My Ireland Packing List & Outfits

After losing our luggage for 7 or 9 days on our trip to Scotland last year, I knew I could cut down my packing list even further than previously imagined. While I’ll never be a two-weeks-in-a-backpack person, I felt like I nearly nailed it with my Ireland packing list, having packed only one thing I never wore and two I could’ve done without.

Ireland Packing List

When it comes to packing, there are a few considerations to make and a few facts to understand and therefore address first…

Considerations – what are the laundry facilities? Air BnBs often offer laundry, so packing less is easier because you have the joy of cleaning as needed. Alternatively, if you plan to stay in hotels, a little sink laundry is always a great option and many hotels offer laundry for those bigger items.

If the weather is cold, then obviously it feels difficult to downsize, but layering is key and any layers that aren’t actively touching your body can be, and should be, reworn and reworn (e.g. a jacket and sweaters)!

Facts – shoes and coats are bulky and heavy. If you only downsize those two items, you’ll be saving so much space and weight. Seriously!

Ok. What else? In a perfect world, everything you take should be able to be interchangeably worn together…

• 2 jeans
• 2 pairs of boots
• 3 sweaters
• 8 underwear
• 8 pairs of socks
• 2 bras
• 5 Long sleeve shirts
• Rain jacket*
• Rain shell
• Scarf
• 2 beanies
• Mittens
• 4 Tank tops 

What to Pack for Ireland?

2 pairs of jeans

I packed two pairs of jeans and no other pants. It was going to be cool and rainy in Ireland and we didn’t have anything planned for which a pair of black jeans wouldn’t suffice. The two pairs of jeans I took were these blue skinny jeans and my beloved black jeans.

I’d worn this exact pair of black jeans last year on the plane when we lost our luggage. After seven days of wear, I still didn’t hate these jeans, so they were an easy decision – and the pair I, again, wore for all plane travel. And then when does a pair of blue jeans not do well?

2 pairs boots – one waterproof, both comfortable.

I decided early on in my packing planning that I would only take two pairs of shoes. Again, I’d been “stuck” in these camel brown leather boots last year for 7 days with little problem (and they’re been brand new at the time). I love these boots because they can be casual and more tailored at the same time.

They also fit my orthotics easily, so I knew they’d be an ideal boot for support. The only thing they aren’t great for is lots of water. Since it rains in Ireland (and it did), I also packed another pair of boots.

It was a debate between these black combat style boots and these brown rain boots. Ultimately, I opted for the combat style boots because they could more easily dress up if needed. And that was it – those were my two pairs of shoes and I never was wanting for other shoes (though I was happy to be home to Birkenstocks and sneakers)!

3 Sweaters

Sweaters are a great item for layering. I packed three sweaters and basically alternated between them every 2-3 days. For the trip I took a cashmere sweater – lighter weight, easily dressed up, easy to layer, and in such a great neutral color.

For cold days, I brought a wool sweater (see my layered sweater outfit) and my striped knit sweater (currently on sale) – again alternating between the three.

Because I layered underneath my sweaters every day with long sleeve shirts, I had no need to wash my sweaters (except one fateful coffee spill).

By alternating the sweaters with blue and black jeans as well as mixing up the shirts underneath, I didn’t feel as though I was repeating an outfit save maybe one or twice.

8 Underwear

Underwear don’t take up much room and they’re one of two things I won’t rewear between washing. So I stuck in 8 pairs – enough to carry me through with 2 small sink laundry washes. Easy, peasy! See my go to sustainable underwear brand!

8 Pairs of Socks

And socks are the other item I won’t rewear. And, again, they don’t take up much room. With cold weather, I opted for my beloved Bombas socks in the crew height (read my complete Bombas socks review).

2 Bras*

Yep, two bras. Bras don’t take up a ton of space, but I also don’t need a bunch. I took one nude and one black bra – both my favorite style by The Little Bra Company – comfortable enough to be worn all day.

I did do a new thing on this trip, which was to wear a bralette on our long-haul flight days. Often I get tired of my bra after so many hours of wear. This time, I picked a comfortable bralette option and it was perfect. It took up no space in my suitcase and kept me VERY comfortable!

4 Tank Tops 

One of my tricks to layering is tank tops. I like to put a camisole or the like under my long sleeve shirts for cold weather. It really helps keep your core warm, which is crucial in cold weather. I didn’t wear a tank everyday of our trip but was always happy to have the option.

5 Long Sleeve Shirts

Ok. And then my long sleeve shirts. These are mandatory for warmth and a nice accent to rewearing those same sweaters. I packed 2 cotton turtlenecks, one thick turtleneck sweater, and two long sleeve cotton shirts (these are my favorite cotton long sleeve tees). I sent a couple of these in for laundry at a hotel when I’d had sweatier days.

Rain jacket*

So the one ‘big’ thing I packed but never ended up wearing was my heavier rain jacket. I just wasn’t sure how intense the rain and wind would be on the trip.

I ended up wearing my unlined, mid-thigh rain shell (below) everyday and it was fine. All things considered, I call it a success. And I won’t say that earlier in the year, this coat would have been ideal.

Mid-thigh rain shell

I’ve had this packable rain jacket for years and I continue to love it more and more. Mine is completely unlined, so it doesn’t provide any warmth itself, but it keeps in all warmth, nicely blocks wind, and the longer length and black color provide a more tailored look to a traditional rain coat that will actually protect you from the rain.

And it’s not just thin, so it’s packable, it comes with a little zipper pouch that you can roll the coat into – it’s really that small and amazing.

1 Scarf

This one doesn’t require much explanation. I will note that I tie my scarves different ways different days depending on how much warmth I need and my mood. It’s also great on planes as a pillow or a light layer. This scarf is my go–to. I’ve had it for years and it’s the one I almost always wear.

2 beanies

A trick to packing lighter for cold weather destinations is to be smart about your layers. For example, if my head is covered, I’m usually much warmer. Beanies and berets take up basically no room, so I packed 2 such head coverings for myself. I ended up wearing each one time, so I could have easily only taken one, but little room was lost with it, so I’m not upset.

1 vest

Trying to think of ways to really layer up, I stuck in my favorite vest. Opting for this thinner option over one of my puffer vests, it didn’t take up much room and I know it adds a lot of warmth.

As it turns out, my tank, long sleeve, and sweater combos (topped with my scarf and rain jacket) were plenty warm most days. I did wear my vest twice, but as mentioned, I could’ve done without it.

Mittens

With my hands in my pockets, my mittens weren’t in use every day, but they were great for holding our kiddos hands in those big, busy streets. He refused to wear his mittens, but that wasn’t any good reason why my hands needed to freeze!

And don’t miss my toiletries packing list for Ireland and other destinations, including my recommendations for the best travel bottles & toiletries!

And here’s a photo of my kissing the Blarney stone at Blarney castle in said outfits!! It’s MUCH harder than it looks!

Ireland Travel Guides

Be sure to check out my other Ireland posts. See where to stay in Dublin (brownie points – it’s Green Key Certified) as well as things to do in Cork City!