The Ultimate Carry On Packing List After 10 Years of Travel

We’ve been residing out of carry-on baggage for over ten years now. We love the liberty that travelling mild provides us—we are able to pack our belongings in 10 minutes, stroll round simply with all our baggage, and breeze by means of airports with out queuing at check-in desks or baggage carousels.

Below we share our present journey packing listing. It has advanced through the years and is supposed to offer you a place to begin in your personal keep on packing listing. You don’t have to comply with it precisely as all of us have our personal preferences and wishes. 

Living out of a carry-on bag for ten years may be very completely different from travelling for 2 weeks and even six months, and we’re actually not ultralight travellers. We have a ton of electronics to run our on-line enterprise, whereas many travellers might handle with only a smartphone.

We’ve added additional garments through the years to scale back the quantity of laundry we have to do and as I began working and yoga. I can’t imagine in our first yr we solely had three tops and pairs of underwear!

We used to journey principally in scorching climates however have been spending extra time in cooler locations in winter. The packing listing beneath works for a number of climates and I’ve famous the additional issues we pack for chilly locations.

Our greatest change within the final yr has been switching from one keep on backpack every to a rolling suitcase plus private merchandise. You can learn extra about that beneath. 

This publish was initially printed in 2016 and was final up to date with our 2021 keep on solely packing listing.

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After almost ten years of carrying the whole lot we personal on our backs, we have been prepared for a change. 

We liked the liberty of travelling with a backpack—it’s simpler to hold on tough streets, climb stairs, and hop on and off buses and boats. But as we added extra objects through the years, our baggage have been getting heavier and we started to dread carrying them. 

Our journey type has additionally modified—we journey extra slowly, typically lease automobiles, and might afford to take taxis to our lodging slightly than stroll. 

For travelling by bus round South America, a backpack made sense. When we spend extra time in airports and automobiles, a suitcase makes life a lot simpler. 

I opted for the Away Bigger Carry-On Suitcase and the Away Everywhere Bag (as my private merchandise for my electronics). 

With this mix I maximise the quantity I can keep on a aircraft. I haven’t had any points up to now, however I do think about that on some stricter airways, I’ll have to examine the suitcase as it’s on the bigger dimension for hand baggage and never all airways permit two baggage.

I used to be nervous concerning the change, however Away affords a tremendous 100 day free trial, so I knew I might return it if it didn’t work out. They additionally present free supply to many international locations together with the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Europe. 

I haven’t appeared again. The suitcase is trendy, spacious, and sturdy. The easy spinner wheels imply I can effortlessly roll it alongside me (no want to tug it behind).

I particularly love how the Everywhere Bag slides over the handles of the suitcase, so I don’t have to hold a factor. Airports are really easy now!

Stairs are more difficult with a suitcase than with a backpack, however I feel it’s value it for straightforward rolling the remainder of the time.

Simon was jealous of my burden-free journey days, so he has now transformed to a suitcase too. He purchased an ultra-lightweight Samsonite case, but it surely’s slightly small and never as sturdy or simple to roll because the Away, so he plans to select up an Away Carry-On after we’re again within the UK. 

He pairs his suitcase with a Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack, which he loves. It made the transition simple because it’s mainly a smaller model of his earlier bag, the Tortuga Setout Backpack, so he can pack his many electronics in the identical approach. 

It additionally has a sleeve so you’ll be able to slide it onto suitcase handles and never want to hold it. 

Our really useful carry-on backpacks

I do nonetheless assume backpacks are an amazing selection for many individuals, particularly if you happen to’ll be shifting round lots, taking public transport, and strolling to your lodging. 

They are greatest if you happen to can pack lighter than we do—lowering electronics would assist. 

Another benefit of backpacks is you can get away with being over the allowed carry-on weight on planes, as they’re much less prone to be weighed. Read my tips about coping with airline weight restrictions.

We assume the Tortuga Setout 45L Backpack is the proper carry-on backpack if you’d like loads of area with good organisation, consolation, and a classy design. See our Setout backpack evaluation for full particulars.

