Read my other packing guide, What To Pack to Backpack Through Europe here.
The Trip: This weekend, I’m spending 2 days in Tokyo, Japan! It’s going to be Spring-like weather, about 18 degrees Celsius both days. I’m travelling with just a purse because I love to travel light and because we’re going to be hitting the ground running from the moment we land on Saturday morning. We don’t want to have to stop to drop our things off at the hostel, so I’m going to be keeping everything I need on my person at all times.
Great Resources: I was inspired by these packing lists for carry-on travel in both summer and winter. I also love this post about how to pack for a trip in a purse. Lifehack has a few great tips for packing light for a weekend trip. And as always, I am inspired by the philosophy and attitude behind One Bag.
The List:
Clothes
Our time in Tokyo is short, and really, 2 days in a city that big and that wonderful is not even close to enough to do it justice. But my friends and I are all of the belief that going even for 2 short days is a million times better than not going at all, so we’re planning to make the most of it. With that in mind, I wanted to bring clothes that are casual and comfortable, and shoes that I know I can walk in. I won’t be having many “costume changes”, but what I’m wearing isn’t the most important thing for me. I care way more about where I can go, and what I can see and take photos of and eat.
- Khaki pants
- Sleeveless top
- Cardigan
- Toms
And these are the clothes I’ll be packing in my purse:
- Extra t-shirt
- Change of underwear
- Jacket
- Sunglasses
- Fabric bag
- Purse (what I’ll be packing everything into)
Toiletries
I’m keeping things intentionally minimalist on the toiletry front. We arrive Saturday morning in Tokyo and leave late Sunday afternoon, so I actually don’t need a lot.
- Mascara
- Concealer
- Lip balm
- Eyeliner
- Contact case
- Blush
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Deodorant (not pictured because I forgot)
Miscellaneous Necessities
- Wallet
- Earphones + iPhone charger
- Granola bar
- iPhone for navigating
- Notebook + pen
- Passport, credit + debit cards, alien registration card, metro card
- Japanese yen
- Nikon D90 + 35mm f1.8 lens (not pictured because I was using it to take these photos!)
And there you have it! A weekend trip to Tokyo, packed into my purse. When I initially began planning for this trip, I was sure I needed to go out and buy a mid-sized backpack to fit all my stuff properly. But when I sat down and wrote out all the things I would actually need, I realized I could rely on my trusty purse to see me through.
Carry-on travel probably isn’t for everyone, but it has quickly become one of my all-time favourite things. Travelling can be so stressful, but I find that packing light reduces so much of that stress for me. And having less stress leaves me free to be flexible and spontaneous and to focus on other things, like finding the best green tea ice cream in town.
What do you pack for a weekend trip away? Do you love carry-on travel as much as I do? Do you have any tips for packing light?
Let me know in the comments below!
As I’ve written before, I absolutely love my backpack. It’s comfortable and sturdy, it folds open like a suitcase, the straps stow away, and it’s carry-on sized. I did a lot of research before buying the bag I was going to use while backpacking through Europe (you can see the funny/crazy/thorough spreadsheet I made here) and this is the bag that came out on top. It’s now been to almost 10 countries with me and has been a great little travel companion!
It’s one of my 24 before 24 goals to write articles for 7 websites besides my own. This is the first, and I’m proud of it.