I’m a terrible packer. Whenever I travel more than 2 nights, I get anxious about my need for clothing options. As a result, I use a large suitcase with about twice the clothes I actually use. I’ve only had to put up with my wife’s cajoling as she always packs a carry-on

This became a problem last year when we went to Ireland and my suitcase was delayed for 5 days, about half out vacay. That’s a story in itself, with an important lesson: put an Apple Airtag or Tile in your suitcase to see where it actually is on the planet, because the airline’s “suitcase police” won’t believe you. But the bigger lesson is to just pack lighter. So anxiously, I tried it.

We just returned from 2 weeks in Paris and London, and I happily survived with a single carry-on. I’m so proud of myself I’m writing this blog to share what I learned. I actually brought too much, so when we got home, I made a list of just the stuff I’ll need next time.

There’s an overall philosophy in play here: no one cares what you wear. You’re moving around seeing new people constantly. Maybe you’re traveling with a partner and friends, but recognize that they’re doing the same thing. No one cares. Here’s my packing list for variety and comfort:

1. Two pairs of pants. They need to be synthetic with lots pockets. I’m not shilling for any brands, so I’m sharing here just to give you some ideas. I wore a pair of black Clothin pants from Amazon, and navy blue zip offs from Columbia. These also doubled as shorts, so I didn’t have to bring any shorts. Both wash in the shower and dry within hours. Other brand options include Clothing Arts and ScotteVest. Bottom line – look for internal and zippered pockets.

2. One nice long sleeve synthetic shirt. Another Amazon purchase, Coofandy. It’s a button down untucked Oxford. I think it wasn’t absolutely necessary, but I felt better when we went to a few nicer restaurants. That’s for me as an older dude. I’m not sure it’s needed for younger folks. I also have a ScotteVest button down that has lots of extra internal pockets, but I’m not sure both are needed.

3. Two nice long sleeve t-shirts – I brought black and gray from Fresh Clean Tees. These are super comfortable shirts, really the best out there.

4. One fleece – My Columbia has three outside zippered pockets and two internal ones for great security. It’s probably my favorite article of clothing in cool weather.

5. One light jacket – Mine is a ScotteVest safari jacket with lots of inside and outside pockets. Good for cool mornings and evenings.

6. One rain jacket – I have a light REI version with a hood. It crumbles to practically nothing, and stayed at the bottom of my backpack at all times. I pulled it out 2-3 times over the two weeks. With this jacket, you don’t need an umbrella.

7. Two pairs of shoes – I brought two pairs of the same exact shoe. Black Brooks walking shoes and a blue pair as well. I’m sure I could have gotten by with one pair, but I worried about rain, so I brought two. If this was a hiking vacay, I would have brought one pair of hiking boots and the black Brooks. They looked good as evening shoes and were super comfortable.

8. One baseball hat. Needed for the sun, and also for the rain jacket with the hood. Keeps your face dry.

9. 5 pairs of underwear, socks, and short sleeved t-shirts. This is key to the strategy. With 5 of everything underneath you can do laundry every 3-4 days. The t-shirts I got are synthetic Amazon Essentials, and I got a variety of dark colors, including black, gray, red and green. On warm days they were t-shirts. On hot days they were the piece of clothing I’d need to wash.

10. A good backpack. I have a light and large nylon pack. It can easily hold the rain jacket and an extra fleece when needed, as well as a water bottle and snacks. Make sure yours is comfortable.

Here’s the overall strategy. Every day I wore a nylon t-shirt as my base, then layered on top of it. On cool days I wore a long sleeve t-shirt and then the fleece. On warmer days I just wore the t-shirt and fleece. I had the light jacket and rain jacket as well just in case.

This strategy works well for northern European countries where it can be cool and rainy, but occasionally a little warm. If this was Greece, I’d add a pair of shorts, bathing suit, some sandals, and drop the jacket. I’d also add a light short-sleeve Cuban shirt.

Aside from electrical conversion devices, the only other thing I’d bring is a backup phone battery. We used our map apps everywhere, and that uses a lot of juice. Thank goodness we had the backup battery.

All this stuff will easily fit into a carry-on.

About the Author

Barry Moline is a longtime CEO and public speaker specializing in teamwork, leadership, and influence. With extensive experience in managing diverse teams, Barry provides practical insights and strategies for fostering a positive and productive workplace. Connect with Barry on LinkedIn for more tips on effective leadership and team management, or at barry@barrymoline.com.