If you’d choose a smaller bag, Tortuga has a 35L model, or if you happen to’re not within the US, I used to journey with the Osprey Farpoint 40.

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Our Carry-On Travel Packing List

Luggage

• Away Bigger Carry-On Suitcase (Erin) – Durable, extremely spacious, and really easy to manoeuvre. It additionally comes with a built-in battery for charging your telephone and a removable laundry bag. 
• Away Everywhere Bag (Erin) – A trendy journey bag for my laptop computer and digicam bag. It matches completely on the Away suitcase with a trolley sleeve and can be supreme as an in a single day bag. This is my private merchandise on the aircraft and matches underneath the seat. 
• Samsonite Base Boost Spinner Suitcase 55cm (Simon) – A smaller, lighter, cheaper, soft-sided different to the Away suitcase. 
• Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack (Simon) – A spacious, organised laptop computer bag with a sleeve to slip on the suitcase deal with.  Great as an in a single day bag too. Simon’s private merchandise on planes. 
• Tortuga Setout Packable Daypack – A light-weight, packable day bag that matches inside our baggage on journey days. Read our evaluation of the greatest packable daypacks for extra choices together with the Gonex Packable Daypack, a less expensive different which we beforehand used. 
• Reusable procuring bag – This is beneficial for procuring, seashore visits, and storage of water and snacks on journeys. It folds up right into a tiny pouch when not in use. 

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are the key to hold on packing. They are important to assist us match extra in our baggage and preserve issues organised. Read my publish on the way to use packing cubes.

• Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter small and medium compression cubes (Erin) – For my garments. I really like these as they’re ultralight and squeeze my garments down small. I retailer my common garments within the medium dice and my exercise garments within the small dice. 
• Eagle Creek Pack-It small packing dice (Erin) – I exploit one in every of their commonplace cubes for my underwear and equipment. I’ve travelled with this for over 10 years and it’s nonetheless going robust.
• Peak Design small and medium packing cubes (Simon) – For Simon’s underwear (small) and garments (medium). These are heavier and don’t compress fairly as a lot because the Eagle Creek ones, however they do have a helpful separate compartment for soiled laundry and a extra trendy design. 

Erin’s Clothes

Bottoms

I choose clothes to bottoms/tops in scorching climate, so if you happen to don’t, you may need to add an additional skirt or shorts to your journey packing listing. 

I additionally spend plenty of time lounging in leggings (see Workout Gear beneath). 

• 1 Aviator Comfort Skinny Black Jeans – These travel-friendly denims are tremendous cozy and have enormous pockets. I all the time put on these when flying. For particulars see my evaluation of the greatest journey pants for girls.
• 1 stretchy blue denims – I’ve an previous pair from Next. When we spent most of our time in scorching international locations, I had linen trousers as a substitute of denims. 
• 1 Toad & Co Chaka Skirt – The greatest journey skirt I’ve discovered because it’s delicate, very comfy and wrinkle-resistant. I’ve the Nightsky color in order that it goes with all my tops. 

Tops and Dresses

I additionally used to have a Clever Travel Companion tank prime which changed my cash belt because it has two zipped pockets to maintain my passport and playing cards/money secure on journey days. These days I preserve my valuables in my denims or inside jacket pocket or (in low threat conditions) in my day bag as a substitute. If I have been travelling in locations like South America, I’d use this tank once more although. 

Outerwear

• 1 Cardigan – I used to have a Uniqlo merino wool cardigan which I liked however couldn’t change. I now have a WoolOvers cashmere cardigan which is extremely delicate and cosy however takes a bit extra care. Both dry extra shortly than cotton. 
• 1 Fleece (The North Face Mezzaluna) – Lightweight with pockets and a hood.

