Winter Travel Packing List: Cold Weather Essentials That Actually Work

Packing is challenging enough for any trip. Now that airlines charge for checked luggage, paying that extra $25 USD each way starts to feel painful — and that $50 USD round trip is enough to cover an epic day tour somewhere, or a couple of hostel nights. The only way around those fees is packing carry-on only.

Packing for warm weather is easy — the clothes are smaller and lighter. The real challenge is packing for winter travel in a single carry-on. Packing cubes help enormously with keeping it all organised.

Since I love travelling in the off season, the weather isn't always perfect — usually autumn or spring, and a little chilly for an island girl — so here's the winter travel packing list I've refined over several cold weather trips.

I recently packed my 36L Osprey Sirrus backpack for two weeks in Iceland with a day in London, needing to stay warm and waterproof throughout. It turned out to be almost identical to what I packed for New Zealand — which tells me this really is a standard winter travel packing list at this point.

Carry-On Only Winter Packing List

We work with what we already have — a lot of these pieces have been collected over several winter trips rather than bought all at once. A few things are genuinely worth investing in: a proper warm jacket, at least one good fleece, gear that gets real repeat use trip after trip.

1. Hiking Boots

Most of our trips end up quite active, so a solid pair of hiking boots is almost always on the list. For genuinely snowy destinations, Sorel snow boots earned their place on the Yukon road trip.

2. Flip Flops

Flip flops are great for hostels or campsites — it's nice to get your toes out of hiking boots occasionally. If it's really cold, wooly socks with flip flops works surprisingly well (don't tell anyone).

3. Socks

At least one or two wooly pairs make a real difference in the evenings, and double up as extra warmth inside hiking boots. Merino wool and possum socks from New Zealand are a favourite, and these bamboo hiking socks are worth trying too.

4. Fleece-Lined Leggings

Fleece-lined leggings with tights underneath on the coldest days keep you genuinely toasty. A bit thick to pack, but always worth the space.

5. Tights

Perfect under fleece leggings on the coldest days — this is basically the base layer.

6. Camisole

A thin extra layer under a long sleeve tee that helps trap heat around your core, which matters more than people expect for staying warm overall.

7. Sweat-Wicking Long Sleeve Top

A sweat-wicking long sleeve top is great for hiking and dries out fast. Merino wool is another solid option for cold weather.

8. T-Shirts

Roughly five is enough for a week — on winter trips we tend to reuse a few shirts, so a week's worth of shirts often stretches to cover two weeks.

9. Pyjama Pants and Top

Something genuinely comfortable to change into in the evenings makes a bigger difference than it sounds.

10. Sweaters

A couple of good fleece jackets and vests from Columbia — a genuinely great brand for budget-priced cold weather gear.

11. Packable Jacket

A good packable insulated jacket like the Snow Eclipse by Columbia has been the upgrade from the lighter jacket I used for Iceland.

12. Waterproof Gear

A bright rain jacket and rain pants kept us properly dry through Iceland's constant rain.

13. Cold Weather Accessories

Don't forget a beanie, scarf and gloves.

Electronics

1. Camera

A good mirrorless or DSLR — options like the Nikon D3300 or a compact Sony both work well for travel.

2. Tripod

A Zomei tripod is sturdy, lightweight and highly recommended over a smaller travel version.

3. Kindle

A Kindle Paperwhite is the best way to kill hours on a long flight without your phone battery draining.

4. Phone and Charger

A good camera phone with reliable battery life makes quick photo opportunities much easier to catch.

5. Documents

Keep your jacket, scarf, gloves and beanie in a small, separate carry-on bag so they're easily accessible the moment you land — no digging through the main pack for warm gear at arrivals. Keep your passport and a pen within close reach too.

With this amount of gear, a pack usually weighs just under 20lbs — light enough to lift into the overhead bins without drama, and light enough to explore a city on your back all day without feeling weighed down. Read how to fit everything into a carry-on backpack for the full packing method.

Rainy day on the Golden Circle, Iceland

Related Posts

• Carry-On Only Packing Guide
• Osprey Sirrus 36 Review
• Iceland Road Trip Itinerary
• New Zealand Travel Guide