How to Pack a Carry-On & Backpack for 10 Days
Plus, walkable cities for your next car-free vacation, increased baggage fees, and a power festival in the Congo.
Greetings, friends. Reporting live from back home in Atlanta, GA…for two days before I’m on the road again.
For this week’s edition, per reader request, I wanted to dig into how I’m able to pack 7–10 days’ worth of necessities into a carry-on suitcase and backpack. I’ve sworn by my method for several years, because I 1) hate paying airline fees, 2) don’t want to spend time at baggage claim or show up early for bag drop offs, and 3) live a pretty minimalist lifestyle to begin with.
A note: For eight years, I covered sustainable and ethical fashion, testing and reviewing products from hundreds of brands. I’ve linked affiliate options below, but the items I’m sharing are ones that: I personally swear by, have lasted over time, and are higher quality than the rest. Your trust is everything, so if there’s an item you’ve had a negative experience with that I’ve recommended, please let me know!
Luggage
Carry On: My mother worked at Tumi Luggage for 20+ years, so we have a lot of their pieces. I’d caveat that they tend to show the wear and tear more than others, and that they’re extremely expensive investments—the kind of “Buy It For Life” products you’ll see on Reddit. If you’re not in the place to spend $500+ on luggage, I really like Away’s Bigger Carry On. I’ve had this for several years, and the bag looks brand new—the wheels glide well (better than my Tumi bags), they can be basically thrown around without worry, and Away has a generous warranty.
Personal Item: This is always a backpack for me. I have had a Dare to Roam backpack for years and I’m surprised by how well it’s kept up, but it doesn’t look like they’re in business anymore. I’d recommend a backpack or tote from Beis, Monos, or Dagne Dover instead.
In My Carry-On
I utilize the exact same list for every trip, give or take a few specific items (think mosquito repellent for subtropical climates, or thicker socks for a winter trip). I’ll share my basics below, but the general gist is: If I can’t mix and match it, it’s not coming.
One pair of underwear for every day of travel, and a handful of bras/covers. I’m fairly bra-agnostic, but I like NOOD’s cover-ups if you don’t plan to wear one. For underwear, I really like Knix’s underwear for spotting and sweating and wear them almost exclusively.
One pair of socks for every day of travel, and two pairs of compression socks (one to wear on the way there, one on the way back). My preferred brands for compression socks are either Bombas or Wellow. If you have plantar fasciitis like I do, these “Arch Booster” socks may offer some relief.
4-5 simple tees—I primarily wear Buck Mason’s t-shirts. I own the Slim in every main color, and every piece feels luxuriously soft and easy to mix and match. Size up!
2 pairs of jeans: I bring a pair of blue denim and black denim. My favorite blue denim jeans are from Warp + Weft (so stretchy and durable, partially recycled cotton, under $100!), and I consistently get compliments on these 100% cotton black Rails (which, fun fact, I visited seven stores in person to hunt down).
2 pairs of athleisure or more relaxed pants. The only leggings I wear nowadays are from Beyond Yoga (incredibly soft fabric and stretch, deep pockets). My pro-tip is to find these secondhand on ThredUp if you don’t want to pay full price; there are always gently used options floating around there. I’ll also pack something like these pants I bought years ago for warmer temperatures, because they’re breathable while still being relatively fashion-forward.
2 dresses—I’ve actually (surprisingly?) been impressed with Old Navy’s dresses recently. I do not recommend fast fashion almost ever, but these are easy to pack and steam, come in neutral colors, and hold up well.
Three pairs of shoes: One pair of sneakers which I wear on the plane, my beloved Rothy’s clogs for casual days, and a pair of sandals or nicer flats.
One cardigan or sweater, which I’ll usually wear on the plane to maximize space in my bag. I wear a black coatigan almost exclusively, but I also have a super comfortable and cozy taupe cardigan I love.
The best use of my AmEx lululemon credit, by far, was this windbreaker. It was incredibly helpful on our most recent trip to China and Taiwan on rainy days. I like this style in particular because it’s cropped, can be conveniently folded up, and has a main pocket in the front.