Workout Gear

• 2 tank tops – For working I really like the Athleta Chi tank (not obtainable) and I’ve a low-cost H&M tank for yoga at dwelling. 
• 1 capri leggings  – I put on the Athleta Be Free Knicker (not obtainable) for working in addition to yoga and climbing in scorching climate. 
• 2 leggings – For yoga, lounging, and climbing. My favourites are the Lululemon Wunder Under Tights (produced from full-on luon) that are comfy and flattering. The 25-inch is full size on me and I purchased two sizes down as they stretch out. I even have some low-cost, cozy Lapasa leggings. 
• 1 shorts (Brooks Sherpa 6-inch) – For working in scorching climate.
• 2 sports activities bras 
• 2 working socks – My present favourites are Albirds Trino Sprinters and Hilly Marathon Fresh Socklets. 
• Runderwear underwear

Underwear and Swimwear

• 2 bikinis 
• 7-9 underwear – Most pairs are ExOfficio, that are mild, fast drying, and odour-resistant. Uniqlo’s AIRism seamless underwear can be nice for journey. 
• 2 bras
• 2-3 socks – I don’t put on socks typically. In chilly locations, I purchase extra as wanted. 

Shoes

I ordinarily solely journey with three pairs of footwear—trainers, sports activities sandals, and ballet flats.

As we’ve been spending a lot time in colder locations just lately, I’ve additionally added a pair of Allbirds Wool Runners for informal use, so I can preserve my trainers only for working. They are excellent for journey—see the chilly climate part beneath for particulars.

I’ve additionally been testing out the Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles, that are a great choice if you’d like a waterproof sneaker with additional traction. 

In New Zealand (the place we now have a automotive), I additionally added a pair of climbing footwear (Solomon Outline GTX) as we have been strolling the Queen Charlotte Track. I’ll do away with these after we depart the nation. The Allbirds work nicely for straightforward hikes. 

I had a interval of travelling with three pairs of ballet flats, which was undoubtedly overkill, however I wished to attempt all of them out. I’ve now determined that Allbirds Tree Breezers are my favorite—you’ll be able to’t beat that Allbirds consolation, and they’re additionally rather more inexpensive than my earlier Tieks flats (which I nonetheless love). 

If you’re determining which flats are greatest for you, see my Allbirds Tree Breezers evaluation (which features a comparability with Tieks and Rothy’s) in addition to my Tieks evaluation (after travelling with them for 8 years) and Rothy’s vs Tieks comparability. 

• Running footwear  – I presently run in Allbirds Tree Dashers. I really like their impartial design (so I can put on them round city too) and they’re cozy, breathable, pretty light-weight, and mechanically cleanable. See my Allbirds Tree Dashers evaluation for particulars. 
• Sports sandals – My Teva Verra sandals are tremendous comfy, waterproof, and sensible for hikes however good sufficient to put on in cities. Amazingly, there was no break-in interval. 
• Ballet flats – As a lot as I really like my Silver Lake Vegan Tieks, I’ve determined that the Allbirds Tree Breezers are the one pair I need to journey with. They are extremely comfy, light-weight, mechanically cleanable, and produced from sustainable supplies. See my Allbirds flats evaluation for extra particulars. 
• Shower caps – I decide up just a few bathe caps from inns to retailer my footwear in and defend my suitcase. 

Accessories

• Sun hat
• Sunglasses – I like Maui Jims, that are costly however sturdy, trendy and have polarised lenses to scale back glare (it actually makes a distinction). 

Cold Weather Extras

In chilly climate (like presently in New Zealand), I add these additional objects: 

• Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody Down Jacket – It’s heat however mild and packs down small in its personal pocket. 
• Marmot PreCip Eco Rain Jacket – In most locations I don’t trouble with a rain jacket, however this has been helpful in New Zealand. It packs down small in its pocket and has pit zips and an adjustable hood. 
• 1-2 sweaters – I choose cashmere or merino wool for heat and lightness. I really like the softness of the Woolovers 100% cashmere sweater, but it surely does require extra care (and has shrunk a bit due to that). Their merino/cashmere mix isn’t fairly as delicate however is extra sensible if you happen to’ll be throwing it within the washer on the highway. 
• 2 lengthy sleeve t-shirts – I like Uniqlo Heatech Extra Warm tops. 
• Extra socks – My favorite are Smartwool medium crew socks, that are thick, heat, and odour-resistant. Any merino wool socks are supreme. 
• Allbirds Wool Runners – I really like how cosy and heat these wool sneakers are! They are as comfy as slippers and I can put on them with out socks. They are mechanically cleanable too. See my Allbirds Wool Runners evaluation for extra particulars. 
• Cashmere wool hat
• Fleece headband – For working
• Scarf and gloves

See our Iceland packing listing for what we pack after we are solely visiting a chilly nation. 

