I love Thanksgiving with its turkey, gravy, cranberries feast. And pumpkin pie cannot cool fast enough so I can enjoy it.

Thanksgiving is also a time of baggage space with stressed airport employees trying to make sure the right checked bags make it to the correct plane. A time of dodging rolling suitcases threatening to trip you as you navigate through a crowded airport. A time of waiting to board the plane while passengers ahead cram stuffed bags into every available overhead bin.

And a time when flight prices soar, and you’re hunting for ways to save extra money on your travel.

Traveling with a carry on eliminates many of those problems. Most airlines allow you a free carry on, so you save on expensive checked bag fees. When you reach your destination, you can easily catch a cab or train, instead of waiting long minutes at the baggage claim for your heavy suitcase.

But packing in a carry on for a holiday, like Thanksgiving, has its own set of challenges: planning for cold weather, outfits for special occasion (i.e. Thanksgiving dinner), and hanging out with family.

Good news is you can pack for Thanksgiving in a carry on (even if you’ve never done it before).

Here’s how:

  1. Take out duplicates. Pack everything you think you’ll need into your carry on. Chances are your bag is full or overflowing. Now go through and take out the duplicates. For example, if you have four shirts, can you get by with two shirts for a four-day weekend? Or maybe you can pack two shirts and wear one shirt on the plane. Aim for one or two items of similar clothes.
  2. Identify your “Can’t Leave Home Without” item. This item is the thing that will wreck havoc on your trip if you forget it. It’ll cause days of delays and stress and endless phone calls to replace it. For me, it’s my glasses. I’m blind without them and replacing them would be a hassle lasting several days, especially over a holiday weekend when stores are closed or running slower. Think about what your item is. It most likely popped into your head immediately. Now make sure it gets in your carry on on every trip. Everything else you can forget to pack, because you can replace on the road as stores exist in every city worldwide.
  3. One dress-up/dress-down outfit. This is an outfit that you can dress up or dress down depending on how fancy the occasion is. For girls, this could be your classy black dress that you can dress up with a statement necklace or dress down with a more subdued scarf. For guys, this could be a dark-wash jeans with a collared dress shirt that you can dress up with a tie or dress down by removing the tie. This outfit can take you through any special occasions your Thanksgiving holds.
  4. Accessories are your best friend. Necklaces, earrings, ties, scarves can make clothes look totally different. Girls have some more options in this department than guys. Here are some accessories you can pack:
    • Necklaces: statement for Thanksgiving dinner (if it’s a dressy occasion) and a daily necklace
    • Scarves: keep you warm and jazz up a plain black or white shirt.
    • Earrings
    • Bracelets
    • Hats: for guys and girls — this is a little more tricky to pack in a carry on, put your socks in the hat to help keep its shape in your bag
    • Ties or bow tie: create a new look for your plain black or white shirt
  5. Pack clothes that compliment each other. In other words, aim for clothes in colors that look good together. For me, this usually means my clothes are a variation of blue, purple or black. I can easily mix them with each other and they still look good. If I packed an orange shirt, it wouldn’t play well with my other clothes.Also, steer away from all-white clothes. White clothes show stains and travel-wear, but you can hide those easier on black or darker colored clothes.
  6. Pack layers. This is my favorite trick. Skip the bulky clothes and wear layers to generate warmth in chilly weather. Reach for the slim Merino wool sweater instead of the heavy cotton sweater, then layer a t-shirt and tank-top underneath if you’re chilly. Here are some layer-friendly clothes:
    • Tank tops (I like ones from Target or Old Navy)
    • T-shirts (Gap and Target have great options)
    • Collared shirts (layer t-shirt or tank top underneath if cold)
    • Cardigans or Merino wool sweaters (layer collared shirt and t-shirt under if chilly)
    • Tights or leggings (can layer under jeans)
  7. Wear your heaviest clothes on the plane. Don’t pack your boots or jacket — wear them on the plane to save room in your carry on. On my last trip to Washington, DC, I wore my leather boots on the plane. And, sure, it took a little longer to get through airport security than if I’d worn slip-on shoes, but I saved a ton of space in my carry on. Also, I strapped my jacket to the outside of my carry on with the cinch-down straps. Or you can use your balled-up jacket as a pillow on the flight.
  8. Keep asking yourself the tough questions. Do you really need a swimsuit when the last time you used a hotel pool was 1991? If you bring a second book when you started a 300+ page book, will you even read it? You’re already bringing three pairs of shoes, do you truly need a fourth pair? Ask yourself these hard questions to figure out if you’re bringing extra items that you really need. Often when I’m feeling stressed or uncertain about a trip, I include items in my bag that I don’t need. They fulfill an emotional need like feeling secure about a stressful family encounter or an huge Thanksgiving dinner with your new in-laws. Even when you’re done packing, check out what’s in your carry on and ask yourself: is there anything in here I really don’t need? When I do this extra step, I usually pull out an item that snuck in that I don’t really need. And my trip has never been ruined because of not packing that item.

With a little bit of self-reflection and process of elimination, you can pack for this Thanksgiving in a carry on and save both time and money on your flight!

Have you ever packed for Thanksgiving in just a carry on? What are your packing tips to accomplish this?