One pair of Spanx or similar-style shorts to prevent chafing. I used to love the ones from Uniqlo’s AIRism line but they no longer sell them—womp.
One pair of pajamas (read: an oversized t-shirt and leggings, or simple PJ set).
I’ve used a hair towel for nearly 20 years, and this one from Crown Affair (use code HENAH15 for 15% off!) is the best of the best. So much so that I accidentally left mine on a trip once and repurchased a new one immediately.
With this combination, I can easily create 10 outfits, as long as I’m not sweating profusely or staining my clothes with each wear. In my experience, local laundromats are easy to find though, at a much more reasonable price than hotel laundry or paying $25+ on baggage fees each way. In Hong Kong lat week, for example, we were able to do 15 pounds of laundry, folded and returned to us, for $17.
As for personal toiletries: I’ve shared this hack before, but I always keep a second set of these on hand exclusively for trips. Using two small toiletry bags, I pack: toothbrush, toothpaste, tongue scraper, Q-tips, deodorant, lotion, vaseline, moisturizer, sunscreen, makeup wipes, makeup, hairbrush, razors, shampoo, soap, perfume (I personally love Dedcool’s scents and Snif’s genderless fragrances), extra hair ties, bobby pins, and safety pins. I also pack a lint roller (because, pets), and a travel-sized curling iron or straightener. This all gets packed into my carry-on, or thrown into my personal item if I’ve run out of space.
In My Personal Item:
Passports, visas, Global Entry passes, and IDs as necessary
My ATM cards and credit cards
Printed copies of my itinerary and travel insurance
Portable chargers, wall chargers, and adapters (I like this Anker charger—a great gift, too)
An attachable neck pillow (recommend this one or this one from Cabeau)
My Sony XM-6s headphones and my Airpods
Prescription sunglasses
My film camera and film
A day bag (my husband and I really like this one from Beis; it’s very roomy and even comes with a water bottle holder)
A small selection of mints, gum, snacks, or protein bars
An extra N95 mask
A mini-first aid kit: Imodium, Pepto Bismol, Dramamine, Omeprazole, hand sanitizer, our medications (this pill box or this larger set are my favorites), sleep supplements (these work!), a few hydration sticks (this tastes like Nerds Clusters to me!), an eye mask, Tylenol, and bandaids
My favorite lip balms (one from ILIA—I’ve bought these 10x over despite the higher price tag, and this SPF one)
A travel umbrella
My laptop and charger, along with my Oura charger
And that’s it!
The best part about having a minimalist approach is it’s easy to remember and replicate. I don’t have to overthink every time, and once I unpack from one trip, I already know what goes right back in the bag for the next one. If you have a system you swear by, I recommend sharing it, too—others may be grateful.
📕 I started and finished 1Q84 in less than a week. At 1,200 pages, this book is quite the beast, and as my first foray into Murakami, I was a bit intimidated. But it was 100% worth it. When we’d be out exploring, I’d be thinking about this book and ready to get into bed and start reading it again. Inclined to start Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, or Kafka on the Shore next, but I need a brain break first.
🧳 Speaking of baggage fees, Delta, United, Southwest, and JetBlue have all announced higher fees in the last week, citing rising fuel charges. Another reason to carry on. (New York Times)
🚶 Seven walkable cities where you don’t need a car in order to have a great vacation—can confirm nearly all of these. More walkable destinations, please! (Washington Post)
🥰 Women in Congo—which has been in conflict for more than a year—organized a three-day music festival to campaign against gender-based violence and showcase women’s talents. With how heavy the world feels recently, this women-led push for peace made me smile. (ABC News)
Coming up: Exactly what we did and how much we spent on 19 days in Asia, different products and tools I’ve been testing for the best sleep while traveling, and an interview with an expert I’ve always wanted to hear from. Talk soon! —Henah x
I concur. Though I only pack two pairs of underwear (four, if white and black are needed) and two tee shirts because I have no problem sink washing them once worn. I like the constantly packed 'go-bag' for toiletries too.
I can't wrap my head around HOW you get "ALL" of the above into a piece of carryon luggage & a backpack???????