Packing List Revisited: What We'd Actually Bring Next Time
Packing List Revisited: What We'd Actually Bring Next Time
The honest, after-the-fact version of our capsule packing list — what earned its space in the suitcase, what we should never have packed, and what we're buying before we go back.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through one of them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to things we actually used on this trip — the good and the bad.
We wrote our original Korea and Japan capsule packing list three weeks before we left, sitting at our kitchen table with two carry-ons open on the floor and a lot of optimism about how "minimalist" we were going to be. That list was a plan. This post is what actually happened.
We've been back for a few weeks now, the laundry is finally done, and the suitcases have been sitting half-unpacked in the hallway long enough that we've had time to be properly honest with ourselves about what we packed. Some of it we used every single day. Some of it never left the bottom of the case. One item nearly ruined a day in Busan. So this is the correction post — the one we wish someone had written for us before we packed the first time.
If you haven't read the original capsule list yet, it's worth starting with Post 3 — our Korea/Japan capsule packing list — because this post makes a lot more sense as the "what actually happened" companion to it. If you have read it, welcome back. You're about to feel very validated or very called out, depending on what you packed.
What's in this post
The Dead Weight: What We're Leaving at Home Next Time
Every packing list has items that sound sensible in your bedroom and become a personal insult by day four of carrying them up and down subway stairs. Here's what we're not bringing back.
The inflatable travel pillow
Feature: A U-shaped inflatable neck pillow that packs down to the size of a fist.
Explain: We bought this specifically for the eleven-hour flight out, thinking we'd sleep sitting up like the people in the adverts. It got used exactly once, for about forty minutes, before one of us gave up and used a rolled-up hoodie instead.
Why it matters to couples travelling together: When you're sharing overhead bin space and personal item allowance, every non-negotiable item you bring pushes something more useful out. A hoodie already in your bag does the same job for free.
Limitation: If you genuinely cannot sleep upright without neck support, this is still worth packing — just don't buy the inflatable kind. The memory foam versions compress better and actually hold their shape.
The oversized first aid kit
Feature: A 100-piece first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes, and a mini pair of scissors, bought "just in case."
Explain: We used three plasters and a paracetamol from a kit that took up an entire packing cube. Both Korea and Japan have convenience stores approximately every ninety seconds, and pharmacies that are easier to navigate with a translation app than you'd expect.
Why it matters to budget and first-time travellers: A convenience store paracetamol costs less than the space that kit was taking up was worth. If something serious happens, you want a pharmacy or hospital, not a home first aid kit anyway.
Limitation: If you take regular prescription medication, that's different — bring a proper supply of that, plus a doctor's note, in your carry-on. This isn't about medication, it's about the bulky "just in case" kit.
The second pair of jeans
Feature: A backup pair of dark denim jeans, packed "in case the first pair got dirty."
Explain: Jeans are heavy, slow to dry, and take up more suitcase volume than almost anything else we packed. We wore one pair the entire trip and used laundrettes twice — most guesthouses and even a lot of budget hotels in both countries have coin laundry on site or nearby.
Why it matters to capsule wardrobe travellers: One pair of well-fitted jeans plus two laundry stops beats two pairs of jeans every time, especially if you're trying to keep everything under airline cabin bag weight limits.
Limitation: If your trip is longer than two weeks or you're travelling somewhere without easy laundry access, a second pair earns its place. For a standard ten to fourteen day Korea/Japan run, it didn't.
Full-size toiletries
Feature: Full-size shampoo, conditioner and body wash, packed because "travel sizes never last the whole trip."
Explain: They didn't need to last the whole trip. Convenience stores and drugstores across Korea and Japan sell excellent, often better, alternatives at every price point, and most guesthouses provide basics anyway. We ended up decanting half a bottle of shampoo into the hotel bin on day six because it was dead weight in a bag that was already over the limit.
Why it matters to solo and budget travellers: Liquids are one of the heaviest, most annoying categories in a carry-on. Buying small as you go is often cheaper than the travel-size versions from home anyway.
Limitation: If you have a specific skincare routine that's hard to replace, or sensitive skin, bring travel-size bottles of the essentials — just don't bring full-size.
The one that actually caused a problem
The item that genuinely cost us time wasn't something we overpacked — it was a cheap universal travel adapter that didn't actually support the amperage our laptop charger needed. We found this out at 11pm in a guesthouse in Busan with 4% battery and no way to charge either of our phones for the night. We're linking the one we bought as a replacement further down, because this is the one category where "cheap and cheerful" genuinely isn't worth the risk.
What We Underpacked (and Regretted It)
The flip side of a correction post is admitting what we should have brought and didn't. This is the list that came from standing in a convenience store at 9pm buying an emergency replacement.
A second portable charger
Feature: We packed one 10,000mAh power bank between the two of us.
