Travel Tips: Pack Light and Fly With Carry-On Only

Flying with only a carry-on is not about deprivation. It is about choosing better items and refusing to pack for a trip that never happens.

Start with the bag, not the clothes

Most packing problems are bag problems. A bag that is too big invites you to fill it. Choose a carry-on of around 40 litres, which fits the overhead bins of nearly every airline and still holds a week of clothing if you choose well.

Check your airline before you buy. Budget carriers often allow less than the international standard, and a bag that fails one sizer becomes a checked bag with a fee at the gate.

Choose clothes that do more

Merino wool and technical synthetics dry overnight, resist smells and pack small. Cotton is comfortable at home and a liability on the road because it holds water and weight. Build your wardrobe from a few quick-drying pieces in colours that all match.

Three tops, two bottoms, one mid-layer and one rain shell will cover most trips if you do laundry. That sounds thin until you realise you will wear the same favourites every day anyway.

The layer rule

Wear your heaviest shoes and bulkiest coat onto the plane. This keeps them out of your bag and keeps you warm in a cold cabin. Shoes are the biggest waste of space, so limit yourself to two pairs: one comfortable walking pair and one that can pass at dinner.

If a trip needs formal wear you do not own, rent it at the destination. Buying a suit to wear once defeats the whole idea of packing light.

If you cannot carry it up a flight of stairs at midnight, it is too heavy.

Toiletries and the liquid limit

Decant everything into small bottles and keep the total under the liquid allowance. Solid shampoo bars, a deodorant stick and a bar of soap skip the liquids rule entirely. Buy the big items, like sunscreen, when you arrive.

A small laundry kit changes everything. A sink plug, a travel line and a few detergent sheets let you wash and dry overnight, which is what makes a week of clothes stretch into two.

What to leave at home

Leave the just-in-case items. The extra camera, the second pair of jeans, the formal shoes and the full-sized towel rarely get used. If you truly need something, you can almost always buy it at the destination for less than the checked-bag fees you would have paid.

Leave the heavy electronics too. A phone, a charger and one adapter cover most travellers. For the financial cover that protects the bag itself, read our travel insurance guide, or browse more Travel Tips.

the International Air Transport Association publishes the carry-on and battery rules that airlines build their own limits on.