How To Do Hand-Luggage-Only Packing

I recently went on holiday to Mozambique and, like always, I’d meticulously planned all of my outfits. For a six-day trip, I think I had 26 individual looks. The fashion stylist in me was a notorious overpacker – I liked to have options for every eventuality. So, imagine my horror when I arrived in Johannesburg for my connecting flight, but my luggage did not. To cut a long story short, I wasn’t reunited with my suitcase until the very last night. While I was devastated about all the lovely looks I didn’t get to wear, I was surprised at how little I really needed – friends lent me pieces and I picked up just a few items at Johannesburg airport. I realised that I could have survived on my hand luggage – if I’d packed it correctly.

I am now convinced it’s possible to do hand luggage only for long-haul holidays as well as just weekends away. And summer is the perfect time to execute this new approach because clothes are so much more lightweight. By combining items that can be worn multiple different ways, there’s no need to be checking 20-odd kilos into the hold every time. So, to help you create your own holiday capsule wardrobe, here are a couple of tips – and the seven essential items that make it all possible…

– To optimise space in your case, roll instead of folding your items. Packing cubes can further streamline this process.

– Hybrid items such as a reversible swimsuit can double up as two looks for the price of one.

– An oversized silk scarf can be worn as a bandana or a top – or used to accessorise a bag.