Deciding what to pack in your carry-on can be a confusing process. What's allowed to be taken on board the plane, and what stuff should you be stowing away in your checked baggage? What's essential and what's excessive? I've found that a little bit of trial and error helps you figure out what exactly to pack in your carry-on. After partaking in a multitude flights, I've narrowed down my carry-on packing list to the things listed below.
Front Pocket Essentials:
- Wallet (contents include driver's licence, debit card, credit card, travel insurance card, and currency for countries I have layovers in)
- Earphones
- Charge Cord
- Portable Charger
- Mints
- Gravol
- Kleenex
Hygiene- Related Items:
- Toothbrush (in pink toothbrush case)
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Baby Wipes
- Lotion
- Dry Shampoo
- Tampons
- Liners
- PLEASE NOTE: make sure you pack medications you'll be needing to take while in transit in your carry-on!
Comfort & Entertainment:
- Laptop (I'm fully charging mine before I leave so that I can store the charge cables in my checked baggage)
- Camera
- Camera Case
- Extra Camera Battery
- Mini Tripod
- USB Wall Adapter
- Another Portable Charger
- Book (I try to stick to thinner, paperback novels when traveling by plane to avoid excess weight and bulk)
- Notebook
- Pens
- Travel Pillow (I purchased a "Memory Soft" travel pillow for about $30 on Amazon. It compacts a bit to make it less bulky when it's being stored. If you're in the market for a travel pillow, definitely take a look at this one.
- Glasses & Case
- Water Bottle (My boyfriend was kind enough to buy me one that's compactable, so it's not taking up excess room when I'm not using it)
- NOT PICTURED: Snacks! It's no secret that airport food is unreasonably priced. To minimize spending, I recommend packing yourself snacks for in between major meals. This can include granola bars, fruit snacks, mini chocolate bars, small bags of chips, etc. Some snacks may take up a little extra room in your bag, but I promise it'll be worth it when you don't have to spend $4 on a pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
Also, take advantage of the free beverages, snacks, and meals that are offered to you on flights. You're paying a lot to be on that plane, so make sure you're getting your money's worth! I could go on and on about tips for eating while traveling... perhaps a post about this topic will be done in the future.
A lot of people/ travel companies/ etc. recommend that you pack a spare change of clothes when you travel (especially internationally). However, I wanted everything I took with me to fit into my backpack so I wouldn't have to worry about keeping track of multiple bags. Because of this, I stuck to the bare minimum in regards to extra clothing:
- An extra pair of socks
- Two pairs of underwear
- An extra shirt
- A small bag to store dirty clothes
AND FINALLY, THE ITEMS YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT FORGET:
- Passport (you'll be going nowhere fast if you forget this at home)
- Itinerary (either on your phone or printed off. Again, you won't really get anywhere if you don't know where you're going next)
- Money (to use in transit and once you reach your final destination)
- Travel Visa(s) (Keep in mind that most countries require you to have a travel visa even if you're just passing through the country. A lot of the time, your visa will be electronically attached to your passport, but it doesn't hurt to print off the confirmation in case the people at Customs give you any problems)
- The address of where you'll be staying upon your arrival (If you'll be staying at multiple places, just list the address of the first place you'll be staying, or where you'll be staying the longest. The people at Customs just want to verify that you won't be wandering the streets upon your arrival. And frankly, I think it'll be reassuring for yourself to have a confirmed place to stay once you reach your destination).
This packing list for a carry-on may seem a bit extensive, but I've found that the items previously listed are items that I always end up using (or am always thankful I took the time to pack). I hope this post helps you pack your own carry-on! Please let me know if there are any items you think I've missed, or if there are items I've packed that you think are unnecessary. I'd love to hear your feedback.
Wishing you the smoothest and safest of travels,
Jana
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