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Simon’s Clothes

Bottoms

Tops

• 4 – 5 t-shirts – His favorite is the Bluffworks Threshold t-shirt which is as delicate as cotton however sturdy, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and odour-resistant. He can be a fan of Icebreaker Cool Lite t-shirts that are produced from merino wool and might be worn for a number of wears with out smelling. His Under Armour tech t-shirt dries the quickest of all, but it surely doesn’t have the most effective odour-resistance. 
• Long-sleeve gown shirt – After struggling for years with shirts that wrinkled, Simon now travels with the good Bluffworks Zenith shirt which has all of the options you want for journey—wrinkle-free, delicate and comfy, moisture-wicking, and fast drying. It seems nice too and works as nicely for dinners out because it does for hikes. 

Outerwear

• Fleece
• Bluffworks Gramercy Blazer – A brand new addition to Simon’s wardrobe that was supreme for a Paris and Italy journey from spring to summer season (however much less helpful in outdoorsy locations). This is the excellent journey blazer because it doesn’t wrinkle, is mechanically cleanable, and has tons of hidden pockets. Great if you’d like a better look. 

Underwear

• 7 underwear – Most pairs are ExOfficio or Uniqlo AIRism boxer briefs (a less expensive different) that are very mild and fast drying. 
• 4-7 socks – He prefers socks produced from merino wool which is moisture-wicking and odour-resistant. His favourites are Smartwool PhD crew socks and REI liner crew socks. 

Shoes

For almost 10 years, Simon had simply two pairs of footwear—climbing footwear and sports activities sandals.

This yr he additionally added a pair of informal sneakers, the Allbirds Tree Runners, which he loves. 

If you aren’t planning any main hikes, the Allbirds are nice for journey as they’re smaller, lighter, and simpler to decorate up than climbing footwear, and might be worn with out socks. 

• Hiking footwear  – For years Simon travelled with the Scarpa Margarita GTX, which have been the proper journey footwear—enticing sufficient to put on to dinner (and even a marriage) however rugged sufficient for hikes. He can not pay money for them so changed them with the Keen Explore Waterproof climbing footwear. In black they appear impartial sufficient for cities and are comfy for lengthy hikes. 
• Allbirds Tree Runners – The summer season model of Allbirds are light-weight, comfy, mechanically cleanable, and are available in a variety of enjoyable colors. You can learn our comparability of Allbirds tree vs wool runners right here.
• Sports sandals – Simon has had a pair of Teva climbing sandals (presently the Teva Strata Universal) by means of all our years of journey and lives in them within the tropics. They are tremendous comfy, sturdy, and nice for decent climate hikes and watersports. 

Accessories

• Sunglasses – Like me, Simon has a pair of Maui Jims with polarised lenses. 

Cold Weather Extras

In chilly climate he provides these things:

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Toiletries

Remember to maintain all of your liquid toiletries in containers of 100 ml (3oz) or much less in case you are travelling by aircraft. Solid toiletries assist minimise the liquids you want. 

