Minimalist Packing and Travel Tips
My husband and I just got back from a ten-day trip to Oslo, Norway, and we only brought carry-on luggage. This ultra-light approach has become our standard for every trip we take. In this Minima Journal, I’m sharing a few of my minimalist travel tips to help your next journey feel seamless.
Our carry-on luggage from Away
Organize your accessories
A central, consolidated zone for luggage and travel accessories makes packing so much easier. We keep ours on the top shelves of a hallway closet since we only travel about once per month. If you travel more frequently, you may want to store your gear in a more accessible spot.
We use the Away Carry-On and the Away Backpack (mine in black, his in gray), paired with Away Packing Cubes that fit perfectly inside. Almost all of our other travel accessories are from MUJI.
Establish a digital checklist
We keep a master packing list and a pre-trip checklist in Google Drive to streamline the process. Before each trip, I print them out so we can divide up the last-minute tasks and cross off each item as it goes into the bag.
You can view and copy our exact packing list and pre-trip checklist here.
Lay everything out
Once I’ve printed our list, we lay everything out on the bed before it goes into the bags. Being limited to carry-on dimensions forces us to be highly intentional about what comes along. If we are traveling for more than a week, we look for accommodations with laundry access to keep our clothing load manageable.
For a closer look, I created two videos before our 15-day trip to Sweden and Denmark in 2019 showing exactly what I packed and how I packed it:
Minimalist Packing Tour: Away Bigger Carry-on (Note: I have since swapped for the regular carry-on size)
Unpack with intention
To create an immediate sense of organization, I unpack my toiletries and packing cubes the moment we arrive. Limiting my things to just one or two drawers ensures easy access and guarantees nothing gets left behind.
Bonus Tip: We also build a custom Google Map for every destination, categorizing locations like Art & Architecture, Food & Drink, Nature, and Shopping. This gives us a relaxed map of options for the day, allowing us to remain flexible as we explore. You can see how we do it on our Oslo, Norway map.
Enjoy your trip and safe travels!