How I pack carry on only for my travels

Ever since my Career Break, I’ve been very pro carry-on-only when it comes to travelling as far as possible – I love breezing through customs and not having to wait for my checked bags, or worrying about whether my bag made it to the destination the same time as I did. So I thought I’d share with you my packing tips and secrets and maybe see if I can convert more people to the carry-on-only life by showing you how I pack for my travels.

Last Updated on 5 July, 2024

A caveat – I like travel gear because it can really elevate your packing game, but I do know that travel gear can be pricey and definitely isn’t mandatory for great travel. My gear is a hodgepodge of stuff I’ve invested in, sponsored stuff, freebies from random roadshows and gifts from friends; some things I use daily while others are travel-specific items that only come out when I travel. My suggestion is to improvise with what you have first before splurging on specific travel gear so you know what’s really worth spending on.

The bag: 44L CabinZero backpack

My backpack of choice is the CabinZero Military 44L – I’ve carried different versions of the CabinZero which you can see from this in-depth review here, but my favourite of the lot is the CabinZero Military.

I carry this bag on most trips whether it’s a weekend getaway or 5 months of globetrotting. It’s easier to navigate street kerbs and narrow train corridors with a backpack on your back vs wheelie luggage – anyone who’s had to drag a suitcase over European cobblestones especially knows how painful (and loud) that is.

A note: I’ve definitely exceeded the weight limit for carry-on just because of how much you can squeeze into this bag, but some airlines don’t bother to check when they see it’s a soft backpack. This doesn’t apply to strict budget airlines though which may have smaller bag sizes – you may need to pay to upgrade the size of your bag or check it in.

There are cons of course, in that I have to be quite disciplined about what I pack or buy back home as I have very limited space available. I have checked this bag several times before when I ended up buying wine or liquids back, and it’s managed quite well so far. There are smaller 36L and 28L versions as well now (I recently bought the 28L for when I carry a suitcase), but I like having the option to max out by cabin luggage when I can (again, this depends on the airline you fly with).

How to organise: Packing cubes

Packing cubes and pouches really help me organise my stuff on the go, especially with a bag like the CabinZero that doesn’t have many internal pockets.

I have a basic system that I’ve developed from the constant travelling on my career break that helps me pack quickly and I know where most things are immediately and whether I missed out anything.

• 1 x large CabinZero packing cube: for all my clothes. I like the partial mesh so you can tell the contents
• 1 x medium CabinZero packing cube: for all my underwear and socks and swim gear
• 1 x small Camper’s Corner Pac it Sac: for key random stuff (towel, first air kit, spare shoes, random stuff), when closed it’s the same size as the CabinZero medium. I intentionally used a different cube so I can differentiate this from the CabinZero easily by feel when I stick my hand into my bag, and this one is expandable with an additional zip
• 1 x Flight001 Seatpak: for all my computer accessories and adapters. It packs a surprising amount [amazon affiliate link]
• 1 x Flight001 Shoebag: for my shoes [amazon affiliate link]
• 1 x Muji Hanging Toiletries case: for my toiletries [amazon affiliate link]
• 1 x Dynomighty Mighty Case: for my Surface Pro 3 laptop [amazon affiliate link] – sadly this Express Mail design seems to be out of stock! It just fits my 13″ Macbook Pro.

Typically I pack in 2 layers – the big cubes (clothes and misc) go in first to form that base layer and fill out the shape, and then everything else piles on top if necessary.

What clothing to pack

Clothes form the bulk of what I pack, and my general rule of thumb if I don’t want to do laundry is to pack (X+1) days worth of clothing. When I was travelling for months at a go, I packed for about 10-14 days worth of outfits + underwear without having to do laundry.

• Clothes: I wear a mix of dresses, tunics, t-shirts and singlets, all dependent on the itinerary of course. I prefer cotton/linen pants (‘backpacker pants’) and rarely carry jeans unless it’s very cold, and even then I tend to layer up with tights and leggings instead. It’s definitely easier (and lighter) to pack for a summer itinerary than a mixed/winter itinerary
• Underwear: I’m kinda lazy to do laundry on shorter trips so I also pack (X+1) days worth of undies, but if you don’t mind you can always pack less and handwash on the go – I’ve known people who live with just 3 pairs over months, but I can’t do that! I tend to wear more bralettes or sports bras so there’s less underwire (more compact), and I always have at least one bikini with me in case of water activities that can double as emergency undies.
• Shoes: I generally always carry 3 essential pairs of shoes unless I know it’s gonna be a beach resort thing – I wear my heaviest walking/trekking shoes, carry a pair of flipflops and have a spare pair of nicer walking shoes for when I’m tired of my Timbs or want to dress up a bit more.

