How to Pack Light for a 1 Month Trip in a Carry On + Free Packing List!

Are you going on a 1 month trip and don’t know how to fit everything you’ll need into a small carry on bag? Cool. Me too.

I’m leaving for a month and found a way to narrow down everything I’ll need to live by plus have space to fit a few extra items into my carry on.

So I’m going to share how I did it by showing you my process of what to pack, how many of each item to pack, and how to pack in a way that everything is organized and doesn’t take up too much space– So keep watching!

Hi everyone! I’m Jojo Aquino and I’m a traveler, blogger and photographer and I write travel tips for female travelers at travelingpetitegirl.com.

Before we get started, don’t forget to like & subscribe for more packing tips. And stick to the end of the video because I’ve got a free packing list for a 1 month trip for you. Okay, let’s get started!

Research weather, where you’re staying and activities you plan on doing before you pack

Los Angeles – 60s

New York – 50s

Washington DC – 60s

Dallas – 80s

So that means to bring spring clothes that will easily transition to summer clothing. Which means bringing layers

Activities I’ll be doing are city exploration activities in mostly casual environments like visiting parks, museums, eating in restaurants, and the like. And I’ll be staying at my sister’s apartment and different airbnbs so I won’t need to bring shampoo, conditioner, body wash, towel, hair dryer and the basic necessities.

Related: 17 Travel Packing Hacks with Everyday Items

Choose the carry-on

Soft cases, shell cases, backpacks Light, flexible and has an expander I have Calpak.

Choosing items

As you choose your items, lay out everything you need in front of you. That way you’ll get a better idea if it will fit in your carry on or not.

Let’s start with clothing

For a 1 month trip, odds are you will be doing laundry so you don’t need to bring that many items. So choose clothes that spark joy. Just like what Marie Kondo said. This makes it easier to choose which clothing to bring.

Next is to, choose clothes that can mix with other items and can create at least 2-3 outfits. Like neutral clothing items. And don’t bring items that look too alike if you really want to mix & match.

And last is, don’t bring clothes you don’t wear at home. Odds are you won’t wear them while traveling. And you can use that extra space for other items or keep your luggage lighter.

So I’m packing:

5-7 tops – I’m bringing 3 long sleeves and 3 tank tops so 6 tops

1-2 dresses – I’m bringing 1

2-4 bottoms – I’m bringing 1 pair of jeans and 2 denim shorts

2 jackets – I’m packing 1 light hoodie and a light coat

Other necessary clothing like 7 pairs of underwear, 2 pairs of bras (I’m bringing 1), 4 pairs of socks, 1-2 sets of pajamas (I’m bringing 1 also), and 1-2 sets gym clothes. I’m bringing 2.

I’m also bringing 3 pairs of shoes – They are ankle booties, rubber shoes and slippers.

1 purse

Next up are toiletries & makeup

Things to know about packing toiletries and makeup is to transfer them into bottles no larger than 100ml and minimize the items you’ll need. If you have a 10-step skincare system, minimize that to 5. If you use 10 different lipsticks, bring it down to 3. And the same thing for packing your clothing also applies to these items too: bring items that spark joy and if you don’t use it at home, don’t bring it.

For toiletries I’m packing:

1 bottle of facial wash

1 bottle of toner – and for this I don’t need cotton pads, I apply it like a face mist instead.

1 moisturizer – this moisturizer dispenses product pretty uniquely so I’m not transferring it into a smaller container

1 face oil

1 bottle of sunblock – This one is great because the finish is smooth so I won’t need to pack makeup primer

1 jar of lip mask – my little item of luxury that brings me joy

1 makeup remover – mine is the makeup eraser towel. All I do is soak it in warm water and it washes my makeup off.

And then other necessities like a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, feminine wash (I only like the Philippine brand), medicine and deodorant.

Yes I use men’s deodorant. I don’t mind sweat but I don’t want to stink so I use a deodorant that’s not an antiperspirant.

It also washes off better because antiperspirant takes forever to wash off.

Okay back to toiletries!

In here I also have my hair products like heat protectant and hair oil. Because having long hair brings me joy and I want to keep it healthy for as long as possible.

Next up for makeup I’m packing:

1 foundation – this one is doubles up as a concealer too so I won’t need to one

1 face powder

1 bronzer

1 cheek and lip color – I love this multitasking item because it saves space

1 eyebrow pencil

2 eyeshadows – one neutral light shade and one neutral dark shade for day & night looks

1 eyeliner

1 mascara

1 set of lashes – my little item that sparks joy

3 lipsticks – and I usually mix these shades together so it’s like bringing more lipsticks

And all the brushes & tools that I’ll need to use the makeup with. For cream products, I usually use my fingers but if you prefer brushes, using double-ended one like these brushes by Eco Tools will save space.

And then I have hair items like:

1 pack of hair ties

1 hair brush

1 dry shampoo –  for those days when there’s no time to wash my hair

Related: How to Pack Light for a Weekend Trip in a Duffel Bag

Next up are electronics!

Most of the electronics I’ll be packing into my luggage are chargers and accessories. The actual electronics will be into my personal bag.

So I’m packing the following:

1 Laptop charger

1 cell phone charger

1 camera charger

1 USB adapter

1 travel adapter

1 tripod

And a curling iron – my little item that sparks joy. This one is a multitasking item and can curl and straighten hair

And now we have our miscellaneous items

1 umbrella – because you never know. This one has UV protection so it’s also good to use on hot & sunny days.

1 expandable bag – in case you need an extra bag going home or reduce the use of plastic when you’re shopping out and about .

1 face mask – in case I get sick, I’ll wear this. And pasalubong or gifts for people you’ll see in your travels (if you have any)

Related: The Best Travel Carry On Backpacks for Women + Reviews by Travelers

And now we finally pack!

Before you pack your things, look for your bulkiest clothing items. This will be your outfit for travel and will save space in your luggage.

*Picks out a thick jacket, ankle booties, socks, jeans, and long sleeve*

So to keep things organized, my tip for you is to use packing cubes and to pack the same type of item into 1 cube. That way when you’re looking for a specific item, you’re not digging into every corner of your luggage looking for it. Packing cubes are also great because it squeezes the volume of clothes into 1 cube. I’ve got mine from different brands but my favorite ones are from Eagle creek and I’ve had these for 4 years and they still look brand new.

So when it comes to folding or rolling clothes, personally, I don’t actually see much difference between the 2 but it’s easier to see which items are which when you roll them and place them side by side instead of folded on top of each other. So first I pack my clothes–toiletries–makeup–electronics–and then the miscellaneous items. And then I place everything into my luggage, making sure the heaviest items stay in the bottom so my luggage won’t easily topple over. And that’s it!

Conclusion

So we started from this–to this–to this– And now everything you need to live by for one entire month, now fits into a small carry-on luggage. And now you feel like you have your life together! Yay!

So to make sure you keep things minimal without forgetting the necessities, I made a 1 Month Packing list that’s free for you to download. I’ve also added empty boxes for you personalize with items I might have missed. As well as reminders to do before you head out. Feel free to make changes and adjustments to your own travels!

Click here to sign up & download my free packing lists!

Thank you so much for being here, I’m so happy you’re watching! Don’t forget to like & subscribe for more packing videos and comment below if any questions came up for you. I’ll reply right back.

I love you guys, travel safe and talk to you next week! Bye!