Knowing how to pack a carry on bag for 10 days, let alone any number of days, is an art. But it isn’t as difficult as you think it is. We’ve got pointers that’ll help you to pack your carry on bag with ease.
I love to travel.
It’s the bee’s knees for experiencing cultures firsthand without interruption.
But, I hate the packing part. I do!
Here’s the thing: I used to be an over-packer. If I were going on a 10-day trip, I would pack as though I were leaving for a month. It stressed me out, made me anxious, and I would be glad when my luggage was completely packed. It meant I didn’t have to think about it anymore.
Since then, I have packed for long trips in a carry-on and a personal bag because of their ease of use. Now, I pack the right amount and I rarely have anything unused during my travels.
So, I’m going to show you how I can make that happen for a 10-day trip.
Table of Adventures
Why Use a Carry-On Bag?
Here’s the thing. You’re probably wondering, “Why should I use a carry-on?” Well, isn’t it obvious?
- You avoid bag fees. After adding on a new ticket category called Basic Economy more airlines are limiting free checked bags on their flights. If you want to check a bag on JetBlue the fee is $30 per bag per way.
- Easy access to your belongings on a flight. While it’s not the easiest thing to do (getting your carry-on out of the overhead bin), it is far easier than pretending you can go under the plane and grab things. At least when you’re on the flight you can grab what you need as long as it’s safe to do so.
- Don’t need to wait at a carousel. You don’t need to wait! At large airports with a lot of luggage passing through it can take upwards of an hour to get your luggage from the baggage carousel. And that sucks. Imagine being able to cruise by those people waiting for their checked bags, too! *chef’s kiss*
- Infinitely lighter than heavy bags. You may have a bad back or any number of things. Having luggage that you can carry by the handle instead of lugging around behind you is a lifesaver! From escalators to stairs, using a carry-on suitcase can be life changing.
Difference Between Your Carry-On Luggage and Personal Item Bag
Your carry-on and your personal item bags are two separate entities if you bring both bags. If you are flying, you are only allowed one of each and their distinction is important.
The carry-on is stowed in the overhead bins while your personal item bag is stowed underneath the seat in front of you. Your personal bag can be anything from a purse, laptop bag, diaper bag, backpack, anything that is easy to carry on your person.
- Airline’s size requirements. The dimensions of carry-on luggage vary between luggage makers, but standard dimensions are 22” x 14” x 9” (that includes the handle and wheels). Yes, this includes a duffle bag.
- Airport security. Getting through security is typically a breeze the less you have. Don’t place electronics inside of your carry-on that can be placed inside of your personal bag. Laptops are a common item asked to place into their own bin.
Packing Your Personal Item Bag
This bag, for me, has my most important items – travel essentials outside of my comfort liquid toiletries. That includes my passport, travel documents, wallet, and any electronics (including those cool cord tacos). I also carry my reusable water bottle (no, not plastic water bottles for environmental reasons) as you can fill it once past security.
I also make sure to pack my toothbrush, toothpaste, a vial of lotion, and a change of clothes in here, too. Because even though I pack my carry-on bag, it doesn’t mean it can’t be gate-checked.
And with a gate-checked bag means the possibility that it either doesn’t get on the plane in time or it gets lost. No thanks!
Best Tips for Packing A Small Suitcase
Plan Your Packing List
It’s important to come up with your packing list in advance. There are a couple of things I think of when coming up with a packing list for every trip I take.
I check the weather for my destination. I acknowledge any events that require special clothing. I check off how many days I’m going (and in this case 10 days). Also, I figure out the technology I need to carry with me.
From there I do a quick write-through of appropriate clothes for each day. It’s a seemingly easy process, but when you’re thinking through items to bring with you it can be overwhelming. So, take it easy and start the list early.
Start Packing Light
Since you are packing enough clothes for 10 days, it’s important to pack as lightly as possible. That requires understanding what you are bringing with you (which is why that packing list is important). From there, you can place everything out in front of you to see what you actually need for your trip.
Seriously, don’t bring things you don’t need, especially if you plan to bring some items back.
To lighten the load pack things like a solid shampoo bar and exclude things like a curling iron.
Ensure Easy Access to Items You’ve Packed
Remember I made a mention that it’s easy to access items while on a flight? Right, so, in general, you’ll have easier access to items you pack, especially when going through airport security. If you were to be wearing your sneakers into the airport, but want your toes to be free, you can grab your flip flops before hopping on the plane.
If you’re now at the hotel and need to be out within 10 minutes, you have easier access to the items you need simply because you packed fewer items.
Use Packing Cubes
If you haven’t jumped on the packing cube train you are missing out. I didn’t believe in them until I was given them as a gift. Let’s say that it’s amazing how easy it is to compartmentalize categories of items while knowing exactly where they are at all times.
Plus, the major benefit is being able to unpack them effortlessly in your hotel room. One cube could have pants, another with shirts, and another with dresses.
The possibilities are endless and keep you feeling relaxed because as long as you pack everything into those cubes (either rolled or folded) you know you didn’t leave the house leaving anything behind.
