Steal My Summer Packing Guide
Image courtesy of Away
The Day Trip
Whether you’re headed to the beach, exploring a city, or hopping on a boat, I have one packing rule for day trips: Bring only what you can carry comfortably without thinking about it. That means sunscreen, a change of clothes if you need one, whatever you’re eating and drinking, and your phone.
Pick one bag, fill it to about two-thirds, and leave the rest at home (or the hotel).
For a beach day, you’ll want a bag that shakes clean, dries fast, and has enough structure to hold a towel and a water bottle without collapsing into itself. I love Away’s new Beach Tote.
The Weekend Trip
The weekend trip: Two or three nights should never require checked luggage—full stop. That’s where the Weekender comes in. I’m a big fan of the capsule wardrobe approach: a few pieces that mix and match, one pair of shoes that does double duty, toiletries that live permanently in a travel-size kit (like this hanging one!) so they’re always ready to go.
A spacious carry-on that fits overhead is your best friend. The goal is to deplane, go straight to your destination, and never wait at baggage claim.
Image courtesy of Away
The Week Long Trip
This is where most people overcorrect, instinctively packing for every possible scenario rather than based on their actual itinerary. The clients who travel most comfortably on week-long trips are the ones who edit ruthlessly before they zip up. A good rule of thumb: pack what you think you need, then remove one outfit.
Choose versatile pieces that work in multiple contexts, limit shoes to three pairs maximum, and let yourself rewear things. (We can also make sure you’re booked into a hotel with laundry access.)
The Extended Trip
Embarking on an adventure that lasts for two weeks, a month, or a yet-to-be determined amount of time requires an entirely different mindset. At those lengths, you’re not packing for a trip—you’re creating a mobile wardrobe.
Think in terms of laundry cycles, rather than days, and build around a core of seven to ten days’ worth of versatile, packable pieces that you can wash and rewear. Anything that wrinkles badly, takes up significant space, or only works in one context gets left home.
As you might expect, a large checked suitcase is the right call in this context, but quality matters enormously. Replacing a bag that shows up damaged on the first leg of a long-haul itinerary really kills the mood. My preference? Look for a polycarbonate shell, which flexes on impact, plus solid spinner wheels that can handle cobblestones as easily as airport floors and a telescoping handle that doesn’t wobble when fully extended. You can’t go wrong with any of Away’s collection.
