myself.
I can easily go for a week or more with a smaller roll-on (19") and my pocketbook or a small daypack.
Here's how I pack for a seven day early spring trip to Napa, CA:
(All clothing is cotton unless specified, all tops are lightweight knits unless specified)
Wear onto plane: Jeans, shoes, long sleeved top, walking shoes (I normally wear clogs with no socks) black wool hooded sweater.
In suitcase:
(1) jeans
(2) black chino style pants
(6) tops, a combination of silk and cotton knits, that time of the year I'll generally bring 4-5 long sleeve and 1-2 short sleeve
(1) PJ's
(1) microfiber socks (second pair in pocketbook for easya ccess on plane)
(1) silk scarf to dress up black chinos and top for dinner
(1) large pashmina wrap which I also use as a blanket on the plane
(4) undies and bras (I wash in hotel sink using shampoo and drip dry and wear again)
(1) pair of black mule style loafers that pack fairly flat and take very little space
I don't roll, use space bags, etc.--my clothes have come out nothing but wrinkled every time I've tried those methods. I do stuff socks, undies, etc. into nooks and crannies, but really don't need to, that packing list easily fits into my suitcase.
In my 3-1-1 bag I put travel size bottles (range from .5-3 ounces in size) of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, face cream, eye makeup remover, hand cream, lip balm, mascara, lipsticks (usually two), toothpaste, and hair gel. All of that does not fill the bag to capacity!
I have a second plastic bag--sandwich sized, which contains a couple doses each of DayQuil, NightQuil, Immodium, Advil, Zantac, plus a corkscrew, a few packets of tea bags, a pair of scissors with a 1/2" rounded blade (perfect for snipping tags off things, loose threads, moleskin, etc.).
Other odds and ends include, a travel sized hairbrush, toothbrush, Q-Tips, floss picks, blush and powder with brushes, tweezers, and a mini-umbrella.
I bring along a pile of magazines and discard them as I read through them to have room for things I accumulate along the way.
In my pocketbook is my wallet, travel documents and reservation printouts, my prescriptions medications, a mini-mag flashlight, small camera, i-pod, glass case (glasses are on face), a pair of microfiber socks to wear during the flight, cell phone. Looped around my pocketbook is my neck pillow.
Whatever jewelry I leave the house wearing is the jewelry I wear for the entire trip. (wedding band, earrings, medical alert bracelet.)
That's about it. Takes me from casual to dressy enough for dinner at a nice (not formal) restaurant.
I have traveled internationally with only a carry-on for a whole month.
Ditto. It is actually easier.
For my clothes I use cottons and silks and neutral colors that work together, much the same as Annerk posted, but I usually skip the jeans unless they are the lightweight kind.
I wash underthings in the sink at the hotel/hostel, or even have our laundry done for us once during the trip--it never costs much, and it is a nice break for me. A couple of times at b&b's they did my laundry for free.
I do the ziplock thing for the flight, put it in the top of my backpack, and then just put my stuff where I want it once we are on the road. Shampoo, lotion, toothpaste etc. I bring a small makeup mirror and travel hairbrush, haven't ever bothered with a hair-drier.
For my clothes I use cottons and silks and neutral colors that work together, much the same as Annerk posted, but I usually skip the jeans unless they are the lightweight kind.
Mine are pretty lightweight--they don't take up any more space than the chinos do. And it depends on where I'm going, Napa is a jeans kind of place. I totally agree on the neutral colors. I do a lot of black, and will add some reds or burgundies into the tops.
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I wash underthings in the sink at the hotel/hostel, or even have our laundry done for us once during the trip--it never costs much, and it is a nice break for me. A couple of times at b&b's they did my laundry for free.
Be carefull sending underwear out to laundry, I've had many times that it's either come back destroyed or not at all. My bras have wires, so handwash is key.
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I do the ziplock thing for the flight, put it in the top of my backpack, and then just put my stuff where I want it once we are on the road. Shampoo, lotion, toothpaste etc. I bring a small makeup mirror and travel hairbrush, haven't ever bothered with a hair-drier.
I haven't used an electric appliance on my hair in years--wash, add a bit of gel, and wear!
I also only carry on. Even for week or longer trips. I put my liquids in a zip lock bag but even then i dont really bring much. Maybe a small toothpaste and small sunblock but thats it.
How long a trip have you taken with carry on luggage only?
Tips for packing?
What items do you pack with the 3 oz ziploc rule?
I have taken a few week-long trips with only a carry-on; however, they're about as packed as they can get. I always throw in a soft folded case because I always return with more than I took. I like to BUY stuff on trips (in fact, that's about the only time I ever shop for clothes!).
I have medical issues so I take a LOT of prescription meds and OTC aids. Also, I pack a Lacrosse ball to use on my back (acuppressure). I also have problems with my feet, so taking just one pair of shoes can't do.
Now, I don't about others but I have NOT had luck with space bags. Air always seeps in them almost right away.
I also pack a lot of toiletries and cosmetics. See, I don't want to take the time to shop for all that stuff later. I'm a real 'time hog' when I vacation.
I think the carry on thing has gotten out of hand. The last flight I was on was delayed due to all the clowns with their massive carry ons packed to burst open that couldn't stuff them in the overhead bin. One dingleberry had 3 massive bags he had somehow got on board.
It depends on where I am going and for how long. If I am only going to be gone for a couple days then I only take a small carry-on bag. If work takes me to Fairbanks, AK in the winter time, my winter gear requires me to have a checked bag, even for a day trip. I hate lugging my bags thru the airport, so I limit myself to one small carry-on bag. Anything more gets checked to the final destination.
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