Travel Light: A Travel Capsule Wardrobe for All Seasons in One Underseat Bag

Packing light sounds great in theory, until you’re staring at a pile of clothes and an airline-approved under-seat bag. Striking the balance between too much and not enough gets easier the more you experiment and test boundaries. After a lot of packing practice, I’m finally at the stage where packing has become quick, predictable, and much easier.

I built a four-season travel capsule wardrobe for a round-the-world solo trip in 2020, all overland, with no flights, with everything in a small underseat bag. While Covid and geopolitics put that particular trip on indefinite hold, I’ve based my packing around this template on every trip since. It’s my reliable starting point. I know, wherever I go, I should never need more. I’ll most likely bring less, and it all fits in my one small bag.

I’m not a fashion icon, nor the fashion police and your style may be very different to mine. My clothing choices are examples and not instructions for you or anyone else to follow. The intention is to show how it’s possible to use a packing formula to help you pack clothes quickly and easily for any trip. It’s for you to take and use what works, ditch what doesn’t and make a system which will work for you.

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Why pack light

Saving money on baggage fees is an obvious reason for lightening your load, but it can be more.

I love the flexibility and speed of being able to jump off a plane, train, or bus and start my adventure without the hassle of lugging heavy bags or having my day determined by where, when, and how I drop them off. I also appreciate having fewer things to keep track of and less to pack and unpack when I arrive.

Building a capsule wardrobe

✅Keep it Simple • ➖Less is More • 🎒Baggage Freedom

So let’s clear up a few questions first.

3,3,3 formula or Sudoku packing formula

The Sudoku method and the 3,3,3 method for creating a capsule wardrobe are essentially the same. They are both a 9-item grid system, where you can mix and match the clothing in the grid in any combination:

Calculating outfit combinations

With a 9-grid system of 3 rows and 3 columns, where every piece can be mixed and matched if you choose one from the top, one from the bottom, and one from the layer, you get 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 outfits.

But in reality, you potentially have more than 27 outfits.

• Clothing pieces can work in more than one category. For example, a button-down shirt or vest top (waistcoat) can be worn both as a top and as a layer.
• Clothing can transform: For example, a pair of trousers with zip-off legs creates more outfits when worn as shorts. Clothing can also be reversible, either by having different colourways on the inside, or by being worn back to front or in other alternative ways, to give you different looks.
• Dresses and one-piece jumpsuits: The system doesn’t really fit clothes like dresses, which are effectively tops and bottoms. If you add those in the mix, say as a bottom, you could extend your options further.
• Wear 2-piece or even 4-piece outfits: A layer may not be necessary, especially in hot weather, so outfits with just 2 pieces add even more combinations.
• Add accessories and shoes: Once you add the clothing and accessories you will inevitably bring, which aren’t included in the 9-grid system, that will extend the looks further.

So a 9-piece capsule wardrobe, based on a 3 x 3 grid, can give us many outfit combinations!

For me, this formula is the starting point for my packing. It works best for single-season trips and even shoulder season, if there isn’t too much weather variation. It’s slightly more challenging as a concept for high summer, where you might not want a layer, or for true multi-season destinations where the same 9 pieces won’t work. It also doesn’t help if you wear dresses, which are such an easy fashion choice when you’re travelling.

Laundry while travelling

I find this formula will ‘stretch’ for a week of clothing, with a little rewear (hang items to air between wears) and sink washing one or two items. Everything I pack can be washed and dried overnight if need be. After 7 days, laundry usually happens. I travel with laundry sheets, which weigh almost nothing and can be used in a machine. They work for handwashing, too, as do hotel shampoo and even soap if that’s all that’s available.

Different capsule wardrobes for different weather and activities

In the next sections, I’ll take you through my ‘4-Season travel capsule wardrobe, which uses a 3 x3 clothing grid at its core, but I’ve added in all the other clothes I would bring, so it covers everything.

I’ve also added 2 spin-offs, which are subsets of the original. This covers (1) summer weather and (2) cold with mixed weather.

I’ve also been to the Arctic in deep winter with just a small underseat bag. I’ve included my packing for that too. I tested this when visiting Tromso for the northern lights and whale watching.

All 4 capsule wardrobes fit in my one small bag, which is small enough to qualify as a personal item, even on budget airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Spirit. While clothing typically takes up the most space when you’re packing, it helps if other areas of your packing are minimised too. So here’s how I pack toiletries, tech, travel accessories and other miscellaneous items too.

4-Season travel capsule wardrobe

These are my clothing choices for a trip that covers all weather eventualities, except extreme cold and arctic conditions. It works comfortably down to -5 °C. There are options here for swimming, hiking (moderate, not serious mountaineering) and smarter options too -an ideal capsule for many trips around the world.

