Pack Light & Carry-On

All-Inclusive Vacation with only a Carry-On

Some of you may or may not know this, but I’m going to Jamaica! I’ve been so busy that it just hit me that I’m leaving in a few days. Which means I should really start packing.

Packing light has never been my forte, so I decided to challenge myself with this trip and pack using only a carry-on. Ah! The goal is to pack light but bring my entire life with me.

I started by sourcing out the do-it-yourself capital of the internet — Pinterest, obviously — and found the best hacks/packing tips I could.

First, I started by planning out my outfits. I need day time and night time outfits without over packing. So I chose a color scheme and then pieces I could easily mix and match. I love packing jumpsuits, rompers, playsuits ... whatever you want to call them because they're easy to throw on and to dress up or down, they may be the BEST travel piece!

TIP: Your base colors should be neutrals. That way you can mix and match to your hearts content and you can add a pop of color with your accessories!

Now that my outfits are planned, let the packing begin!

I packed all my small clothing items like underwear, camisoles, scarves, swimsuits, socks, slips, etc in the very bottom of the bag, in between the little metal bars.

Next step is to start layering. I've been reading everywhere that rolling your clothes was the way to go but a friend suggested I try the layering technique after seeing me epically fail at packing a carry-on. With this technique, I found that I was able to pack twice as much!

TIP: You can fit a lot in between those metal bars made by the extendable handles of the bag.

As for footwear, I separated them by packing them in the zip-up section of the carry-on. I just bought an array of sandals and comfy flats - I may sneak in a pair of heels .... Maybe.

The only place I've run into a problem is liquids. My fellow curly haired Queens can relate to this. I have quite a few favorite products I use all the time but I was able to make some serious decisions. I’m going to condense them into little travel sized containers & pray that I can find coconut oil on the island.

TIP: Whether you've opted to use packing cubes or just dump everything into your bag, remember to pack your heavier items on the bottom to create a foundation to reduce movement.

There you have it! I have FINALLY cut my luggage amount down to one bag for this trip. I mean this bag is still jammed to the brim because I would hate to forget something. But, I’m getting better!

I look forward to sharing photos with you so be sure to follow me on Instagram @stylemepetite.

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