What to Pack for an Autumn Weekend Away

Autumn is the best time of year for a weekend away. The crowds have gone, the prices have dropped, and whether it's a city break, a country pub weekend or one last hit of sun, there's somewhere worth going. The only problem is the weather, which can do anything. Here's how to pack for all of it in one bag, carry-on only.

The rule: layers, not bulk

Autumn packing goes wrong when you pack for the coldest moment. Pack thin layers you can add and remove instead, and wear your bulkiest pieces on the journey. Your jacket and heaviest shoes travel on you, not in the bag.

The list

Wear on the way

• Your warmest jacket: a wax jacket, overshirt or wool coat
• Your heaviest shoes or boots
• A knit over a T-shirt

In the bag

• 2–3 T-shirts, plain ones that layer under everything
• 1 polo for dinner or the pub. A towelling polo works from day to evening
• 1 knit or quarter-zip
• 1 pair of trousers or chinos, plus the jeans you're wearing
• 1 pair of clean trainers or loafers
• Socks and underwear for each night, plus one spare
• Something to sleep in
• The wash bag: toiletries, charger, plug adaptor if you're going abroad
• Laptop or ipad, in the JC weekender secure Laptop pokcet

Heading for late sun? Swap the knit for a second polo, and pack swim shorts. They take up almost no room, and you'll regret leaving them behind.

How to pack it

1. Shoes first, along the bottom of the bag, soles down. Stuff socks inside them.
2. Roll T-shirts and knitwear; fold trousers flat. Rolling saves space and stops creases.
3. The wash bag goes on top, so you can pull it out at airport security without unpacking.
4. Laptop in the padded pocket against the back of the bag.
5. Passport, phone, cards and keys in the zipped pockets, with keys clipped to the D-ring.

With the two-way zip opened along its full length, you can see everything at once, and it all zips shut again.

One bag, carry-on only

Packed like this, a long weekend fits in the Weekender with room to spare, and at 52 × 32 × 25cm it fits the overhead locker (check airline). No checked bag, no waiting at the carousel, straight out of the airport and into your weekend.