How to become a carry-on packing pro
We are huge advocates of travelling light as carry-on only travellers.
We love that it saves us money on additional baggage, does away with the risk of lost baggage and it makes us more mobile when we get to our destination.
And we know that we really don’t need a big suitcase full of stuff!
We also appreciate that many people struggle to get their heads around travelling with less – and we get it – that used to be us.
Our first packs were 75L bags and we’ve got our fair share of big suitcases at home.
But, for the last 10 or so years, we’ve made an effort to travel with less, and we’ve figured out that it really is our favourite way to travel.
Even when we have a checked allowance, we generally choose to go carry-on only!
What to consider as a carry-on only traveller
If you’re keen to reduce the amount of ‘stuff’ you take away with you, this post is for you…
Check the baggage allowance of your upcoming flights
Before you start packing, check your baggage allowance.
Most full-service carriers include 7kg for your ‘carry-on bag’ (though we recently flew LATAM who have an allowance of 12kg).
Normally, you’ll be allowed to pack a carry-on bag (with a weight limit) and an extra personal bag (which often doesn’t have a maximum weight).
However, airlines don’t generally spell out the fact that your personal bag doesn’t have a weight limit, so you’ll sometimes need to read between the lines.
Look for phrasing like “one carry-on bag weighing up to 7kg, plus a personal bag”.
This means that the weight of your personal bag is not considered in your total allowance; it is in addition.
For example, Air New Zealand allow passengers to carry 7kg in their ‘carry-on bag’, with the addition of a personal bag (that does not have a weight limit or a specific dimension, though it is smaller than it used to be).
Most carriers allow your smaller personal bag to be 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm, but check before committing yourself.
Low-cost carriers tend to have more restrictive baggage rules.
Jetstar, for example, specify that their baggage allowance is spread across both bags, so you’ll only want to travel with them (without additional checked baggage) if you’re certain that you’re able to travel that light.
Check your fare rules before booking a ticket to understand what you’re able to do.
Pro tip: You can pick up cheap, light-weight baggage scales. If you think you’ll struggle to keep your weight down, you might like to take a set of scales with you.
Travel with a day bag
‘Personal bags’ are smaller bags, designed to fit under the seat in front of you.
They include:
- briefcases
- camera bags
- purses
- small backpacks (like ours, which are 20L).
As stated, these bags aren’t normally included in your baggage allowance, so they’re a great place to transfer heavier items for your flights.
What to put in your personal bag
On travel days
While flying, pack our smaller day bags with:
- anything we might want to access on our flight (passports, reading glasses, eye masks, snacks, earpods etc.)
- passports and wallets.
- medication
- valuable and/or fragile items in our day bags (laptop computers, camera equipment, sunglasses etc.)
- anything with a lithium battery (as they’re a fire risk if they get put the hold).
Occasionally the team at the boarding desk will ask to gate-check your bags. This sometimes happens when a flight is particularly full.
Though we always intend to carry both our bags onto the plane, we pack assuming our big bag could end up in the hold.
Ensure your bag is an appropriate size and style
In our experience, you’ll fill whatever bag size you take.
If you’ve got a big suitcase, chances are, you’ll take much more than you actually need.
We travel with 40L Osprey Farpoint bags as our larger ‘carry-on’ bags (though a women’s size is also available)
These fit within standard carry-on measurements (but double check as a few discount carriers have smaller dimensions) and fit perfectly in the goldilocks zone for us – not too big, not too small.
When travelling, we prefer to carry our large bags on our backs and our small bags on our fronts, allowing us to be hands-free while transiting.
This also allows us to easily walk over uneven surfaces and up and down stairs when getting to/from our accommodation (where a wheeled suitcase could be inconvenient).
Then, once we’re at our accommodation, we rejig our day bags, taking out anything we don’t need.
Our 40L bags stay put, while we use our 20L bags for day-to-day needs – to go to the beach or explore a city, for example.
Our smaller day bags are 20L/22L Ospreys (Osprey Talon for men & Tempest for women – though just like our big Ospreys, they really are unisex)
You might prefer to travel with a small suitcase with wheels (easier at airports and on even surfaces, but not good on uneven ground/cobblestones etc), or a backpack with wheels (the best of both worlds or “jack of all trades, master of none”, depending on who you ask). This is a person decision and there’s no right or wrong answer.
Checking in at Auckland International Airport
Arriving at our hotel in Bali.
Get tough and leave some things behind
If you want to travel light, you’ll inevitably have to leave some items at home that you might have ordinarily packed in your suitcase.
This is probably the most important thing to get your head around…
You can’t take it all with you.
But, as someone who’s now travelled carry-on-only to more than 50 countries, I can confidently say you stand to gain much more than you’ll likely lose.
When you’re packing your bag, think carefully…
- Will you get enough use from this item?
- Do you really need/want to take it with you?
- Is it worth the weight/space?
If the answer is no, you’ll want to really consider leaving it behind.
Also think about how many duplicates you need.
We typically travel with 3 – 4 tops each (long-sleeve merinos in winter/t-shirts in summer or a combination of the two) – that’s it.
At most, I carry two pairs of shorts on a summer trip.
Same with long pants – at most, two pairs (jeans/track pants/exercise tights).
But don’t worry… you don’t need enough clothing to last you through the whole trip – you’re going to wash as you go (more on that soon).
Is carry on travel for you? Though we’re massive advocates of travelling light, it isn’t for everyone and there’s absolutely no shame in that. If you’re someone that needs to carry more with you for medical reasons, because you’re a parent of young children or just because you want to, by all means do.
