The Fine Art of Packing Light

Big backpack

A traveler's guide to learning how to pack light and love it—or, how to fit everything you need for a six month trip into a single, carry-on sized bag

Even Roman galdiators know to pack light
Even Roman gladiators know the importance of packing into a single, carry on–sized bag (and are fashion-conscious enough to make sure their rolling suitcase matches their togas.) Aside from a gung-ho, healthy attitude, the most important factor that will make or break your trip is your luggage and how you pack it.

The biggest hurdle to packing for an Italian vacation really is the mental one: getting used to the idea that everything you truly need will fit into a single small suitcase.

Packing is really easy, and should only take you about an hour. Here's how:

Lay out everything you think you’ll need to take and consider the pile.
Put away any item that’s not really necessary.
Take what remains, pack half of it, and leave the rest at home—you won’t need it.

Pack for ultimate mobility, versatility, and necessity. When in doubt, leave it at home.

In other words, I'm here to show you how to can pack everything you need for an Italian vacation into a single carry on–sized bag (plus a small daypack). No, seriously.

How to tell if you've overpacked

If it doesn’t all fit in one carry-on sized bag plus a daypack, you've overpacked.
If you can't lift your bag over your head and hold it there for 10 seconds, you've overpacked.
If you can't shoulder your load and walk five times around the block without breaking a sweat, you've overpacked (and should probably also hit the gym—all the walking you'll do makes travel in Italy an aerobic workout and you need to be ready).

Just bring trial sizes or travel sizes of toiletries—shampoo, toothpaste, tiny bar of soap, etc. You can restock some of it from hotel freebies as you go, and if you run out, European grocery stores and convenience shops carry most major US brands, plus their own product lines that are just as good if not better. In fact, a tube of Biodent toothpaste makes a pretty nifty and offbeat souvenir.Trust me, you'll be thankful later when you easily shoulder you bag and zip off to your hotel while the guy who sat next to you on the plane gets a hernia just trying to get his luggage out of the airport.

Remember: Clothes take up the most room in your luggage, so be stingy with what you take. Believe me, it's easier to do a bit of laundry in your room every few nights than lug around a ton of stuff.

Only your immediate traveling companions will know you've been wearing the same outfit for the past three countries. Socks, T-shirts, and underwear—the clothes that ripen quickly—are the easiest items to wash out and dry overnight.

In truth, you can wear the same pair of pants for quite a while before they begin walking around on their own in search of the laundromat.

But is a carry-on really large enough for all of my stuff?

Yes. In fact, it should be a little too large. That's because you should always leave a little space in your pack for accumulating souvenirs.

If you find yourself running out of room, stop at any post office to ship home the personal items you've found you didn't need, or just before flying home, mail your dirty laundry to yourself. This way, you can carry your new purchases instead of entrusting them to the Italian postal system.

The ultimate packing list

On the next page you'll find the actual packing list I myself use, containing absolutely everything I bring with me on any trip to Europe, whether it be for six days or six months.

If an item you thought was necessary doesn't appear on that packing list, ask yourself seriously whether it's truly indispensable.

Most likely, you'll get by fine without it, or you can buy it over there if you find you really, really need it. That's one less item for you to lug around and waste your precious travel time dealing with.

Make travel an exercise in simplifying your life.

OK, on to the actual ultimate packing list. » more

Tips & links

Useful links & resources

GEAR, CLOTHES, & BAGS

Gear & clothing: REI.com, eBags.com, Backwoods.com, Travelsmith.com, LLBean.com , Magellans.com

Luggage: eBags.com, REI.com, Backwoods.com

Electronic converters: REI.com, Travelsmith.com

How to pack it all into a carry-on

Lay out everything you think you’ll need to take and consider the pile.
Put away any item that’s not really necessary.
Take what remains, pack half of it, and leave the rest at home—you won’t need it.

