Lifestyle: How to Pack for a Cabin Bag Weekend.

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Anyone who has ever been to a festival or camping with me will know I am not a light traveller. I like to be prepared for any eventuality and often my stuff will be researched to the hilts or tried and tested until I’ve got it just right. So being faced with travelling with the absolute minimum takes a lot of deliberation and thought process…

Often travelling with bulky camera kit and having many virgo traits I’ve got minimal packing for a short trip down to a fine art. As my camea kit takes up most of the weight and space of a typical cabin allowance my own packing comes down to the bare minimum. But I’ve found traveling with the minimum is both pleasing and money saving as you are not tempted to spend on momentums that seem a good idea at the time but sit in a cupboard to add to ‘stuff anxiety’ a few years later.

So, this guide is meant as my tips for packing light from someone who doesn't do packing light easily….

Make a List.

If there was ever a mantra for my life and my ADHD brain it would be this. I make lists for EVERY thing. Honestly, my Notes app is bulging at the seams. But it really works - sit yourself down with a cuppa and make two lists: what you need to take with you and what you want to take with you outside of clothing as we’ll tackle that last. What you need to take is absolute essentials you can’t go on the trip without - this might be camera, guidebook etc. Wants might be hair curlers, that non fiction book you’re hoping to get round to reading after you’ve finished the fiction book you’re hoping to get round to reading (we’re all friends here)…

It’s All About the Crossbody.

I never travel without a cross body, from carrying my passport and essentials through the airport to stashing my spare lens and camera batteries in plus keeping my phone zipped and close to my body for wandering around a city it’s a no brainier to have a good one. I love a Day ET.

Also, pack a tote for picking up supplies while on your city break. Saves having to take a carrier bag and will double up as a handy about the city’ bag.

Plan Clothing.

I my experience, outfits for a trip can come down to: a wet day outfit and a dry day outfit. And honestly, unless you’re planning on going to a gym (unlikely) this is all you will need aside from something to sleep in and underwear.

Figure out what the weather is going to be like for your trip and picture yourself there in an outfit - make sure this is something you can feel comfortable in wandering around all day but dress up for an evening. A day outfit for a winters day in Berlin is going to be wildly different to a day outfit for a summers day in the Balearics. Make your two outfits something you feel amazing in - go bold and go comfy. Think a light cotton floaty dress is a bit dressy? Nope. You’re on holiday, anything goes - especially a long dress with some trainers.

For me, my linen Nola Dale Dress is the one - it is cool and comfortable enough for me to float around all day in but come evening I can add accessories to it and dress it up. In autumn I can throw layers underneath it and in winter thermal tights and long sleeved top. I can wear it with sandals, trainers or heels. It’s the most versatile item of clothing I have and worth every penny I paid for it.

And then for my wet outfit I have some wide legged trousers or jeans and a tee with a sweatshirt to go on top. This is the outfit I’m going to be wearing on the plane because it’s the bulkier of the two. Also, if it’s the time of year where I’m going that I’m going to need a wool coat, this is going over my shoulders as I board the plane - you can wrap up from the plane air con and save a whole heap of space.

You then need to decide on two pairs of footwear for your trip (you’ll be wearing the bulkier pair on the plane). Again this will be weather dependant but make sure you include a pair of sensible shoes - the ones you know you can do 30k steps in comfortably. In summer my choice would be my Teva Hurricanes and then a pair of Allbirds so I know I’m comfortable in both rain and shine.

In terms of other clothing think about what you’ll need: pyjamas, underwear, a coat and swimming costume. If you’re anything like me you like to start the day with some yoga and I always pack yoga gear only to find I could have just done it in my pyjamas or pants! Or naked if you want, the ultimate freedom.

What can you do before you go? .

The joy of a short trip means you can get away with going without lots of stuff - for me I shave my legs and armpits before I go so no need to take a razor. I used to not have at all and that was dream for travelling. You will only need one book at most and you’ll need minimal underwear. Have a little think about how you minimise what you need to take by getting ahead: paint toenails, load books onto your Kindle, photograph or digitise your travel planning to save carrying a notebook.

Do You Really Need That Tech?

Often I find myself away with a laptop, an iPad and two cameras. For commissioned stuff it absolute makes sense to take it all but if I’m photographing for the blog I really don’t need to take that second camera or the laptop - blog posts can be written on my iPad and all my planning can go as digital notebooks on there too. Will you really watch that film in your hotel room or will you be busy exploring until you’re ready to hit the hay? Or will a book suffice? Go with less than you think you’ll need and it will still be more than you actually need.

Boss Your Toiletry Game.

No travel packing post is complete without talking about Muji’s refillable bottles - again make a list of everything you are going to need and choose an appropriate bottle for it. I even decant BB cream into little pots and just put it all into a clear bag suitable for airport security and travel with them like that. Once through security you can put away in your cabin bag and they are altogether for the trip.

Invest in a Good Cabin Bag.

Something I’ve learned over the years is that it’s never smart economy to try and go cheap with luggage. I happened to find myself an owner of two Eastpak suitcases and they are incredible. So I’m really hoping to replace my crappy cabin bag I bought on a well known unethical giant with an Eastpak Cabin bag soon. John Lewis have a good range of options too. I will definitely be going for a wheelie bag - I have a cabin rucksack and it kills me every time, it’s just not fun.