3 x 3 core pieces

With a 3 x 3 core at the heart of this capsule, there’s enough here to make plenty of outfit choices for both hot and cold weather. There are no big, thick, bulky clothes. The key to staying warm in cold weather when packing light: layers.

• 3 short-sleeve tops: A merino V-neck T-shirt, a scoop neck T-shirt, and a navy knitted merino waistcoat, which can be worn on its own or layered over other tops, giving even more options. Merino tops can be lighter and quicker to launder than cotton ones, and they look nicer too.
• 3 layers: One button-down shirt that can be worn on its own or as a layer, a smarter V-neck ruched black top, and a light blue merino sweater. These can all be layered together if it’s very cold.
• 3 pairs of trousers: One smarter, wider-leg pair, one pair of hiking pants (with a zip-off option for shorts), and one straight-leg pair.

All 9 items are lightweight and can be washed and dried overnight. All can be dressed up or down. Some of my items are merino wool/wool blends, which help me pack lighter, too.

Extra core pieces

One skirt and two dresses: The yellow patterned dress is a great option in very hot weather. The darker skirt can be worn year-round. Skirts tend to need less washing than trousers and are comfortable in very hot weather, but can be worn in colder weather with tights/leggings underneath, making them very versatile for travel. The black reversible merino dress I wear as nightwear, although it’s potentially another day wear option too.

Outerwear

3 jackets: A summer jacket, a puffy down jacket and a packable rain jacket. These can be worn separately or together.

Shoes

Two pairs of shoes: Limit your shoes. For me, a boot-style shoe with an anti-stress sole (like a sneaker), that works in both urban environments and for hiking (good grip on the bottom), and a smarter pair that works well in hot weather as well. If you are a regular at the beach and the pool, a pair of water shoes or flip-flops could be handy. I worked out that most shoes, except for some spongy sneakers, survive water, especially if you rinse the salt off them afterwards, so I don’t typically bring them or go on dedicated beach and pool holidays.

Underwear and swimwear

Washing underwear by hand every night is a simple routine which only takes a few minutes. It means 4 pairs of briefs and 3 pairs of socks are usually plenty. There’s 1 bra, 1 bra top and shorts (also work as swimwear) added into the mix. Dedicated swimwear would be a good idea for beach or pool holidays. Those aren’t my typical holiday choices, so I don’t. 1 pair of tights/leggings, as these are always useful, worn under skirts or as a base layer under trousers if it’s cold.

Accessories

Kept to a minimum. I’ve avoided heavy things like belts. A buff has so many uses: A neck warmer, a neck protector against the sun, a hairband, a head cover, a beanie (twist in the middle and turn one side inside the other), a face mask and an eye mask. There’s a warm scarf, a pair of gloves, 2 hats (a summer/rain bucket hat and winter beanie), and a lightweight crossbody bag that can fit in the backpack or be worn separately.

Summer travel capsule wardrobe

Here is a subset of the 4-seasons capsule wardrobe above for warmer weather only.

3 x 3 core pieces

• 3 short-sleeve tops: As before.
• 3 layers: As before.
• 2 trousers and a skirt: Straight-leg trousers removed, leaving one smarter, wider-leg pair; one pair of hiking pants (with a zip-off option for shorts); plus the skirt.

Extra core pieces

Two dresses: As before (one as nightwear).

Outerwear

2 jackets: As before, with the down jacket removed.

Shoes

As before.

Underwear and swimwear

As before, minus the leggings/tights.

Accessories

As before, minus the warm scarf, warm hat and gloves.

Cold & mixed weather capsule wardrobe

So this is pretty much my default option, as I travel mainly in the UK, where the weather is notoriously changeable, and forecasts are unreliable. I also prefer shoulder season when away, especially in Europe. So I’ve adjusted the first master capsule to accommodate this, leaving plenty of clothes I can layer.

3 x 3 core pieces

• 3 short-sleeve tops: As before
• 3 layers: As before
• 2 trousers and 1 skirt: No need for the third pair of trousers, which can be converted into shorts.

Extra core pieces

No summer dress, the skirt is now in the 3×3 system. Black dress remains mostly for nightwear.

Outerwear

As before.

Shoes

As before, I might switch the closed-toe sandals out for loafers or other flats.

Underwear and swimwear

As before.

Accessories

As before.

Arctic travel capsule wardrobe

So this is what I took to Tromso in winter in my one small bag. This bag was small enough to qualify as a personal item on Wizz Air and Ryanair, which meant I could fly from the UK to Tromso for less than £100 return.

