How to Travel With Carry On Only

Travel, international or domestic, be it for a week, a month, or multiple months is very much easier if you just pack a carry-on bag. Luggage slows you down physically and mentally. Learn to ditch the extra luggage and travel with just a carry-on bag. It’s the way to go! In this post, we tell you how to travel with carry-on only, updated for 2024.

Carry On Only Travel

I just got back (2024) from a multi country, multi climate month long trip with just a 7 kg carry on. And that included 2 formal wedding outfits! Learn how, and why, carry-on travel is better, here.

If you’ve been following us right from the start, you’ll know that I always said I’d never travel with carry on only. I even wrote a post about why we’d never travel light. We just had too much stuff as long-term travellers and the children were too small for their own, decent-sized, packs. Well, that was then, this is now, and lately, we’ve turned to flying carry-on only, almost always. We’ve become very proficient as our travel style has changed. Let me give you some expert tips to have you flying with just hand luggage, like a pro!

Rules and Packing For Carry-On Travel

When we travel light the following realities apply.

You will do laundry. I hand wash items and they’ll dry quickly in most hotel rooms with aircon or fans. Larger items, like jeans, I can get laundered overnight.

If I have any old clothes that I’m on the point of throwing out, I may pack them. That way, when they get dirty I’ll have no issues with throwing them out and buying new.

I weigh clothes. If it’s a choice between two pairs of trousers I’ll often take the lightest.

All of my clothes co-ordinate, I don’t have to think about outfits.

2 pairs of shoes is the max. The heavier pair of shoes must be worn on the plane. These may be walking boots or running shoes (I’m a runner) depending on the trip. The second pair is usually flip flops. On my last trip I took Berkenstocks in place of flip flops. That was a mistake, they were terrible shoes for travel and not suited to heat and humidity. I threw them out. I’ll buy more to use at home but they won’t be going travelling again.

I take black running tights and I wear them as pants or leggings. They wash and dry easily as does most sports wear. Look at sports brands like Lulu Lemmon, Lorna Jane and Sweaty Betty for women’s (and men’s) sportswear that does double duty for travel. I also take at least one pair of jeans plus baggy pants for very hot climates. Jeans work for us in any climate, from the Himalayas to the Equator.

A large scarf that could double as a sarong or improvised blanket is one of my essentials. It can be worn on the flight. It can keep you warm or cover your shoulders in the sun. I buy the real locally made Hirbawi kufiyas, direct online. (You can look them up.)

International Travel With Carry-On Only

International and multi-climate travel with just a carry-on bag is easy. We do it all the time. We often find that our trips are multi-country and that at least one flight will be on a budget airline. This means that our free baggage allowance on the full-service airlines has to be sacrificed. We pack for the flight with the smallest, lightest, baggage allowance.

If our return flight to home base is on an airline with a free baggage allowance, we may take advantage of that. We can fill up one of the bags with new clothes or souvenirs and stow it in the hold. We’ve also bought new bags occasionally to carry purchases home. If you have a free baggage allowance, use it as best suits you.

Carry-on only is actually not a headache. Taking a very small amount of hand luggage for a weekend, 1 week, 2 weeks, or a month is easy if you use our tips.

Advantages of Carry-On Only Travel

As I’m seeing more and more incidents of lost and destroyed baggage, carry-on travel is our favourite way to go. We had our hold luggage go missing three times in the seven years we travelled full-time. Each time the bags appeared a day to three days later. This is good reason to always carry a toothbrush and change of underwear, plus any other essentials, in your airline carry on bag.

We check in for flights online. This usually means that we can skip the lines at the check in desks and head straight for departures. It’s quicker and easier to dodge the queues. Not going to the desk also means your bags won’t be weighed. You may get away with some extra weight, but it’s a risk. We’ve seen carry on bags weighed at the departure gates quite a few times. We like to keep our bags at 7 kg, the heaviest weight most budget airlines allow.

