New Zealand Winter Packing List – Carry On Only

I never used to like to challenge myself when travelling; I’d often be the girl with an enormous suitcase for a short stay, and couldn’t find the beauty – or comfort – in wearing the same thing more than once. It’s in stark contrast to my attitude towards packing now. I’ll avoid bringing checked luggage where I can, and for holidays spanning seven days or less, I make a point of trying to take carry-on only. So, it only made sense that I try to minimise my packing list for my current week-long trip to New Zealand, despite anticipating that it would be a) bitterly cold; and b) that I’d want to reach for cosy knit sweaters day in and day out. So today, I wanted to share my winter packing list for a trip to New Zealand, for those you who like to pack light, and travel with carry on only.

First, let’s start by running through the luggage that I took with me for this trip; the Away Carry-On Suitcase in the regular size (c/o). This measures 21.7” x 13.7” x 9”, and has two large compartments; one with a zip closure, and the other which has a mesh pocket divider that securely holds in your belongings. The case also comes with a small laundry bag – something I often forget to bring with me on vacation – and an in-built removable charger for on the go. While Luke likes to take a soft leather duffle bag as his carry on, I much prefer a rolling suitcase like this; aside from the effortless mobility, the compartments make it easy to separate your belongings – clothing on one side, pyjamas, shoes and accessories on the other. This housed the majority of my packed items, including all items of clothing, two additional shoe options, sleepwear, a hair iron and blow dryer, and a baby gift for our young niece. My biggest trick when packing for any kind of holiday is to try and wear the bulkiest items on the plane as it gives you a little more breathing space to pack a couple of additional items in your suitcase (or save room for a cheeky purchase at your destination!).

Because I booked on the 6.45pm flight to Wellington, I had a full day in the office, so opted to bring my Cuyana leather tote bag with me as my personal item, as the style is malleable and easy to stack with my belongings. This held personal items such as my passport and boarding tickets, wallet, cellphone, a small bag, my digital camera, makeup and my laptop. While I don’t love travelling with a tote that doesn’t have a zip closure, this style is perfectly fine for a short trip across the Tasman for me.

The first thing I do before starting to plan out my packing list, is take a quick glance at the weather in the week to come, plus have a think about the kinds of activities I’ll be taking part in during my trip. If it’s a summer vacation, chances are my general activities will involve a few dips in the pool (or ocean) and a lot of walking. And if it’s a winter vacation, I know I’m going to want to rug up and stash some of my cosiest wardrobe staples in my suitcase.

Now on to the details of my winter packing list…

TOPS + JACKETS

One of the main heroes of my winter wardrobe has been a great oversized sweater, and given I was heading to colder climes, this quickly become the main focus of my packing list. I’ll be facing temperatures of 11 degrees C (or lower), so I opted to pack three oversized sweaters, plus a few long sleeved and short-sleeved tops as layering pieces. There isn’t much on the agenda aside from spending time with family, so I didn’t feel any need to try and pack any tops that felt a little bit ‘glam’. Instead, I chose to maximise the available space in my suitcase for simple yet comfortable pieces that worked well for basic interchangeable outfits. I also knew that I’d be wearing a few of these pieces more than once. One thing I kept in mind was that if I absolutely I needed it, I’d have access to somewhere where I could choose to hand wash a couple of my tops. Because it’s a relatively short trip, I just picked one jacket/coat option that effortlessly paired with everything else in my suitcase – my navy coat from Stella McCartney. The fit is quite oversized, so it’s one of my go-to options for layering over thick winter knits, plus being in a neutral hue, it’s very versatile and easy to mix and match.

RUBY white love heart tee (also love this option)
Currently in Love grey stripe tee
Vince toffee/white stripe tee
Brandy Melville b/w striped tee (similar here)
Enza Costa white long-sleeved top
ASOS red/white stripe long sleeved top
Proenza Schouler black printed top
Kate Sylvester black turtleneck top (old but similar here)
Joseph ivory oversized turtleneck sweater
Assembly Label beige oversized turtleneck sweater (similar here)
Stella McCartney blush pink turtleneck sweater (also love this)
Stella McCartney navy edith coat (affordable option here)

DENIM & TROUSERS

One of the biggest indicators of how my personal style has evolved was my decision to only pack denim and pant options for this trip. Generally, I’d have at least one skirt or a dress thrown in there for good measure (personally I find an a-line leather skirt usually comes in handy). I went for three of my favourites – items that I knew would not only be versatile, but that I’d feel comfortable in too. While I’ve made shifts to expand my styling horizons beyond skinny jeans, they definitely reigned supreme when planning out my winter packing list for this trip.

RE/Done vintage blue skinny crop ankle jeans
Dr Denim faded black skinny jeans
Uniqlo black tapered trousers (this is also a great affordable option)

BAGS, SHOES & ACCESSORIES

Regardless of how long I’m away for, shoes always tend to be my undoing. Practically, for a week-long trip away, I think you could quite easily get away with two pairs of shoes; something flat that’s easy to walk in, and a flat or low heeled style that is comfortable for every day, but also suitable for a nice meal out if required. I chose to take three pairs of shoes with me, packing the loafers and day heels in my suitcase as they took up the least amount of space (plus thankfully my boss boots are comfortable enough to walk for miles in!).

For bags, I took my Cuyana leather tote (as previously mentioned), and a smaller velvet cross body bag which I thought would be more suitable for popping out for an easy dinner, or lunch at a local cafe. Because I decided not to bring my DSLR camera for this trip, I don’t really need something larger than a small-sized or mini bag for day to day.

My other accessories included an oversized scarf; the canada scarf from Acne Studios is a no brainer for winter travel as it’s great to keep on the plane as a ‘blanket’, plus it’s one of the cosiest items I own. I also popped my cashmere gloves from Uniqlo in my handbag (also love the look of these), in addition to a couple belts to pair with my denim. The final items in my suitcase were a couple of hair tools: my ghd straightener, and hairdryer from Dyson. While I normally wouldnt even think of taking a blowdryer with me on my travels, the Dyson supersonic is a more recent addition to my haircare regime, and as it’s truly transformed the way that it looks and feels on a daily basis, I couldn’t bear to be without it for this trip (even if I’ll only use it once or twice…).

Black velvet zodiac bag (luxe version)
Cuyana black leather tote (similar)
Sam Edelman loafers (also love these)
Everlane day heels
Everlane boss boots
Acne Studios beige canada scarf
Uniqlo cashmere gloves
Isabel Marant black leather belt (similar more affordable option)
Sarah van Oosterom chocolate brown leather belt
Reliquia spiral hoop earrings
ghd straightening iron
Dyson supersonic hair dryer

So that is everything on my winter packing list that I stashed away in my suitcase. For those of you interest, I’ll be sharing a closer look at my packing list plus all the outfits that I wore for my trip over on my YouTube channel once I’m back home, so make sure to subscribe if you’re interested in checking that out! x