We just returned from a 15 day trip to Italy. Since I’ve learned so much from others on this forum, I thought I’d share my carry-on packing list to return the favor.
Our trip was about half hiking In Umbrian hill towns and half touring in Rome and Assisi. The weather varied from highs in the mid-80’s to the mid-50’s F. Lows varied from the high 30’s to the high 50’s F. I packed a 21” 2-wheeled Eagle Creek roller and a 24L Osprey hiking backpack as my personal item. My travel purse was an old Sherpani travel crossbody, about 9” x 6” with lots of pockets. The purse went into the backpack when flying. My goal is always to be able to carry my own luggage and lift it into the overhead. I could have gotten by with a 19” international roller but we were flying Delta, so the 21” was fine.
Packing strategies that worked:
- I packed the roller unexpanded for the outbound flight and then
expanded when we arrived in Rome. This gave more space to repack and
for clothing that always seems to explode during travel. I (mostly)
resisted the urge to add last-minute items to fill extra available
suitcase space.
- Every item mixed and matched. I used jewel tones on
top and black/gray on the bottom.
- I packed layers rather than one
heavier jacket (which is what I would have worn at home).
- Following a tip from the recent Rick Steves travel guide video, I put jackets
and quarter zips on the very bottom of the suitcase on either side of
the bar down the middle. It was a great way to make use of extra
space.
- I marked on the packing list where each item went in terms of packing cubes/placement in the suitcase, and everything always went back into the same place. (I believe this suggestion came from Jean – thank you!) This made it so easy to repack each morning during the inn-to-inn hiking portion.
- I purchased some 2” x 3” ziplock bags for medications and supplements and small Travelon mesh bags (4” x 4”) to hold them. This saved a lot of space.
- We used two-sided Eagle Creek packing cubes so could move dirty clothes to the other side of the cube protected by plastic.
Packing stars:
- Ovcio thin cashmere scarf in bondi blue color - this was the star of the trip! It can be worn so many ways, adjusts to warm or cool weather and dresses up any outfit. The scarves are pricey (I got mine on a black Friday sale) but are worth it and fold up into a small square.
- Wooland wool shirts for around town wear – so cute and aired out when hung up. I would not wear them for hiking though, as they are not as sturdy as Smartwool.
- Stashbandz belt - SO GLAD I had this! We were on a Trestavere food tour, and one of the follow tourers had her purse stolen from her feet while we were sitting at dinner, in front of all of us. It happened so quickly and was very sad and inconvenient for her. I kept our passports in the Stashbandz and my purse under a napkin in my lap when at restaurants. If you are in between sizes, I suggest going down, as the Stashbandz stretch a bit with wear.
- Soundoff sleep earbuds – I am a sleep princess and very sensitive to noise. These rechargeable ear buds play pink noise and have adjustable volume. Hotel room in Spoleto right next door to the dish washers in a restaurant? Noisy street sweeper working at 3 am? No problem with these!
- Iphone case with strap – I purchased a clear iphone case with detachable strap that can be clipped on horizontally or vertically after reading Adventure’s with Sarah’s experience getting her phone grabbed. The strap helped to have my phone handy when looking at walking directions and was great for hiking pictures.
(to be continued)