Can You Take A Second Item of Luggage?

Some airlines allow a “personal item” such as a woman’s purse or a laptop bag. Most budget airlines do not allow this. That said, I’ve always carried a small cross-body anti-theft bag at airports (mine is this one) and the male members of the family have larger cross-body sling bags like this. If it’s under a jacket, you should be OK and your passports and phone will be easier to access at security. Our extra bags will always fit inside our main carry-on bags if they have to.

My son carries a 1 kg gaming console (a Steam Deck) in his cross-body bag. He’s had no issues. Occasionally he’ll be asked to put the bag under his seat.

If you’re very close to the weight limit, be ready to stash heavy items in pockets, put on your jacket etc.

Our main, preferred carry-on bag is an Osprey Farpoint 40L. It’s sold as a men’s bag but I use it too. They come in different-sized harnesses, we have the M-L and it works for the whole family. It’s been a fantastic piece of hand luggage and we can also stow it under the plane if we have to.

My personal carry-on bag was bought in a shop in Vietnam and is small enough to fit under a seat. It’s a bit like this one. It has a laptop sleeve.

One extra hack is below.

Below are reasons why carry on only travel is easier than travel with checked hold luggage.

• The fewer bags you have, the less likely you are to lose one or have one stolen.
• Dodge budget airline fees for checked baggage.
• No waiting to check bags in. Just check in online the day before.
• No waiting at airport carousels for bags to appear.
• No chance of the airline losing your checked bag or suitcase.
• Easier onward travel by bus, taxi or train.
• Packing and unpacking are less of a drama, take less time, and less thought.
• Fewer clothes make for a simpler life. Minimalism reduces stress.
• Lighter bags are easier on your body.
• You have everything at hand on the plane – super useful on freezing budget flights where no blanket is provided.

Disadvantages of Taking Only Carry-On For Travel

There certainly are disadvantages to only taking a carry on. Toiletries can become a headache on some airlines but these days carrying liquids is becoming easier and there are more and more solid, plastic-free, products on the market. Take a look at bars of all sorts on Amazon or find them in your local shops.

Personally, I only carry toothpaste and tinted moisturiser, no other liquids in my carry-on. These can both be in the required clear plastic bag, easy to pull out. Some airports provide these, others don’t. Take a sandwich bag from home.

It’s nice sometimes to have a big pack or suitcase that you can dump in the airport or at your accommodation, leaving you with less to carry every day.  I actually enjoy carrying a full-sized backpack as a workout and it gives you the convenience of having everything you need. So for big trips, still take the big packs but theft or loss is a worry.

Being based in Europe (and likewise in Asia), we fly budget airlines frequently and carry on luggage saves us a lot of money on these short-hop flights making this sort of travel convenient, but still for long-term travel we sometimes prefer to take our hold baggage.

We all sometimes need our laptops, camera gear, toys, multi-weather and sports gear along with the school books.

Limited clothing makes laundry an almost daily necessity which can be a real bind and tie you down.

That said, the kids have never checked a bag. We grown-ups carried their school books, toiletries, and electronics so that all they carried was a small bag of clothes until they were old enough for adult-sized carry-on luggage.

Bags For Carry On Only Flights

A lot of people use hard-sided wheeled cabin baggage. If you’re not a frequent flyer you may not know that hard-sided, wheeled suitcases attract far more attention from airline staff at the boarding gate and even at the steps of the plane.

We’ve seen wheeled cases removed from their owners a lot. Really, a lot.

Check-in crew and airline staff seem much more inclined to let soft bags and backpacks onto their planes. You score bonus points for using a bag so soft and squishy that it will fit beneath the seat in front of you.

Those overhead bins do get full and you do not own the space above your seat.

Check our post on the choice of backpack, travel pack, or suitcase. A travel pack is different, it opens more like a suitcase for better opening, but you can also carry it on your back.

