Packing Tips for Female Travelers

After traveling in just a carry on backpack for almost eight months I have learned a few things about packing! Especially as a female it can be particularly hard deciding what to pack and what to leave behind. Here are my best packing tips for female travelers to make sure your bag has everything you need and leaves out everything you won’t actually use!

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1. Pack Clothes That All Match

When packing clothes I always make sure all of my tops can be worn with all of my bottoms. Having too many tops and bottoms that can’t be worn together limits how many ways you can wear your clothes. If you’re traveling in a small carry on bag (or even if you’re checking a larger bag) you’re already limited on what you can fit. So don’t limit yourself even more by bringing combinations that you would never actually wear together.

For example, my bottoms include jean shorts, patterned cotton shorts, a flowered skirt and black leggings. Then almost all of my tops are solid colored so that no matter which of those bottoms I choose it will still work together.
You could choose to do it the other way around too with solid colored bottoms and more colorful tops.
The same rule applies to the style of the clothes you’re bringing. If you really want to bring your favorite top but it really only works with that one pair of bottoms it might not make sense to bring.

2. Have 1 Comfortable Travel Outfit

If you’re able to fly in jeans or a dress then I applaud you! Seriously you’re amazing. You will always find me in comfortable clothes no matter if it’s a 13 hour flight or a 2 hour train ride. I always travel with 1 comfortable travel outfit. Especially if you’re going to be traveling to more than one place you want something that you can wear and be comfortable in.

For me I always wear these leggings because they’re really comfortable. They have a large pocket in the waistband that I can put my phone in so I won’t lose it.
- It always helps to wear one of the more bulky pieces of clothing that your bringing to save space in your bag.
I always also wear sneakers because travel days always include walking. I love my Allbirds Sneakers because they are seriously the most comfortable pair of sneakers I have ever owned and if they get really gross you can wash them in the washing machine!

3. Choose Items that Wash and Wear Well

Not only should you pick clothes that match but also think about the material. Certain materials wrinkle a lot more than others. Some smell a lot quicker while others you could wear 3 or 4 times before getting too dirty.

Look for clothes that you can wear a couple times without then loosing their shape or needing to be washed.

Clothes that are 100% cotton tend to not hold up that well especially after a couple wears. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker but it’s just something to think about!

Fabrics such as linen are really breathable and they tend to hold up much longer although they can wrinkle.

If you’re traveling for a while and know you’re going to need to do laundry think also about how well the clothes wash. Bring clothes that are easy to wash either in a washing machine or if you have to give laundry to be done somewhere. Things like lace or materials that shrink are a little harder to wash.

I can count on 1 hand the number of times we had access to a dryer during our travels. So also think about things that can hang dry and still look okay.

4. Bring Only the Products You Absolutely Can’t Live Without

As a female picking what products to bring when you’re traveling can be hard! I’ve learned the best rule is to bring the products you absolutely can’t live without. The things you know you need and you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Things such as specific skincare items that you use consistently and know you will need are worth bringing.

But other items like soap, body lotion, toothpaste and shampoo can literally be found anywhere! We have found Nivea body lotion in almost 30 countries. What you find might not be your favorite brand or the one you use at home but it will do the trick!

When we first started to travel I didn’t bring any face wash. Typing that makes me realize how stupid that was. Then a couple months into traveling my face was probably the worst it’s ever been. I quickly realized that I needed something. Long story short I now bring this face wash that I know works well on my skin in this reusable container because I know it’s worth carrying!
However, I used to travel with hair product to tame my frizzy hair and I’ve now given up carrying that. I can find something very similar for not too expensive if needed and save the space.

5. Consider Solid Versions of Toiletries

Traveling with a carry on bag (I love my Kelty backpack) means I have to be conscious of the amount of liquids I bring. I love this clear toiletry bag because it’s really durable, holds it’s shape and has never been a problem at airport security. But only a certain amount of stuff will fit inside. Thankfully there are a lot of solid alternatives to toiletries that can help you get around the rule on liquids!

The easiest alternative is a shampoo bar. It’s basically a bar of solid shampoo that suds up just like soap and works like regular shampoo. We have been using this Lush shampoo bar for months and love it! It smells really good and lasts a while even with us both using it.

Obviously a bar of soap is another easy alternative. We store our soap in a closed soap container so it’s easy to travel with. Other solid toiletries include solid conditioner, solid face wash, solid toothpaste tablets and more!

Travel Truth: We have also used our Lush shampoo bar as laundry soap when we sink wash clothes. Although it’s not technically for laundry, the all natural ingredients make us feel okay with using it on our clothes.

6. Always Pack a Scarf No Matter Where You’re Going!

Even if you’re going somewhere warm and think a scarf is silly to bring I promise you it can be so more more than that! Something like a scarf can fit a bunch of different purposes. It also is not too big (make sure it’s a thinner one) so it’s not too much space out of your bag.

Obviously it can be worn as a scarf if it’s cold or even as a shawl on a chilly night. If you don’t want to bring a sweater this is a way to get around that but still have something to put over yourself. You can also use a scarf as a blanket if you’re on an overnight bus or plane or if you’re staying somewhere that doesn’t give you any blankets. It can also serve as a beach blanket or towel to lay out on. You can fold it up and use it as a pillow. Or wear it over your legs if you’re going into a church or a place where you need to be covered up.