Editorial Note: We are well aware of the massive amount of social media that exists about this topic. Therefore, we are only supporting one post that we promise to keep up to date.

We have a confession.

We do not follow the masses of people who insist that the only way to travel is to lug their carry-on for the 17 miles it takes to get in and out of an airport. It seems that we all have to worry about so many things when we carry on! Weight, liquids, battling for overhead space, check-ins, oh my!

Instead, we factor the cost of checked suitcases into our travel budget and make our airport time a bit less stressful. Key to ensuring that this plan works is the fact that we pop a little airtag into every bag we check (and even the things we don’t) to ensure smooth sailing. We’ve been able to recover every delayed bag we’ve met within 3 hours simply by using an airtag. So, we put them at the top of our travel gear list.

To be clear, we’ve gone through just about every whacky, innovative, difficult-to-use, problem-solving travel accessory you can imagine! We’ve tried them all! In the end, there are so, so many we wound up finding far more cumbersome than helpful. This post will point out what really works for us and what truly is a waste of time. With that said, let’s jump in to the basics.

The Necessities…

1. We use several pieces to gather our things. For example, a hard shell suitcase, a small, under-the-seat carry-on, a good purse that holds our electronics well, and packing cubes. We are true believers in the check-in, and we refuse to fight the overhead bins. Our purses do double duty as a secure spot for our electronics, and we use packing cubes to corral things like swimwear, formal clothing, and unmentionables. This makes it easier to sift through our luggage daily.

2. Laundry supplies… if we’re going for more than 7 days, wherever we will be on day 6 is the spot where we look for a decent laundry place. We don’t bring any supplies at all. If there is a clothing emergency, we simply soak and get what we need in the moment. Europe has everything we have and more! Usually, our hotel knows of just the right place. This little baggie goes right in a packing cube and is out of sight and out of mind until needed. If our trip is less than 7 days, we just pack enough to get there and back with a laundry bag. One way or another, we’ll have clean clothes. We’re a little obsessed with the travel laundry situation!

3. Electronics. That includes our laptops for work, travel adapters (click for the link to see our pick), cords, portable chargers, and phones. This normally all fits in our purses. And it covers all of our translation, travel, and communication needs. As technology continues to develop, we find that these items get less and less. These days, unless you are running a business, you can comfortably pair down to your phone, earbuds, and a good portable charger. The lesson here is to keep it as simple as possible. For more on how your phone can play an important role in your travels, check out our digital details post.

4. Travel extras. There are always so many temptations in the travel world. Things like travel guides that can’t be digitized, a journal, an RFID travel wallet, and a reusable bag that folds down. We admit it! When traveling DIY style, we know that there are certain things that just make sense. So, we take exactly what we need to make our trip successful.

5. Clothes. We don’t believe there is any one piece of advice that works for every traveler. Pack what you think you need for the events that you plan. Just don’t pack more than what can fit in your one medium sized suitcase. We take sneakers and sandals that go with maxi dresses and jeans. For most travel, we settle on one or two dressy things and casual mix and match. Read about capsule wardrobes for a deeper dig into how to pick and choose.

Share the load…

One of our first conversations with each other is “Who has the laundry stuff? I’ll bring the curling iron! Do you have the travel guides covered?” While we need these things, it is far easier to collectively share and lessen the load. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Lessening the load? No one says, “gee! I wish I had lugged more stuff with me during my trip! It would have made it so much better!” So, here is a look at the dedicated travel items we recommend for any trip. Consider this your quick packing list.

The 10 things we pack every single trip

An RFID wallet and old shoes

Mix and match solids that make a capsule wardrobe and a battery charger

A lightweight wrap or scarf and a retractable cable lock for train travel

IPhone and cordless headphones, a USB-capable converter, and a foldable shopping bag

Now… 7 Items On Your Packing List To Rethink (and 4 to try!)