• Toiletry bag – We have the Sea to Summit Hanging Toiletry Bag which is light-weight and comes with a mirror and hook to hold it up when there’s nowhere to place it. We have the small model which is simply sufficient area for all of our toiletries. 
• Small zip-lock bag – For liquids when flying. We often match our liquids into one bag between us.
• Suncream – When it’s obtainable, we purchase the 100 ml Riemann P20, a once-a-day suncream that lasts ages and is straightforward to use.
• Solid shampoo bar + tin – A should for carry-on journey. Solid shampoo lasts ages and doesn’t dissipate your liquid allowance. We typically use it as cleaning soap as nicely. We purchase bars from both Lush (which has retailers worldwide) or Ethique. 
• Toothbrush every + head cowl
• Toothpaste (often a 50 ml tube)
• Solid deodorant (Salt of the Earth 50 g) – The extra stable toiletries you pack, the higher. This pure crystal deodorant works nicely and lasts over a yr. 
• Lip balm 
• Hand sanitiser (50 ml bottle) – Especially helpful for bus journeys and hikes.
• Shaving oil (Simon, 15 ml bottle) – Magic stuff! A tiny bottle lasts Simon 9 months.
• Razor every + 2 or 3 spare blades
• Hairbrush (travel-size)
• Nail clippers
• Tweezers
• Menstrual cup (Erin) – Essential for travelling ladies. A Mooncup or Divacup takes up much less area than tampons (and also you don’t have to fret about discovering them overseas) and is healthier for the surroundings, your physique, and your pockets.
• Hairbands and clips (Erin)

Sometimes we add these additional objects in 50-100 ml (2-3 oz) bottles when wanted:

• Moisturiser (Steamcream)
• Hair conditioner
• Insect repellent

Medical

• Ibuprofen
• Loperamide (Imodium) – In case of traveller’s diarrhoea.
• Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) – For movement illness.
• Plasters (Band-Aids)
• Prescription medicines
• Antihistamine – Simon has allergy symptoms, so we typically carry these.

Electronics

Laptops and Accessories

Photography (Erin)

Most travellers as of late can handle with the digicam on their telephone and save plenty of area. As a journey blogger, that’s not an choice for me. 

I switched from DSLR to smaller however prime quality mirrorless cameras years in the past and assume they’re the most suitable choice for severe journey photographers. 

I pack the whole lot in my Peak Designs bag after which place that inside my Away Everywhere Bag (my private merchandise) so I solely have two items of bags on journey days.  

I cost my digicam with my Kindle’s USB cable. 

• Sony A7 III Mirrorless Camera – This full-frame digicam takes prime quality pictures and is particularly implausible in low mild. 
• Sony 16-35mm f4 lens – I really like the vast angle on this lens for landscapes and inside photographs. 
• Samyang 35mm f/2.8 lens – An cheap, small, and tremendous mild lens that’s supreme for road images, meals, and low mild.
• Peak Design Everyday Sling Bag – I really like this trendy, comfy, versatile digicam bag that may be carried in 3 ways. The inside might be configured to suit your digicam and lenses utilizing the velcro dividers. I’ve the 5L within the older model—the 6L is the closest dimension within the new bag. 
• Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap – A flexible strap that’s a lot extra comfy than a typical digicam strap. It might be worn as a sling (my favorite), shoulder, or neck strap, and it’s simple to modify between the kinds. 
• 2 batteries 
• 3 Sandisk Extreme 64GB SD playing cards 
• USB reminiscence card reader – For importing pictures to my laptop computer. 
• Lens pen – For cleansing.

