Hello, I’m Karen. Let’s pack light.
Hi, I’m Karen, and I started PackToWear. I love to travel. It’s my passion to meet new people and experience different cultures, and I think there’s nothing better.
So I make it my goal to go away as many times a year as I can, even if it’s just for a few days or a week. I try to get away every other month, from short, busy city breaks to fly-and-flop all-inclusives. To do that, I have to be careful with my budget.
I’d rather go away lots of times a year than have one expensive luxury holiday, so I hope the tips I share here help you do the same. I try to take my family away as much as possible too, so they can experience the same joy I do.
I love clothes, especially a chic look. I cruise a lot, and I’ve been to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia three times with hand baggage only. Read how I packed for it.
I live on the Isle of Wight, so every trip I take starts with a ferry or hovercraft crossing before I even get near an airport. Carrying less makes that so much easier, believe me.
The receptionist who wouldn’t smile
A few years ago I stayed at a hotel in Hamburg. On Tripadvisor, reviewer after reviewer said the receptionist was miserable. When I arrived, I spotted her straight away: no smile. So I made it my mission to make her smile and laugh, and I did.
It also taught me how accurate reviews can be. How I choose a hotel (and read reviews) →
Why I started PackToWear
I want to help you pack light, look good and skip the airport stress. I’ve had that stress myself: years ago, flying easyJet from Charles de Gaulle, a duty-free bag meant a stressful repack at the gate. Knowing the rules before you go is how you avoid it, and that’s what PackToWear is here for.
Wherever a tip on this site comes from my own travels, you’ll see it marked ★ Karen’s tip. Got a question, or a trip story of your own? I’d love to hear it: drop me a line.
Plan my trip → Traveller stories
How we make the guides
- Climate: official climate normals (WMO 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI, or national met services where noted), plus a live forecast from MET Norway.
- What locals wear: only from sources we link. Anything that’s our own advice is marked as editorial.
- Baggage and liquids rules: taken from airlines’ and airports’ official pages, with the date we checked them. Where we couldn’t confirm something, we say so.
- Products: real products linked to the retailer’s page. Prices are shown only where we confirmed them, with the date checked. We may earn a small commission (see the affiliate disclosure).
Spotted something out of date? Bag rules change often. Tell us.