Okay, let’s get down to brass tacks. You’ve booked your flight, and you’ve made all your arrangements. You’re tickets are printed, and you have an alarm on your phone to tell you when to pre-board. You are ready! Not so fast, cowboy. You’ve gotta pack! Now, some of you might have rolled your bags out of the closet weeks ago, while others of you just realized that you leave in 48 hours and haven’t packed a thing! No matter where you are in the packing process, there are a few items we all seem to grapple with, and this list of travel gear is here to help!

Hairdryer

I get it! You can do your hair the way you know how with your things, so you will look good on Instagram! I’m with you! But the bottom line is that a hairdryer is bulky and heavy. On top of that, hairdryers are notorious for blowing a fuse or simply giving in. Besides, if you are staying at a hotel or B and B, they have one for you to use. The only place that I can think of that has no hairdryer is if you choose to rough it and you probably are okay without it anyway.

Take it? Never! Unless you are a hairdresser on the way to a trade show.

Heels

I get it! We all want to look nice but heels take up a lot of room. But, for the typical traveler who is out to enjoy the local sites and culture, there is really no room for high heels. Instead, there are lots of lovely sandals out there that can do double duty for day and night. See if that is a better option. Shoes should be just another part of your mix-and-match wardrobe. There are just two kinds of shoes I take, a pair of sneakers and sandals. I can think of a few isolated times when they need to go with you though.

If you are cruising, you may need formal wear (although that trend is not as prevalent as it used to be), you may have a specific event (a night at the Opera in Vienna or a family wedding), or you may be staying at a resort with certain activities that have a dress code. By all means, pack the heels! But for the day-to-day tourist, don’t waste your space.

Take it? Maybe. Just have a really good reason, like your cousin Agnetha’s wedding.

Umbrella

I get it! You are headed to London or, perhaps, Bangkok- maybe Victoria Falls is written on your ticket. You’ve read your travel guide and it says rain. I say do not pack the umbrella!!! Believe me! The true need for an umbrella is overrated. Instead, pack one or two pretty scarves that can double as a quick head cover as you duck in and out of museums on a rainy day. Scarves are usable on wet days, dry days, windy days, and cold days. They spruce up your outfit and fold down to next to nothing. If you really truly need an umbrella, buy one where you are. I’ve only done it twice in 20 years.

Take it? Nope. A few raindrops won’t hurt you.

Laptop

I get it! But is this your vacation, or is it another work day? We all talk about being unplugged, but we adults are not very good at it. Americans have more leave time accrued than any other nation, and we don’t use it! So, do you bring it? Well, if you really have no choice, then lug that thing along but even as someone who does do a little work on the road, I don’t bring mine. Why bother with that heavy bag that you don’t want to check in for fear of it going missing? I opt for two pieces of technology: my iPad and my phone. I can pretty much do whatever I have to with much lighter gear and still watch the newest Netflix releases if they ever drop (I’m talking to you The Diplomat!) And if I can’t? Well, I am on vacation after all!

Books

I get it! You are going on vacation! You want to sit back, relax, and read that beach novel. I say if that is what you are truly going to do, then, by all means, take that book. But, do not think for one minute, if you are traveling to Tokyo or Rio, that a book will be read. You have too many other things to do! Books are heavy, and you are not going to open them on the go. Instead, opt to read digitally (kindle, iPad) on the off chance that you have a few moments to spare on a train from Munich to Venice. One or two notable exceptions: always take your travel guides. They are an indispensable part of your trip, and grab something juicy for the ship or the beach if you are going nowhere else.

Take it? Maybe. Beach reads get to go, but leave Fabio at home for anything else.

Camera

I get it! Once-in-a-lifetime trips deserve once-in-a-lifetime memories. So, do you need a camera? Well, I’ve been unsure for years about this one. So, I decided about 3 years ago to try a little experiment. I only took my iPhone and snapped all my photos on that. You know what? It worked! My pictures were clear, reasonable quality, and easy! So, for me, I’m a no-go on the camera. I like not having extra gear. However, I do think there are some notable exceptions, and the first one is safari. You need more than an iPhone for that! If you are an amateur photographer and it’s going to bring you joy to have a good camera and lens, you should bring them. Get those wonderful memories on film somehow!

