Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that, by clicking on a link and making a purchase of something to go in your carry-on bag, results in a small percentage of compensation to me at no extra cost to you. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We stand by all of the products that we recommend.
Carry-On Bag. Hand Luggage. Cabin Baggage. Whatever you call it, losing your luggage just once really gets you thinking about how to pack your carry-on bag so that you aren’t totally screwed when you arrive at your destination. In this post, I’ll show you what to pack in your carry-on bag so you can travel stress-free to any destination during the springtime!
Losing your luggage also makes you realize how little you can travel with and be okay. And it will forever change the way you organize your things when traveling – when that possibility of the airline losing your bag becomes a reality! You know, so that you don’t get stuck in Barcelona and London for over a week without your suitcase and have to buy all new clothes. Speaking from experience here.
Of course, the list varies depending on the season. Since we’ve just entered springtime, I thought the most useful list to start with is the Spring edition. Without further ado – here are my
Top 15 Things to pack in Your Carry-on Bag: Spring Edition:
Here’s a similar carry-on bag by Ricardo that you can purchase:
1. A Comfortable Pair of Dress(y) Shoes
You don’t want to be stuck without your luggage and have to wear your airplane shoes (which are usually not fancy, let’s be honest) to a nice dinner out. But, I have a confession. I hate wearing high heels, but I can’t help but buy them. Except I never want to wear them and they hurt my feet way too much. So, I know for a fact that I won’t wear them if I go somewhere on vacation, especially if I’ll be walking a lot or walking on cobblestones. Instead,I leave them at home and instead opt for practical (but cute) flats. My current obsession is the Crocs (Wait, hear me out!) crocs Women’s Rio Ballet Flat [Edited October 23, 2019: The Rio is sold out in most sizes but the Crocs Women’s Eve Slingback is comparable and I own 2 pairs of these, too!] It’s comfortable, flexible and does not look like a typical shoe made by Crocs. I wear the black ones to work daily and folks are shocked when I tell them that they’re Crocs. You can dress them up or down, so they’re also great for roaming the streets during the day with jeans.
My husband has a great pair of black Hush Puppies that look great but don’t pinch. While they take up a lot of room in his bag, they are worth toting around in the carry-on bag in case his big bag winds up in Chicago and we’re in Boston – with dinner plans that don’t involve a hot dog at Fenway.
2. For A Woman, Basic Makeup. For A Man, Hair Stuff or Shave Kit
Maybe it’s more important for a woman, but it can be hard to replace a full cosmetic bag in a pinch. Plus, makeup can get really expensive, especially for the good stuff. Save yourself a headache and a trip to the nearest pharmacy by taking your basics with you in your carry-on bag. If you’re a guy and you have your go-to hair products or shave kit, don’t depend on them being available in your destination country, either. Pack them in your hand luggage if you have TSA-approved sizes and prevent yourself from looking like the Unibomber on Day 5 of your trip.
I have several makeup bags but I really love 2 in particular: one is by Ted Baker and one is by bareMinerals. The Ted Baker one is more stylish but the bareMinerals makeup bag keeps things organized better. The bareMinerals one is no longer available but this cute organizer is super similar inside, waterproof and hangs up – which means that I’m gonna get one! 🙂
3. Deodorant
For the love of God, do yourself a favor and pack your deodorant in your carry-on bag. Imagine a scenario where your deodorant is chillin’ on a conveyor belt in Kuala Lumpur but you’re sitting inside a cramped bus in Santiago en route to the hotel. Or, if you can’t shower on a layover, how do you ameliorate that mid-flight stink without reapplying?
This packing item is especially important if you use “clinical strength” deodorant in the United States. Guess what doesn’t exist in other countries? Good deodorant. Shocking, I know. But no single deodorant I found in Argentina or in Europe was better than my Secret or Degree Clinical Strength.
I also actually have recently discovered a natural deodorant that I like called Lume. You can put it anywhere. I mean anywhere. Sitting for prolonged periods of time may not be the best thing for the things you’re sitting on, so why not treat them to a little freshening up, too? I like the Jasmine Rose scent, so I’ve featured that one here.
4. One Pair of Pants (Trousers) or Jeans
You’ll want at least one change of pants (trousers, if you’re English) to change into once you peel off your in-flight bottoms, trust me. Shorts for women aren’t always acceptable (can’t wear them at the Vatican, for example), so pack those in your checked bag and bring a pair of pants or trousers in your carry-on bag, just in case.
5. Three Extra Pairs of Underwear
Not having to buy a change of underwear as soon as you get to your hotel and settle in will buy you some time and peace of mind. Having a few extra pair can help stop you from rescheduling your tours and plans and fit shopping into your schedule, rather than the other way around.
6. One Scarf or Wrap
Airplanes can get really cold, especially on overnight flights, and especially if you have a window seat (yes, they are actually colder to sit in than aisle seats!). Other than layering up, a scarf is a great solution to a frigid cabin, for dressing up a casual outfit, changing your look when you reach your final destination, and to throw in your bag for a visit to a church where visitors are required to cover bare shoulders.
I’m obsessed lately with my Luna Scarf from Fabletics.com – it’s reversible and has snaps all the way up the end and can be turned into a small blanket, too. It’s no longer available, but this wrap from HappyLuxe would be the perfect substitute:
7. A Multi-Way Dress or a No-Iron Dress Shirt
Big dinner plans for the night or two after you land? You won’t need to cancel them if you have some moderately fancy outfit to don in a clutch. A multi-way dress works great so you can wear it several nights if your luggage never actually shows up until you get home. Just make sure your shoes (see above) go well with it.