Explain: Between navigation apps, translation apps, transit cards on our phones and taking far more photos than either of us expected, one charger split between two phones on a full day of walking simply wasn't enough. We ended up buying a second one from a convenience store in Osaka at a markup we wouldn't have paid at home.
Why it matters to couples navigating together: If you're both relying on the same phone for maps or transit, a dead battery isn't just inconvenient, it can genuinely strand you. One charger per person is the safer rule for city-heavy itineraries.
Limitation: This adds weight, so if you're travelling ultra-light and mostly staying in one city, a single higher-capacity charger might still be enough.
A proper crossbody bag with a zip
Feature: A small crossbody bag with a secure zip closure, big enough for a phone, cards, a slim wallet and a portable charger.
Explain: We packed tote bags for day trips, which were fine for carrying things but useless for keeping hands free on packed subway platforms, or for feeling secure in busy markets like Namdaemun or Dotonbori. We bought a crossbody bag in week one and it went everywhere with us for the rest of the trip.
Why it matters to first-time visitors to dense cities: Both Seoul and Tokyo are extremely safe by most travellers' standards, but a bag you don't have to consciously hold onto just makes crowded transit and markets more relaxing.
Limitation: If you're travelling with a daypack or backpack already, you may not need a second bag — this was specifically useful for days when we didn't want to carry a full backpack.
Compression packing cubes, not the regular kind
Feature: Zip-compression packing cubes that squeeze clothing down beyond just folding it into a rectangle.
Explain: We packed regular packing cubes originally, which help with organisation but don't actually save volume. Halfway through the trip we picked up a set of compression cubes and immediately freed up enough space for the souvenirs and extra layers we picked up along the way.
Why it matters to anyone doing a multi-city or multi-country trip: You will buy things. Building in compressible space from the start means you're not repacking your entire suitcase on a hostel bed at 7am trying to make a new jumper fit.
Limitation: Compression cubes crease delicate fabrics more than standard folding, so they're best for casualwear, not anything you need to look sharp in straight out of the case.
The MVPs: What Earned Its Space
Not everything was a mistake. A handful of things pulled more weight than we expected, and we'd pack every single one of them again without a second thought.
One genuinely waterproof, packable rain jacket
Feature: A lightweight rain jacket that packs into its own pocket, worn on and off across both countries.
Explain: We hit rain in Bruges-level amounts in both Seoul and Kyoto with almost no warning, and this jacket got used more than any other single item in either suitcase, including in humid Osaka afternoons where it doubled as a windbreaker on the ferry.
Why it matters to anyone travelling shoulder season: Korea and Japan's weather can shift fast, especially near the coast or in mountain areas. One proper rain layer beats an umbrella you'll leave in a café by lunchtime.
Limitation: Cheap versions aren't actually waterproof, just water-resistant — worth spending slightly more here than you would on most packing list items.
Broken-in white leather sneakers
Feature: One pair of already broken-in white leather trainers, worn on travel days and most sightseeing days.
Explain: We averaged over 20,000 steps most days between temples, markets and subway transfers. New shoes, however nice, are a real risk on a trip like this — we saw more than one blister-related bad mood in hostel common rooms from people who'd packed brand new shoes for the trip.
Why it matters to walking-heavy itineraries: Comfort beats style on a trip built around walking. Break shoes in for at least two weeks before you fly, not on day one in a new country.
Limitation: White shoes show dirt fast on rainy or muddy days — pack a small shoe-cleaning wipe if you want them presentable for photos.
A proper universal adapter with fast-charge ports
Feature: A universal travel adapter with two USB-A ports and one USB-C fast-charge port, rated for laptop charging.
Explain: This is the direct replacement for the cheap one that failed us in Busan. Once we had one that could actually handle a laptop charger's amperage, charging stopped being something we had to plan around.
Why it matters to anyone travelling with a laptop or camera gear: Not all adapters are built equally — check the wattage rating before you buy, not after your charger stops working at 11pm in a guesthouse.
Limitation: Slightly bulkier than the cheap plug-only versions, but worth the extra few centimetres of bag space.
The Shopable Edit: 10 Essentials We Actually Rate
These are the exact pieces we'd hand to a friend packing for Korea and Japan tomorrow — not a generic list, but the items that survived the trip and stayed in our permanent kit. All product photos are our own recreations so you can see exactly what we actually use.
1. Packable Rain Jacket
The one layer that saved us in Seoul and Kyoto downpours. Packs into its own pocket.
2. White Leather Sneakers
Broken in before flying. Averaged 20,000+ steps a day without a single blister.
3. Universal Adapter
The replacement for the one that failed in Busan. Handles laptop amperage without drama.
4. Compression Packing Cubes
Freed up enough space for souvenirs and extra layers halfway through the trip.
5. Crossbody Bag with Zip
Kept hands free on packed subways and felt secure in Namdaemun and Dotonbori.
6. Portable Charger
One per person was the rule after we learned the hard way. Don't split one between two phones.