Take it? Maybe. Only if you know what you’re doing with it and you know it will do a better job than your iPhone.

Travel sized products

I get it! You are about to stuff two weeks’ worth of stuff into a two-day bag. Space is at a premium! Not so fast, unless you have pledged to the secret society of “I will never pay for checked luggage again,” there is an alternative. Okay, I’m seriously not trying to scare anybody, but I take my own FULL-SIZE products! Gasp! I do! I take them almost empty- with just enough for my trip. On the last day, I ditch them all and make room for all of the things I’ve brought along the way. Why do I need to pay $3.99 for 20 cents worth of shampoo from a brand I don’t even like? Again, I check my bag so I don’t have to deal with the liquids restriction, and with powders becoming restricted too, I don’t care to get involved with that nonsense either.

Now, you have a few other options; I’m talking to you carryoners. You can buy reusable bottles for a small price and use your own products, or simply use whatever is in the hotel bath if you’re not picky. One alternative is bath bars like the ones from Ethique. They have shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in nonliquid TSA happy bars. I love them. However, my absolute favorite way to handle the liquid products that we all need is to not bring any and head immediately to the local pharmacy and buy stuff there!

Take it? Not me. I can pay to check my bag for the prices they charge for all those little plastic bottles, which are not good for the environment anyway.

Plastic Palooza

Speaking of the environment, it’s time for every traveler to rethink the use of plastic. Gone are the days when we could buy for convenience and look the other way. Every bottle, toy, spoon, and plate was made from plastic back then. Years later, we learned about the big plastic blob floating in the ocean and vowed to start neighborhood watch groups pinpointing exactly who the culprits were not snipping their six-pack rings before recycling them. Yesterday, I found out that I have killed dozens of birds because I did not snip the rings left by the caps on gallon-sized milk jugs. I am going to have a panic attack if I unknowingly kill one more creature!!! (Except for spiders and snakes- sorry, animal lovers, I have no love for either!)

Instead of using plastic, there are a few better options for the traveler. Most of them work while traveling and while back at home. Try some of them out…

• Bamboo straws- for drinking, yes, but also to keep necklaces from tangling
• Beeswax wrap- they are meant for sandwiches but work wonderfully for keeping earrings and other small jewelry and trinkets in one place.
• Silicone- from travel-size squeeze bottles to iPhone covers, silicone is a better choice than hard plastic at any time.
• Reusable shopping bags- we use them for absolutely everything. They fold up small and hold a lot and we didn’t have to take another plastic bag!

No one ever said, “I wish I had taken more.” So remember, you are going to have to lug all of that travel gear in your suitcase everywhere you go, so pack wisely! Me? I prefer to leave room for all the treasures I find along the way!

Get your world organized!

First things first. Organization is every packer’s best friend. Having an organized closet and home base makes the first steps into absolutely everything travel-related. Moreover, it will wind up saving you a little money, letting you put more into your travel fund! Slim down and streamline! We highly recommend Marie Kondo: The Life-Changing Habit of Tidying Up. This staple of the organization world will whip any closet into shape and get you ready to pack for any destination. It seems obvious at first, but we’re betting that if you ever really dig into your closet with a critical eye, you’d find all kinds of things that don’t belong.

A dedicated travel wardrobe

Stop! Don’t do it! We are in no way suggesting that you need to have completely different clothes to travel with. In fact, we are recommending just the opposite. Hear us out! Now that you’ve paired down your wardrobe to what you truly love and use, we’re guessing that a few things have started to stand out. Have you noticed a particular color that steps forward? Are you starting to see those pieces that make you smile when you put them on? Can you easily pair these items with some trusty neutrals? If so, you’ve found it! The foundations of your dedicated travel wardrobe.

