Travel Essentials
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Dear Lovely,
As you may already know, in the early spring of 2025, I published an e-book called 11 Days in a Carry-on. It is a travel and packing diary about the trip I took to Provence that inspired my novel The France Dance.
As its name implies, I did in fact pack for an 11 day trip in only a carry-on bag, and after successfully achieving such a feat, I decided to share my packing and travel secrets with the world.
The wonderful thing about 11 Days…is that I produced it to feel like you’re slipping into the pages of someone’s travel diary. Not only do I share packing tips, but also favored stops, excerpts from my actual journal written during the trip, what I wore, colorful (and delicious!) photographs, tips on what to purchase while traveling, and how to get it all home. 11 Days in a Carry-on was a joy to curate and write. I hope you will order a digital copy on Amazon.
Below is a list of my favorite travel essentials that made packing for 11 days in carry-on luggage doable.
“1 Purse-onal Item”
I‘ve used several different carry-ons over the years, and when I say carry-on, I’m not talking about the suitcase I’m carrying on. I’m talking about the “one personal item” that airlines allow all passengers to bring along with their carry-on luggage. For me this is typically a very large purse/bag, so we’ll call it the Purse-onal bag. SWIDT?
When packing for 11 days without checking luggage, every inch of available space is vital, making the type of bag as important as what and how everything is packed within it. This waterproof duffel bag from Walmart has made the trek overseas with me. It costs less than $30, comes in a variety of colors, perfectly slides beneath the seat in front of me, and even has a trolley sleeve that slides over your rolling luggage handle.
I pack my toiletries in this clear makeup bag and have never had a problem going through TSA. It is 5.5”x7.5" and I’m able to get all my liquids plus most of makeup inside.
I take medication both in the morning and in the evening, so I like to have it packed in my Purse-onal bag for easy access while on the plane instead of my actual suitcase.I use a specific pill case thatprovides labeled containers for each day of the week with a morning and a night compartment. Then, each container fits into one big container that snaps shut, which keeps everything collected, organized, and with an extra layer of security to avoid spills. I have a second container for trips that are longer than 7 days.
For toner and other water-y type, or gel products, my favorite containers come with silicone sleeves around the glass bottles to protect from clanking against each other during travel. Yes, they are glass. No, they have never broken. Yes, I have traveled with them internationally several times. They even come with separate lids to use depending on the type of product: true liquid vs. gel.
Cadence Capsules
For products with thicker consistencies, such as lotions/shampoo/conditioner, I like to use the little capsules from Cadence. The lids can be customized with labels such as ‘night cream’ or ‘sunscreen’ and expanders can be purchased to make each capsule larger in the case that you want to take a greater amount of product.
If you want to shop easily with Amazon, purchase Cadence HERE.
If you want to customize your bundle, you’ll need to shop through the Cadence site.
For perfume, I use refillable travel bottles that don’t require a tiny funnel or dropper. These are so easy to fill and are the perfect travel size.
My favorite way to save space with cosmetics is to put my foundation in a clean contact lens case. If primer is part of your makeup routine, you can fill one side of the contact lens case with that. It’s amazing how much space can be saved by not packing full-size foundation and primer bottles. Even if you need to fill two lens cases to have enough product, it’s still smaller than packing the bottles.
Suitcase
The safest bet is when I use the Tegra-Lite® International Front Pocket Expandable 4 Wheeled Carry-On from TUMI. It’s lightweight and very durable, and I’ve always been allowed to carry it on. I’ve also used the Continental Dual Access 4 Wheeled Carry-On from TUMI, and several times they’ve made me check it at the gate because they claim it’s too big. Why sometimes it’s too big and not other times, I’ve no clue. But I do what I’m told.
Tegra-Lite® International Front Pocket Expandable 4 Wheeled Carry-On
TUMI is an expensive brand of luggage that lasts forever. Read HERE for their guaranty and warranty services.
Using packing cubes are the easiest way to make everything fit while keeping it organized. I have purchased three sets of packing cubes so far because the zippers kept separating. This final set, I believe, is the highest quality and are even expandable.
There was a time I went everywhere with my laptop, but when I traveled to Provence in 2023, I decided to order a keyboard to pair with my iPad instead. It is lighter in weight and also doubles as my Kindle, which eliminates the need for packing books.
Lovely, all these products are what allowed me to save space while packing and utilize the option of not checking luggage. I think the only question I haven’t answered for you is, “Lauren, why do you care about carrying on in the first place? Why not just check a bag(s)?” Well, I’ll tell you. On this trip in particular, I was flying to Paris, and then taking a train to a tiny village called St. Remy de Provence, almost 400 miles away. Had my luggage been lost, I was concerned that it would have been very difficult for them to get it to me in any reasonable amount of time once located. I just didn’t want to risk ruining my lovely trip by not having my belongings. That’s why I carried on and why I continue to do so every now and then. Here are all my favorite products one more time:
Waterproof Duffel Carry-on Bag | Liquids Bag | Travel Pill Box| Liquids Bottles | Cadence Capsules | Travel Perfume Bottle | Contact Lens Case | Tegra-Lite® International Front Pocket Expandable 4 Wheeled Carry-On | Continental Dual Access 4 Wheeled Carry-On | Packing Cubes | iPad Case with Keyboard
There are so, so, so many more travel hacks in my book 11 Days in a Carry-on.
