The Essential Carry-On Packing List For Solo Travellers

This post will share the essential carry-on packing list for solo travellers.

With all the chaos going on in the airports with Air Travel this Summer, you would think people would stop checking in bags for their trips.

No, they would instead check in a – most likely – unnecessary bag and complain when they’re stuck at baggage control for hours.

Just as the pandemic has taught many valuable life lessons, you would think people would also learn from this situation, but no.

Besides veteran backpackers and solo travellers, the biggest issue many people face is overpacking.

Some people don’t know how to pack.

I don’t blame them, as packing is a learning skill.

I probably wouldn’t have learnt how to pack if I hadn’t become a frequent budget solo traveller.

Between the limited hostel storage and cutting down the excess flight costs, I learned to be a carry-on packer.

By the time Ryanair and Easyjet charged you an extra £20 for luggage, which could have gone into expenses for your trip, you would have no choice but to learn.

It’s been a year of regular travel, and my backpack is always ready.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t back your best bikinis and sarongs for your beach holiday.

All I’m saying is you should learn how to pack effectively in a carry-on to eliminate the need to check luggage during difficult times.

This post is for you if you want to learn how to travel with hand luggage only.

Here’s How To Pack Effectively & Save Money With This Carry On Packing List

When travelling with budget airlines, you usually get a 20-30L rucksack allowance for free as long as it can fit under the plane’s chair.

Lately, these airlines have not been strict about the size of these bags; as long as they don’t have wheels, you can stretch the limit a bit.

So, I usually pack for a 3-4 night trip with a 40L backpack.

Over time, I’ve learnt how to pack effectively, and now it is simple enough for my travels.

Now, if you want to extend your trip for up to two weeks without a maxi backpack, it is understandable to take carry-on luggage for convenience.

What you need to learn how to do now is to fit one to two weeks’ worth of essentials and split them between the free backpack allowance you get and the carry-on luggage you can add.

For someone who travels strictly with backpacks, that’s plenty of space.

You have no excuse whatsoever.

So, suppose you want to maximize all the carry-on luggage allowance without having any issues going through security and getting to your destination without losing your luggage.

In that case, these are the essential items you need:

Packing Cubes

Packing Cubes is a game-changer for people who are too lazy to pack.

They typically come in various sizes to help you compress and fit as many clothes as possible.

I got a pack of 9 and usually travel with my medium sizes as I can use one for fresh and the other for dirty clothes.

They have been so crucial in helping me organize my stuff to fit in my backpack.

Packing cubes would also teach you how to fold and roll your clothes, especially if you want to include many.

You can use them to organize the following items of clothing:

• Outfits & Underwear
• Shoes
• Extra bedding, towels or miscellaneous items ( I usually carry a silk robe, pillow case, nightgown and bonnet)

Transparent PVC Cosmetic Bags

If you’re buying a large set of packing tubes, they usually come with toiletry bags, which are only helpful when checking luggage.

But since we’re trying to learn how to travel with hand luggage only, you’ll need to go through security as expected.

To fast-track your time at security, you must get a couple of transparent PVC Cosmetic Bags for your liquids and electronics.

Trust me; it is such a game-changer.

On one of my previous trips, I passed through security in less than ten minutes because all my liquids and electronics were well packed.

Remember your liquids shouldn’t be more than 1000ml and should fit a medium 18 x 12 x 6cm PVC bag.

This also applies to small electronics like power banks and cameras.

Do this and watch yourself fly through security every single time.

People often scramble to sort their liquids so you can conveniently go through them without wasting time.

Some items you can organize and pack with your transparent PVC cosmetic bags include:

• Liquids
• Electronics
• Toiletries
• Chargers, Cables & Universal Adapters
• Makeup & Jewellery
• Disposable Cutlery, Padlocks & Tissues.
• Cash and coins.

Tote Bags and Plastic Bags

My carry-on packing list is almost complete between my packing cubes and transparent PVC bags.

But sometimes, I buy exact stuff like snacks on my way back that would not fit into my backpack.

I carry an extra tote bag and plastic bags in my backpack.

During my trip to Brussels in March, I bought a box of six Belgian chocolates.

There was no way they could fit into my backpack, so I had to carry them in my tote bag.

In my experience, these budget airlines are typically lenient with tote bags, particularly duty-free plastic bags.

They know that people would shop on their way back.

Other Essential Necessities

Depending on your budget, these may or may not be necessities in your carry-on packing list:

• Reusable water bottle: to save money buying bottled water. Tap water in Europe is generally safe, so you don’t need to buy water.
• Portable tripod: to help you take solo pictures. You can skip this if you’re fine asking strangers like me.
• Portable door lock: to keep yourself secured in a hotel room. I generally feel safer in hostel dorms than in hotel rooms.
• Inflatable neck pillow & sleep mask: this can be useful if you take a late or long flight and need to nap.
• Flight phone mount: to watch movies on the flight or in your dorm room. It has a clamp which you can adjust for convenience.
• Portable power bank: I have 5000mah and 10,000mah power banks with which I recently started travelling. But now that I’ve gotten a multi-port universal adapter, I won’t need to carry the 10,000mah one with me anymore.
• Passport & cardholder: If you have a small crossbody body, you might not need these, but having all your valuables where you can see them is nice.

General Carry-On Packing Tips

• Plan your outfits for each day: I promise you, you don’t need ten outfit changes. The most you’ll need is two during the summer, depending on your activities.
• Carry lighter jumpers during the winter: I had to get a new set of lightweight jumpers strictly for travelling because there’s no way I will travel with the heavy cable jumpers.
• Get travel sizes for your skincare and makeup: This goes without saying. To maximize your liquid allowance, get travel skincare sizes. The smaller, the better. Use solid products, e.g., a bar soap or sunstick, if possible. Also, use disposable products like sheet masks to save space. Here are some more travel skincare tips.
• Get a comfortable pair of sneakers for your entire trip to prevent the need to carry spare shoes. Depending on the weather, you can take an extra pair of sandals or flip-flops for the beach. You don’t need heels, especially if travelling in Europe. As someone said, the best footwear for travel is Docs, Birks and Crocs. So get yourself a pair of quality Dr. Martens boots and a pair of Birkenstock sandals.
• Invest in a quality backpack with good shoulder support. If you’re not carrying a suitable one, ensure you get a quality backpack. You don’t want to return from your trip with shoulder pains. Make sure it has a lot of compartments to fit a lot in. A lot of people love the sturdy Swedish Fjallraven Kanken backpacks.
• Get a hard case suitcase: If you’re not a fan of backpacks, make sure you’re getting a hard case suitcase. You want something that will withstand the wear and tear from constant trips.
• When unpacking from a previous trip, immediately repack for the next trip. This hack has been a game-changer as I never forget what to bring for my next trip. After repacking, I forget about packing until I’m ready for my next trip.

Finally

I hope you have found this carry-on packing helpful list. It is not a one-size-fits-all, as you can always bring whatever you can to make yourself comfortable.

But at least you know what to pack for your next trip.

If you have not gotten to a level where you can take frequent solo trips yet and you’re still taking local day trips, here is an essential backpack packing list for a day trip.