Bag · Osprey
Osprey Farpoint 40 or Fairview 40
For you if you walk between stations and hostels and want a bag that opens like a suitcase.
Trade-off it is at the top of most carry-on limits, so a full pack can be gate-checked on strict airlines.
Guide · for holiday, nomad travellers
Carry-on only packing list
One bag, no checked luggage, nothing you will not use. This list works for a week in Lisbon and a month in Bali; the notes say which items change.
Trip length
the whole list0 of 11 packed
Ticks are saved in this browser only.
A carry-on only trip is a decision, not a packing trick. You give up a few comforts and get back the hour at the belt, the lost-bag risk and the fee. The list below is in the order you pack: bag first, then what goes in it, then what stays home.
Every pick has a trade-off written next to it. If an item has no downside we could name, it is not on the list.
For one week: skip the merino, take one shirt per day, and the filter bottle stays home.For a month or more: merino earns its price, add the travel insurance, and plan one laundry day a week.
The bag
start here ↓Pick the bag by the airline you fly most, not by the biggest allowance you have seen. European low-cost carriers measure smaller than US ones.
See it at Osprey →
Bag · Tortuga
Tortuga Travel Backpack 40L
For you if you carry a laptop every day and want a padded, structured bag.
Trade-off heavier empty than a soft pack, and the price is at the high end.
Organising · Peak Design or any brand
Packing cubes, one set of three
For you if you repack more than twice a trip.
Trade-off compression cubes save space but crease shirts; use them for underwear and socks, not for the one nice outfit.
Power and connection
then this ↓This is where most people overpack. One charger, one bank, one adapter.
Power · Anker
Anker 10,000 mAh power bank
For you if your phone is your map, ticket and camera.
Trade-off 10,000 mAh is the sweet spot for cabin rules; a 20,000 mAh bank is heavier and some airlines ask about it.
Power · Anker or Ugreen
GaN wall charger with two USB-C ports
For you if you carry a laptop and a phone and want one brick for both.
Trade-off a 65 W charger is enough for most laptops, not for a 16 inch MacBook Pro at full speed.
Connection · Airalo
eSIM for your destination
For you if your phone supports eSIM and you want data before you leave the airport.
Trade-off a local physical SIM is usually cheaper per gigabyte once you are in the country; eSIM wins on convenience, not price. Full comparison in our connectivity guide.
Power · Epicka or similar
Universal adapter with USB-C
For you if you visit more than one plug region a year.
Trade-off universal adapters are bulky and not grounded; for one country, a small single-region adapter is lighter.
Clothes
the fun part ↓Count outfits, not garments. Seven days of clothes covers a month if you wash once a week.
Clothes · Icebreaker or Unbound Merino
Merino t-shirts, two to three
For you if you want to wear a shirt three days without it showing.
Trade-off merino costs three to five times a cotton tee and wears through at the shoulders under a heavy backpack.
Clothes · Your choice
One pair of shoes you can walk 15 km in
For you if you want to skip a second pair entirely.
Trade-off one pair means no backup if they get soaked; sandals or foldable flats are the lightweight second.
Health and money
do not skip ↓Insurance · SafetyWing
Travel medical insurance
For you if you travel for more than a few weeks or do not have cover from a card or employer.
Trade-off it is medical cover, not full travel insurance: trip cancellation and lost luggage are limited or excluded, so read the policy before you rely on it.
Money · Wise
A card with no foreign transaction fee
For you if you pay in more than one currency on a trip.
Trade-off it is a prepaid account, not a credit card, so there is no credit line and some car hire desks will not accept it.
What to leave at home
lighter alreadyskip:A second pair of jeans
They weigh 600 g and dry slowly. One pair of trousers plus shorts covers it.
skip:A full-size toiletry bag
Buy shampoo where you land. Carry a toothbrush, a small sunscreen and any prescription.
skip:A travel pillow for short flights
Under five hours, a rolled jumper does the job.
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