Packing for warm destinations is a no-brainer. Packing for cooler destinations can be tricky since the clothing is bulky and often many layers are required to provide enough warmth. Therefore, it requires more planning and sometimes even a change in dressing style. Here are some tips on what kind of clothes to pack that can provide you enough warmth while also allowing you to travel light, which in turn may be able to save you a few pretty bucks from checking in too many bags.
Thermal wear
The key to not having to bring too many bulky items, while still being able to dress warm, is of course investing in good quality moisture-wicking thermal wear. Depending on your dressing style, besides thermal shirt and thermal pants, you may also consider bringing thermal tights/leggings and thermal socks as well. To decide on what and how to pack, it really depends on how cold the weather will be during your visit and your tolerance for cold climates. If the weather will be freezing, then most likely you will always be covered in coats or jackets; the outfits underneath are rarely shown. If this is the case, then packing is much easier since you only need to focus on bringing a very nice statement coat or jacket, because that’s all people will really see. What you wear underneath will not be shown, so you can repeat the outfit and no one would ever know!
Important key items to note here are the thermal layer underneath and the statement coat!
Snow suits
If your destination requires that you dress in snowsuits, then you still can spice up the outfits with colorful tops. Alternate your look by instead of wearing the entire snowsuit on top of your clothes like an overalls, top it with a fun sweater to fake the suit as pants. This way, you don’t need to bring many bottoms. Alternate the way snow suits are worn and with different tops, you can create different looks with fewer pieces. So I suggest snowsuits over snow pants for this reason, besides the fact that snowsuits can provide more warmth.
For a week in Iceland + 2 days in Amsterdam, we managed to fit everything in only 3 carry-ons and 3 backpacks for a family of 4 (given, my red coat, in the photo above, was packed in the carry-on, but our other thick insulated jackets were hand-held).
Mix & Match
If the weather is comfortable enough to showcase the outfits underneath coats or jacket, then perhaps you would want to plan for a different outfit each day. I suggest you bring separates to mix and match to create different outfits. Consider bringing key pieces such as: a dress, a skirt/skort/shorts, a black pair of pants or leggings, a pair of blue jeans (fleece-lined if needed), and a few tops (dress and skirt/skort/shorts should be different lengths to vary your outfits). A dress can be worn by itself or add different tops over to create new looks. Then you can mix the other 3 bottoms with your tops to create many different looks as well.
Layering is the key! I am dressed in a fitted shirt, sweater, tights, shorts and a statement jacket and thigh-high boots. I am able to add or remove layers as the weather changes throughout the day. 
Layering is the key! I am dressed in a fitted shirt, sweater, tights, shorts and a statement jacket and thigh-high boots. I am able to add or remove layers as the weather changes throughout the day.
For a 4-day trip to the Smokies for our family of 4, we were able to fit everything in 1 checked-in baggage (including my red wool coat for additional warmth in the early mornings and evenings). We had no carry-on, only 2 backpacks for in-flight needs and snacks.
Layering
And what if your trip includes places with both warm and cold climates?! Dressing in layers is the key! For such trips, pack clothes for warmer climate, then bring a pair of leggings/tights, a few sweaters and a coat/jacket. If needed, then add a set of thermal wear as well for additional warmth. This way, you can dress in outfits for warm weather, then add an additional layer underneath and/or on top, instead of having to bring 2 sets of clothes for warm and cold climates. We recently had such trip when we visited Los Cabos, Mexico for a few days, where the weather was in the upper 80’s Fahrenheit, before heading to Big Sur, California, where it dropped to the 40’s. Note that the same layering method can be applied anytime, especially at destinations where it’s very cold in the morning and evening, and warm during the day.
An additional windbreaker is added for more warmth at the top of the hill.
Playing with colors
Many fashion advisors recommend packing neutral colors to suit many occasions and to make clothes coordination easier. Although I agree with them based on the named reasons, I like my outfits to be less boring, especially when I’m traveling! After all, I will be visiting some of the most beautiful places in the world, I would want to look my best!
As the leaves change to darker hues in Fall and Winter, so do most of our outfits as well. Most winter coats are in shades of black and brown, and there’s nothing wrong with that! Dressing in monochrome is easy and can create a nice contrast against the Fall colors. To elevate a monochrome look, you can play with accessories such as adding a nice brooch or a scarf to decorate a solid sweater, or a cute hat to complete the look while keeping your head warm.
If you want to be more playful, then adding a pop of color, or dressing in full-blown “technicolor” is quite fun. Key is to color-coordinate all of your outfit combinations so you can reuse each piece to mix & match with each other. This helps to create many different fun outfit pairings without having to bring so many pieces. And to be honest, dressing in bright colors is a safety tip as well, especially if you travel with young kids who like to wander. It is much easier to spot someone in bright red or blue outfits against the dark (typical gloomy winter setting) or white (snow) landscapes.
Traveling doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style for ease of packing. After all, fashion is an expression of one’s self. But you can’t bring the entire closet with you, so plan your outfits for the trip. Besides the memories, what remains from your trips are the photos, and who doesn’t want to look nice in photos?! More importantly, you don’t want to suffer from the cold because you don’t have enough space in your luggage to bring enough clothes, so pack intelligently. These tips may not be new, but since compiled into one place, I hope they can be served as your checklist when packing for the next foliage heaven or winter-wonderland destination!
Bon voyage! Be warm and stylish while traveling effortlessly is my goal!
For general packing, please refer to my 10 Personal Packing Tips.
Note: My blog is not sponsored so I typically don’t post any brands or links to things. But if you would like recommendations, then please let me know. I’ll be happy to share!
