As I talked about in my first post ever, I got rid of nearly all my belongings so that I could travel around the world freely. I went from a bedroom full of trinkets and a closet stuffed with clothes to fitting everything I own in a backpack, a 20-inch suitcase, and a single storage bin (stored at a family member’s house). Learning the tricks to carry-on packing made all of this so much easier.
This post is all about what I decided to keep, tips for easy packing, and the ultimate carry-on packing list. While everyone needs different things while traveling, this can be a great starting point where you can add any additional items that you, specifically, may need.
carry-on packing tips
First, I wanted to start with some carry-on packing tips that I live by. These help so much to make the whole process easier and more organized.
- Be mindful of colors
- make sure all clothing items go well together
- black is your best friend—it goes well with everything and doesn’t easily show dirt, stains, and wrinkles
- white goes well with everything but shows dirt easily, so I didn’t pack a lot of it
- choose one or two simple colors that you love and stick to those (mine were blue and green)
- this goes for shoes as well—I chose sneakers with a light pastel color so that they would pair well with all of my outfits
- Keep patterns to a minimum
- stick to mostly solid prints so you can easily make outfits with all of your clothing items
- Stay organized
- have little bags or packing cubes for different “categories” of items to help you stay organized
- put things where they make sense to you so it’s easy to find later
- Packing cubes are lifesavers
- just don’t overdo it, because they still take up extra space
- only use them when necessary/helpful—for example, with smaller items such as socks and underwear
- Versatility is everything
- almost all items should have more than one use
- some examples:
- I use my black t-shirt as a pajama shirt, casual shirt, and a hair towel after showers
- all my shirts match all of my bottoms—I can mix and match them any way I want because none of them clash with each other
what I wear when traveling
What you wear on your travel days can help make the packing process much easier. I try to wear my bulkiest items when traveling to help free up extra space in my bags. Here is what I wear on a typical travel day.
- black linen pants
- these have some elastic in the back which makes them so comfy for traveling
- they’re also the only pants I currently own, so wearing them instead of packing them frees up so much space
- a shirt—usually a tank, tee, or button-down (I go for my comfiest shirts)
- I also like to pack a basic long sleeve in my backpack for easy accessibility in case the train or airplane gets cold
- sneakers + socks, usually my Vans
- I always wear sneakers when traveling because one, they take up a lot of space, and two, travel days usually consist of a lot of walking and I want to be comfortable
- jewelry
- I’m always wearing earrings and a necklace, both water-resistant
BACKPACK | carry-on packing bag #1
The first bag we’ll pack is my book bag. It’s just a basic North Face backpack. I didn’t buy a travel-specific bag because I’ve had this one since I was in high school and it has always worked great for traveling. It’s also super durable and is still in perfect shape after almost ten years.
Here’s the list of the things I pack in this bag:
- Electronic devices
- iPad
- Kindle
- Sony noise-canceling headphones + their hard case
- Bluetooth earphones
- portable charger
- iPhone and laptop charger
- Travel necessities
- ear plugs, an eye mask, and a neck pillow
- passport + a folder of all my important documents
- Motrin + tissues
- water bottle
- a few pens, pencils, and permanent markers
- utensils: a spoon, fork, and knife
- hair ties
- chapstick
- toothbrush + toothpaste (within easy reach so I can brush my teeth on long travel days)
- mini wallet
- only fits two or three cards and is perfect for going out at night because it easily fits in my waistband
- Hobbies
- mini sketchbook
- drawing pens
I also packed a few smaller bags within my book bag which I’ll go over next. These include my purse, make-up bag, and my electronics pouch.
purse
My purse is small enough to fit inside my backpack which is important, especially when flying because they typically consider a purse an extra bag and will either charge you extra or you’ll be forced to squeeze it into one of your carry-ons.
Here’s what I pack in my purse:
- sunglasses + soft case
- main wallet (holds all my cards, cash, chapstick, and a flosser)
- wired earphones (in case my wireless ones die, and these are easier to access)
- mints
- deodorant
- chapstick + lipstick
- utensils: a spoon, fork, and knife
- napkins
- a few pens and pencils
- hair ties
electronics pouch
I have a little pouch originally meant to be a make-up bag but it works great to hold all these little random things that go with my devices.
Here’s what I pack in this bag:
- all my chargers (except my iPhone and laptop chargers—I need to be able to access those easily, so they go in a pocket in my backpack)
- European plug adapter
- a small camera, extra batteries, & accessories
- running watch
make-up bag (roll-up)
Here’s what I pack in my make-up bag. It rolls up which makes it really easy to pack.
