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Pack the Perfect Carry-On Bag for Cold Weather

Winterize your travel with ease with these expert tips

By

Jaimie Seaton,

 
AARP
Published January 26, 2023

If you were one of the hundreds of thousands of passengers whose flights were canceled this past holiday season, leaving you stranded and separated from your luggage, you may have vowed never to check a bag again. 

Even if you weren’t caught in the great luggage fiasco of 2022, you simply might not want to check your bag or you may be flying a budget carrier that charges nearly as much for a checked bag as for your ticket. 

But is it possible to pack everything you need for cold weather in a carry-on bag? 

a woman packing rolled up sweaters and shirts into a carryon suitcase
Getty Images

Absolutely, says travel expert Stefanie Michaels, founder of the website Adventure Girl. “I’ve even gone on a two-week ski trip to Switzerland with just a carry-on,” Michaels says. (Her skiing equipment was sent separately, but more on that later.)

Michaels says it all starts with the right bag. She recommends purchasing a lightweight roller bag — about 22 inches long by 14 inches wide by 9 inches deep — with large outside pockets and wheels that turn 360 degrees. 

Next, invest in compression travel bags (small or medium bags; about $16 through online retailers), which will reduce the volume of your belongings. This is the trick to fitting bulky items such as sweaters and ski parkas in your carry-on.

Now the hard part: selecting the right cold-weather clothes to pack. Michaels recommends the following for a long weekend:

  • Two pairs of pants 
  • Two button-down shirts 
  • Two pairs of thermal underwear
  • One or two sweaters
  • A pair of shoes/boots that can go from day to night
  • Five pairs of underwear (wash as you go if you must ) ​​

Wear comfortable sneakers on the plane and dress in layers — leggings and a long shirt and coat that can also pair with the clothes in your carry-on luggage. Paula Froelich, founder of the travel and lifestyle company A Broad Abroad, recommends wearing a thin “packable” down jacket that has its own carrying case and can double as a pillow. 

Then start rolling up your belongings. Put your rolled belongings in a compression bag (or bags), vacuum the excess air and put them in your carry-on. Tip: Ask the housekeeper at your destination accommodation for use of a vacuum to prep for the return trip.

Set aside smaller items like underwear, socks and gloves to fill nooks and crannies in your carry-on. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows each passenger to carry one quart-size bag of liquids, gels, creams, etc., in containers of 3.4 ounces maximum. Froelich says she packs a TSA-friendly “first class” amenity kit (lip balm, hand cream, eye mask, earbuds and slippers) in her purse/personal item under the seat since the goal is not to open your carry-on during the flight. Also include electronic devices (with chargers) and medications. It’s also a good idea to bring an extra pair of glasses or hearing aids, a list of medications and your medical history (both of which you can store on your phone).

If you’re traveling for more than a few hours, you might want to pop your toothbrush, toothpaste, an extra shirt and pair of underwear in there too.

And now back to the question of traveling with large items such as skis. Rather than checking them, Michaels uses a luggage shipping service, many of which ship door-to-door, including to cruise lines. Prices vary depending on the service and distance but these services can work out to be cheaper than paying excess baggage fees — particularly overseas — and eliminate the hassle of dragging heavy items on your journey.

With everything packed, go for a stroll with your bag before your flight. Try wheeling it around your home or up the block while carrying your personal item. If you’re struggling with the weight, remove something.

“Pack light on the front end because you don’t know what you’re going to find when you’re there,” Michaels says.

Jaimie Seaton has lived in and reported from South Africa, the Netherlands, Singapore and Thailand. She has written on travel and other topics for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine. Her work on various subjects has appeared in The Washington Post, Scientific American, Smithsonian and numerous other publications. 

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