The travel pieces that you pluck from your closet are comfortable, easily washed, have no iron, and are trusty faves. They have your favorite color palette and never fail to make the day a little easier. They mix and match and they layer easily. For more on how to decide on the right pieces click here.

Suitcase Smarts

We’ve got a few confessions to make. When it comes to suitcases, we are partial to a few things. First, we are fans of the hard shell. Durable and trustworthy, they’ve never let us down. Next, we are totally on the cube train! Packing cubes keep us organized and use our space efficiently. We especially like to use the small ones for packing our bathing suit, raincoats, and knitwear. Finally, we always, always bring a laundry bag and a versatile wrap. All in all, getting our things packed neatly and test driving our favorite gear has been the best way to get going.

The Big Controversy…

Speaking of going, we are going to say something you may not think is realistic. We CHECK our bags. There, we said it. Are you shocked? Here’s the deal: with the amount of time we spend going from here to there, we’ve come to the conclusion that checking makes things just a little easier in the end. We get through TSA quicker and we have free hands to shift into travel mode instead of dealing with the chaos of lugging our closets past 57 gates.

At the most, we use an under the seat roller bag for our paired down electronics that are multi use, headphones that plug into the plane’s sound system, a portable battery for charging delays, a change of clothes and our medication. We’ve figured out how to get our purse in that bag and how to ensure that we are rolling with one hand whether we have just our small carry on or our big bag. Our faves these days are:

• The Away Bag
• Samantha Brown Bags are leaving the market, but we love them.
• The under-seat roller with stacking strap from Amazon basics
• We also recommend:
• Apple Air Tags
• Blue ribbon bags which a new way to find lost bags!

Hold your packing horses!

If there is one thing our experience has taught us over the years, it’s that overpacking will always be a regret. So what is the stuff we are passing on? First and foremost, we have given up multiple sources of entertainment. Things like magazines, multiple tour guides on the same destination, both an iPad and a computer, and electronic cords for everything under the sun! Whew!

Our solution is to ensure that every piece of electronics that we pack does more than one thing. By the time, we examine all of the different gadgets out there, we take our iPhone, a charging pack, and the cords we need to run it. That’s all! No camera, no extra iPad. None of it. It’s so much easier! We also pack a water bottle that we can lose and we download as many books as we possibly can whether we do that on our Kindle app or on Audible. Now, everything is one place and super easy to carry.

What About The Travel Gear We’d Pass On…

We can’t tell you how often we get asked about all those travel products that spam our social media and Amazon home page. We’ve come across a few that, upon second thought, weren’t the wisest purchases in the world! So, we’ve got a few swaps to share with you.

• Instead of a dedicated jewelry container, wrap your jewelry in a beeswax sandwich wrap so you have your jewelry and a way to wrap a mid day snack! The wax wrap will keep your jewelry from tangling and it’s washable.
• Instead of a suitcase scale, choose to pack your suitcase to capacity without over-stuffing it.
• Instead of a medication organizer for overseas travel, keep all of your prescriptions in the issued bottle. Additionally, take a picture of each one to ensure you have a copy in case there’s a need to seek out a pharmacist.
• Instead of a neck pillow, pack a multi use wrap. It’s not bulky and will always come in handy.
• Instead of a selfie stick, make a friend and have them take the snap. Many places are banning them anyway.

We recently returned from a 42 day trip spanning four countries. One of our greatest challenges was packing our bags for so many different needs. As we drag our bags out of the back of our cars, we can’t help but think of what we took that we really, really didn’t use. Don’t get me wrong, we, too, watch videos about how to pack the perfect bag for a 31 month trip to 143 countries and still meet the TSA approved carry on standards.

