Traveling light isn’t just about convenience—it can save you time, money, stress, and your back. Flying carry-on only means skipping long check-in lines, avoiding baggage fees, and eliminating the risk of losing your luggage. But packing light can feel like a daunting task, especially for longer trips or when you’re unsure of what to bring.
The good news? Traveling with just a carry-on is easier than you think! Here are 10 practical tips to help you pack smart and fly light on your next adventure.
1. Choose the Right Carry-On Bag
Before you start packing, make sure your carry-on bag meets airline size restrictions. Opt for a lightweight but spacious backpack with organization features, or a soft-sided suitcase to reduce your base weight. Hard sided luggage may be good for protecting sensitive items, but often weighs more than half your 7kg allowance, leaving you with little room to pack much else.
And when it comes to backpacks, try to maintain a 1:10 ratio between weight and volume. For example, a 40L backpack should weigh no more than 4lbs!
Pro Tip: A soft-sided bag is also more flexible and easier to fit into overhead bins.
2. Max out your Personal item
Many airlines permit both a personal item as well as carry-on (although there’s a growing trend of personal item-only fares), and in the many times we’ve traveled internationally, airlines never weighed our personal item bags, though your mileage may vary.
I tend to stuff all my heavy electronics (laptop, camera gear, smart glasses, powerbanks etc) into my personal item, allowing my carry-on bag to stay below the 7KG weight limit of most airlines.
Pro tip: Make your carry-on bag appear much larger than your personal item (but not enough to risk gate-checking) to minimize the risk of weighing the latter. Sticking to black colours for the bag helps make it look less bulky.
3. Pack Versatile Clothing
Clothing is easily the biggest space hoarder when travelling. Choose clothing items that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits. Neutral colors (like black, white, and gray) work well together, and layering pieces can keep your wardrobe adaptable to different weather conditions.
If you’re willing to invest a little more in your travel wardrobe, consider buying merino wool. Lightweight, odor-resistant, and impressively insulating, merino wool products can be worn for 2-3 days without a wash yet still smell perfectly fine, reducing the amount of clothes you need to bring along and the washing you need to do.
Example: A single pair of black jeans, a couple merino t-shirts, one merino sweater, and a lightweight jacket can cover most situations.
4. Use Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are a game-changer for organizing your carry-on. They help compress your clothing and keep everything neatly divided, so you can maximize space and find items easily.
I keep all my clothes in one compressible packing cube, making it super easy to find what I need while saving space in my pack.
Bonus: Want to keep your whole wardrobe in one packing cube? Select one with multiple compartments for easy organization!
5. Wear Your Bulkiest Items
Save space in your bag by wearing your heaviest or bulkiest items on the plane. Think jackets, boots, or sweaters. You can always remove layers once you’re onboard!
Pro Tip: Use jacket pockets to carry smaller items like a scarf or gloves, or heavier small items like powerbanks and compact cameras to save even more weight
6. Replace Heavy Items with Lightweight Alternatives
Whether it's pouches, clothes, shoes, backpacks, or even water bottles, there’s likely a lightweight alternative out there to help lighten your pack weight, and every weight saving can add up to a significant load off your back.
For example, Matador is a brand focused on packable travel gear, designing lightweight towels, toiletry pouches, packable backpacks, and more. I’ve recently switched from a heavy pouch by Wandrd to a Matador ultralight zipper pouch for cables and chargers, and that alone has cut my pack weight by 150 grams! Now imagine similar weight savings across the board.
Pro Tip: Before anything, make sure your shoes are as light as possible. As the saying goes, one pound on your feet = 5 pounds on your back!
7. Minimize Toiletries
Bring only the toiletries you truly need, and stick to travel-sized containers (under 100ml or 3.4oz to meet TSA regulations). Many hotels and Airbnbs provide basic toiletries like shampoo and soap, so you don’t need to pack everything. I use a Matador soap bar case to carry soap both for hand-washing laundry and showers.
Pro Tip: Use solid toiletries like bar soap, shampoo bars, and solid deodorant to save space and avoid liquid restrictions.
8. Limit Shoes to Two Pairs
Shoes take up a lot of space, so try to bring no more than two pairs—one casual pair for walking and one dressier pair if needed (or one for walking, another for exercise).
Pro Tip: Choose shoes that are versatile, lightweight and easy to pack.
Pro Tip 2: Like tip no.5, Wear your heaviest shoes on the plane.
9. Do Laundry on the Go
For longer trips, doing laundry can significantly reduce the amount of clothing you need to pack. Many accommodations offer laundry services, or you can pack a small travel detergent and wash items in the sink.
I use a Scrubba wash bag every time I travel, saving myself cash from laundry services especially in budget hotels that charge extra for the service.
Pro Tip: Quick-dry fabrics are ideal for hand-washing and drying overnight.
Bonus Tips
- Keep Essentials Accessible: Pack travel documents, medications, and other must-haves in an easy-to-reach spot, like a small pouch or backpack.
- Plan to Buy Items Locally: If you’re traveling to a destination where essentials like toiletries or basic clothing are affordable, consider buying them after you arrive.
Final Thoughts
Traveling carry-on only isn’t just about saving space—it’s about adopting a minimalist mindset that prioritizes flexibility and simplicity. By following these tips, you’ll be able to pack efficiently, breeze through the airport, and enjoy your trip without the hassle of heavy luggage. Note that many of the Matador products mentioned so far can be found on Amazon, letting you earn Max Miles for every purchase!
So, the next time you travel, challenge yourself to pack smarter, lighter, and better. Your future self (and back) will thank you!
Happy travels! ✈️
