Two-Bag Travel: Bri's Carry-on Travel Capsule for 30 days in Europe

Hey everyone, it’s Bri here! If you don’t know me, I work at Miik as the Project Manager and Digital Marketing Strategist. You might recognize me from our Live Shows, if you catch those!

Let’s get right into the good stuff: I’m going to Europe for 30 days and I’m only taking two bags with me – one carry-on and one personal item. Does that sound crazy? As an over-packer-in-recovery, it sounds crazy to me. If you’re curious how I’ve whittled down my must-haves into a travel capsule, this blog is for you! I’ve linked everything I’m taking as well as outlined the packing tips I’ve learned below.

In short, I’ve spent WEEKS packing so you don’t have to!

Keep reading or click these quick links to skip ahead:

European Travel Capsule Wardrobe – 11 pieces for every occasion

The Two Bags – carry-on bags that’ll get approved on even the cheapest airlines

Two-Bag Travel Tips – Useful tricks to pack light and almost liquid-free for a European vacation using carry-ons only

Jetting off in a hurry? Here’s a summary of my top tips for packing light!

1. Capsule, not chaos – Pack a small travel capsule of versatile clothing and shoes that can mix, match, and repeat. Be realistic and only pack what you know you’ll wear! Adjust the 5-4-3-2-1 method—5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 layering pieces, 2 pairs of shoes, and 1 extra item like a dress or a key accessory—to suit your needs.
2. Be an outfit repeater – Plan to do laundry along the way (hand-wash if needed) and wear the same outfit more than once.
3. Hack your bags – Choose carry-ons and personal items that fit strict airline rules. Keep heavy items like electronics and toiletries in your personal bag, which often doesn’t have weight restrictions like the carry-on does (but be sure to check your specific airline)!
4. Cube it, don’t cram it – Use packing cubes and the KonMari folding method when possible to keep everything neat and visible. But skip compression cubes—they wrinkle clothes more and make it easy for your carry-on to become overweight!
5. Lose the liquids – Swap as many liquids as possible for solids or powders: shampoo, conditioner, soap, sunscreen, detergent, and even makeup.
6. Pack, pack, and pack again – Start packing a couple of weeks in advance and keep repacking to cut unnecessary items while learning the easiest way to repack while travelling!
7. Poop-proof preparedness – Pack like you could poop your pants at any moment—because it’s better safe than sorry! Bring a mini survival kit to ease any stress: meds, wipes, extra underwear, and spot-clean laundry tools. Prepare for the worst and it won’t happen; that’s my motto!

Let’s start with clothing and creating a travel capsule! Here’s what my research told me:

• Think of the types of days you’ll have and activities you’ll do before you start. What will the weather be like? How dressed up or down will you need to be? Be realistic! If I wouldn’t wear it at home, I’m not bringing it on vacation.
• Choose pieces that can all be worn together, mixed and matched, and make a list – I made a vision board of my items so I could visualize all the outfits I can make!

• More tops typically means more options! Lots of people recommend a 5-4-3-2-1 method—5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 layering pieces, 2 pairs of shoes, and 1 extra item like a dress or a key accessory— but I strayed from that a little and packed:
  • 5 Tops
  • 3 Bottoms
  • 1 Dress
  • 1 Layer + 1 Rain Jacket
  • 3 pairs of shoes (black runners, white sneakers, black boots)
  • I changed it up because I run hot and wanted fewer layers, lightened up with one less bottom, but wanted an extra pair of shoes for variety and comfort.
• Be an outfit repeater! Have plans for how you’ll wash your clothes while away (I’ve linked my liquid-free options below!)

Check out the 11 pieces I’m bringing with me, most of which I already owned before my trip – no need to buy all new things! I shopped my closet for most of the pieces, although I couldn’t resist a couple of new Miik styles. I’ve linked them and my other items below if you want to shop them, too!

I knew my travel capsule had to be small because I wanted to travel cheap, in some cases using the “bus-in-the-sky” RyanAir to travel between countries. They’re infamous for their extremely strict bag restrictions, so I shopped for my bags based on the exact measurements of their maximum carry-on bag allowance.