Use a Plastic Bag!
There are various uses for a plastic bag when traveling with a carry-on. It almost has the same feeling as a packing cube except with more flexibility.
They’re great to compress clothing items if you need a tad bit more space, something you can’t do with a packing cube. It’s also a great way to organize small items like bobby pins, jewelry, and to carry tissues that you don’t want to get wet.
By the way, you’ll need to have at least one quart-sized Ziploc bag that you pack your essential toiletries into.
Know How to Pack Your Smaller Items
Typically a carry-on suitcase has two internal compartments. There’s the large basin and against the door flap, it has internal pockets that either run deep or shallow.
Using the plastic bags (you can use Ziploc bags, too) pack small items inside of those. You can put them into the cracks of the large basin for easy storage. That way they’re still separated but you also have all the space you need. You can also search for carry-on suitcases that have smaller pockets on the lining of the larger basin to add little trinkets there, too.
Small items include your travel sized toiletries, jewelry, underwear, and even your smaller pairs of shoes.
Capsule Wardrobe
If you can do a capsule wardrobe for your travels, do it. A capsule wardrobe is clothing items that typically come in neutral colors and are easily interchangeable for different outfits.
So, for a ten-day trip, you may bring two pairs of shorts, a skirt, two pairs of jeans, maybe a dress, and five shirts. The shirts can interchange with the shorts, pants, and skirt creating more outfits because of the variety.
Yes, you can bring things like a pashmina that can be used as a neck scarf, a headscarf, or be used as a fashionable belt. It all depends on how you’re able to use each piece you own.
Capsules also include things like hats, jewelry, and shoes so you don’t need to bring a lot of every little thing. Overall less can really be more!
Travel Days
Understand How to Carry Your Heavy Items
The internal door pocket is where you can pack anything particularly heavy that can’t fit at the bottom of the large basin.
Large, heavy coats should be worn alongside heavy shoes (boots, sneakers, etc). This ensures they don’t take up precious real estate inside of your carry-on. Pack other bulkier items, like heels, at the bottom of the basin and shove small (think fragile) items inside of them.
If I pack shoes at the bottom, I use plastic bags to cover the shoes so that dirt on the bottom doesn’t soil my luggage and clothes.
Push Come to Shove, Buy Wearable Luggage
This is gonna be funny, I know, I know, but you can always wear wearable luggage. This can mean you buy jackets with an inner lining (can hold up to 33 lbs) or you can wear a lot of your heavier items as I mentioned above.
I’ve heard of people refusing to leave things behind by wearing their items onto the plane instead of being slapped with overweight fees. That can be you if you want. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don’t Make Your Bags Too Heavy
Believe it or not, just because there isn’t a general weight limit on your carry-on doesn’t mean you should overload it. Make sure you’re able to position this piece of luggage over your head to put it into the overhead bins on the flight. So, no, don’t make it heavier than you can lift.
Keeping Unnecessary Items Away
What Not to Bring
I feel like this needs to be said more than what you can bring. It’s important to follow these rules or else you run the risk of losing items that are important to you or … having to pay for checked luggage.
- Firearms. You can check your bag if it’s important for you to have, but it has to be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container, and declared to the agent upon check-in.
- Full-sized bottles of anything. That includes lotion, body scrubs, sunscreen, etc. This even includes water. If you have a filled water bottle it must be emptied before you pass through security.
- Explosives. I would hope this is an obvious thing to keep in your shed at home.
- Alcohol over 140 proof. Listen, if you’re willing to get that litty on a flight you might as well just wait until you get to your actual destination to turn up, sis.
- Pepper Spray. I remember as a kid living in the Bronx this wasn’t even allowed on the streets. Someone tried to scare me by saying someone was going to sue me for using it when I didn’t even know how to do that. I was 9. People are c r a z y. I can’t imagine what someone on a flight would do if they had access to it. Sheesh.
- Christmas Crackers. While a perfectly great gift for an American friend or family member, they’re not allowed in your carry-on (or checked bag) no matter the holiday.
- Anything flammable, to be honest. Too many to list, check the link below.
- Foam Toy Sword. Yeah, sorry, your kid can’t have it.
- Nunchucks. Sorry, Napoleon.
- Matches.
And this is a small taste of things not allowed from the TSA. If you’re curious about an item allowed, check their extensive list or your local security websites guidelines.
Use the Washing Machine
Depending on your destination it may be in your best interest to wash your clothes halfway through your trip. Since it is only 10 days, it should be pretty easy to pack many outfits using the capsule wardrobe method.
And I get it, doing dirty laundry on your vacation? Why do that to yourself? For the convenience of everything else written here, duh!
Conclusion to Traveling for 10 Days with a Carry On Bag
The most important to packing efficiently is remembering that you don’t have a lot of space. You have to make space out of nothing. While 10 days may seem like a long trip, being able to pack for it can be a challenge, but I’m sure that you’re going to be just fine with the tips above.
Happy traveling!