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Do you want to learn how to pack a travel backpack for a 2-week vacation that will allow you to take plenty of clothes while saving time, stress, and a lot of money?  I think I have it mastered, and I’ll show you how!

We get plenty of strange faces when we tell people we go to Europe for two weeks (or more) with just a backpack. Several years ago, I would’ve thought it sounded crazy too. We used to take huge bags. 

So why do we choose to pack this way?

It’s just easier.  When we started going more frequently for longer trips, we decided to simplify. Dragging big bags around was too much of a hassle.

We pack in one of two ways, depending on the type of bags included with our flights. If a carry-on bag is included, we pack a rolling carry-on bag plus a backpack (See how we do that here). If a carry-on is not included, we pack just a backpack. This post will show you how we pack just a backpack.

There are many advantages to packing light:

• It’s much easier to keep up with fewer things.
• It’s much easier to move around from place to place with a smaller, lighter bag.  If we had multiple larger bags, we would have to lift them up the steps into every train, bus, etc.  And storage for large bags on public transportation is difficult.  There’s also nowhere to put your large bags when you have to go into a store or restaurant, making it very difficult to do anything when the bags are with us.
• We don’t have to drag large, heavy bags up stairs.  Many older buildings in larger cities, especially in Europe, don’t have elevators, or they very small elevators.  Also, many train and underground stations have stairs.  And when you find an escalator at the airport that isn’t working… 🙉
• It saves time at the airport!  We don’t have to wait in line to check any bags, and we don’t have to wait to pick our bags when we arrive.
• It saves money!  Usually, a LOT of money, especially when you travel with a family of four.  These days, most airline tickets do not include a checked bag with your flight unless you upgrade to a more expensive ticket.  Many tickets (not all) do include a carry-on.  All tickets include a free personal item (like a backpack).  If one or more of our flights do not include a carry-on bag we pack in just a backpack.  See how we do that here. (It’s much more room than you think! You’ll be surprised at how we make it work!)

This post will show you exactly what I pack, what containers I use, and how I get it all to fit in a backpack.

Once you get used to packing light, you won’t want to do it any other way.  It’s just so much easier, especially if you plan to travel to multiple destinations.

HOW TO PACK A TRAVEL BACKPACK

Toiletry/Make-Up Bag & Liquids Bag

Toiletry/Make-Up Bag – BUY ON AMAZON
Clear Bag for Liquids – BUY ON AMAZON
Curling Iron – BUY ON AMAZON
8-Day Medicine Organizer – BUY ON AMAZON
Blue Mesh Bag – BUY ON AMAZON

I recently started using this hanging toiletry bag.  I use the bottom section for toiletry items, the middle section for make-up, and the small top section for things like contacts, hair rubber bands and pins, and earrings.  Liquids go in a separate bag so they can be taken out at security at the airports when necessary. 

The curling iron is 1.5 inches in diameter.  It is a dual-voltage curling iron, which means it will work with the electrical outlets in any country without blowing a fuse.

The medicine organizer is an 8-day organizer plus a separate mesh bag.  See more on that below in this post.

Clear Bag for Liquids

Clear Bag for Liquids – BUY ON AMAZON
Collapsible Liquids Bottles – BUY ON AMAZON
Clear Squirt/Dropper Bottle – BUY ON AMAZON
Yellow Container for Creams – BUY ON AMAZON
Label Maker – BUY ON AMAZON

A quart-size clear travel toiletry bag is required to hold all liquids that go through airport security.  Many airports, especially the ones in Europe, require you to take the liquids bag out to go through the scanner.  Each container can be no more than 3 oz, and all containers with liquids must fit inside a quart-size clear bag.  Believe me, you want to check this before you go through security, especially in European airports.  If they suspect that you haven’t met these guidelines and they hold your bag to the side you could be there for a while.

The picture above shows all the liquids I normally take.  The will last for a two-week trip for me.  If you run out of anything though you can always pick up more at your destination.  I take (pictured from left to right) shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion in collapsible containers (which save room as they are used), hairspray, contact solution, mouthwash, a .25 oz travel-size perfume, and a 2.4 oz tube of toothpaste.  I put face moisturizer in the smaller yellow container, and other things like face creams in contact cases.  This all fits neatly in my clear travel toiletry bag.  In the European airports where they are very meticulous, I put my lipstick, lotion, and hand sanitizer from my purse in there too.  I don’t normally feel like I need to do that in the US. 

