Personal-item-only packing
Months of Travel, One Small Backpack: What Makes the Cut?
Updated
Yes to the laptop and cocktail dress. No to lugging a neck pillow around for the rest of the trip.
I travel with only a personal item and have since I was a kid. I’ve done months straight this way, with clothes for the places I’m going and a few things I refuse to leave behind. My laptop comes. So does a cocktail dress. And extra socks. Always extra socks.
If you’re trying to make one small bag work, the useful question is what deserves the space. For me, a foldable laundry bag from Five Below is essential; a physical book, however much I love reading, is weight I don’t want to carry. Here’s the list I actually use, what I leave behind, and how to adapt it to your trip.
Start with the bag you’ll actually want to carry
I use an Eddie Bauer backpack because it’s compact, lightweight and incredibly sturdy. It has worked as a personal item everywhere I’ve taken it, as long as I don’t overstuff it. That’s the important part: keep the bag small enough to stay useful.
I care much more about that than how cute a bag looks before it’s packed. A heavy empty bag is already using up some of the weight you’ll be carrying around all day.
For your own bag, check its packed dimensions against your ticket’s under-seat allowance. Airlines set their own limits; Ryanair and easyJet, for example, publish different sizes.
My tiny crossbody purse goes on the list too, but if your ticket allows one item, leave room to put it inside the backpack. A separate little purse is still a separate bag.
How do you make that work for months?
Laundry. I’ve never really had an issue finding a laundromat on my trips. That’s what makes the difference between packing for the time until your next wash and trying to pack for every day you’ll be away.
3–4 topsChosen for the weather
3–4 bottomsA mix suited to the trip
8–9 daysOf underwear and socks
1 cocktail dressAlways makes the cut
For bottoms, I like some variety: a skirt, shorts, long pants or leggings, depending on the weather. I avoid long jeans because they’re bulky. My hoodie, sweatpants and walking shoes are the airport outfit; they don’t need to spend that part of the trip taking up space in the bag.
For your own route, check where you can wash clothes before heading somewhere remote or moving between places quickly. Give yourself time for drying, too. My experience finding laundromats has been easy, but it’s still worth making sure the next one fits your plan before you’re on your last clean pair.
Start with the clothes that can work together, add the pieces your activities require, then try the whole bag on. Leave space to close it comfortably with your purse inside. A bag you have to fight to zip at home won’t become more convenient once it’s full of laundry.
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Clothes and the small things I wear
I bring clothes for the actual destination, not every possible version of the trip. These are the extras that consistently earn their space.
Extra socks, always. They’re one of the least exciting things to pack and one of the things I care about most.
I always pack extra underwear, too. These are worth making room for before another outfit.
Pick them for the weather and what you’ll actually do. You need clothes you can wear again after washing, not a different outfit for every day you’re away.
Depending on the weather, I try to have a mix of a skirt, shorts, long pants and leggings. Long jeans stay home because they’re bulky.
Always. I still want the option of a nice dinner or a night out. Packing light doesn’t mean giving up the clothes you’re actually excited to wear; one dress just has to fit alongside the rest of the trip.
Planes are approximately six degrees. I wear my bulky, comfortable clothes on the travel day instead of filling half my bag with them.
For me, that’s HOKA sneakers. Very committed to comfort. Completely fine with that. If I’m spending the day walking, comfortable feet win.
Two pairs total is my limit, including the pair I’m wearing. Choose the other pair around what the walking shoes can’t do on your particular trip.
A pair I like, without the added responsibility of carrying my most expensive pair around.
Small, useful and easy to wear on a travel day.
The tech I make room for
My laptop comes because I work while traveling. That takes up a meaningful part of a small bag, so the rest of the tech needs to stay compact.
Work makes the laptop worth the weight for me. If you won’t use one, that’s a lot of space you can keep for something else.
Check that it covers the plug types on your route. A plug adapter doesn’t convert voltage; check the input rating on the device or charger as well.
One to use and one backup. This is a duplicate I’m happy to carry.
One of my best purchases. Different ports are much less annoying when the thing you brought can actually connect to them. Check that the other end fits your phone, too.
I use Anker. It isn’t sponsored and the links in this guide aren’t affiliate links. Check your specific model for recalls and your airline’s power-bank rules before packing it.
Small enough to justify bringing. The bigger headphones stay home.
A small routine I’ll actually use
I still bring makeup, skincare and perfume. I just keep the routine small. Liquids, creams and gels need to fit the security rules for your journey, even when their containers say ‘travel size.’
Essentials only. The products you reach for regularly deserve the space more than the ones you might experiment with on holiday.
I use La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400. Bring an amount that fits your journey’s rules, and plan to replace it if needed rather than making a tiny bottle last the whole trip.
