packing list for ireland

i am a fan of packing light and always try to travel with just a carry-on bag. in order to do that it takes planning and outfit coordination. it is important to bring neutral pieces so they can all work together. i wanted to share my packing list for our 10 day ireland road trip. 

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here is how i packed for ireland for 10 days in a carry-on. 

undergarments

let’s face it, we all need underwear! when i travel i try to bring enough underwear and socks for each day. i have washed underwear and socks in hotel sinks before, but would prefer to avoid it if necessary. 

total for this category: 10 pairs of underwear, 10 pairs of socks, 2 bras. 

pants

i personally prefer pants to dresses or skirts. especially for colder weather like ireland pants are great to keep you warm. since i knew none of activities would require formal  attire i didn’t have to worry about that aspect of packing. bottoms are versatile and can be worn multiple days before they need washed. 

total for this category: one pair of light color jeans, one pair of dark color jeans, and one pair of green columbia hiking pants. 

tops

with the cool irish climate i opted to bring different tops that had 3/4 or long sleeves and were mostly cotton. again our casual plans prevented me from having to worry about any fancy clothes. 

total for this category: 1 black long sleeve shirt, one pink striped 3/4 shirt, one red and blue striped long sleeve shirt, one black houndstooth longsleeve shirt, and one grey short sleeve shirt. 

outerwear

ireland can have fickle weather. while the weather was overall nice during our stay in october there were periods of rain, sun, and clouds. to try to be prepared i brought along 3 peieces of outerwear to try to prepare for all weather possibilities. 

the one item i didn’t bring was a beanie/hat. i knew i wanted one but didn’t have one to bring with me. because we were travelling to ireland i knew i would have plenty of opportunity to but a irish wool hat during our trip!

total for this category: one light and long rain jacket, one long army green jacket, one pullover warm fleece

shoes

ah shoes! this is where i struggle a lot in packing. what woman doesn’t like to have shoe options? the truth is that no one really changes shoes very much on a trip. i have learned over the years it is better to have two or three pairs of really good and comfortable shoes than five or six just taking up space in your bag!

again our casual and outdoor adventure plans made it easy for me to eliminate any fancier shoes from my packing list. 

total for this category: one pair of keen hiking shoes, one pair of asics tennis shoes

accessories

i didn’t bring any accessories with me. i do love jewelry but didn’t want to risk losing any as we traversed ireland. i just kept to my rings, watch, and necklace that i never take off rather than bringing lots of different options. 

another option would be to bring a scarf. i am just not a scarf person, but they are easy to pack and can come in handy in the irish climate. 

total for this category: nothing

other items

things not to forget on any trip include chargers and power adapters if needed. you also need your toiletries and medications. depending on where you are staying you can save quite a bit of room by just using the provided toiletries rather than bringing your own. i know some of us can be picky about the products we use, but just think of all the souvenirs that could take their space instead!

i am also a fan of having physical copies of documents in case there is a technology malfunction. i always print out our tickets and reservations for things like flights, accommodation, rental car, and attractions. i tend to throw them away as i use them rather than carrying them the whole trip. this also frees us a little more space as a trip goes on for souvenirs!

total for this category: chargers and adapters, printed itinerary, printed tickets, medications and toiletries

packing tips

so now you have a packing list to get you through 10 days in ireland, but how do you make it all fit in a carry on? i have a few space saving techniques i use when i pack.

the first is to wear your bulkier clothes on the plane. this is pretty common, but i make sure to wear my biggest shoes and coat, even if it doesn’t match the weather of my departure location. 

the next is to stuff the other shoes you are taking with your socks and underwear. i was able to fit all my socks in one shoe and all my underwear in the other. that meant no extra suitcase space taken on undergarments!

finally i always roll my clothes. i actually learned this tip from my aunt years ago. if you roll your clothes tightly after folding them in half instead of folding them you will be shocked at how much more you will fit in your suitcase! my mom used this trip on the way back from ireland and was able to fit what she packed as well as her souvenirs for the trip home. my grandma recently moved to alaska and my mom used this trick to help her pack her items too. she was impressed with how much they were able to fit and also how few wrinkles were in her clothes when she unpacked. another perk for those of us who don’t want to be wrinkly!

once you have your carry on packed with your clothes you can hopefully fit your toiletries in this bag as well. then i bring a large personal item, like a backpack or weekender bag. on the way to a destination it might only have travel documents and chargers in it, but this gives plenty of room for souvenirs on the flights home. 

summary

by keeping a small and rotating tops and bottoms and not bringing a pair of shoes for each day you can easily survive 10 days in a carry on. by rolling your clothes and bringing a large personal item there will be plenty of room for 10 days and souvenirs. 

do you have any other packing tips to survive 10 days or more in a carry on? leave your comments below. 

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