How to Pack a Carry On Bag: The Best Way

How often have you returned from a trip with half your clothes unworn? Or realizing you overpacked and brought too many things you didn’t need? And lugging around large suitcases from destination to destination sucks. Overpacking is an experience that everyone has gone through, and it’s nothing to be ashamed about. However, packing lighter and knowing how to pack a carry on isn’t always easy.

Unintentional packing leads to heavy bags and unnecessary stress. No one wants to stress over what to bring or if it will fit in their bag. Now, imagine traveling carefree: not having to wait to check in a bag, not worrying about if the airline lost your luggage, getting in and out of airports fast, and not worrying about whether you packed the right things!

I used to pack way more than I needed: packing more underwear than the days I was gone, clothing I thought I wanted to wear. But I’ve practiced and gotten exceptionally good at packing light over the years. It’s the best feeling! And you can do it, too. So, here’s how to pack a carry on for any trip from a self-proclaimed light packer! Pack light, and pack right.

Choose Your Carry On Bag

The type of carry-on bag you bring is almost as important as the items you pack. You’ll carry this bag throughout your trip, so ensure it’s reliable. Ensure that your carry-on bag is durable, meaning it will be okay to be carried, rolled, or thrown around. It would suck to scramble to buy and repack a new bag if your bag breaks suddenly.

A carry-on bag should be transportable by you with relative ease. Is the bag easily carried on your back, or is it easier to roll a suitcase around? Depending on your travel style influences what bag you bring. Also, use a weatherproof bag. Protect your belongings from rain, especially. I prefer using a hardshell suitcase and a semi-waterproof personal bag to protect my items against rain and accidental spills.

The most widely-accepted carry-on measurements are 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Some airlines take 24-inch bags as carry-on, but not all. Your bag must fit in these measurements. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble putting it in overhead bins. You might even be asked to check it in for a fee, but you can avoid that awkward interaction by preparing accordingly.

My Bag

I use an 18-inch hard shell carry-on Swissgear suitcase on all my travels. My beloved luggage has been my travel partner on all my trips across the globe, and it’s holding up great. It’s been scratched up by gravelly roads, overhead bins, accidental drops, and more. But I swear by my suitcase and the moment it’s in disrepair I’m getting a new one. I have an older version of this suitcase.

A lot of carry-on luggage comes as expandable. However, I argue against buying those because there are times when the expansion bites you in the behind. Your carry-on might be too wide to be considered carry-on size—so be careful! I like my regular suitcase’s limitations and know I’ll have no problem carrying it on the airplane.

What to Put in Personal Item Bag?

Your carry-on bag should have your clothes, toiletries, and non-essential items. While you can get your suitcase out of the overhead compartment for things, it’s a hassle and much easier to access from a personal bag. Most airlines allow a carry-on and a personal bag per person. Your personal bag is extra space when you travel with a carry on. However, it should be used for items you frequently use, like headphones, a wallet, documentation, etc. Laptops or lithium-ion battery-powered devices go in your personal bag as well. You should also pack an eye mask and other items to sleep comfortably on an airplane.

Check the Weather

This seems like a no-brainer, but I’ve had friends who didn’t pack warm enough clothing for their destination and had to buy extra jackets. I’ve seen people walk off airplanes in t-shirts and shorts, but the weather outside is 40 F. So, I’ll emphasize this: pack for the weather! I know it might be warm and sunny where you are, but you can’t assume that is the weather for your destination.

It’s common sense to pack for the weather, but sometimes, it honestly just slips our minds. It’s easy to get swept up packing for the weather you are experiencing currently, but then you’ll end up packing things you won’t wear. Imagine packing only T-shirts and shorts but needing a coat and sweater! Don’t spend unnecessary money that is avoidable by double-checking the weather beforehand. The idea is to pack things you’ll wear, so it’s important to pack clothing appropriate for the weather.

Pack for a Week

Thinking about what you’ll wear for 2, 3, or even four weeks is overwhelming. There are dizzying arrays of potential outfit combinations, and of course, we want to look and feel good when we travel. However, that’s a one-way ticket to decision paralysis. And there’s no greater enemy to packing than time. So, instead, make it easy and pack for a week! Decide what 3 or 4 outfits you’d wear in a week and pack that. And guess what? Now that you’ve packed for a week, you’ve packed for the rest of the trip!

