Sharing a men's packing list for ten days in Central Europe, all in a carry-on.
Alyssa here! As a rule, I never permit guest posts on my website, but today Michael is stepping out from behind the lens and the website back end (how lucky am I that he does both?) to share his packing list for our recent trip to Prague and Vienna. Why? Well, there really aren’t that many male bloggers in the travel fashion space, and I know many of my readers travel with their male partners, so it just makes sense.
So after a little bribery encouragement, Michael has very kindly agreed to do the same thing I do after a trip: open up his carry-on suitcase and share everything he packed. I’ll let him take it from here:
Hi.
If you had suggested I follow a packing guide way back when I first traveled beyond an overnight, I probably would have rolled my eyes. A toothbrush, jeans and a few T-shirts, what else do you need? It wasn’t until a winter trip to New York where we spent the first couple of hours shopping for a better jacket for me that I realized I needed to plan better.
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After so many trips, my packing has become pretty streamlined, just checking the weather/activities and throwing what fits the bill into my Away Carry-On. I rarely have those “what do I even bring?” moments anymore which helps offset a lot of that travel stress. But, I know it can be overwhelming the first few times and you definitely don’t want to fall into the “I’ll just bring everything I own and figure it out when I get there” strategy when checking bags costs so much and carry-on limits are getting smaller.
Ever wonder what a travel blogger brings on every journey? Check out my full list of travel essentials.
Just a head’s up, my wardrobe leans more practical than trendy, so this packing guide may seem a little basic, but the key point to take away is how the items I brought worked together to keep me comfortable both from the weather perspective but also from a “fitting-in” perspective. Basically, I’m not over here saying I’m a super fashionable guy and you should definitely listen to me, but… come on, seriously are you really bringing those cargo shorts and that oversized shirt you got for free at a convention? Are you sure??
I like visuals so here’s one for you:
MEN’S EUROPEAN PACKING LIST FOR TEN DAYS IN A CARRY-ON
BREAKING IT DOWN: WHY I PACKED THESE ITEMS
Sweaters
For starters, don’t be afraid to buy if it’s filling in some gaps. For this trip, I did make a few purchases to fill a gap in my wardrobe: a trio of cashmere sweaters. As Alyssa mentioned in her guide, this trip had us packing extremely light and my existing sweaters were heavy.
I’ll admit, I used to not consider fabrics when shopping and then I’d quietly suffer in discomfort while my clothes actively kept me hot in the summer or too cold (and weirdly sweaty??) in the winter. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but traveling comes with its own set of stress and discomforts; you don’t want what you’re wearing to be the reason you opt to head back to the hotel instead of continuing your adventure.
So, cashmere is my new favorite fabric. It’s warm, it’s light, it’s soft, it’s freaking cozy. Having both the standard cashmere crewneck and the thicker fisherman crewneck worked out as the temperature varied during our trip.
I wasn’t planning on bringing the zipped hoodie but decided it’d be great on the plane because it’s warm and cozy yet easy to remove. And, because cashmere is so light, I was able to pack the other two sweaters in my carry-on without worrying too much about the weight.
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Innerwear
This section might have been the biggest contributor to feeling comfortable in the freezing temperatures of our trip as a great jacket alone isn’t enough to keep you warm, especially if your jeans aren’t particularly thick.
For most days, I had a layer of HEATTECH pants under my jeans, an Airism or HEATTECH shirt, and a T-shirt under my sweater. The Airism layer was great on the slightly warmer days as a barrier for clothes I’d re-wear while also keeping me from that dreaded cold but sweaty feeling.
The T-shirts mostly didn’t matter as long as they fit well enough and weren’t too thick, but I’d still suggest making sure they’re nice shirts. I run a bit hot and while the majority of the time we were layered up, it was nice to have the option to drop down to a shirt I felt comfortable wearing in public if I needed to cool off.
Bottoms
I don’t have too much to say here other than two pairs of jeans in different washes should almost always be enough. By the time you’d need a third in the mix, you’d probably already be considering doing laundry for all your other clothes anyway. During this trip, I was also rotating innerwear underneath, which helped make them last 10 days.
Since I was already wearing one of them on the flight, only bringing two pairs saved on space which was a plus.
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Outerwear
Prior to the trip, Alyssa advised me to pick one coat I’d love since I’d be wearing it every day of the trip. I don’t necessarily love the way my Columbia coat looks, but it’s warmer and lighter than my peacoats (which I struggle to wear casually) so practicality won out.
I also brought along an ultra-light down puffer vest which took up almost zero space in my carry-on. Toward the end of the trip, it helped offset things when my remaining clean inner layers weren’t enough.