Beware being overweight at the gate. Some airlines (We’ve seen Wizz Air and Jetstar do this) will weigh your carry-on at the gate and hand out extra baggage charges on the spot. Be ready for this by reading our tips and hacks.

Each airline seems to have different size and weight regulations for carry on travel bags and baggage, always check with your airline. Air Asia and Air Malaysia, for example, are particularly small.

Bags designed to fit under typical airline seats now exist. An under-seat bag you can clean would be a good choice. Take a look at a dedicated under-seat carry on bag here.

Our usual carry on bag, is, however, an Osprey Farpoint which gives us

• superb quality
• a good, comfortable harness with hip strap
• harness zips away when needed
• multiple internal pockets and compartments
• brightly coloured inside, so much easier to find things
• good compression straps for load stability and to make it look smaller at airports.
• compartments can be padlocked
• laptop pocket
• lifetime guarantee
• perfect EU carry on size (check your airline – could change)

The Farpoint is officially slightly too big for some airlines, but we’ve never had an issue with it. It’s a roomy bag and would also do well as checked baggage. Take a look at this bag here. This is the man’s version, which we own, there is also a women’s version, the Fairview. My teens and tweens also use this bag. The compression straps (2 sets) really allow you to conch it in, so that it’s dimensions can be reduced.

If you’re looking for a bag packed with design features and absolutely dedicated to the modern traveller, look at these bags from Nomatic. They’re not cheap, but bags like this are made with the tech-savvy frequent traveller in mind. We love the incredible variety of compartments and organisational features. Particularly the travel laundry bin that is included in the 40L travel pack.

Should You Use Packing Cubes With Carry On Luggage?

No, packing cubes and organisers only add to weight and bulk, so for carry on travel we don’t use these items very often. I may use one small lightweight organiser for leads and adaptors, or for underwear.

We don’t use a fancy washbag either, for the same reason. I just wrap toothbrushes and razors in a washcloth. This method works really well for us.

I have a very lightweight nylon bag for dirty laundry and shoebags that I made from old T shirts. Nobody wants dirty shoes or laundry in a bag with their clean clothes.

That laundry bag is mostly empty, I stay on top of laundry daily where possible.

1 to wear, 1 to wash, 1 for spare is a good rule for packing light, but we always manage to carry more clothing than this, plus a laptop and other electronics, and still be within our 7 Kg limit.

Items You Can’t Take in Carry On Luggage

You must check your airline’s regulations as rules change almost daily. Generally, it’s not possible to carry sharp objects when you fly carry on only, so items that were essential to us when we were on the road full-time, have to stay at home when we travel with just hand luggage.

These prohibited items include:

• Pen knives, with cork screw, for emergencies.
• Nail scissors, for nails, hair, every scissor-requiring situation.
• Tweezers – but on the last seven flights I had tweezers in my bag and nobody noticed.
• My tripod – because it has spikes on the end of the legs, most do.
• Marmite (unless you know how to pack it)
• Regular sized bottles of shampoo, sunblock, etc. are banned. All liquids need to be under 100ml in volume and be stashed in a clear plastic zip-lock bag for certain airlines. Yes, toothpaste counts as a liquid. We used to find the idea of buying on arrival or dumping before departure terribly wasteful and unnecessarily expensive, but now, with a home base, we can decant into mini travel-sized bottles or easily stock up on perfect carry on sized toiletries. Solid shampoo, conditioner, and wash bars are fantastic. Look here. I haven’t travelled with shampoo for a few years, hotels provide it, some hostels don’t.

Carry On Only Tips and Hacks

Carry on only travel brings with it issues of weight allowance. We aim to stay under 7 Kg with just one piece of luggage, our carry-on backpacks, because this is the minimum allowance we face.

Staying under 7Kg actually isn’t hard even with the amount of electrical equipment we carry as professional travel bloggers. Here’s a hack for you!