8. Smartphone or tablet (with charger and adapter)
Having your phone or tablet (Kindle, iPad) on your person is perfect not only for in-flight entertainment but receiving connecting flight updates while in transit and ensuring that baggage handlers don’t help themselves to your iPhone or tablet/iPad during security checks.
While you shouldn’t pack your camera in checked baggage (see why, up next!), it’s also good to keep your phone or tablet in your carry-on bag to have handy for spontaneous snaps of sunrise from your airplane window:
or your glass of pre-flight vino:
9. Camera
This item makes the list based on common sense (don’t pack really expensive things in your checked luggage!), but also from personal experience – or, at least, the experience of my parents.
You see, in the early ’90s my parents bought a bomb-ass camera (professional quality) for their first real solo vacation post-kids to Cancun, Mexico, flying out of JFK. However, their camera never made it to Cancun with them, because it was stolen by a baggage handler at JFK airport. How do they know this? My mom observed the bag being put on the belt differently than the other bags that were being checked, as some kind of signal to the folks in the back that some treasure could be inside. To this day, they have never gotten a “nice” camera to replace the one that was stolen.
We use the Canon EOS Rebel T3i as our go-to DSLR and we love it. We bought it several years ago and they’re now up to a T7! But here’s a link to the latest iteration of this camera with a pretty great bundle of accessories that you’d want to buy, anyway, if you are serious about upping your travel photography game:
We actually have a separate bag for it, which you can purchase by clicking on the photo below if you already have a camera. The outside pockets are CLUTCH:
10. Three Shirts That Can be Layered
Having a few shirts to change into and adapt to changing weather conditions will help lengthen the amount of time you’ll be able to eek out before hitting the local shops at your destination. You can also launder two of them during the day if you really need to, or wear them in different combinations so it doesn’t look like you’re wearing the same thing every day. A t-shirt and two long-sleeved shirts work well if you think it’ll be cooler, and a t-shirt, tank top, and long-sleeved shirt work well if you think it’ll be warmer.
11. Two Pairs of Socks or 1 Pair of Socks/2 Pairs of Tights
Okay, you might be thinking “This list is pretty long… how am I going to fit all this stuff into a carry-on bag?” I get it. So you need to be a little economical about how you handle the non-essentials. Even if I plan on wearing sandals or ballet flats my entire trip, I always try to pack a pair of socks. They’re good to have on the plane if your feet get cold, or to wear around your hotel room if there are no slippers, and walking around barefoot skeeves you (I actually kind of live barefoot, but to each their own). If you have a pair of shoes that require socks, then they’re a must. If you’re bringing a dress, you might want to consider some tights. Men, bring socks for your dress shoes. End of story.
12. A Sweater or Blazer/Dinner Jacket
A nice sweater or cardigan is great to have on hand for a warmer winter climate (think: more southern if you’re in the northern hemisphere) and is good for layering over a dress or top for added warmth. If you’re anything like me, most of your dresses or dress tops don’t have long sleeves.
For men, if you’re not already wearing a blazer or jacket to fly (most don’t nowadays, no judgment here!), think about packing one that doesn’t wrinkle easily in case you have dinner plans at a jacket-required restaurant. Even if you don’t plan on it and it’s only a possibility, it’s great to be ready for anything if the opportunity presents itself!
13. A Wallet/Clutch/Daypack/TOTE
Whether it’s packed in your “personal item” or in your carry-on bag, you better have your wallet, cash, and cards on you. This should be a no-brainer, people. It’s also smart to keep an empty/collapsible tote bag or daypack in your carry-on bag for sightseeing or expanding your luggage capacity on your way home, so you can cart home souvenirs without having to buy another suitcase. (Have it be bigger than your purse/personal item so that you can throw the purse or item in your tote or daypack and use it for more stuff!)
14. Jewelry, if any
NEVER pack your jewelry or watches in your luggage. This cannot be stressed enough – baggage handlers in major (and not so major) airports are always found guilty of pilfering passengers’ valuables – why take your chances? Throw all your jewelry into little bags (you can color-code them if you want) and then into one larger jewelry pouch or holder to keep things from getting stuck in other stuff and then inadvertently lost when you take things out of your bag.
These are great for keeping it all organized and tangle-free!
NEVER pack your passport or other important travel documents in your checked bag. I mean, really. You should keep your passport as accessible as possible during flight so you can fill your information in on immigration documents with your pen. I have lost count of the flights I’ve been on when everyone panics in search of a pen. Bring your own and be a hero on the flight.
IF there’s a chance you may be asked to gate-check your bag (the boarding area is super full, you’re unsure if your carry-on bag is too big for the overhead compartments, you’re boarding last, etc.) then make sure you transfer your passport to your pocket or purse ASAP. I cannot stress this enough. DO NOT PACK YOUR PASSPORT IN ANYTHING THAT MAY NOT STAY WITH YOU DURING YOUR FLIGHT.
Putting It All Together in your Carry-On Bag
You might think that everything I’ve listed above is too much to put in your carry-on bag or hand luggage and that you won’t have room for anything else. But, that’s not the case.
I put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and took photos from packing for our most recent trip to Argentina and Chile, just to show you how well this DOES fit into cabin luggage.
I didn’t have a Baggu to bring so I packed a canvas tote (perfect for the beach!), and I packed different Crocs flats (I wore my Rio flats on the plane), but as you can see, it’s not too much when it actually comes down to it.
And- voilá! Check out everything tucked away into the bag, with room to spare for all of the can’t-live-withouts for your in-flight comfort. Or, simply leave the room for some additional clothes or souvenirs purchased on your trip.
HAPPY TRAVELS WITH YOUR CARRY-ON BAG!
Is there anything you can’t live without in your hand luggage or carry-on bag, that I haven’t covered here? Got a tip to share? Tell me in the comments!
Pin this for later!
