Packing Tips for Men - What to Pack & Wear in Europe

Doesn't it seem like most Men's Packing Guides for European Travel are either 1) outdated & misinformed, or 2) minimalist & outdoorsy to a fault? Asher discusses how he strives for a smart, snappy casual style that works at both home and abroad. So buckle in and prepare to gain some insight into how packing light doesn't have to come at the expense of comfort and style.

[rb]

I've been travelling for professional reasons since 1988. I never never never put my passport in my bags. I keep it on my person in a securable pocket in a little zip lock bag until I get to where I'm going. If someone gets into your bag or steals it, or the bag sits on an open baggage cart in the rain, you are screwed. It's the most important thing you have. Everything else in the video is great advice.

[TakeDeadAim]

I just got back from a two week trip to both London and Rome. Let me just say this from the get go; No matter what you read or hear, there is NO "dress code" in either. In both places I saw everything from men wearing socks with sandals and shorts to jeans and t-shirts. I spent a couple of months gathering what I thought would be appropriate and spent hundreds of dollars only to find out I would have been just fine wearing what I have in my own wardrobe. I used only a carry on backpack and carried 7 shirts, 4 pairs of pants, 7 pair of underwear, 5 pairs of socks, a rain coat, a cloth belt and a light pair of "flying" wind pants and jacket. As well, I fit my adapters, eye glass repair kit, spare pair of glasses, personal items and pillow in my carry on personal item which was a smaller backpack. Bottom line...don't sweat the clothing, comfort trumps all. Oh, and I only brought one pair of very comfortable Skechers slip on shoes and easily walked 5 miles a day with them!

[RedRuffinsore]

Great suggestions. I am a large person (6'4" and husky). A single pair of jeans and a couple of shirts fills up a normal suitcase/backpack when they are larger.

[kmohlal]

Great explanation of “minimal “ packing. It still amazes me how much actually fits into those packing cubes. I’m personally packing for a cross Canada train and this was good advice.

[midkort]

I love that you said WE bought her one too. I like it when couples operate as one. All the best to you both!

[abchappell]

Excellent presentation! No one ever talks about packing for men. Thank you so much 😊

[elliottwood]

This video was so helpful for reccomending good clothing options for traveling, i dont want to take bulky items, and its tough to think about what i might actually wear, and the brands youve recommended are super helpful too, video is greatly appreciated

[OhShunz]

Very cool! Planning a trip to Normandy France this October and packing light and not looking like a tourist is high on my list and your layout looked perfect and sharp. Thanks a ton for the video!

[SloMo]

Great video! Been traveling to Europe since 1975. My friends are always amazed how my wife on I are able to travel for a month at a time with a backpack that the total weight with clothes is under 19 pounds. You hit it right on the hit when you said no one cares what you wear everyday. The one issue I have to take with you is when you said that if you go for a hike and get tired of caring around a plastic bottle to just throw it away. Get a BPA-free plastic water bottle to reuse and tread lite on our planet.

[PaulForeman-indievisuals]

So I had the Bose QC with cable for a number of years but last year picked up a cheap pair of their original Bluetooth QC as new models released, and they are great. I was mainly using them for tube/train.
However as I was recently going to do a bit of flying with work for first time in a while and had a look into Bluetooth adapters that can be used with airline audio sockets. I looked at a few and went for the Avantree SoundJet R2 as it was on offer on Amazon and had decent reviews. I used it for the first time over last month and have been really happy with it and would recommend one as it’s small, rechargeable and comes with couple of small cables for audio and usb charging, and an airline adapter all in a pouch. They can even connect to two pairs at same time.
There are others makes that can also be switched between receive and transmit if you needed that too.

[gwaddles]

I always travel with a hoodie - just so versatile

[edwardb]

Some of my lessons learned:
Tourist travel has become very casual. No one cares what you wear and no one will notice if you repeat an item a few days later after it has been washed. If you wear monotones--in beiges or grays--no one will remember what you wore before.

Take fewer clothes. No matter how much I think I have paired down, I always return with one or more clothes items I didn't use. Wear quick drying underwear. Wash clothes in hotel sink or bathtub. Bathtubs often have a string clothesline you can pull out. Hotel soap or shampoo is all you need. Wear one pair of shoes, pack another, but no more unless they are flipf-lops. Use layers which will provide warmth with little bulk in your bag and can be peeled off if the temperature warms up during the day.

Carry everything with you when you are heading for your destination. Lost bags, particularly if you are not staying in the city of the airport, can complicate the first days of your trip. On your way home, you can check you bag. The airport will deliver it to you at your home, where you have enough clothes and sundries to get by.

[robfj]

Overall some worthwhile tips on what you need vs. what you want to pack.
However...
What's missing is a sport jacket and tie and shoes that can at least pass for something more formal. Not everybody vacations in places where the clothes you wore at sixteen will still suit any occasion.
The other thing that surprised me is your idea of a heavy sweater. If you ever plan to visit Iceland, Norway, Finland or even Maine in the off-season... good luck with that!
All that said, you've got great taste in what you are packing; especially the merino wool. Couldn't agree more.

[thomasquigley]

Thanks for the tips. I like your aesthetic, especially the bag recommendation. If I can add something you didn't mention; the belt. Take a look at Grip 6 belts. Their bread and butter belts are aluminum or Titanium, but for travellers the one to get is the carbon fiber buckle. There's absolutely no metal so you don't have to take it off to clear TSA. And I think it really aligns with the style you're going for.

[sethwilliamson]

I recommend considering a BUFF, like the BUFF Lightweight Merino Wool Neck Gaiter. In addition to the many listed uses, I find it works decently as an sleeping mask.

[MaxRandall]

Nice video, but how on earth is 20lbs approved as carry-on? Most flights I take are limited to 7kg.

[foto]

Going to Germany in June...my first international travel. Historically a very heavy packer no matter where I go. Have to take mostly business casual clothing for this trip since it is a work trip. Thanks for this video that still gave me some things to think about for the trip. Think I've already decided to not take a laptop due to weight, potential damage, etc and just get by with using ipad the whole trip. Will definitely be taking a dedicated camera as I am big into photography so have to figure that out too yet.

[svensify]

Can you post a list with the clothing mentioned? That looks good and smart, what you show. It takes a loooog time to find all this without recommendation, though. 🙈

[smooth]

I might be wrong, please excuse me if I am, but the size of this backpack might be a little too large as a carry on for Ryanair, which represents at least half of budget traffic in Europe. I have a backpack for this purpose, which meets the dimensions required by Ryanair, and it’s at least 75% the depth of this one.

[RicParks]

All my clothes are just like what you have, except for my Proof shirts, I use the polo versions. For me they are more versatile. A little fancier, but I can even wear them while working out. Same material though. I love Proof 72-hr merino.