Honestly, I think packing for purely cold weather is often the easiest. There’s a more limited range of activities. I’m not going to the beach or hiking. I pack layers and wear them on top of each other, just switching the order!

3 x 3 Core Pieces

Again, we have a 3 x 3 core at the heart of this capsule. This time, I’ve swapped out the short-sleeve tops for long sleeves, including thermals and a cashmere sweater. Two to three is enough to layer in the daytime with outerwear on top. For a night outing deep into the Arctic wilderness to see the northern lights, I wore more.

I have no skirts or dresses, just trousers. I could have brought winter fleece-lined trousers, but I wouldn’t get that much wear out of them outside this particular holiday. I just wore the trousers I had with warm leggings /hermals underneath.

Extra core pieces

There were no extra core pieces.

Outerwear

3 Jackets: A thick down sleeveless gilet to replace the summer jacket. I could have invested in a really thick winter coat, but I would have had limited use for it, outside the trip to Tromso. So I made do with what I had by layering. It also made it easier on the plane, as I didn’t need to wear a big, bulky coat. I just wore my regular puffy down jacket and kept the other two jackets packed.

Shoes

I took boots that I knew to be waterproof with thick lugs for grip. I didn’t take any other shoes.

Underwear and Swimwear

Same outfit formula as before. The tankini/bra-top meant I kept an option for swimming. I increased the number of socks and leggings.

Accessories

There was no need for the bucket hat. I packed a really thick bobble hat, my regular beanie, another pair of gloves, and a thick pair of mittens for sub-zero temperatures.

Tips to bring fewer clothes

Some tips we have already covered, like choosing mix-and-match outfits. Then there’s advice like ‘wearing your heavier items on travel days’, which goes without saying. Here are a few more that help me when I’m trying to figure out what to bring.

Pack for you, not an imaginary version of yourself

The most important thing is to bring clothing you like to wear. If they’re not your style, you won’t enjoy wearing them. If you’re going to be living with limited choices, they’d better be good ones.

With that in mind, don’t pack someone else’s wardrobe or for an imaginary version of yourself. If you only ever wear ‘comfies’ at home, will you really ‘go glam’ when on holiday? Unless the climate on your trip is going to be vastly different to the one you have at home, then there’s no need to overthink it.

Remember the ‘spotlight effect’

People notice your specific clothes way less than you think they do. Wear a smile and a positive attitude, that’s what you will be remembered for and concentrate on making memories based on experiences, not what you wear. It’s unlikely people on holiday will notice any wardrobe repetition. And if they do, does it matter?

Lean into the data and do the maths

So, packing your clothes is all about our personal fashion choices? Well, yes, of course. But we need to crunch the numbers and make a plan too!

We’ve already discussed the number of pieces you need to bring, with the 3 x 3 packing grid, adding only when necessary. To get to a total number of clothing items which is right for you, you’ll need to think about how you will do laundry, how often and how many times you need to dress for different occasions and activities. It’s then a case of sticking to that number and making swaps for more versatile pieces to keep that number contained.

I’d also suggest you consider the weight of your clothing choices, too. If you can replace heavier, bulkier items with ones that might be just as warm and take up less space, then packing light becomes easier. So think carefully before packing jeans and thick cotton hoodies, for example. If in doubt, check the scales.

Making a plan before you go and packing in plenty of time will help you avoid last-minute panic, which is when the unnecessary ‘just in case’ items get thrown in.

Consider merino

Ultrafine, thermo-regulating, and antimicrobial, merino wool can keep you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold. It shouldn’t smell if worn on multiple days, especially if it’s aired overnight – a favourite for light packers, especially on multi-season trips. I love my merino clothes, but I only buy from more ethical sources, that’s wool from sheep on farms which are certified ‘mulesing free’.

Personally, I prefer merino blends (with a small percentage of nylon) to 100% wool. The blends are more robust and easier to care for. They have a smoother feel, a subtle sheen which looks elevated, and they are less likely to be itchy. Not cheap, but I rate Wool&

Do a post-trip review

When you return, review the clothes you wore. Which items were worn on repeat? And which items came back unworn? Make a note and adjust for next time.

If you got this far, I hope these thoughts on packing clothes are useful to you. I love packing less because I know the freedom from heavy baggage is transformational. And once mastered, there’s no going back. I honestly wouldn’t travel any other way, even with an unlimited baggage allowance.

How do you like to travel? Do you aspire to bring less? Let me know in the comments. If you like this content and you’re interested in more of it or seeing which lesser-known corners of Europe my one small bag takes me to, then do consider adding yourself to my monthly newsletter. I’d love you to join me.

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