Pack for ultimate mobility, versatility, and necessity. Make travek an exercie in simplifying your material needs.

When in doubt, leave it at home. Whatever you forgot or discover on the road you need (sunscreen, bathing suit, sandals) you can also just buy it in Italy—and have a nifty extra souvenir of daily life to bring home (I often come home with odd, foreign brands of toothpaste).

Speaking of which: you shoudl have a little space in your pack for accumulating souvenirs.

If, as you travel, you find yourself running out of room, stop at any post office to ship home the personal items you've found you didn't need, or just before flying home, mail your dirty laundry to yourself. This way, you can carry your new purchases instead of entrusting them to the Italian postal system.

» more

How to tell if you've overpacked

If it doesn’t all fit in one carry-on sized bag plus a daypack, you have overpacked.
If you can't lift your bag over your head and hold it there for 10 seconds, you have overpacked.
If you can't shoulder your load and walk five times around the block without breaking a sweat, you have overpacked (and should probably also hit the gym—all the walking you'll do makes travel in Italy an aerobic workout and you need to be ready).

Trust me, you'll be thankful later when you easily shoulder you bag and zip off to your hotel while the guy who sat next to you on the plane gets a hernia just trying to get his luggage out of the airport.

Cardinal rules for travel clothing

Nothing white
Nothing that wrinkles
Clothes you can layer
Lots of pockets
Very few

Remember: Clothes take up the most room in your luggage, so be stingy with what you take. Take a maximum of 2–3 each of pants and shirts that can all mix and match toegther.

Believe me, it's easier to do a bit of laundry in your room every few nights than lug around a ton of extra clothing.

Only your immediate traveling companions will know you've been wearing the same outfit for the past three countries.

Socks, T-shirts, and underwear—the clothes that ripen quickly—are the easiest items to wash out and dry overnight.

Make sure you use a moneybelt

Keep your all valuables in a moneybelt: one of these large, flat, zippered pouched you wear under your clothes.

A moneybelt is like a wearable safe for your passport, credit cards, bank/ATM cards, driver's license, plane tickets, railpass, extra cash, and other important documents.

In your wallet, carry only a single day's spending money—maybe €40–€60. (Replenish this as needed from your stash in the moneybelt.) » more

Assorted packing tips

Some bags have zip-away straps and waist belts that convert the pack into a more respectable soft-sided suitcase for waltzing into your hotel lobby.
To keep the bulk of your bag under the carry-on requirements, layer any thick sweaters and coats and such to wear on the plane (you can strip down once seated).
Label your bag: Whatever sort of pack or suitcase you choose, be sure to put a slip of paper with your name, home address, and destination inside each piece of luggage as well as attaching a sturdy luggage tag with a concealed address window to the outside (some criminals peruse visible luggage tags at the airport, collecting the addresses of people leaving on vacation).
Get as many tiny travel locks you have zippered compartments on your pack and daypack. Make sure it is one of the special combination locks that have a red diamond-like symbol meaning they're TSA-friendly (baggage screeners carry a secret code and a special back-door key so they can open the lock if they feel the need to paw through your valuables and dirty undies).
Note that the TSA is considering once again will allow you carry small knives in your carry-on bag. However THIS RULE HAS NOT YET BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT (despite some early news reports to the contrary). For now, you will still need to pack any knife in your checked luggage. Here are the official TSA regulations.
Split up your stuff. If you're traveling with others and plan to check your luggage, distribute everybody's stuff throughout all the bags. Have your traveling companion pack some of your clothes and you pack some of his. That way, if the airline loses just one bag, both of you will have something to wear until it turns up.
Many bags come with zip-off daypacks, which is an excellent idea (or bring a small backpack). Keep in it your first-aid kit, sections of your guidebooks you stripped out for the day's use, tissue packs, water bottle, journal and pen, pocket knife, and umbrella.
Let's see. Besides a waterproof bathroom bag for the toiletries I think that's it.