What toiletries to bring

I’m using Lush products to try and cut down on liquids which is a pain for carry-on – the shampoo bars I like, the conditioner bars not so much because it takes a lot to work on my thick hair. The shower jelly was fun but it’s so messy when it disintegrates into little pieces. Other than that, most of the other essentials are:

• Facial wash and moisturiser: I don’t have much of a skincare routine to be honest
• Toothpaste: I’m testing out toothpaste pellets and powder but am still ambivalent
• Deodorant: especially when you’re on public transport and in hostels
• Sunblock: I personally like Sunplay with menthol and is also waterproof but I’m not too picky about it
• Insect Repellent: Again as long as it works, but my personal favourite is Detar which sadly I’ve only managed to find in Ecuador of all places

Essential tech gear for travellers

I definitely need a good travel adapter that lets me charge multiple devices at a go just because of the sheer amount of tech gear that I carry. Usually I need to charge my phone, battery pack and cameras overnight to ensure I have enough juice for the next day of travel.

• External Hard drive: I swear by this particular Buffalo 1TB External Hard drive [Amazon affiliate link] with built in USB wire. I have an earlier version that has lasted me more than 10 years so far!
• Several flash/thumbdrives: Just in case for smaller file transfers
• SD card adapter + Mini SD card(s): For the camera
• Cables: At least 1 USB/Lightning Cable (for iphone) and several microUSB cables (everything else), cables with multiple heads are always useful
• Travel Adapter: Usually I carry 2 multi adapters in case of configurations or failure. I prefer those that have USB ports in them

I tried out the Mogics Power Bagel, something I’ve heard about for awhile and I quite like this. I like that it works almost like an extension cord, so you don’t have to crouch down in weird corners just to use your phone while it’s charging. There are 2 built in USB ports (so important these days) and another 4 slots for plugs of different sizes/shapes, and it’s encompassed into a relatively flat and compact size. Thumbs up for the Mogics Power Bagel, I definitely will be using this  a lot more down the road.

The other adapter I tried was the Zendure Passport Adapter which is a bit of a block but has 4 (!) USB ports which is way more than any other adapter I’ve used before. It’s selling point is that it has an auto resetting fuse which is supposed to make it ‘virtually indestructible’ – I haven’t had the chance to try that out for myself, but I do like have 4 USB ports to use, but the size/shape means it can be a bit tricky if the power outlet space is rather small or squishy.

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For daily exploration: Daypack

I like a small haversack to carry around during the day, and my pack of choice was the Riutbag Crush, the first ‘backwards backpack’ that I had heard about with the zippers resting against your back instead of facing outwards. I like the Crush as well because it is light and folds up very small, useful if you need to stash it away.

When the Travelab folk contacted me about their Freedom Pack, I will admit to being rather surprised by its blatant similarity to the Riutbag Crush – it essentially is the same concept with the fold-up lightweight backwards zippered backpack, but they have made some additional tweaks to the bag like adding side pockets that I think does improve the functionality of the bag.

I have started carrying more camera gear with me as I’ve needed to do some filming while travelling, so I borrowed my sister’s Peak Design Sling bag and it’s a great size that fits most of my stuff while also being very handy and easy to pull out cameras from easily as compared to a backpack. However, I definitely prefer backpack style bags as slings tend to make my shoulders ache unevenly.

Essential travel items for carry on

I carry my essential gear in my daypack or in a smaller sling if airlines are being super strict about the one-bag policy. This constitutes:

Wearables

• Light scarf: Good multipurpose item for some protection against cold, sun, bad smells, insects… and when you need to cover up for religious sites. My scarf is a translucent silk type material that packs very small and is pretty enough that I use it to dress up casual wear for restaurants
• Light jacket: I get cold pretty easily, and I like having a hoodie for planes as well. My Uniqlo hoodie is pretty breathable so I use it a lot for sun protection as well because it has sleeves that hook over your thumbs (great for cycling or scootering under the sun) – I carry multiples of this when I have a lot of outdoor activities especially.
• Small towel: Especially in summer situations, I tend to perspire a lot, so this is a lifesaver. I have a cheap tiny microfibre towel from Decathlon

Entertainment

• Audio: I always have at least one set of earphones – I favour the wireless Sudio ones but when I forget to charge which happens quite often, I have the default apple earphones with the lightning jack. I also always have at least one pair of earplugs in the event of noisy hostels.
• Camera Gear: I’ve recently switched to the Sony RX100 III [Amazon affiliate link] for photos, and got myself my beloved Casio Exilim FR100L [Amazon affiliate link], an upgraded version of my unfortunately drowned FR100. The rest of the microphones, mounts and tripods are more for when I need to do serious filming.

Other practical things to pack

• Tote Bags: I have at least one foldable tote bag with me in my daypack in case of groceries or shopping. I usually carry Baggu tote bags, but since I discovered the Notabag in a museum shop in Vienna, I end up carrying that the most as it can convert from a shoulder sling to a backpack which is super useful for spreading out the weight or if you end up cycling. It does cost more than a regular tote, but I think the innovation is worth it, and while you probably shouldn’t be carrying too heavy stuff in it to prolonged periods, I’ve used mine quite a lot and it’s still going strong.

• Water Bottle: I’ve been looking for a good reusable water bottle that I can compress when I’m not using it, and the Stojo 20 oz bottle is my current bottle of choice. I like that it can squish down into something smaller but is also easy to clean.

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So in a rather large nutshell, that’s how I pack for my travels – happy to try and answer any questions you might have or tips you might want on packing to carry-on, just drop a note in the comments.