Unfortunately, that means I couldn’t just use bags I already own, but I needed new ones anyway, and this way I could also ensure to get ones that are light and easy to carry, no matter the terrain I end up on or lack of elevators.

I went with this backpack that also has wheels, and opens up fully when unzipped. From all my research, that was key – you want something that opens up fully!

When packing, I used the KonMari method as much as possible – standing things upright so they can all be seen and using smaller bags to organize things by category. I did end up rolling my larger items of clothing to make space, though! I didn’t use compression cubes, opting for regular packing cubes instead to reduce the amount of potential wrinkling and keep the weight of my bag down! My carry-on needs to be under 10kg/22 lbs, and using compression cubes would make going over WAY too easy.

For my personal item, I again made sure it would fit into size limits – but it’s also expandable to hold my heavier boots or laundry in a separate compartment when I’m not bringing it on a flight. I think this versatility is key to keeping me sane, because it means I won’t always have to have everything perfectly packed! There’s no weight limit on the airlines I’m using for personal items, so I packed all my heavy items in this bag. More on that below!

My biggest packing dilemma was how in the world I would pack a month’s worth of liquids into two carry-ons. The amount of shampoo and conditioner I use in a month alone meets the max liquid restrictions! This is where all my research really pays off! I was able to switch out a lot of liquids for solid or powder options. A bunch of items I already had and didn’t even think of at first!

Here’s everything I swapped in:

Anything liquid that I did end up taking, I was able to limit to a 7”x7” clear resealable bag. I even totalled it up, and it only ended up being about 350 mL of liquid in total – and 1 L is the limit of the strictest airline I’m taking! I was super careful and really followed the rules in terms of what is considered a liquid – so that includes gels and more viscous items like mascara. I already had travel sizes of my perfumes, but I decanted my toothpaste and even Polysporin into smaller containers.

I’m no stranger to packing the night before a trip – but not this time! I literally started weeks ago, and while that may be overkill, packing one or two weeks in advance is a must. I packed and re-packed my main bag three times before I was happy with it – cutting down on excess items I didn’t really need as I went, finding the best fit, and learning how I’ll be able to replicate it again and again when I’m on my trip.

I packed all of my toiletries, liquids, and electronics into my personal bag that goes under my seat. They’re heavier, and since the airlines I’m taking don’t weigh the personal bag, I can get away with it! This seriously lightened up my main bag – my personal item is actually heavier than my main one. But hey, the airline doesn’t care, so I’m cool with it!

Since I have such a small number of items I’ll be wearing over my 30-day trip, I also made sure to take laundry into consideration, from noting which of my accommodations offer laundry services, to local laundry mats near my stay. But I also plan to mostly hand-wash my pieces, so I made sure to pack a waterproof bag to wash items in, along with laundry detergent sheets and a stain remover stick for spot cleaning. These are both eco-friendly and made by a Canadian small business, just like Miik. Big bonus!

No, seriously…It may make me a paranoid Polly, but I know I’m not the only one who does this! I pack like I could poop my pants at any given moment. It hasn’t happened yet, and let’s all knock on wood that it never does!! I have a little bag filled with Gravol, Pepto Bismol, Tylenol, and Immodium. I keep extra underwear in my personal bag, along with biodegradable wipes to freshen up with. If I or anyone I’m travelling with ever feels sick, I’m the go-to get-well gal.

Aside from all that, I just like to be prepared – it eases any anxiety that comes along with travelling when I know I’ve covered all my bases. (So yeah…I also have allergy pills, Cold + Flu medicine, a sewing kit, band-aids, and wash cloths that expand from a little tablet when you add water.)

And on that note, those are all my packing tips for two-bag travel. Fingers crossed it works well for me this month! Keep an eye on our socials for more vids and updates. I hope these tips help you leave over-packing in the past!

‘Til next time—happy packing and safe travels!

Xoxo, Bri