How to pack for a 10-day summer holiday – with hand luggage only
People tend to fall into two camps when packing for their summer holidays. The kitchen sink traveller, and the travel-as-light-as-possible one. In recent years, the badge of honour for the latter group is to take so little that you don’t have to check-in any bags. I’m a die-hard hand luggage only devotee. With the exception of ski trips, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve chosen to put my bags in the hold, and two of those include moving to New York and back again five years later.
I’m hooked on the efficiency of it. Unnecessary clutter drives me crazy, and the less you take, the lesser the likelihood of losing something along the way. There is something so liberating about everything you need being contained in one small case, and breezing past the luggage carousels on arrival.
It’s not that I’m not familiar with the case (sorry) for checking-in luggage: not knowing in advance what you’re going to want to wear; needing flexibility and options, or allowing space for souvenirs. Some holiday destinations and activities simply demand more stuff. But I’m a sun lounger gal, happiest tearing through book after book on my Kindle while the ice slowly melts into my Aperol spritz, and for that, I don’t need much.
Even a longer trip, such as my upcoming 10-day family break in Greece, will be cabin bags only – it’s possible, I promise, and the reason I know this is because even with a carry-on, I always find myself unpacking clothes that I didn’t wear at the end of every trip.
The key to success is in the planning. I start with a list, and do a trying-on session of any summer clothes I’m on the fence about packing. Be ruthless: in the past, I’ve guilt-packed things that I felt like I should bring, but never worn, because there was always something else that looked better. Or I’ve imagined a different style identity for myself on holiday, a Spanish señorita in cascades of ruffles and chandelier earrings, only to find that it’s all a bit OTT for the local taverna.
For frequent flyer Shiza Shahid, co-founder of kitchenware brand Our Place, coordination is key. “Stick to a cohesive colour palette with gold or silver for accessories and black or brown basics, so you don’t need multiple colours of shoes, bags, and accessories,” she says.
This is not meant to be a joyless exercise. I write this as somebody who loves fashion and the dressing up opportunities that come with a summer holiday. But it’s not a fashion show, requiring a different outfit for each day and each night. Social media influencers might suggest otherwise, but I love my favourite holiday clothes so much, I want to get at least two wears out of each piece. I go to town with things that take minimal space, such as swimwear and jewellery.
Swipe (or click) through the pictures below to see how I made four outfits out of one matching set:
If you need a reminder, have a look at the photographs from your last summer getaway to see what you wore the most. For me, it’s mostly swimwear, shorts and tees by day, and flowy dresses and trousers in the evening. My black and white ribbed racer-back tanks go with everything. I don’t bother with heels, because for me, holidays are about feeling relaxed, and in the evenings, we often walk to or from a restaurant. Small feet are a significant advantage.
I do throw in the odd “just in case” piece – an extra T-shirt or dress is always useful. An important thing to note: you don’t want to turn up at your destination unprepared - that’s as much a hand luggage-only fail as giving up and taking a bigger case.
To pack more in, roll, don’t fold and stash smaller items like plug adapters, socks and jewellery in your shoes. Beauty products are where many aspiring hand luggage-only travellers come unstuck. “Invest in travel-sized beauty products,” says Shahid. “And be realistic about the routines you’ll maintain while travelling - are you really going to use a face mask on this trip?”
I prefer to decant my essentials into under 100ml containers (find them at Boots or Amazon), and carry them in my handbag so I can get through security quickly. If I know that my hotel or Airbnb provides shower gel and shampoo, I’ll omit them from my packing. As a family, we get through a lot of sunscreen, so I buy a full-size bottle in Duty-Free.
One caveat is that I don’t mind doing a little laundry on holiday. You may feel otherwise, but I usually bring some travel wash so I can get a second or third wear from basics like T-shirts and underwear. I always rinse the chlorine or salt water out of my swimwear each day anyway, so it doesn’t feel like much extra work.
Packing for the rest of the family
I have three year-old twins, and I haven’t accounted for their needs in my bag. Now that they must each have their own seat on the plane, they’re entitled to a carry-on case too. The only bulky things required are overnight nappies, pool inflatables and beach toys (they have collapsible buckets for sandcastles), a stuffed animal each and a couple of puzzles decanted into old dust bags.
Between them I pack about 10 T-shirts, five pairs of shorts, two swimsuits each, and three cotton dresses for my daughter. For them, the same rule applies about wearing their bulkiest clothes for the journey, so they travel in trainers and wear Crocs by the pool or on the beach. In my handbag, I’ll pack snacks, water, and some activity books for the flight. We’ve just about reached the stage where we can do without a buggy.
My husband’s approach to packing is quite straightforward too. His greatest suitcase space indulgence is a fresh T-shirt for every day of the holiday, and two sets of running gear. Beyond that, he’ll bring a couple of shirts, three pairs of shorts and one pair of trousers in case we decide to do something smarter for dinner. His Toms espadrilles can be worn for pretty much everything, but he’ll also bring flip flops for the beach, and travel in his running trainers.
Patrick Grant, founder of Community Clothing and judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, is even more of a packing minimalist, but it doesn’t hamper his style: “I wear the same stuff pretty much every day, whether I’m on holiday or at home which makes packing super simple,” he says. “I’ll wear a light raincoat, baggy cotton trousers and a jumper to travel in so I’ve got warm stuff covered, which means I can pack super light for warm holidays; just a couple of pairs of Community Clothing’s lightweight cotton sports shorts in black, a pair of black speedos, one olive green and one navy cotton army style shirt, a couple of cotton crew neck T-shirts, a few socks and pants, leather sandals and a washbag (with not much beyond a toothbrush and a comb in it). That’s pretty much it.”
Now all I need to do is hope that the flight isn’t so full that the cabin crew decides to put my bag in the hold anyway. One of those things that no amount of savvy packing can prevent.