Tretinoin is part of my own routine. It’s a prescription treatment, not something to start because it appears on a packing list; bring your own prescribed products as directed.
A skincare product I bring as part of my small routine. This is about what I like using, not a treatment for jet lag.
This is one of the small comforts I make room for.
After a long travel day, feeling a little less gross matters. This earns its space for me; keep it securely closed and contained with your other liquids.
A brush that works without taking over the bag.
Because I always lose them. Another very small backup I consider worth it.
The unglamorous things I’m glad I packed
The laundry bag deserves more attention than it gets. Mine came from Five Below, folds down small, and keeps the dirty clothes separate. It doesn’t need to be an expensive piece of travel gear.
An absolute must. Mine folds down small and keeps the dirty clothes separate from everything else.
Another small essential. Pack it with your liquids so it’s included in the security allowance.
Useful once you’re out exploring. Leave space for it inside the backpack when your fare allows only one personal item.
My usual kit includes DayQuil, NyQuil and lozenges. Check the active ingredients, destination rules and transit rules before bringing medicines abroad.
Tiny enough to earn their place without much debate.
Add the basics for your own trip
The list above is what I make room for. These final checks are for your own route and needs; they aren’t a reason to buy more gear.
Bring the documents your journey requires and save your booking details somewhere you can reach offline. Carry any needed cash without turning your wallet into a filing cabinet.
Charged, with the information you’ll need when you arrive.
Include what you personally need, such as dental, period or contact-lens supplies. Follow the applicable liquid rules.
Plan these first, in the quantity and packaging your journey permits. Cut optional clothes before cutting something you need.
What stays home matters just as much
I don’t cut everything that makes traveling comfortable. I cut the things that feel less useful once I’m carrying them for the entire trip. These are my easiest things to leave out.
- A neck pillow
- You use it on the flight, then have to lug it around for the rest of the trip. I’d rather have the space.
- Valuable jewelry and overly flashy things
- I don’t want extra things to worry about losing while I’m away.
- Expensive sunglasses
- Same reason. I bring a pair I’m comfortable taking everywhere.
- More than two pairs of shoes
- Shoes take up a lot of space. A third pair needs a reason better than ‘maybe.’
- Belts and bulky clothes
- Apart from my airport outfit, I avoid clothes that take over the bag. A belt usually doesn’t earn its place for me.
- The big over-ear Apple headphones
- They’re cute, but my AirPods are easier to travel with and keep track of. The big pair stays home.
- Physical books
- I love reading. I do not love carrying the extra weight. The aesthetic is not worth it, trust me. Reading on your phone is one way to keep the books without the bulk.
- A cute bag that’s heavy before anything goes in it
- The empty bag counts toward everything you’ll have to carry. Lightweight wins.
- A giant wallet
- Keep the cards, ID and cash you need; leave the accumulation behind.
- An extensive skincare routine, oils and leak-prone bottles
- I don’t want a whole bathroom in my backpack, or one loose cap affecting everything else. The small products I do bring still need secure lids and containment.
Three checks before the bag is ready
Liquids: small bottles still count
Perfume, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, creams, gels and liquid makeup all need to follow the screening rules on your route. Check departure, connecting and return airports. The TSA’s usual limit is containers of 3.4 oz / 100 ml or less in one quart-size bag; other airports may have different rules. A half-empty large bottle doesn’t become a small container. Medicines can have separate screening provisions.
Medicines: check what’s inside, not just the brand
Keep medicines labeled, and check each destination and transit country’s requirements for their active ingredients and the amount you’re bringing. A product sold over the counter at home may be restricted elsewhere. The CDC’s travel-medicine guidance explains what to check. Pack what’s suitable for you; my cold-medicine choices aren’t a universal kit.
Power bank: keep it in the cabin
Check your bank’s model against Anker’s recall notices if you use the same brand. Keep power banks in cabin baggage and remove them if your bag is gate-checked. Check the airline’s current capacity, quantity and use restrictions. ICAO’s March 2026 update limits passengers to two power banks and prohibits recharging the power bank during flight; airlines may also restrict using one to charge your phone.
Practical guidance checked September 22, 2026. The FAA’s battery guide, UK liquids guidance and Electrical Safety First’s adapter guidance give further detail where it’s relevant to your journey.
You might need less than you think
Traveling this way has saved me thousands of dollars over the years. More than that, I like having less to move around. One compact bag is the amount of luggage I want to be responsible for.
You don’t have to copy every item. If you won’t be working, you might leave the laptop. If you won’t wear a dress, use that space for something you will. Keep the things that matter to the way you travel, and be a little more ruthless about the rest.
Lay it all out, check it against the trip you’re actually taking, and carry the packed bag around before you commit to it. And please leave room for the extra socks.
More lessons on what deserves your time and money when you travel →