You’ll wear re-wear outfits and also create new ones with the clothes you bring. Because, let’s be honest, everyone rewears outfits. Who wears jeans only once and throws them in the wash? Clothing is made to be worn before it’s washed—it’s good for the fabric. It’s unrealistic to have a different look every day. The ultimate solution? Laundry.

Do Laundry on the Go

Laundry opens up the possibility of re-wearing garments multiple times on long trips. Instead of packing a large suitcase of clothes you wear once or twice, you now have a carry-on bag with clothes you’ll wear at least four times each. It’s easy to find laundromats on the go; you can search on Google or Google Maps for a laundromat. Hotels often offer clothes cleaning services for a fee, and Airbnb may also have a washer and dryer.

But even if you can’t find a formal washer and dryer, you can also hand-wash your clothes! You can hand wash your clothing in the shower or sink, then hang them up to dry and wear. Pack some laundry detergent with you in case this happens, or head to your local grocery or convenience store and buy some there. There’s no reason why you can’t have fresh, clean clothes to re-wear.

Pack Versatile Clothing

Think of your outfits as combinations of your clothes. You’re not limited to wearing that one beige shirt with just your black denim pants. For example, if you bring one black and one white T-shirt, one pair of jeans and one pair of shorts, that’s four outfits if you mix and match the tops and bottoms. It’s much easier to make outfits with versatile clothing that looks good in various styles.

Ideally, the packed clothes should also look good with each other. You can go for a monochrome look of all hues and shades of your favorite color to wear. Or, you can pack clothing with styles that look good together. An easy tip for packing versatile clothing is to stick with clothing colors and silhouettes you like wearing together. The idea is to pack clothing you know you’d wear interchangeably with one another so that you don’t get bored of a particular look or outfit. This eliminates the need to bring many different items of clothing to have a new outfit every day.

How to Pack Versatile Clothing

Generally, I pack items that go with at least two or three other pieces of clothing in my carry-on. That way, I can maximize the number of outfits I have with the carry-on space. I stray away from packing clothing I can only wear once, like a pair of heels for a night out or a fancy top that I wouldn’t wear on a casual day out. The version of yourself you bring while traveling is the same person you see daily, so your outfits don’t need to differ from your everyday wear.

It’s also a good idea to bring layers if the weather changes unpredictably. That might be a light jacket, leggings, and maybe a thermal long-sleeve. These are thin enough to wear on their own but also act as great layering pieces for colder weather. You can wear leggings underneath loose jeans for extra warmth, etc.

Packing tip: Bring fewer bottoms vs. tops. Bottoms are usually more durable for multiple re-wear than tops, so you won’t need to wash them as often. Bottoms also tend to be bulky, so the less bulky clothing you pack, the more space you’ll have in your carry-on. Also, do you really need three pairs of shoes? Try bringing two at most. I usually pack one comfortable pair of walking shoes and one pair of nicer shoes.

Try On All Your Clothing

We’ve all packed that nice top we think we’ll wear, only to put it on and dislike how it feels or looks. Now, it’s dead weight in our bag and our mind. It’s one thing to think you’ll wear something and like it. It’s another to actually try it and see if it fits and looks good. I always try on clothes I consider bringing on a trip to make sure I actually like how they look and feel on me. I also try that piece of clothing with my other clothes to see if they go together. This step requires more effort than usual, but trust me, it’s 100% worth it. I see how my clothes look and feel beforehand, and I have security knowing that I will wear every item.

Packing tip: You can take pictures of yourself in clothes you like and compile them into a folder. Then, when the time comes to pack for a trip, you can dig through the photo album and instantly compare it with other clothes.

Leave These Items Behind

Sometimes you can get items you’ll need at your accommodation. Other times, we pack random things that we never use. Often, you find out what you don’t need to bring after you’ve gone on a trip. So, to save you some time, here are some items you can leave at home:

• Towels
• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Hair dryers
• Physical books
• Maps and guidebooks
• Expensive jewelry
• Extra toiletries
• Extra chargers and electronics
• Things that are hard to replace (like a family heirloom, that limited edition designer coat, etc.)
• …anything you might need.

If you don’t know if you’ll use it, chances are, you don’t need it. Do you really want to carry a pair of heels that you might need halfway across the world to use for one night? It’s common to go through items to bring on a trip and think about all the possible scenarios you’ll have on a trip. Like, “I might go out, read this book, or wear this shirt on a special occasion.” Chances are, these hypothetical situations probably never become a reality, so save yourself the mental space and leave it at home!