Pack a capsule wardrobe
It’s important to choose items that compliment each other when you’re planning to travel light (unless you’re really not worried about being mismatched – then anything goes!)
Avoid choosing a t-shirt, for example, that will only work with one pair of shorts – it needs to work with all of your bottoms.
Don’t take a pair of sandals you’ll only wear for a fancy dinner, matched with one particular outfit.
Instead, wear shoes that will work well with most, if not all, of your other clothing.
Include multi-purpose items
Taking items that pull double-duty is also key when travelling light.
You’ll want clothes and items that are suitable for a wide range of activities and purposes.
I don’t tend to travel with:
- dresses or skirts – they’re just not very practical for me and I know I won’t get enough use from them. I take shorts, jeans and trackpants instead.
- pyjamas – if I need something to sleep in, I take a singlet and light-weight shorts or track pants instead, as I can use these for other purposes too.
- two pairs of jeans – they take up too much room and take too long to dry. At most, I take one pair and have a pair of trackpants (which I wear on the plane and to relax) to use on the day my jeans are being washed/dried.
- skincare or makeup.
- hair straighteners or dryers.
We generally take:
- merino tops (for cooler weather) or quick-dry sports t-shirts (for warmer weather).
- a pair of trainers to wear as our everyday shoes.
- a cap or beanie and sunglasses.
Depending on the trip, we will sometimes take:
- a lightweight scarf (which can be worn around my neck, eyes on a plane or even as a light-weight blanket), or, if I’ll genuinely only use it as a scarf, I’ll take a neck buff instead.
- a pair of jandals/flip flops if we’re visiting a hot destination.
- swimming togs/bathing suit, a rashtop and a light-weight Turkish cotton towels (on summer trips).
- hiking poles.
- a small umbrella
- a packable, water-proof puffer jacket.
Ideally though, I’m looking for items that can be used for a range of activities and/or across multiple days.
Choose light-weight, less-bulky, quick-dry, layerable clothing when possible
Always try to reduce the weight and size that your gear will take up in your bag, allowing you to pack more essentials, or to reduce the total weight of your back, making it more comfortable to carry.
If you’ve got the choice between two items that both fulfil the same purpose, pick the smaller more light-weight option.
For example, on our Antarctic cruise I had two beanies laid out on my bed… one was significantly bulkier than the other, so that was the one that got left behind.
Quick-dry materials (like sports t-shirts) win out over cotton as they’re more light-weight and they dry faster faster drying. Merino is a great option too as it is odor resistant and suitable in a range of climates.
Packing clothing that can be layered allows you to easily adjust to temperature changes too.
When you’re travelling light, it’s less about what looks nice and more about what’s practical.
Me in a marino top, and Nathan layering a merino with a sports tee.
We love our packable waterproof puffers for cold climates.
Wash as you go
Now that you’ve chosen your clothes, you’ll want to prepare to wash them as you go.
We take a bar of handwashing soap (which you can pick up in the laundry aisle of the supermarket), while others I know like to travel with a little bag of washing power or some laundry sheets.
We prefer bars of laundry soap as we can use what we need in the shower/hand basin, and pop the rest in a ziplock bag when it’s dry.
We handwash our underwear (sometimes as we go, while having our daily shower, sometimes by saving them up and doing them at once in the basin). And we’ll sometimes do the same with socks and t-shirts.
We tend to save larger items (like shorts and jeans) for the washing machine – either at an Airbnb or laundromat.
Often though, we find we can get by on a relatively short trip by just washing our smaller items.
Pro tip: If you want to freshen up t-shirts and pants between wears, use hypochlorous acid. It breaks down bacteria, removing the smell of body odour on clothes. We like SOS Tower28 as it doubles as a facial spray.
Pack miniature toiletries
Most international flights require you to keep liquids, creams and powers under 100mL each .
To keep under these requirements, and to keep your overall weight down, decant your shampoo, conditioner and body wash into smaller containers.
Alternatively, travel with solid bars or powders.
Did you know? Accommodations normally provide body soap and shampoo, though conditioner can be harder to come by. If you need to leave something behind, you normally can skimp on toiletries… though ours take up so little space, so carry them with us just in case.
Some liquids are exempt from the 100mL limit (including contact lens solution and baby food), so double-check if you have specific requirements.
Wear heavier/bulkier items on the plane
If you’re worried about the weight of your bag, ensure you wear your heavier items on the plane.
We almost always wear our hiking boots and jeans/track pants onboard (if we’re carrying them).
Likewise, we’ll carry our jackets on instead of packing them in our carry-on bags.
… but don’t be afraid to take what you really want/need
As you travel more often with less, you’ll come to learn what you really need/value, and what you don’t need.
Even now, we’ll come home from our travels with the odd item that we didn’t end up using.
Likewise, we’ve come to learn what items we love to have with us, even if they don’t get used often.
We often pack the following items, even though they don’t necessarily get a lot of use:
- Manta Sleep eye masks
- travel pillows (if travelling long-haul overnight – we leave them behind if travelling short distances or only during the day)
- iFly bluetooth transmitters.
If something will make your travels more enjoyable or comfortable, it’s worth considering.
We love travelling carry-on only, as for us, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, but, if it’s not for you, that’s absolutely fine too!
Hopefully this has given you some inspiration to start backing lighter… even if you still decide to check a bag.
Do you have questions or comments about carry-on travel? Join the discussion in our Facebook Group!
