The Ultimate Minimalist Packing List for a Week: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to minimalist travel packing, it is all about the art of packing light and smart with the absolute minimum essentials, with the aid of suitable minimalist baggage, while still enjoying your journey to the fullest. In other words, minimalist travel means to think deeply about what you actually need instead of what you want and travel with less. 

A bunch of unnecessary stuff would undoubtedly be a burden for your trip and ruin the whole experience. Just imagine arriving at the destination, dragging your heavy luggage around everywhere under the scorching sun or against the biting wind blowing at your face. It can be pretty much a real headache, especially when you’re having so many things to take care of. 

If you’re still worrying about what to include in your minimalist packing list or which baggage is the most suitable, let us help you answer those questions. In this article, our CabinZero team has sorted out for you the ultimate checklist for smart and minimalist packing experience. 

Minimalist travel checklist for a week

More than often, the way you pack for a trip depends mostly on the destination and its weather, as well as how long you are going to be there. Yet for the most part, there are certain things that you definitely need to ensure a successful and comfortable journey. Check out our suggestion below of minimalist packing for a week and some on point minimalist packing tips. Once you adopt the mindset “less is more” in your minimalist packing list,  you'll always have everything you need at your fingertips without the hassle of overthinking and overpacking. 

Basic Minimalist Packing List

The more organised and well-prepared you are for travel, the more comfortable the journey will be. You will get the chance to learn more knowledge and obtain some precious travel experience while still enjoying your trip to the fullest. So ladies and gentlemen, here’s the most basic things you absolutely can’t get by without bringing:

• Wallet – carry your ID and some currency with you
• Travel Documents (ID, driver licence, insurance, boarding pass and visa if you’re travelling abroad)
• Sunglasses (even when it might not be sunny, you still need to protect your eyes from UV rays) 
• Sunscreen
• Phone
• Phone charger/ Backup phone charger
• Medication
• Hand sanitizer 
• E-reader (books can take up plenty of space, so you’d better invest in a Kindle or another effective e-reader for better minimalist packing)

Image from Unsplash

Minimalist Packing List For Women

1. Toiletries Bag

Regardless of the destination, it is important for ladies to appear as your best while feeling great and comfortable. To ensure that, our checklist below can help you remember all the essential toiletries items:

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Lip balm 
• Face wash
• Perfume/Cologne (one is never fully dressed without perfume)
• Deodorant
• Makeup remover
• Facial wipes / cleanser 
• Hair brush or comb
• Skincare products 

>> May be you also like: The Ultimate Toiletries Packing List

2. Light makeup

When you're on a one-week excursion , it’s better to just bring enough makeup for those picture-perfect moments, instead of dragging a full collection of makeup with you everywhere. For a basic set of makeup essentials, here’s what you need:

• Foundation
• Concealer
• Rosy blusher
• Eyeshadow
• Mascara 
• 1-2 lipsticks
• Travel size perfume

3. Clothes and Accessories

For ladies, travel packing tends to result in piles of clothing, bags full of toiletries, a multitude of chargers,  and dozens of extra items crammed in the suitcase. To avoid this, you should choose clothes with optimal function to maximise your potential for varying travel outfits. Here’s our suggestion to make planning your travel wardrobe a breeze: 

• 1 light jacket or pullover
• 1 cardigan/sweater
• 1 dressy dress
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 4 casual shirts (tees or tanks)
• 1 pair of sleeping attire
• 1 swimsuit (cover-up or one piece)
• 1 pair of sneakers/ walking shoes (choose comfortable ones, chances are that you’ll be walking more than usual when travelling)
• 1 pair of sandals 
• 1 easy mix-match purse or clutch
• 8 pairs of underwear
• 2 bras
• 2-3 pairs of socks
• Accessories (scarves, hats or jewellery)

Leave the just-in-case items at home ladies. Images from Unsplash 

Minimalist Packing List For Men

Packing can be pretty much an exhausting experience for gentlemen. What should you bring? How can you put everything you need in one suitcase? Well, worry no more! Keep scrolling and check out the minimalist packing list for a masculine style from our team.

1. Toiletries Items

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Shower Gel and/or Soap
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste -(get a travel sized one to save space)
• Toothbrush
• Face Wash
• Moisturiser (this is a must for cold weather condition)
• Perfume/Cologne (you are never fully dressed without perfume)
• Hair gel, hair clay and comb
• Razor

>> May be you also like: Can You Bring A Razor On A Plane?

2. Clothes and Accessories

To get no less than 10 outfits for one-week trip into your minimalist packing list, you should include: 

• 1 white, grey and black T-Shirt
• 1 black sweater (or any other neutral colour)
• 1 white button-up shirt 
• 1 neutral quarter-zip sweater
• 1 black slacks 
• 2 pairs of dark denim jeans 
• 1 neutral jacket 
• 1 dressy neutral shoe
• 1 neutral colored sneaker
• Accessories (watch, hats, scarves, and belts)

Tips for minimalist packing

Once you can adopt a minimalist attitude while packing your suitcase, you will get to navigate your new destination much easier and also find it more comfortable on the road. Here are 6 tips for packing and travelling like a minimalist to keep in mind for your next journey!