- jewelry (not including what I wear)
- 3 rings
- 5 necklaces
- 4 bracelets
- 5 pairs of earrings
- hair
- 6 mini clips, 1 small hair clip, 1 big hair clip
- 2 barrettes, 6 bobby pins
- 3 scrunchies, 1 soft hair tie, 8 classic hair ties
- an athletic headband
- roll-on peppermint essential oil (really helpful for easing headaches)
- nail clippers
- tweezers
- makeup
- lip gloss + lipstick
- eyebrow makeup + eyebrow brush
- makeup brush
- mascara
- tinted moisturizer with SPF 30
SUITCASE | carry-on packing bag #2
Before starting my travels I bought a new suitcase. The exact one I purchased is no longer sold, but here’s the latest edition of my suitcase on CALPAK. It’s 20 inches in height, the max for most international airlines, and it has a front pocket that’s perfect for storing a laptop.
Here’s what I packed in my suitcase:
- rain jacket
- shoes
- white athletic tennis shoes (to save space, I stuffed my swimsuits in these)
- tan flip-flop style sandals (good for the beach)
- black sandals with ankle straps (more walkable)
- light pastel green Vans (worn on travel days)
- mini laundry bag (for dirty clothes)
- black Nike baseball hat
- swimsuits
- a bikini
- a one-piece swimsuit
- my favorite pillowcase (so comforting when you’re constantly in new places)
- belts
- one nicer and thinner
- one wider and more casual
- a single black shoelace (can be used as an invisible belt)
- my selenite crystal <3
- pants and bottoms
- a pair of black denim shorts from ZARA
- a white maxi skirt
- athletic Nike shorts (good for running and lifting)
- mini leather skirt
- black linen pants (worn on travel days)
- a little black dress
In the front pocket of my suitcase, I packed my laptop. I also packed a few packing cubes and a toiletry bag within my suitcase which I’ll go over next.
underwear | packing cube
- socks
- 4 pairs of crew socks (3 white, 1 black)
- 2 pairs of ankle socks (1 white, 1 black)
- bras
- beige strapless bra
- beige regular bra
- 2 black sports bras
- a black bralette
- nip petals
- 10 pairs of underwear
- 2 pairs of undershorts (coverage for dresses and skirts, in black and beige)
- lightweight scarf (versatile—head scarf, crop top, wear around the shoulders, etc.)
- soft tape measure (nice to have on hand)
pajamas | packing cube
- black t-shirt (used for wearing and as a hair wrap after I wash it)
- black spaghetti tank top
- black cropped tank
- 2 pairs of pajama shorts
shirts | packing cube
- 2 nice black tanks (in different styles—one is more frilly and feminine, and the other is a vest, which gives a more professional vibe)
- black athletic tank
- classic black long-sleeve
- black long sleeve square neck bodysuit
- 2 cute crop tops, (a white one and a blue striped one)
- black scoop neck short-sleeved shirt
- 2 short-sleeved button-downs (white and black)
toiletry bag
- make-up remover wipes
- chapstick
- deodorant
- oral health
- electric toothbrush + cover
- toothpaste
- tongue scraper
- flossers
- a few razor head replacements
- nail polish
- menstrual cup
- Tide pen + patches
- air freshener spray
- mini scissors
- bandaids
- headband
- electric razor trimmer
- robe belt used as a sock hair curler
Within my toiletry bag, I also pack a traveler soap bag. In here I pack anything I use in the shower or bottles I worry about leakage from. Here’s the list:
- shampoo
- conditioner
- + a hair clip to hold my hair while it’s conditioning in the shower
- body wash
- face spray sunscreen
- body sunscreen
- hair brush
- razor
- jojoba oil (I use this as a face cleanser and moisturizer)
relax & have fun
Don’t take this all too seriously. Traveling is fun! Worst case if you forget something, you can buy it at your destination. It’s not the end of the world. Prioritize things like your passport, ID, and devices, and everything else is pretty replaceable if needed.
Sometimes I like to thrift a few items when I arrive somewhere new to “fit” the vibe of a place. Then I’ll donate whatever I don’t want to keep or what doesn’t fit in my suitcase before my next traveling day.
Well, that’s it for this post. I hope you found it helpful and that it makes your carry-on packing a little easier! Happy and safe travels!
Be sure to also check out my post on my essentials for a cozy red-eye flight (it includes links to all of my favorite travel items!).
