How to pack like a pro for summer travel
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
Jet-setters, take note: We asked travel writer Lydia Mansel to share her top packing advice for summer trips.
The big picture: Forget folding tricks and compression cubes. The smartest way to pack lighter is to bring clothes you'll actually wear, says Mansel, who writes the packing-list newsletter Just Packed.
👕 Find your travel uniform. Mansel suggests sticking to staples that work for all kinds of trips. Think: oversized button-downs, plain white tees and loose linen pants.
- "This eliminates the desire to bring any 'just in case' items," Mansel tells Axios.
🧴 Keep a mini-toiletry stash. Save Sephora samples, hotel shampoo bottles, travel-size toothpaste and contact solution bottles so you can "shop" your collection before each trip.
- She also recommends refillable Cadence capsules for liquids, lotions and serums.
👟 For Europe, skip the leggings. Prioritize comfortable linen and cotton pieces that you can easily wash or hand-wash.
- "You'll stand out as an American tourist if you're wearing athleisure," Mansel says.
🩴 For beach trips, less is more. Pack swimsuits, a cover-up, sandals and a few "throw-and-go" outfits.
- Use a magnetic clip to attach a large sun hat to your tote.
- Buy full-size sunscreen when you arrive — so it's not the reason you need to check a bag — but Mansel always brings a travel-size bottle for her face.
🧳 Only check a bag when you need to. For Mansel, that usually means ski trips or longer journeys (at least a week) without laundry access.
- "I also always consider how inconvenient it would be if my checked bag didn't make a connecting flight. For instance, the airport might be an hour-long drive, boat ride or smaller plane ride away from my final destination."