You are pretty unlikely to have your backpack weighed, airlines seem to target hard luggage and wheely bags far more than soft luggage, but, should the worst happen, be ready.

Items on your body are not part of your weight allowance so have a coat, hoody or cargo pants with plenty of pockets. This is similar to the deep-pocketed, lightweight rain jacket I now always pack (I actually wear my son’s child’s version).

Either turn up at the airport with pockets stuffed with your heaviest items or have your jacket (zip-up pockets are best) pre-loaded with battery packs, chargers, and any heavy item in your pack. I even have a pocket that will take the drone.

Then if the attendant tells you your bags are overweight just pop your jacket on, too easy!

If you don’t need a rain jacket, instead grab a travel vest. These are designed for the job and basically, everything you’d normally have in your carry-on, will go in the pockets. Take a look at a travel vest here.

Carry On Tips Checklist

• Knowing the regulation weight and size of carry on bag should go without saying.
• Wear all your heaviest gear to fly and if your baggage is over-weight, wear more!  
• Act like your carry on bag is as light as a feather, casually sling it over one shoulder.
• Airline staff are often far more forgiving of backpacks than hard wheely bags
• If your carry on bag will fit under the seat in front (soft bags are best) they’ll love you more
• Don’t fold, roll!
• Toothbrushes and dry toiletries can be wrapped in a washcloth or zip lock bag, ditch the bulky wash bags if you have to.
• Keep your small liquids together in a ziplock in an outer pocket, ready for customs. Outer mesh pockets on the Osprey bag are great for this.
• To breeze through those X-ray machines, don’t wear a belt, don’t wear jewellery, don’t wear an underwired bra, leave your shoes loosely laced to slip off and on, and don’t take your laptop. On a recent trip, I took seven flights and never had to take a single item out of my bag because I wasn’t carrying a laptop. The whole thing, including the drone, just went straight through the machines.

For short trips, you won’t need to carry a cure for everything. We find, after 3 years of practice, that it’s best to carry a small stock of the things you may need.

Essential Travel Document Check List

Paper free is better and these days it’s rare to have to print your travel documents. Many airlines allow online check-in or check-in via a machine at the airport. This method is super easy and cuts queues and paper wastage.

You must get the airline’s app on your phone and be sure your phone is charged and has a local sim or free airport wi-fi. It’s a simple way to be a more eco-friendly traveller, cut the paper. We buy our SIM cards online from SIM Corner, we have for years, buy yours here.

All of our phones are unlocked and dual sim. Because we travel we know we’ll change sims often.

• Passports
• Printed Flight Booking or Airline App with Electronic Flight Booking and Boarding Pass from electronic online check-in.
• Printed Hotel Reservation or App
• Printed Car Hire Papers or App
• Insurance Papers or App
• Small stash of home country cash – we get local cash on arrival. Check which currency your visa needs to be paid in.
• Driving license

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Items We Need For Long-Term Travel That We Don’t Need for Carry-On Travel

Shorter trips are normally focused on one climate, one destination, so multi-climate gear isn’t needed, and neither is multi-activity gear. Our normal travel essentials are for longer trips. On a short trip you can pack precisely and pack lighter.

So for Nepal we don’t need swimwear, for London we don’t need sleeping bags, for Sri Lanka we don’t need hiking boots, and so on.

Shorter trips are much easier to pack for. You’ll know before you leave if you’ll need to take mosquito nets, sheet sleeping bag liners and down jackets. You probably won’t.

School books, notebooks, pens and pencils, on short trips we don’t carry them.

If you want to learn more about worldschooling and travel on the road, including what resources we normally use, click through.

So that’s it, just about everything we’re learned about how to travel with just a carry on, as a family, with children, or solo, we do it all. Did we miss anything? Is there anything we should add? Let us know in the comments. Maybe you’d like to look at our pre-vacation checklist just in case there’s something you forgot to organise.

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