How to Pack Light for Travel

There’s something SO liberating about traveling light! It’s not just about fitting everything into a carry-on—it’s about freeing yourself from the physical and mental clutter that weighs you down and distracts you from what really matters: the experience of traveling.

Here’s why traveling light is worth it:

• Less stress: Fewer items mean fewer decisions, less to keep track of, and more room to be present.

• More mobility: Carry-on only? You skip the baggage carousel and hit the ground running.

• Greater freedom: You become less tied to your things, and more open to spontaneity.

Traveling light starts with your mindset. Ask yourself: What do I truly need to feel good, prepared, and free to explore? The answer is probably less than you think. Here are 5 tips to help you choose the best clothes to pack:

1) Choose clothes that match other items.

The dream scenario for your packed bag: all tops match all bottoms!

When this happens, you can breathe a sigh of relief that you won’t need to think at all about the process of picking your outfits. The outfits will come together simply by grabbing whatever clothes you see first. One easy way to do this is with simple colors - black, white, neutrals.

2) Avoid loud patterns.

As much as loud patterns are fun, it does make outfits tricky when traveling light.

If you’re considering packing a pattern, just aim for a subtle enough pattern that you could wear it across multiple outfits. If it’s a patterned cardigan, could you swap the pants for a skirt or the top underneath so that you get multiple wears from it?

3) Include items that can dress up or down.

For this tip, I think something like a sweater or form-fitted black joggers are good examples; they’re comfy but also look nice. Athleisure could work in lots of environments—maybe not out a fancy dinner or cocktail party—but plenty of others.

So long as it’s a little more on the “sleek” side and less on the “frumpy” side as far as comfy clothes go, I think it’s a great option.

4) Limit bulky items and materials.

Thick pants or sweatshirts are best avoided whenever possible - unfortunately they just don’t fit into a small bag! So the best way to carry larger items is to wear them directly onto the airplane rather than packing them.

Choose thicker or warmer layers that you can wear a lot. Maybe one neutral sweatshirt could match with all the clothes you bring?

5) Try using packing cubes.

This is a helpful way to squeeze extra clothes into your bag while maintaining your organization. If one packing cube is tops and another is bottoms, you’ll know this as you unpack, and you won’t have a big pile staring at you when you arrive to your final destination.

Hope this list helped! Happy travels, and keep exploring :)

Watch the full video on Youtube! (Click the image above).