How to Pack for Six Days in a Carry-On

Unless I'm traveling for weeks at a time, I don't use anything larger than a carry-on roller bag anymore. This last trip to Ohio was a little more difficult than my typical three day business trips. With a day at Cedar Point, two days of hanging out with Dan's family, and a wedding, fitting it all in a single bag was a bit of a challenge.

Here's what I ended up bringing:

Some things to note:

• Cardigans for needed warmth on airplanes.
• Comfortable shoes for the amusement park. Also, shorts with lots of pockets so you don't need a purse.
• Flats for dressy occasions to take up less room in the suitcase than heels. 
• Plan for hairstyles without straighteners, curling irons, or hair dryers to minimize the amount of tools you need to pack and the amount of time you hog the bathroom at your relatives' house.  
• Unless you're really messy, jeans and pants can be worn twice, as well as layers like sweaters.
• I find that most jewelry isn't worth the hassle of packing. Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings have too high a risk of getting tangled or lost. Functional accessories like belts and sunglasses are much easier.

And a couple of pictures of the outfits in action:

Day 2: Theme Park

Day 5: Wedding

Now, I can't claim to be an expert packer, but with all the traveling I seem to be doing lately, I think I'm getting pretty good at it.