Truth be told even though we travel a lot, we mean a lot, we have never ever accomplished the carry on bag. We know, you’re ready to give up on us! But, unlike all those other expert packers, we just don’t feel the pressure of carry-on only. We are checkers! 

We packed approximately 75 items each for this trip. This includes everything from daily clothes to our toothbrushes. So what did we really use and what did we really just lug around with us for no reason? Here’s the big packing list, and, more importantly, the bigger unpacking list. Have faith though. We promise we’ve got plenty to share no matter what size suitcase you fill up.

What was the challenge?

Summer in Europe is an interesting mix of weather. There are some places that sunny and hot while others can need a jacket sometimes and that’s exactly the predicament we found ourselves dealing with. We needed layers to get this accomplished and that all started by adhering to our capsule wardrobe challenge. 

Along with the above, we packed a carry-on bag for our flights. Did you hear that? One under seat carry-on for two people! Here’s what was in it: electronics, bare minimum toiletries, medication, and a change of clothes for each and our travel papers. We also threw in travel bands, compression socks and our small wallets so we didn’t have to bring our purses (bags, pocketbooks, whatever you may call it).

In our luggage we packed our capsule wardrobes, a change of shoes, toiletries in full size bottles, and our guide books that we needed. So, did I bring a lot? Yes and no. We both came in at 36 pounds each upon check in which is far below the 50 pound weight limit. We felt like we packed a smart bag for a long trip. But specifically, what wasn’t of use? After unloading about 50 pounds of luggage back at home, this is what we figured out.

In the end, what didn’t get used?

So as we drag our bags back into the house after 42 adventurous days, what are our packing regrets? What could we have left off our packing list? Here is what didn’t work:

• The eye mask: while not that big or heavy, was not that helpful. We did use it but sunglasses worked just as well. we’ll pass!
• Dress Sandals: they were just a bit bulky and we could have been a bit smarter with our shoe choices.
• Kindle: Wait! Hear us out! With an ipad in tow, there was no need for a single use item. We could have accessed reading someplace else.
• Three dresses: Dresses are a great go to at the end of a hot day. We often use them to go to dinner  after freshening up from a hot day of walking and museums. We each packed three and to tell you the truth, two would have been just fine. Especially if you plan on doing a little shopping in setu! 
• AirFly: This little gadget connects your wireless headphones to the entertainment screen on the plane. 

Remember how we told you all those things we regretted? You may have thought that our list was a bit sparse. So, to round our our list, here’s what we skipped to begin with.

• The neck pillow: bulky and inconvenient, my neck hurts with or without it
• Two pairs of flats: shoes take up space and I need good walking shoes
• Two pairs of sandals: ditto
• Pharmaceutical kit: European pharmacies are better anyway

A few last lessons:

One travel essential that has always worked for me is a large cloth laundry bag. It helps me separate things (and worked like a packing cube before packing cubes were cool). It’s easy to sort and if you fold your clothes as you put them in, you can’t go wrong.

Speaking of dirty laundry, knowing what the laundry policies are at each hotel, air B and B or lodge you are staying at is important help. For example, our Air B and B in Greece had a stacked washer and dryer, our hotel in Lusaka only charged about a dollar per item for quality laundry service, and our lodge in Botswana included laundry service for everything but your intimates. Knowing your laundry options let’s you plan clothes and time into your schedule more strategically. So, make the inquiries, it’s worth it.

Don’t bring new shoes. The only shoes you want on a trip are ones that you don’t mind ditching if you have to choose between them or a memento. When in doubt, ditch the shoes. Speaking of mementos, be sure to bring a reusable bag that folds up in your purse or day bag. Better yet, make it one of your first purchases! Use it while you shop then put it to good use for your trip home. Wrap dirty shoes in it before you pack, use it for that still a little damp bathing suit, or keep it handy to tote breakables back on the plane.

So that’s it! Our un- packing list! Every time we travel, we certainly learn how to bring less. And maybe that idea should be the very thing we put at the top of our list!