Toiletry/Make-Up Bag

Toiletry/Make-Up Bag – BUY ON AMAZON
Cetaphil Facial Cleansing Bar – BUY ON AMAZON
Toothbrush Cover – BUY ON AMAZON
Foldable Wet Brush – BUY ON AMAZON
.5 oz Deodorant – BUY ON AMAZON

I pack a lot in this small travel toiletry bag.  I’m constantly trimming down the sizes of everything I take, so it fits well.

In the bottom section I take:  a razor (with a cover), cotton swabs in a zipper snack bag, 2 extra pairs of contacts, 2 contact cases, Cetaphil facial cleanser bar in a plastic container (taking this in a bar form saves valuable space in the liquids bag), dental floss, nail file, toothbrush with a small cover, bandaids, .5 oz deodorant, small bar of soap (because some hotels or apartments don’t have enough), and a foldable Wet brush.

I keep my make-up in the middle section.  I always think about travel when I buy make-up.  I only buy small containers.  I do change brands from time to time, but here are basically the things I use:  Laura Gellar foundation, a Laura Gellar thin palette with blush and eye shadows, mascara, eye liner, tweezers, and a few brushes.  

In the small top section I put hair rubber bands, pins, and clips attached to a clothes pin, a hair clip, extra contacts, bandaids, and earrings.  I usually bring two pairs of earrings that will match all of my outfits.

I use this bag every day for make-up, not just when traveling.  I keep the whole bag as well as the liquids bag packed all the time, so I just have to refill the containers when it’s time to go again.

Medicine Organizer

8-Day Medicine Organizer – BUY ON AMAZON
Blue Mesh Bag – BUY ON AMAZON

For medicines, I use and 8-day organizer plus a small mesh zipper bag.  In the organizer, I put a different medication in each day of the week and put a label over the letters to identify each one.  I put a label with the expiration date underneath each one.  Before each trip I refill all the sections and check the expiration dates.  I put medicines that are on a foil sheet in the mesh zippered bag.  I also take a picture of the label of each medication so I have the instructions in my phone if needed.

Getting It All In The Backpack

Backpack – BUY ON AMAZON
Slim Packing Cube – BUY ON AMAZON

This is enough clothes for 7 days.  We usually stay 2 to 2 1/2 weeks when we travel abroad, which means we wash clothes some.   We either stay at a hotel or at an apartment with a washing machine or a laundry service, or we find a nearby laundry.  We take these laundry detergent sheets.  I put a few in a plastic zipper bag, and they take up almost no room.  I know many people shudder at the thought of doing laundry on vacation, but it’s not bad.  We wash before bed, hang them up around the apartment overnight (if there’s no dryer), and they’re usually dry the next morning.  If we go to a laundromat, we usually go in the morning and have breakfast/lunch while they are washing.

I like travel packing cubes, but I’ve found that I can get more in the bag if I pack as shown in the photo.  I’m only using a small packing cube for socks and underwear.  This is an example of a winter trip.  We don’t pack bulky clothes.  We just layer when it’s cold.  We take long sleeve shirts or thin sweaters.  I put a cotton camisole underneath.  The boys put a t-shirt underneath.  When we add a jacket, scarf, gloves and earmuffs or beanies we are very warm.  We even shed layers frequently even in the cold because we walk almost everywhere we go.

As shown in the photo above, I’ve packed 3 pairs of pants (I wear jeans twice as long as I don’t get anything on them), 6 long-sleeve shirts, 1 sleep set (shorts and tshirt), 3 camisoles, 6 pairs of socks (flat, not rolled together) and underwear.  Remember that I am also wearing 1 outfit, so there’s a total of 7 outfits.  

My liquids bag goes to the right, and my toiletry/make-up bag lays on top in the open position so it’s flatter.  My curling iron is under the liquids bag and small packing cube.

The medicine cases and laundry sheets go in one of the pockets on the left side.