7. Linen-Blend Trousers
Didn't crease after eleven hours in an aeroplane seat. Wore them all trip.
8. Sage Cardigan
Layered over almost everything for temple visits requiring covered shoulders.
9. Versatile Midi Dress
Went from daytime sightseeing to a nicer dinner in Gion with just a change of shoes.
10. Dressier Trainers
The swap for smart flats that lasted one day of cobblestones. Comfort without the limp.
We packed and repacked this trip more times than we'd like to admit — here's where we're getting our flights and stays sorted for the next one.
Search flights on Expedia Or browse hotels →The Capsule Wardrobe, Corrected
Our original capsule wardrobe post (Post 3) was built around a tan, sage and cream palette that mixed and matched across both countries and both climates. Most of it worked. A few pieces didn't, and here's the honest breakdown.
What worked: the linen-blend trousers that didn't crease after eleven hours in an aeroplane seat, the sage cardigan that layered over almost everything for temple visits requiring covered shoulders, and one versatile midi dress that went from daytime sightseeing to a nicer dinner in Gion with just a change of shoes.
What didn't: a pale cream top that showed every mark within an hour of street food, and a pair of "smart" flats that looked lovely and lasted exactly one day of cobblestones before both of us were limping. We've swapped the flats out for a second pair of trainers in a dressier finish for the next trip — proof that "capsule" doesn't mean "suffer for the aesthetic."
The Luggage Verdict
We travelled with one carry-on sized hard shell case each, on the theory that checking nothing would save us time and stress. It mostly did, with one caveat: neither case had the internal compression straps to actually hold everything in place once we started adding souvenirs, so by the return leg both were closer to bulging than we'd like to admit through airport security.
What we're changing for next time
We're upgrading to a slightly larger cabin-approved case with built-in compression straps and a genuinely lightweight shell — the extra few litres of capacity make a bigger difference than you'd expect once you factor in the things you inevitably buy along the way, and it still fits the strict cabin dimensions for the low-cost carriers we tend to fly on the European legs of these trips.
Shop Aerolite's best-selling cabin cases — the ones we've now used on two separate trips without a single zip or wheel issue.
Need something bigger for a longer trip? Aerolite's large suitcase range is worth a look too.
Cabin bag rules, learned the hard way
If any part of your itinerary includes a budget European carrier before or after the Asia leg, double-check your case against their specific cabin dimensions, not the airline's general guidance — we've seen gate staff measure bags that "should" have fit and didn't. Aerolite's easyJet-approved cabin bags are sized specifically for this, which saved us a stressful moment at the gate on the way home.
Booking & Logistics, In Hindsight
A packing list isn't just about what goes in the case — it's shaped by how you booked the trip in the first place. A few things we'd do differently on the logistics side:
We'd book flights earlier. Prices for the Seoul-to-Osaka domestic leg crept up noticeably in the six weeks before we flew, and a bit more lead time would have saved us a meaningful amount. We're already comparing routes for the next trip.
We'd build in one genuine rest day per week. Not a sightseeing-light day, an actual do-nothing day. The trip where we packed every single day with something to see was also the trip where we got mildly ill by day nine, almost certainly from exhaustion as much as anything else.
We'd double-check hotel laundry facilities before booking, not after arriving. This alone would have let us cut the second pair of jeans without a second thought, instead of finding out on day four that the nearest laundrette was a twenty-minute walk away.
Browse city break deals on Expedia — this is where we found our original flight and hotel bundle for this trip, and where we're starting the search for the next one.
Quick Answers
What's the single biggest change you're making to your packing list?
Cutting anything "just in case" that we can buy locally within five minutes of most convenience stores in Korea or Japan — first aid basics, toiletries, and even some clothing all fall into this category.
Did you check any luggage on this trip?
No — we travelled carry-on only both ways, which we'd recommend for a Korea and Japan trip of this length, provided you're comfortable doing laundry once or twice along the way.
What would you tell someone packing for Korea and Japan for the first time?
Pack for walking first and everything else second. Comfortable, broken-in shoes and a proper rain layer will matter more to how you feel each day than almost anything else on your list.
Is a universal adapter really necessary for both countries?
Yes — Korea uses type C/F sockets and Japan uses type A/B, so you'll need an adapter that covers both, and it's worth checking the wattage rating if you're charging a laptop, not just phones.
Final Packing List, Corrected
Here's the short version — what we're actually packing next time, now that the "just in case" fog has cleared.
Keeping: one packable rain jacket, broken-in white sneakers, a proper universal adapter, compression packing cubes, a crossbody bag with a zip, the sage cardigan, linen-blend trousers, one versatile midi dress.
Cutting: the inflatable travel pillow, the oversized first aid kit, the second pair of jeans, full-size toiletries, "smart" flats that can't handle cobblestones.
Adding: a second portable charger, a slightly larger compression-strap cabin case, a dressier second pair of trainers.
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