Pack Strategically

Now that you have the items you are packing, it’s time to pack it all into your bag or suitcase. There are different strategies for packing strategically, but the two most famous schools of thought are the rolling vs. packing cube methods.

I personally subscribe to the rolling method. It’s easier to see what you’ve brought with the rolling technique and also easier to grab specific items out of your suitcase. While you roll clothes, you also compress them as you roll, saving you space in your luggage. You also avoid weird crease lines that happen with folded clothes.

Packing cubes helps compress your clothing, but once you pack clothes into the cube, you can’t see what it is until you take it out. Looking at your suitcase top-down, you’ll get a clear view of all your clothes sans a layer. It helps knowing where a specific shirt or bottom you want to wear is, and the best thing is that you don’t have to dig through a cube or bag to get it out. You can easily take the clothing out when you want to use it, then quickly re-roll and fit it back into your carry-on. You can find a tutorial about how to roll your clothes here.

Compartmentalize

Have different sections in your suitcase for different packing categories. It helps organize what you bring into your head and creates a system you can follow for future trips. It will also help with repacking since you have unofficially designated categories in your bag. Each item has its place or area and is a reliable way to find things.

For example, in my carry-on suitcase, bottoms always go on the bottom left, and tops go on top. Tops, bottoms, intimate wear, and socks go on one side. Jackets or outerwear will layer on top of that, and if there’s no space, they go to the other side of my suitcase. Shoes are always on the right side of my suitcase and protected in plastic bags. Any loose items, like my toiletry bag, extra bags, etc., also go on the right side. I use my compartmentalizing system every time I travel, and I love that it’s a reliable packing system. It also acts as a pseudo checklist every time I pack, which saves me so much time.

Wear Your Bulkiest Items on Board

The ultimate way to save luggage space is to wear your bulkiest items on the plane. This could be your shoes, a coat, a thick sweater, a pair of jeans, etc. The real estate a bulky sweater takes up in a bag could be the same amount of space you can fit multiple tops or bottoms. The trick is to pack bulky items that are also comfortable to wear on an airplane. You’ll be sitting in an uncomfortable position for multiple hours on end, so make sure that whatever you wear is comfortable while sitting.

Travel Size Toiletries

Your toiletries must be travel-size since you’re not checking a bag in. Leave the large shampoo bottles at home and opt for smaller versions. I am a firm user of refillable travel-size bottles. The soap I put into the refillable bottles often lasts for multiple trips. All you have to do is refill it occasionally, and it’s good to go for a long time. It’s also more economical, as lots of travel-size toiletries are often more expensive than the product in a regular-sized bottle. You’re also being more eco-friendly.

Ziploc Bag Medical Kit

While being prepared is good, packing a regular-size first aid kit in your carry-on is unnecessary. If a medical emergency happens, proper equipment and support should be at your destination. A small Ziploc bag of bandages, sanitizer, non-emergency medicines, etc., is more than enough for personal first-aid.

Example Packing List: How to Pack a Carry On for 2 Weeks

Here’s my packing list I made for a two-week solo trip to Italy:

• 4-5 T-shirts
• 2 long sleeves: brown cashmere long sleeve, white long sleeve
• 2-3 jackets: black leather jacket, puffer jacket…
• 3-4 bottoms: long pants
• 1 nice going-out outfit
• Accessories: sunglasses, jewelry
• Sneakers (wear on airplane)
• A knit hat
• International power adapter
• Travel umbrella
• Electronics: laptop, headphones, portable battery + charger cable, laptop charger, phone charger
• Hygiene: toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, skincare
• Personal item tote bag
• 5-6 pairs of socks
• One week’s worth of underwear
• Passport and important documents

All this fit into my carry-on, and I had extra space for a souvenir or two!

Welcome to the Carry-On Life

You’ll get hooked on seeing how far you can downsize and push the boundaries of light travel. It’s become a point of pride as I see how efficiently I can get my packing. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing that you’ve maximized every inch of your carry-on and packed items intentionally. However, if you don’t get it right the first couple of tries, that’s okay! Knowing how to pack a carry on for any trip is a skill, and with practice comes improvement. I certainly didn’t know what to and not to bring my first couple of times traveling. Happy packing and happy travels!

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