After I told my followers on social media that I was packing two weeks in snowy Scandinavia into a carryon only, the biggest question I kept getting was “HOW are you not checking a bag?!” I’ve been dubbed the “packing queen” after I storied how exactly I did it as packing for Scandinavia isn’t the easiest, especially in winter!
My two week trip around Scandinavia included 4 cities, one even up in the Arctic. I spent tons of time outdoors in temps colder than freezing, walking on top of sheets of ice and even played with reindeer through an Arctic blizzard. Traveling in March meant I needed all the warm wintry clothing. Because I was hopping around to different cities via train and plane, I wanted to bring a carryon only to make it easier and to save money. This Scandinavia packing guide should help you do the same!
Read More: My Scandinavia Itinerary
My Carryon
My carryon is a practical yet stylish piece from the American Tourister brand. This 20″ carryon luggage is super lightweight and has an outer hard-shell to protect the inside contents. It expands an additional 1.5″ which is something that’s a must for packing into a carryon!
Tips for the perfect travel carryon:
- Hard-shell exterior
- Four spinner wheels
- Expandable zipper
- Split case opening
- Bottom zipper for shoe storage
- Cross straps on the inside to keep items in place
I also brought a backpack for my “personal item” on the plane. I put a smaller wristlet/purse inside of it and all of my liquids and electronics to have easy access going through security.
Tips for Packing a Carryon Only:
- Bring a larger personal item
- Pack clothes you can wear more than once
- Use vacuum sealed bags to pack the clothing
- Bring clothing items that are interchangeable with other pieces
- Plan out daily outfits so you don’t overpack
- Leave the accessories at home: no hats, jewelry, bags
- Go minimal: no makeup and bare essentials for hair care
- Bring laundry tabs to do washings along the way
- Stay in AirBnb’s with laundry services
- Wear layers on the plane
- Put all electronics and liquids in your personal item
What I Packed for Scandinavia
Since I would be traveling through Scandinavia in March, I made sure I packed all of the warmest clothes I had! Here’s my list on what I packed:
Shoes
- Uggs – These brown Bailey Button’s were my “stylish” pair
- Columbia – The Minx Mid III were my “practical” pair of shoes. They’re waterproof and faux fur-lined to protect in temps as low as 25F degrees.
Thermals
These thermals were the second layer underneath my clothing during my trip. They also doubled as my pajamas!
- 2 pairs of thermal sets: Kari Traa is my go-to brand for thermals. The gray pair bottoms and top is so cute, and I love the bottoms and top of the light blue as well.
Socks
Thermal socks are of utmost importance when traveling through Scandinavia in March.
- 3 Pairs of thermal socks: Women’s Heat Holders, Thorlos Extreme Cold & Muk Luks Women’s Heat Retainers.
Pants
Besides my thermal bottoms, I only brought 3 pairs of pants with me on my trip:
- Black Jeans: My “nicer” pair of pants for the trip. Levi 711’s are my favorite!
- Jeans: They go with everything! I brought a light wash since I had black jeans. The Mango High Waist jeans are my go-tos.
- Running pants: My Adidas long running pants were perfect for the long travel days
Tops & Sweaters
At a total of seven sweaters or tops, it was the most type of clothing I brought with me on this trip. I favored the wool turtlenecks, cable-knit tops and especially fleece to stay warm and I also made sure I brought a variety of colors and styles to get more use out my options.
Coats
I brought 3 different types of jackets/coats for my trip. I also wore 2 of the 3 coats on the plane to save space!
- Rain Jacket: North Face Cyclone in white
- Heavy Coat: Patagonia Prairie Dawn Insulated Parka
- Fleece Jacket: North Face Fleece Zip-Up
Accessories
The only accessories I brought on the trip were pieces that could keep me warm. I also wore what I could on the plane of these, then stuffing the extra gloves and hats into my pockets of my parka.
- Scarves: A big blanket scarf by Leto Collection and a scarf by Lauren Conrad.
- Hats: A beanie by Lauren Conrad and a black beanie by Capelli New York.
- Gloves: White pair of texting gloves by Steve Madden and a warmer practical pair of black gloves by Lands End.
Toiletries
Packing a carryon only means that all of my liquids must be below 3.5 ounces. To do this, I buy eco-friendly GoToob products that I fill up with any liquids I need to bring with me.
The other liquids I buy in travel-size containers are shampoos and conditioners, dry shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrush, first aid kit, lotion, hair mousse, mascara, makeup remover, hand sanitizer and ChapStick.
Photography Equipment
On every trip I bring my Canon DSLR, a 10-18mm wide angle lens for landscape shots and my 50mm lens for portraits. I also packed my Manfrotto Compact Travel Tripod, two extra batteries and extra SanDisk memory cards.
Electronics
Along with my camera equipment, the electronics I brought are an Apple Macbook Air, Travelon worldwide travel adapter, Seagate portable external hard drive and an iMeshbean power bank for on-the-go charging.
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Dayumn girl this is probably the most impressive travel story I’ll read qll year! How you managed to fit it qll in, I have no idea, but I am IN AWE!
Xoxo,
Laura || afinnontheloose.com
Haha that means a lot though thank you! I actually impressed myself packing that long of a travel into a carryon, especially for a winter destination! Here’s to saving more money with carryons 🙌🏼