What to Pack: Winter Week in an International Carry-On

Outfits that will keep you warm and leave room for souvenirs

Packing for my Finland trip is probably one of my greatest accomplishments.

No, seriously. It’s the most efficient I’ve ever been in terms of outfit planning and use of space for a trip. I brought more than enough to keep me warm (and I wore all of it), but I still had the extra space for all the souvenirs. In fact, all six of us packed carry-on only.

The trick to packing for a winter trip is keeping it warm and simple—neutral items that can be paired with anything and layered on top of each other as needed. Here’s how I did it.

Packing Tips

• Neutral Nelly: Since you’ll be wearing a coat most of the time anyway, this probably isn’t the trip to bring that printed top that only works with a very specific pant. Keep it neutral so it’s easy to mix and match. Plus, you’ll blend in a little better with the locals.

• Wool is your friend: You already know I’m a huge fan of merino wool. It’s light, naturally odor resistant, and will keep you warm. Pair your wool base layer with a wool sweater and a cashmere scarf, and you won’t mind walking in winter temps.

• Bulk up: I know it’s annoying, but the best way to save space in your bag is to wear your bulkiest items on the plane. I wore my biggest sweater, parka, and even my scarf. Bonus—the coat doubled as a blanked and the scarf as a travel pillow.

• Take the air out: Big sweaters and fleece are perfect candidates for space bags. I used the ones where you roll the air out. Compressing big items added SO much room in my suitcase.

• Sharing is caring: International airports tend to be stricter on liquid limits, so split up toiletries amongst the group if possible. I shared haircare and skin care with my sister, each of us responsible for one category.

• Know what’s included: If you’re traveling to a winter resort like we did, this is a game changer. Our resort provided heavy duty cold weather gear including a thermal snow suit, boots and gloves. So we really only needed to pack for our city days and the necessary base/mid-layers for Lapland. Hence why you’ll only see one pair of boots in my packing list below. A lifesaver!

Luggage

All of the below was packed in:

• 21" x 13.75" x 9" Calpak carry-on (this version no longer sold, similar available here)

• 15” x 11.5” x 8” Amazon backpack (no longer sold)

Itinerary

Here are the activities I needed to factor into my outfit planning:

• 2 long haul flights (6-8 hours)

• 3.5 days exploring Helsinki (temperatures between 20-30°F with some snow)

• 4 days adventuring in Lapland (temperatures as low as -8°F + windchill)

Packing List

Base Layers

I wore these every day under everything. Non-negotiable!

• 2 merino wool tops

• 2 merino wool bottoms

Mid Layers

• 2 nicer sweaters for the city (+1 worn on the plane)

• 2 active/sweat wicking turtlenecks (mine were from Eddie Bauer, similar here)

• 2 fleece pullovers (I brought Columbia and Eddie Bauer)

• 1 sweatshirt

• 1 fleece lined leggings

• 1 pair of black leggings (+1 worn on the plane)

• 2 pairs of jeans (my mom preferred cords for extra warmth)

Outerwear

• Black floor length parka (Eddie Bauer again. I love this thing, it’s like a sleeping bag)

Shoes

• Black Sorel Kinetic boots (similar here)

• Flip flops for sauna

Swimwear

• Black one piece

Pajamas

• 1 t-shirt

• 1 pair of sweatpants

Undergarments/Socks

• 8-10 pairs wool socks/ski socks

• 1 pair slipper socks

• 10 pairs underwear

• 3 sports bras

• 2 bras

Accessories

• 2 winter hats (preferably fleece lined or wool)

• 1 merino wool liner hat (I layered this one from Smartwool under my other hats and snowmobile helmet)

• 1 cashmere blend scarf

• 1 pair fleece lined gloves

• 1 pair waterproof ski mittens

• 1 fleece neck gaiter/Buff/balaclava (this was my top accessory for Lapland. You need to have it!)

• Brown leather crossbody bag

• Tote bag

Toiletries

• Hand sanitizer

• Deodorant

• Dry shampoo (I shared shampoo and conditioner with my sister, so she packed those)

• Makeup remover

• Face wash

• Thick moisturizer

• Contacts (8 pairs daily disposable)

• Masks and COVID test (we traveled just after COVID restrictions were lifted, so we still brought masks and tests with us. The masks were actually great for keeping our faces warm)

Makeup

• Light foundation

• Concealer

• Bronzer

• Blush

• Mascara

• Brow gel

Medicine

• Inhaler

• Ibuprofen

• Pepto

• Tums

• Zyrtec

• Band-Aids

Tech

• Phone charger

• e-Reader and charger

• Wireless headphones and charger

• Wired headphones for plane

• Foldable tripod (you’ll want this for northern light pics)

• US to EU adapter