What to pack for a 10-day winter trip

Behold as I try to fit 10 days' worth of outfits in a suitcase this size!

Packing for a trip is a very special breed of wardrobe planning. It requires shopping from your closet for the fewest number of garments that will give you the greatest amount of wear.

This is especially true the longer your trip, and the greater the number of locations you will visit.

Throw in a couple of different climates–and try to fit it all in a carry-on to avoid baggage fees–and you’ve reached a difficulty rating of 10 out of 10.

Watch, my friends, as I attempt to perform this triple-somersault-with-a-twist of packing: 10 days, 3 cities, 2 different climate types and 1 carry-on.

Can she do it? Behold! (And ask me again after I get back … )

Note: I’m only focusing on wearable items here; I could write a whole other post about accessories, toiletries and the like. (And maybe in the future I will.)

2 pair jeans
1 pair pants, neutral color
2 tissue-weight turtlenecks (great for layering and less bulky to pack)
1 set long underwear (to take my layered outfits from Texas deserts to North Carolina mountains)
4 long-sleeved T-shirts
3 short-sleeved T-shirts
2 cardigans
1 medium weight sweater
1 button-down shirt
1 sweater vest
1 pair pajamas
1 leather jacket
1 down vest

So how does this work? In warmer climates (60s during the day and 40s at night), I can layer up with two T-shirts plus a cardigan in the day, and add the leather jacket or even just the down vest at night. In the mountains, where the temperatures will be 20 to 30 degrees colder, I can add my long underwear as a base layer underneath everything and wear both leather jacket and down vest. If I’m really feeling cold, I can even add the sweater vest as well.

Because everything is a knit fabric, I can fit more in my suitcase by rolling items up and stacking them. I’ll wear my leather jacket to the airport to save packing space and to stay warm on over-cooled airplanes.

Now pardon me while I go pack my suitcase to make sure everything fits!