Images from Unsplash 

Choose a well-organised backpack

You might think you only need to get yourself a simple backpack, and toss all your essentials into it is enough to travel. But that’s not how minimalism works. Although minimalist travel is about simplifying life and living well with less stuff around you, it’s imperative that you start investing in something that is worth-it in the long run, a well-organised and versatile backpack.

Choose multifunctional clothes

Think carefully about which clothing to take and pack only essential items according to the weather conditions. Instead of packing the outfits you might want, focus more on the items you’ll definitely need or anything with multifunctional use for a better minimalist packing. 

The same goes with other items such as toiletries, cosmetics, shoes, even bags.  If it has only one purpose, reconsider whether you really need it or not. This will ensure an ideal and comfortable travel experience and also saves you plenty of time and space in the suitcase.

Check the weather forecast beforehand

Another minimalist packing advice we can give you is to check the weather forecast before you embark on a trip, which tends to be forgettable for most travellers. Regardless of where you’re heading for, it is always essential to learn about the weather forecasts of the travel destination in advance. This way, not only will you find it easier to clarify which clothes and items to include, but you also get to decide the best time to travel. 

Stick to neutral colours

If you’re wondering about what to wear each day, here’s our suggested solution for you. Neutral colours like black, blue, grey or navy are all easy to mix together, and if you want to add some flourishes of colour, bring along the ones that can go well with the neutral colour that you already chose. As a result, you will get to create plenty of outfits without weighing yourself down with all the “options”. 

Leave unnecessary electronic devices behind

Travelling has evolved dramatically and becomes easier and more convenient with the advent of technology. It’s a good idea to have a smartphone with you while travelling for efficient planning or for directions, safety, and to stay in touch on the go. However, other favourite yet unnecessary technological devices that you often use at home could  probably stay there.

Consider what you can buy there

For most people, shopping for souvenirs is an integral part, as it can be a way to  collect and give mementos to remember their trip or to share with friends and family afterwards. To make sure you’re still following the minimalist packing principles, opt for items that are easily portable, such as jewellery, magnets, patches, and ornaments instead of large and heavy souvenirs. 

You can consider visiting a local post office and ship a box of your souvenirs back home so you don’t have to worry about how to toss them in your suitcase without breaking them. Check with the store to see if they can ship it back home for you.  

Best CabinZero Backpack for your minimalist packing

As mentioned above, a good quality backpack to carry all your clothes and essentials  will definitely help you travel with great ease and speed. If you’re looking for a minimalistic backpack for a week trip, keep reading and check out one of our best-seller products.

Classic Backpack

Style and colour

Though they appear with different styles, most of our products follow a minimalist, versatile and old school look. For this Classic Backpack, Absolute Black is picked by the majority of our followers, but if you are looking for something brighter, the range of choice for other shades is still available.

Size and Dimension

These packing cubes are perfectly sized to fit inside our 44L, 36L and 28L bags. Each cube is fully lined and it has a nylon outer, along with a convenient grab handle outside the bag, making it easier to bring around. 

Cabinzero Military Backpack

Style and colour

If you are an enthusiast of minimalist travelling, don’t miss out on the CabinZero Military model. There are three colour shades available for this Military Backpack (green, black, and navy), yet the Absolute Black is also favourably chosen by many followers.

Size and Dimension

These packing cubes are perfectly sized to fit inside our 44L, 36L and 28L bags. Each bag has an airflow system on both the rear panel and shoulder straps, making it easier to bring around. You can keep it company for any outdoor activities with its optimal ventilation and breathability. 

As you can see, here at CabinZero, it is our priority to advocate for our clients with our simple, lightweight purposefully-designed backpacks to make travelling much easier. So consider investing in these items for a minimalist and comfortable journey in the long run. You can visit our website to check out other products as well.  

FAQs

Got a question? We are here to answer! 

Here are some of the top questions that we get asked the most from our beloved followers about minimalist travel checklist. If you’ve got more to ask, let us know in the comments and we’ll answer from our own experience.

Should I fold or roll my clothes for minimalist packing?

Definitely the rolling technique. 

Tightly roll your clothes before putting them in your backpack or packing cubes in order to prevent clothes from getting wrinkled. This will also help you to save plenty of space and organise your bag better.

What should I avoid?

Don’t bring a whole wardrobe with you. If you’re travelling for 7 days, you won’t need 7 pairs of pants or 7 tops and dresses. Just follow our minimalist packing list for females and males above and cut down on the non-essentials.

The same goes with other essentials such as personal-care items, cosmetics, shoes and medication. Keep it simple.

Tip: Try to plan out your outfits ahead of time, then mix and match when you get there.

Phuong Nguyen