iPhones, iPad, Kindle, Watch, Nintendo

• iPhone 11 Pro + Apple AirPods (Simon) – This telephone is implausible for images and I typically use it once I don’t need to carry my digicam. We purchase native SIM playing cards with knowledge plans in every new nation. 
• iPhone X + Apple AirPods (Erin) – We each love the wi-fi AirPods a lot!
• Old iPhone – With an growing variety of web sites requiring a textual content message to our UK telephone quantity as safety when logging in, we determined to maintain an previous iPhone as a “security phone”, so we didn’t need to preserve swapping SIM playing cards. It has our UK Three SIM card in it. 
• iPad Pro Wi-Fi  + neoprene case (Simon) – It’s enormous, however Simon loves the attractive display screen, particularly for drawing.
• Kindle Paperwhite x 2 + USB cable + neoprene sleeve – I couldn’t dwell with out my Kindle. It matches 1000’s of books on a tool smaller than one paperback. I really like that the most recent model is waterproof for pool studying. Simon used to learn on his iPhone however now has my previous Kindle. 
• Apple Watch + USB cable  – We each have one in every of these for health monitoring. Read Simon’s evaluation.
• Apple Pencil – For drawing on the iPad Pro. Perfect for travelling artists because it replicates an actual pen or brush. Simon now does all his art work digitally.
• Plate stand – Much cheaper and lighter than an iPad stand. Along with the Duet app, it turns the iPad right into a second monitor.
• Apple lightning cables  + USB energy adapter
• Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter – For connecting our iPad and Mac to a TV. 
• Nintendo Switch – Yes, Simon travels with a video games console! It’s essentially the most moveable video games console, however with the charging dock it’s nonetheless pretty cumbersome and heavy. 

Miscellaneous

• Travel towel (Simon) – As most lodging gives towels, he primarily makes use of this for the seashore.
• Sarong (Erin) – For the seashore and as an emergency towel.
• Yoga Paws Skin Thin – Little yoga mats in your arms and toes. A a lot smaller, lighter different to a yoga mat. I follow day-after-day wherever we’re with Yoga with Adriene movies (free on Youtube or I signed up for the membership website for offline downloads and further content material). Read my Yoga Paws evaluation.
• AeroPress Go journey espresso maker – So that Simon is rarely disadvantaged of fine espresso. He’s travelled with one for years and just lately switched to the journey model which is extra compact with a mug that doubles because the case. See our AeroPress evaluation.
• Porlex Mini espresso grinder – Simon has taken his espresso making to the subsequent degree and now grinds his personal beans with this surprisingly compact and easy-to-use guide grinder. 
• Travel espresso mug – Simon has the Contigo West Loop which is leak-free and retains drinks scorching for as much as 5 hours. It’s supreme for hikes and highway journeys, however he prefers a glass KeepCup for espresso retailers. 
• Vapur Element 1L water bottle x 3 – They fold flat or might be rolled up when not in use to avoid wasting area.
• Silicone earplugs (Erin) – Essential for me for noisy locations and in a single day bus and aircraft journeys.
• Eye masks (Erin) – I exploit an inexpensive mild one, like the sort they offer out on planes.
• Tiny stitching package – Like those that inns present.
• Moleskine pocket book – I attempted going digital however I nonetheless principally choose making journey notes on paper. 
• Pens
• Zip-lock baggage – These all the time are available in helpful for storing meals or moist garments. I take just a few small and medium baggage.
• Beeswax wraps – A sustainable approach of storing leftover meals and sandwiches. 
• Toilet paper – We retailer slightly folded up within the pockets of our baggage.

Documents and Money

• Travel insurance coverage – We used True Traveller for a few years and they’re the most effective worth we’ve discovered for Brits. We just lately began utilizing SecurityWing as a substitute, which is a month-to-month subscription designed for digital nomads and is on the market worldwide. See our SecurityWing insurance coverage evaluation for extra particulars. 
• Passport – We defend them with a clear plastic cowl.
• Dollars – A couple of hundred for emergencies and visa charges.
• 2 debit and three bank cards every – We advocate travelling with at the least two of every as a backup. Read extra about managing your journey funds.
• Card reader for on-line banking – This is issued by our financial institution for safe entry.
• Driving licence
• International driving licence (when wanted)
• Photocopies of passport (we additionally preserve a scanned copy on our laptops) 
• Passport pictures – For visa purposes.
• Vaccination card
• Yellow fever vaccination card
• Scuba diving certification card
• Money belt – Simon wears one to maintain his passports, playing cards, and money hidden underneath his garments on journey days. I used to put on a Clever Travel Companion tank prime with zipped pockets as a substitute however now don’t trouble (I’d use it once more for riskier locations although).
• Slim pockets (Simon) – We make a copy of our passports and journey insurance coverage particulars inside.

More Carry-On Packing Tips

See our different posts about packing mild:

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