Packing Tips
That Actually Work

Checking bags has been the single biggest source of travel stress we've encountered — lost luggage, long waits to collect on arrival, overweight fees and suitcases simply far too heavy to comfortably lift. After years of checked bags, we converted to carry-on only for most trips and haven't looked back.

• A 40L carry-on fits 7–10 days of clothing comfortably.
• Use packing cubes, and be smart with your choice of clothing. We like layers, no-crease materials.
• Check airline size rules before you fly — budget carriers can be strict.

Packing cubes transformed our travels. They keep everything organised, compress clothing significantly. Best of all, you never have to unpack fully — just pull the cubes out of your carry-on or suitcase and put them in your hotel drawers.

• Use 3–4 different sized packing cubes for categories of clothes: tops, bottoms, underwear/socks, and accessories. A shoe one is great too for slipping sandals into.
• Use compression cubes if bringing bulky items like fleeces and jeans — they reduce bulk significantly. They were perfect for a 3-week Alaskan trip using hand luggage only.
• Roll clothing inside cubes rather than folding — it reduces creasing and saves space.
• We also use a smaller one in our under-seat bag which helps us find headphones, notebooks and other loose items easily lost.

Beyond the obvious, we always bring a handful of items on every trip. These aren't sponsored recommendations — they're just things we've learned to rely on whether trekking in Sri Lanka or hiking a coastal path in New Zealand.

• A basic first aid kit (plasters, pain relief, antihistamine, imodium)
• Noise-cancelling headphones — essential for long-haul flights and noisy hotels
• A universal travel adapter with USB-C ports
• A small dry bag for beach days, kayaking or boat trips
• A packable raincoat or collapsible umbrella (unless you're off to the Maldives!)
• A road-map if we're going on a road trip — it came in handy in remote Costa Rica.

Need vs Want? We love shoes, boots, sandals, trainers, but on vacation, smart packing comes down to need. Shoes are the number one packing mistake we see. Our rule: three pairs maximum, and they must all serve multiple purposes.

• Robust day walking shoes that you can also wear for a dinner out.
• Sandals for the beach, casual dinner, and strolling around.
• One pair of smart shoes or light hiking boots — as the trip demands.
• Don't bring brand new shoes that you haven't 'broken in' — blisters are no fun.

Toiletries are a necessary pain to travel with. They're often bulky, heavy and can leak, messing up your entire suitcase. Here are our tips to radically reduce what you pack.

• Buy shampoo, conditioner, and body wash at your destination.
• Some countries (e.g. UK) let you order toiletries online and pick up after security — Boots offers this and it's a fantastic way to save space and avoid security size issues.
• Buy solid toiletries (shampoo bars, conditioner bars, solid sunscreen) — no liquids restrictions. We used these and dissolvable facial cleansers and they worked well for a few weeks.
• Pre-decant essentials into 30ml bottles if you can't live without your special brand.
• Pack prescription medications in hand luggage, with a letter from your doctor.
• If you have sensitive skin or are travelling with younger kids, bring sunscreen to make sure it's the right SPF.

For our generation, technology has transformed travel — anyone else remember paper airline tickets and postcards home? We love technology but as travellers it means a whole new category of things to pack and worry about. Our advice: organise a 'tech bag' to put in your under-the-seat space and only bring the essentials.

• A rechargeable power bank (20,000mAh) will keep phones and iPads charged for days.
• Check if your camera needs an adaptor.
• For short trips, maybe challenge yourself just to bring your phone (vs a laptop).
• Check if your phone provider lets you roam or what charges are overseas — buy a local SIM if cost effective.
• Before you leave home, download Google Maps offline for your initial destination.
• Back up photos you take to cloud storage at the end of each day — at least if you lose a phone, you'll have your photos!

Many of our trips involve multiple climates — beaches to mountains, air conditioning in hotels to humid outdoor walks. A layering system is the best way to be ready to switch up or down. Our essentials include:

• Base layer: lightweight t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts.
• Mid layer: a packable fleece or puffer jacket that compresses down to nothing.
• Outer layer: a waterproof shell jacket that also works as a windbreaker.
• Convertible trousers (zip-off legs) are always useful on outdoor trips, e.g. safari.

A document folder — both physical and digital — has saved us more times than we can count. Set it up before every trip without exception. It might sound old-fashioned in today's digital age, but it's really important especially on a long or multi-destination trip.

• Physical folder: itinerary, insurance documents, flight and hotel confirmations, emergency contacts, print-out of reservations for tours and rail tickets.
• Digital: also save everything to a shared cloud folder you can access offline — share this file with other travellers, but make sure only 1 person can edit to avoid accidental deletes.
• Email yourself all key documents so they're searchable anywhere.
• Keep a note of your credit card emergency numbers — separate from the card.
• Photograph your passport, e-visa, driving licence, and travel insurance card. Save to your phone and create a folder so you know exactly how to find them as needed.