Some of the most beautiful destinations have the most unpredictable climate changes. It’s hard enough trying to pack lightly and fit all your favorite pieces in a single carry-on, let alone picking outfits for bipolar weather! If you’re going on a trip during off-season, you’re probably racking your brain trying to narrow down your choices of what to take with you. How do I pack lightly? How do I pack for unpredictable weather? What types of outfits can I take with me on my trip? What are some tips to save luggage space? How do I pack shoes and accessories in my suitcase? It’s not as difficult as you may think.
- Fabrics and One-pieces
If you’re going to Hawaii during off-season, you’re in for some pretty rad weather. It could land you in overcast (or even rainy) weather, or humid, melt-your-face-off heat! Always be sure to check the weather forecast for your destination and plan for unexpected changes.
Pay attention to fabrics. You’ll want to choose some light fabrics that won’t bulk up your luggage! Light flowy tanks and light knit sweaters are perfect for layering and luggage-friendly (check the ones below!). If the weather tends to be hot most of the time, and maybe cooler during the night, we suggest bringing a light or medium thickness jacket with you, too–preferably one that is water-resistant if rain is typical in that climate. If you’re on the opposite spectrum where it may be temperate one minute, but brisk cold another, pack some layerable sweaters and opt for a windbreaker instead of a coat. Windbreakers or synthetically insulated (down alternative) jackets can be extremely packable because of their thin yet weatherproof nature.
One-pieces are your best friends for packing lightly; they’re a whole outfit in one! Choose from dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, and even monokinis for the perfect vacation outfit. Packing one-piece items means packing less articles of clothing to pack, and less time stressing about which bottoms to wear with that bell-sleeved top. Here are some great travel-friendly pieces that you’ll love for your trip!
- Keep accessories to a minimum
It’s hard to leave your favorite statement necklaces, bracelets, and hats at home, but try to keep them to a minimum! Chances are, you won’t actually wear them all, so they’d just be taking up space (valuable souvenir space!). To help you narrow your accessories down, choose items that you can wear with multiple outfits (e.g. the same straw panama hat can be worn with that striped off-the-shoulder dress and your monokini and beach cover-up!).
- Wear your bulkiest items, and pack the rest
This seems pretty intuitive, but if you need a heavy coat for your trip, wear it or keep it with you on your ride to your destination. Whatever you do, don’t try to stuff it into your suitcase. Odds are, you’ll need it when you get there anyway! The same idea pertains to shoes. Wear your favorite sneakers, and pack those sandals in your bag; it’ll save you so much space!
- Roll your clothes!
A great piece of advice for packing that has been circulating the internet is rolling your clothes! If you haven’t heard about this genius method of packing yet, the idea is to roll your clothes instead of folding them into stacks. This has been proven by veteran backpackers to save a bit of space and also help to avoid massive wrinkles.
Another trend in the traveling world is the uprising of packing cubes. These nifty little things have given organizational fanatics and travelers a common ground. Keep your tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories separate, but also make them fit into cubes that fit into your suitcase like a dream! You won’t have to play an intense game of Tetris with abnormally shaped items when you’re packing with these inventive cubes.
- Utilize travel sizes!
We’ll give you a reason to hit your favorite store (Target, of course): travel sizes! You probably even have some sample sizes of different products sitting in your cabinet, too, and this is a great time to use them up. You can also purchase TSA-approved container sets and painstakingly fill each of them up, but we prefer taking the samples you have at home, or purchasing some travel sizes of your favorite products from the travel size section of the store. Most of them are under $5 and you can use them on your next trip, too! They’re super convenient to have for trips, and even to bring with you day-to-day (everyone forgets to put on deodorant from time to time, and they have travel sizes of those, too!).