Last year I packed much lighter than I had been doing for some time, switching to carry-on only for our two major trips to Africa and my trip to London. We both traveled with carry-on only to New Orleans, and we both had even less stuff than ever before.

Camera & Electronics

My electronics kit remains the same: a Peak Design Tech Kit loaded with power supplies, power banks, and various USB cables. I also keep my AirPods, house key and pocket tool, and a few other small items in this bag. We both take a 3-in-1 wireless charger for our iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches. The Tech Kit fits nicely in my personal item, which this time was my Osprey Daylight+ backpack.

Similar to our trips to Portugal and Morocco, I took a single camera (Nikon Zf) and two lenses (Nikon 35/1.8 and 24-70/4). I only used the 35/1.8. Also two extra batteries and a shoulder strap. The camera was packed in a small padded box that fit in my backpack, and the second lens was wrapped and packed in the suitcase.

Of course, iPhone, iPad and Kindle. All of these, along with the camera batteries, use USB-C power supplies.

Clothing

As we expected mild weather, our clothing was similarly light. No need for bulky winter coats, gloves, or hats. It turned out to be warmer than we expected, with highs in the 80s on most days. It also threatened to rain most days, so we wound up carrying the umbrella and my Patagonia shell – but we never actually got caught in the rain.

For me:

• Black and blue jeans
• Two button-down long sleeve shirts
• One long sleeve and two short sleeve Unbound wool t-shirts
• One cotton t-shirt (didn’t wear)
• A light sweater (didn’t wear)
• One pair of loafers, and one pair of casual canvas shoes
• Three pair woolen socks
• 7 undershorts
• Patagonia shell windbreaker

Bags

• Main suitcase: Tumi 22” four-way roller. This was packed tight for Africa, but was really pretty loose here.
• Backpack/Personal Item: Osprey Daylight+. The Think Tank Toploader backpack I used for Africa was too large to fit under the seat.
• Patagonia sling bag for daily excursions.
• Significantly, no real “camera bag”. I used a padded box to pack it for travel, and usually carried it on a strap while out and about. Occasionally it rode in the backpack or sling bag.