Pack Light, Travel Smart - How to Pack Only Carry-On Luggage for Any Trip

The question of whether it’s even possible depends on your trip. If you’re not doing anything that requires specialised gear – like hiking poles and boots, thick winter clothing, snow gear, underwater gear etc then I’d say absolutely. In fact, one portion of my trip was a tour hiking Mt Kilimanjaro using my own layers, boots and plenty of hired gear, so even then it’s possible!

The thing to remember is that you’re travelling with the “need to haves” rather than the “nice to haves”, meaning you can’t expect to have fresh outfits each day, maintain a 15-step skincare routine, or buy lots of souvenirs.

Long Flights are typically the most restrictive form of transportation, and hard to avoid depending on where you’re going. Generally speaking, airlines will allow one personal item (e.g. small bags such as a handbag, laptop bag, light backpack or tote bag) which can be comfortably placed under the seat in front of you, along with a cabin bag which is stowed in the overhead space.

The weight limit for a cabin bag can range between 7kg to 15kg, so it’s important to try and stick to a 7kg limit and always check your airline’s individual restrictions.

Full-service airlines usually include checked luggage which is great, whereas low-cost carriers will make you pay for checked luggage, and on occasion, even just one bag of hand luggage. For example, many budget airlines in Europe such as EasyJet and Ryanair will only allow the under-seat personal item and charge you for a cabin bag.

Another thing to remember is the liquid restriction as you’ll only be able to travel with containers of 100mL or less in your own carry-on. I usually had five 100mL bottles – body wash, shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser and a spare which I could swap out depending on what I needed to store. Sometimes this was insect repellent, sometimes sunscreen, and sometimes moisturiser. You also won’t be able to travel with aerosols, so consider alternatives for things like deodorants and dry shampoo.

You’ve got two options – either a carry-on suitcase or a backpack, and I’m a strong believer that backpacks are the perfect bag. They keep your hands free, allow for multiple compartments, easy access, their own pockets and parts for clipping on items, and aren’t a hindrance when walking along the cobblestoned paths in Europe or uneven dirt roads in Africa.

In this instance, size really does matter! Along with weight, airlines also have dimension requirements for bags to ensure they fit in overhead compartments. Standard carry-on dimensions are 56cm height x 36cm width x 23cm depth (22in x 14in x 9in). If you have a suitcase, the handles and wheels are included in those dimensions.

When looking at backpacks, reputable retailers will usually state whether or not the bags fit standard cabin bag measurements and it’s always handy to double check. I travelled with a 40 litre backpack which was absolutely perfect – this is usually the right size for carry-on bags. The backpack came with different compartments, its own waterproof shell, and support straps including a waist strap which I think are all important features to consider.

If you’re wondering what kind of bag to have as your additional “under seat” item, that’s entirely up to you and what you’ll be packing. Small backpacks will have more space, however on travel days you’ll need to be fine with wearing it on your front and this could feel quite bulky or uncomfortable on hot summer days.

I found a tote bag along with a travel pouch was the best combination, as the pouch containing valuables such as money, passports, AirPods etc could be placed in the tote bag for stricter airlines, and if the tote was ever not needed, it could be folded and put in the backpack. Totes are also really handy if doing a bit of food shopping and minimises plastic waste too!

Below is a list of items I think are important to help maximise space and ensure smooth sailing:

• Compression packing cubes. While regular packing cubes or even plastic bags are great for organisation, compression cubes will actually help save space, especially when you pack clothes, and good quality ones are a worthwhile investment
• Quality 100mL travel bottles. You don’t want cheap ones that will leak through your bags, invest in high quality bottles or refillable pouches that you can label/identify. Bonus points if you can get a clear case to store them in for ease when going through airport security.
• Microfibre travel towel. This is essential unless you’re planning on staying in hotels and resorts which always have towels available for you. They don’t take up much room or weight, and are perfect for the beach, camping, pool, or if you plan on staying in hostels.
• Lightweight shoes. It’s crazy how heavy shoes can be! I travelled with three pairs – some flipflops for beach days or hostel showers because they didn’t take up much space or weight, a pair of sneakers for walking around during the day, and my hiking boots for Mt Kilimanjaro. I couldn’t physically fit any more and had to wear my boots on travel days, but if I could do it again I’d choose lighter sneakers (Nike AF1s were not a great idea, oops), and if I weren’t hiking I’d swap the boots for either Birkenstocks or nice sandals for going out.
• Easy-to-dry clothes. Dirty clothes are a fact of life. Sounds like a rogue suggestion, but depending on how you’re travelling, you may need to wash a few items of dirty laundry yourself while travelling to keep things fresh! I would wash clothes a few times a week with underwear, swimwear and t-shirts, and it was handy to have all the clothes in a material that dried quickly since I was constantly on the move!

For those of you who want to see an example packing list – below is what I travelled with on an 8-month trip through Africa, Europe and Asia using only carry-on luggage as a female. It was a game changer. Feel free to use it as a guide and adapt to what you need for your trip!

• Passport
• Small wallet
• Portable charger/ phone charger
• Hand sanitiser
• Kindle
• Pen
• Phone
• Sunglasses
• Sneakers/hiking shoes/running shoes (I wore one pair and carried the other)
• Refillable water bottle
• Lip balm
• Tiny sewing kit

• Clear toiletry case (not a toiletry bag) with 5 x 100mL bottles, medication, small hairbrush, nail file, band aids and sanitary products
• Lightweight cap/hat
• 3 x pairs of socks
• 5 x pairs of underwear
• Flip flops
• 1 x swimsuit
• 4 x shirts/singlets
• 1 x flannel shirt/long-sleeve
• 2 x lightweight dresses
• 2 x pairs of leggings
• 1 x pair of bicycle shorts
• 1 x skirt
• 1 x thin scarf for covering shoulders when entering mosques, temples, churches etc.
• Small case with universal adapter and various charging cables
• Travel towel
• Fleece jumper
• Hiking gear including thermals, beanie, hiking socks, rainproof pants, rainproof coat and hiking pants (all can be omitted if not doing a big hike, however I recommend a raincoat for any travels!)

I personally think it was the second-best decision I made (the first being quitting my job and travelling full-time!) – having saved hundreds of dollars on additional baggage add-on fees, not once needing to worry about lost luggage, never waiting at a baggage claim carousel for my bags after long haul flights and generally finding it easier to travel with only 7kg on my back (much like a day pack) rather than lugging a large suitcase around.

If you’ve been thinking about it, going carry-on-only is the best tip to hassle-free travel there is. It just takes a little bit of planning, a little bit of sacrifice and whole lot of appreciation for what I like to call the ”light life”. Happy packing!