End of summer found me with a jammed pack travel itinerary. Only having just arrived in our new home location in NJ, I had to hit the road for 3 weeks of travel that would take me to Memphis, TN, Queensland, Australia, and Charlotte, NC. With the relocation and the divorce I found myself with out my large purple bag that had become my standard companion for my Australia trips. I decided I would order myself my own new gold bag with the convenience of 4 swivel wheels along with some ebags.

As luck would have it, the gold suitcase did not arrive in time for my travels and I was left with my one black, carry-on size suitcase to fit 3 weeks of travel in.

Fortunately, my new green ebags (green is my favorite color) arrived and I was excited to give them a shot and see if they made a long haul trip any easier to manage in the packing department. I had heard from other professionals in the travel industry how much they enjoyed how these bags worked for keeping all your stuff organized through the unpacking and packing that happens when out on tour. So here I was, the day before the trip with my black suitcase (pictured above) and my ebags. The challenge was to fit enough clothes for all the events into this one bag. Here’s the thing… I needed to have business casual, evening dress, tour wear, and exercise wear as part of the mix given the different locations and itineraries. And guess what folks, I did it. When I returned, I actually had pieces that I didn’t end up wearing and even added a few new items that I had purchased in Australia into the bag. I AMAZED myself!

How did I do it? What did I pack?

First, I planned on wearing most things at least twice. I knew I would have at least two occasions to do wash. I planned around a color theme (black) which meant I could mix and match and bring less shoes. I used the ebags to pack my items by category to keep everything organized.

Here is what ended up in that black suitcase of mine…..

Flip flops, low black sandal, medium black heel, tennis shoes
Night shirt and a lounge outfit
3 swimsuits and a cover up
Bras
Underwear
Socks
2 long sleeve knit tops
8 short sleeve
2 shorts
2 nylon Capri
2 black dress pants
2 jeans
2 dresses
1 dressy jumpsuit
3 yoga pant, 3 exercise tops, 2 sports bras
2 sleeveless dress tops
1 3/4 sleeve dress top
1 long sleeve blouse
1 knit cardigan
I packed all that plus the outfit I was wearing as well.
I think that’s it.

Wait! Of course, I put my personal bag with my toiletries in there too. Who knew you could put so much into one bag? The best part was that this bag weighed only 33lbs. I was allowed 50lbs for the trip to Australia, but I like to have a little to spare for those items I purchase. When I got back from Australia and had to head to Charlotte, I was so used to traveling light that I pulled only the few things I needed for the trip and traveled with only a backpack to my conference. At the end of the day, less is more and nobody cares what you are wearing. Travel light my friends.

Packing can be one of the most daunting tasks of going on vacation. Your mind begins to wheel, what to bring, how to pack it, and will I make the dreaded weight limit. And, what happens if your tour limits you to one bag?

Yes, that’s right, one bag weighing only 50lbs. Well, for my upcoming trip to Australia, I was given this challenge. Due to the nature of our travels and the number of domestic flights within Australia that we will be taking, we were limited to one bag each. Now, how does a person fit 2 weeks of clothing for multiple functions into one bag you may ask? I am here to share a few of my packing tips that I have picked up over the course of my travels to make packing one bag feel like a breeze.

Lisa’s “It’s in the Bag” Packing Tips

It’s all about color. Pick a solid color that you can mix and match. Black, Navy, Gray and Brown work well as base colors for the wardrobe.
Pick clothes with wrinkle resistant fabric. Reversible options are also great. Versatility is key!
Layers! Pick items that you can layer for different looks or temperature change throughout the regions you visit.
Don’t fold, roll! Roll your clothes. Not only will they fit better in the suitcase, but they will be less prone to wrinkling.
Plastic bags are your friends. Use small quart size bag for your travel liquids. Use larger gallon size bags for shoes. This is great if you are visiting a sandy area and don’t want sand all over your clothes after a day at the beach. Large kitchen garbage size bag that can be used as a laundry bag for items that get too soiled.
Limit the number of shoes you pack. If you have followed tip one, you should be able to just take a few pair of shoes and not one for every outfit.
Pack heavier items at the end of the suitcase that the wheels are on, so that when you are rolling it the heavy items don’t squish and send the light stuff to the bottom. When having to take a Jacket with you, carry it on to the plane instead of using the space in your suitcase.
Plan your outfits out by your itinerary. I usually look at my activities and plan an outfit for each specific day or event. I do this for each day and then throw in one or two extra pieces that I can substitute if a change in weather or plans for the day change.
Use a packing list. I like to have a list out when I pack to make sure I don’t forget anything such as passport or phone charger. One of the lists I have used with regularity can be found at Organized Home.

I have to say in most cases we all tend to overpack. I know I certainly do. I can, however, proudly say I have never been over weight limit. Bonus, the space I save packing for the trip leaves me room for my vacation purchases. Who doesn’t like to get a bit of shopping in while on vacation?

Happy Packing!