Ultimate UK Summer Carry-On Packing List (for Female Backpackers)

This is my packing list for the UK and how I packed carry-on only (7kg) to travel England, Scotland and Ireland for 6 weeks!

I despise having luggage. I hate having to pay extra, I hate checking it in, and I hate lugging it around from city to city.

News flash: unless you’re going completely off-grid camping, you’re going to have access to a washing machine.

It is so freeing when you finally realise that you don’t have to pack for every single day of your trip, you just need to pack for the average week of your trip.

For me, spending two hours sipping a coffee at the laundromat to save a $200 checking fee is a no brainer.

uk packing list for summer — *About to set off to Europe with my 7kg backpack!*

What is the weather like in the UK?
My Two Ultimate Carry-On Packing Rules
Packing List for the UK in Summer
Shirts
Pants
Skirts
Dresses
Underwear
Travel Essentials
Shoes
Jumpers
Accessories
Toiletries
Miscellaneous
First Aid Kit

What is the weather like in the UK?

Depending on where you come from, summer in the UK can be a little unexpected.

For reference, I am from south-east Queensland, Australia, and there is a BIG difference between summer in the UK and summer in Australia.

Summer temperatures at home are usually around mid thirties (celsius) with high humidity, while winter temperatures usually range from low twenties to low/mid teens. I start feeling chilly by about 21°C.

But low/mid twenties is the typical summer temperature in the UK, so essentially summer in the UK is the equivalent of winter in Australia.

My Two Ultimate Carry-On Packing Rules

1. Every piece of clothing has to go with every other piece of clothing.

There is no point bringing a shirt that can only be worn with a certain bra, because then that bra is taking up valuable space only to be worn once a week.

This doesn’t mean you can only pack neutral coloured clothing, but try to pack clothes that all belong to the same colour scheme.

As much as you might want to bring that pair of fancy rainbow pants, force yourself to stop and consider what you can pair them with and how often you are really going to wear them.

This leads to the second rule …

2. Only pack clothes you have previously worn in PUBLIC.

Planning an overseas trip is always exciting and even the must frugal of backpackers can’t help but feel inclined to do some pre-travel shopping.

Social media is positively bursting with content about pre-travel hauls (especially for Europe).

I think we tend to envision ourselves differently when travelling. We want to be trendy and chic but the reality is if you don’t feel comfortable wearing a piece of clothing at home, there is a very small chance that you’re going to be comfortable wearing it in a foreign country.

You’re going to be stressed out about absolutely everything being different to home. The only thing you can really control is your clothing, so you’re going to want to reach for comfortable and familiar items.

Packing List for the UK in Summer

I visited the UK in summer 2023 and this list is based on what I brought with me, PLUS some things I WISH I had brought.

Note: The ratio of pants/skirts/dresses you bring is obviously dependent on your style. If you’re not into skirts, swap the listed skirts and dresses for another shirt and another pair of pants, or vice versa.

Before packing, double-check the baggage limits for your flight.

Shirts

2 x long sleeves
5 x short sleeve t shirts
4-5 x singlet tops
2-3 x nice going out tops

Pants

1 x jeans
1 x linen or cargo pants (something to mix it up when you’re tired of jeans)
optional 1 x shorts (I never wore my shorts, but may be applicable if the UK is in a heatwave, you’re spending most of your time in southern England (London, Brighton, and Cornwall are much warmer) or you just naturally run warm).

Skirts

1 x maxi skirt
1 x simple black mini skirt (for day and night)

Dresses

2 x dresses (ideally simple ones that can be dressed up and down for night and day)

Underwear

2 x bras (I like having one for day and one for night)
14 x underwear (can never be too careful)
7 x socks minimum (If you plan to wear sneakers every day, trust me, you do NOT want to be forced to re-wear socks that have walked 30k steps).

Travel Essentials

SIM cards: Airalo offers eSIMS for over 200 countries which you can install BEFORE travelling, saving you the stress of running around to find a store or from being ripped off by local vendors. This is perfect for backpackers who are travelling to multiple destinations in a short period of time.

Insurance: You should NOT go overseas without getting travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you in case you get injured or your plans change or are cancelled. I always use Covermore, because the cover is comprehensive and they were easy to work with when I needed to make a claim.

Banking: When travelling and saving for travel I use Up Bank, an online Australian bank, that allows fee-free overseas transactions, unlimited savings ‘pools’ and easy transfers. If you join Up with my invite code we both get $13!

Shoes

Shower flip-flops or thongs (crucial if staying in a hostel – we are NOT catching foot fungus)
Everyday sneakers
Nicer shoes for evening (my go to is cowboy boots)

Note: I wouldn’t bring sandals to the UK unless you’re planning to continue on to a warmer destination like France or Italy. I felt like the UK just wasn’t warm enough to justify sandals.

Jumpers

1 x cardigan/sweater
1 x jacket

Accessories

Hat
Sunglasses
Portable rain jacket (ABSOLUTE MUST FOR THE UK)

Toiletries

I recommend purchasing larger, more frequently used products like shampoo, hair conditioner and body wash when you arrive. They are pretty affordable in the drugstores and supermarkets, and it saves you packing a ton of 100ml bottles (you can’t bring big bottles on carry on).

I would, however, recommend bringing a small amount of those products, enough for one use for your first night’s arrival to wash off the ick of the plane.

Liquids bag

I use a small, clear, zippered bag to store my liquids. I pack this at the top of my bag so I can easily present it to airport security for inspection if needed.

Remember that for most airlines, you can only carry 100ml bottles of liquids in your carry-on luggage.

Toothpaste
Small facial moisturiser
Small pot of body moisturiser
Deodorant
Small roll-on perfume
Face wash
Small body wash
Small shampoo
Small hair conditioner

Bathroom bag

I like to use a hanging toiletries bag when backpacking because it helps me not to put my stuff on the icky shower stall floors that, without a doubt, are home to some mysterious and undiscovered diseases.

Once I land in the country, I put my liquids bag inside my bathroom bag. Keeping the liquids inside their liquids bag also helps for ‘explosions’ while travelling from city to city.

Toothbrush
Floss
Tweezers
Razor
Nail clippers
Small hairbrush
Spare hair bands and clips

Makeup bag

I’m not hugely into makeup so my routine is pretty simple. I just packed smaller sizes of my usual products.

Concealer
Powder
Blush
Small powder brush
Small blush brush (i just snapped the handles off some old ones lol)
Eyelash curler
Mascara
Small pack of makeup wipes
Lip balm

Miscellaneous toiletries

Microfibre towel

If you plan to stay in a hostel for the first time, let me warn you about the Towel Tax. Hostels will charge £1-2 to rent a towel. This can add up over time, and it is way more convenient to carry your own small, quick-drying towel if you have the space.

Bag for laundry

I like to bring a small drawstring bag to store my dirty and smelly clothing until I can get to the laundromat.

Miscellaneous

Plug and adapter (UK uses Type G which has 3 rectangle prongs and is different from the European plug).
Phone charger
Earphones
Battery pack
Hand sanitiser