[trip style = any]
Last week I met up with some travel industry friends who are on the go so much they put the jet in setter. The topic of "how we pack" for trips came up. I told them I almost always galavant with a carry-on—whether it's three days in Santa Barbara or three weeks in Stockholm.
"Wait, how do you do it?", they asked. "What about your tech and toiletries?" I told them that for me, packing light comes down to one major factor: A highly edited suitcase {which includes decisions such as small toiletries and efficient camera and computer gear}.
With this, here are my rules for achieving an ultra-edited suitcase. And guess what? Even with my choosy packing, there are still outfits I don't even wear...
5 Rules for Packing an Edited Suitcase
1/ Check the weather
The forecast will largely influence your travel wardrobe picks. Get a sense of the weather a few days in advance, and re-check a day before leaving since conditions can change.
2/ Review your itinerary {or major vacation to-dos} and pair outfits with each event
Last week I was in NYC. Since I had a pretty good idea of the activities I'd do each day, I chose an outfit to "suit" each Manhattan must-do, which helped guide the garments I placed in my bag.
3/ Shoes are your biggest opportunity
One of the basics of a well-packed bag is limiting large {or copious amounts} of shoes. Shoes take up too much real estate, so only bring footwear that will work with a few of your chosen garments.
4/ Select a go-to airport outfit
A go-to airport getup takes the guesswork out of getting out the door. On this topic, I tend to wear my biggest shoes and/or jacket on the plane, so these items don't add too much bulk to my bag. FYI: If you ask nicely, most flight attendants can hang up your coat for you.
5/ The hack of all packing hacks: A portable washing bag
If your trip is longer than five days—about the amount of clothes you can fit into a carry-on—start to mix, match and repeat outfits. As things get dirty use this quick portable washing machine technique {hint hint: it's with a freezer-size Ziploc bag}.
[photos by @tripstyler]