Carry-on only for a week: a packing list built around one compression bag
Skipping checked luggage saves money, saves the wait at the baggage belt and removes the risk of the airline losing your bag. The obstacle is space. Here is a list that fits a week into a cabin-size suitcase, with one compression bag doing the heavy lifting.
The rule: pack for four days, wash once
Nobody needs seven of everything. Pack for four days and plan to wash small items once, in the hotel sink or at a laundrette. This one rule saves more space than any gadget.
The packing list for about seven days
In the compression bag:
- 4 T-shirts or tops
- 1 hoodie or jumper
- 1 light jacket or packable down jacket
- 5 pairs of underwear and 5 pairs of socks
- Sleepwear
In the suitcase, not compressed:
- 1 pair of trousers or jeans (wear the other pair)
- 1 shirt or something smarter, folded on top
- 1 pair of shoes besides the ones you wear
- Toiletries, with liquids in their clear bag
- Chargers and cables in a small pouch
On you, in your personal item: passport, wallet, phone, headphones, medication and anything valuable. Our list of what belongs in your personal item has the details.
How to lay out the case
- Shoes at the bottom, next to the wheels, heels down. Fill them with socks or chargers.
- The compressed bag flat on top of them. Because it is flat and rectangular, it works like a shelf.
- Trousers and the smart shirt on top, folded once, so they do not crease under weight.
- Toiletries last, where you can lift them out at security without unpacking.
Why one big compression bag beats several small cubes
Packing cubes organise, but they do not shrink anything. Several small vacuum bags leave gaps between them. One bag that covers the footprint of the case, like the 45 x 30 cm bag in the Airlock Travel Kit, compresses the soft half of your wardrobe into a single flat block and leaves the rest of the case clear. It is water-resistant too, so a leaking shampoo bottle stays outside it.
Check before you fly
- Size: cabin limits vary by airline. Measure your case including wheels and handle.
- Weight: compression saves space, not weight. Weigh the packed case at home. See vacuum bags and airline weight limits.
- The pump: keep it in your hand luggage, not in a checked bag.
On the way home
Put worn clothes back in the bag, close the zip and run the pump. Laundry compresses just as well as clean clothes, and it stays apart from anything you bought on the trip.
And if your bags tend to go missing, a Tracker Card in an inside pocket of your case lets you check where it was last seen from your phone.