How to pack for a weekend trip like a BOSS.

Last short trip I took, to Seattle, I flew with Frontier Airlines, one of our many top-tier domestic carriers here in the U.S. As it turns out, Frontier Airlines now charges for carry-on AND checked bags. The only thing which is free is your 8x14x18 “personal item,” a.k.a. whatever you can fit under your seat. This has probably been the case for a while, but I do most of my flying internationally, so it was a bit of a rude surprise.

Being young and cheap, you know what I opted to do. So, here’s a 5-day packing list for Seattle which will fit under your seat, for free.

Since writing this post, I have since used this same pack for a 2-month international trip. Read a more in-depth packing post about that trip, here.

Everything in the photo fits into the 18L Camelbak, minus the sleeping bag, which I checked into a traveling partner’s bag. Since most digital nomads and weekend travelers won’t be camping like I was, you can safely forget the sleeping bag. I removed the hydration bladder from the Camelbak, and used that compartment to hold my laptop.

5-Day Digital Nomad Packing List

I mastered the art of traveling light while on my most recent long-term stint as a digital nomad, so packing wasn’t that hard. I actually ended up bringing several items I didn’t even use! (Would have swapped the shorts for another pair of pants).

Here’s what I brought for 5 days in Seattle:

Electronics

• Macbook Air & Charger
• Smartphone & charger
• Amazon Kindle (If you love books like I do, the Kindle’s way more packable than multiple paperbacks)
• Power Bank (For charging while on-the-go)
• 1x pair of earbuds (more packable than real headphones)

Clothing

• 4x T-shirts
• 2x Shorts (one pair casual, one pair athletic)
• 3x Beanies (I like hats)
• 2x Ex Officio Travel Underwear (great for extended wear, and easy to wash)
• 1x Rain jacket (This is Seattle we’re talking about here…)
• 1x Casual light jacket/hoodie
• 3 Pairs socks (smell-resistant Merino Wool ones, preferably)
• 1 pair chinos or jeans (personal preference)
• 1 belt

Personal

• Toiletries
• Moleskine Notebook (For journaling/brainstorming/getting away from the computer)

That’s it! That packing list was PERFECT for my five-day trip. Like I said, I even ended up not using a few item, like the journal. I was having too much fun! Hope this list helps you slim down your packing for your next trip!

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