Shoes
I have wide feet so I sometimes struggle to find comfortable shoes that I also like the look of. I recently bought a few pairs of Adidas Retropy E5s in different colorways because they fit pretty comfortably, so I packed the black pair without hesitation. That choice was easy.
It was going to be cold and potentially rainy, so I knew I’d need a pair of boots that could handle getting a little wet. I have a few pairs of boots but not a black pair that fit comfortably.
Something about Chelsea boots always seemed aesthetically feminine to me but after having trouble finding a pair of black boots I liked, I tried this pair of Blundstone boots and immediately changed my mind. They’re more comfortable than my sneakers and I know I’m going to be bummed when it gets warmer is over and I have to stop wearing them. The same day I bought these, a friend also happened to buy a pair which helped me get over my aesthetic hold-ups, but also his family told us they’re “totally women’s boots.” Whatever, they’re comfortable and easy to put on, I recommend giving them a shot.
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Socks
I lied earlier, wool is actually my favorite fabric. My feet tend to get sweaty (most guys have this problem, right?), which is why at home, I usually rotate shoes to keep them fresh. I only brought two pairs of shoes on this trip, so using thick wool socks helped keep my feet warm, comfortable, and dry for the most part and my shoes stayed smelling… I don’t know, not great but not terrible either which was great.
Accessories
After experiencing trips where my hands were too cold to move or got so dry that they cracked and bled, gloves are now a must for me in cold weather. If you didn’t know, I’m from Florida too so it was something that didn’t seem necessary to me for a long time.
My hands are the first part of my body to get cold, so I prefer thicker leather gloves* over knitted gloves. I haven’t found a pair of tech-friendly leather gloves I love, so I’ve mostly been hanging onto this same pair. A tip though is to carry a stylus and use that rather than fumbling around with a tech glove that sort of works or sacrificing a hand to the cold so you can navigate to the next destination.
Again, I grew up in Florida, so scarves also weren’t something I owned, but luckily Alyssa made me this one* and yes, I was surprised how big of a difference it makes having your neck wrapped up on those extra cold nights. A scarf doesn’t take up too much room and can be something you wear on the plane and you’ll be thankful to have it.
Also, apparently you don’t actually lose most of your heat through your head, but I still like to keep my scalp covered, especially if it’s cold and sunny. Alyssa made me this wool beanie* which I love the look of. Wool can occasionally get itchy, but just re-adjusting the beanie fixes that. Just don’t get it wet!
TRAVEL STYLE: PRAGUE & VIENNA
*this product is no longer available and a similar style is linked
FINAL THOUGHTS ON PACKING FOR TEN DAYS IN EUROPE
Overall, I’m pretty happy with what I brought within the allotted carry-on weight from a personal comfort perspective as it kept me warm while not looking stuffed. The biggest thing I didn’t anticipate was how the majority of the time I ended up keeping my sweater on, so it didn’t really matter what my shirt underneath looked like, but, again, I still liked having the option to comfortably take it off. If I had to do it again, I’d bring sweaters that also differ in color and not just texture.
My only other thought looking back is that my wardrobe was pretty casual: I didn’t bring any button-down shirts or even a belt. My darker jeans are alright going to slightly fancier restaurants, but I definitely felt like I was pushing it a bit at our unplanned opera visit. In my defense, the dress code did allow jeans and I saw plenty of guys with jeans, sneakers, and T-shirts. I’d say just make sure you have enough to not be under-dressed if you know ahead of time where you’re going.
Oh, also, don’t forget to pack underwear!
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Questions for you
Was it helpful to see a men’s version of a packing list?
How often do you arrive somewhere and have to go shopping because you forgot something?
What are some things you packed because you thought they were essential, but you didn’t end up needing?
Where to next? You may also enjoy one of these related posts:
- Traveling Light: A 10-Day Winter Carry-On Packing List for Prague and Vienna (Alyssa’s Version)
- A Long Weekend Guide to Prague, Czech Republic
- 10 Tips for Visiting the Christmas Markets in Prague
- Checking In: A Review of Pentahotel Prague
- A First-Timers Long Weekend Guide to Vienna, Austria
- What You Should Know Before Visiting the Vienna Christmas Markets + My Favorite Markets
- Checking In: A Review of magdas HOTEL in Vienna, Austria
- How to Find Cheap Flights
- How to Pack Faster
- 20 Questions You Should Ask a Potential Travel Partner Before You Leave Home
- How I Approach Travel Differently in My Thirties
- All Travel Guides by Destination
- Checking In: Boutique Hotel Reviews
- Shop My Closet
- Exclusive Promo Codes + Discounts
Love hearing from Michael after seeing here in photos. I also always pack gloves and a scarf now if it’s going to even be remotely cold as I have also made the mistake of not doing so, and then found myself spending precious vacation time shopping for them.