Carry-on only: how to pack for a week in one bag
Travelling with hand luggage only is one of those small decisions that quietly improves a whole trip: no waiting at the carousel, no checked-bag fees, nothing to lose. A week in a single cabin bag is very doable — it just takes a plan rather than a last-minute pile on the bed.
Start with a capsule wardrobe
The secret to packing light isn't squeezing more in — it's bringing less, but choosing it well. Build a small capsule wardrobe where everything works together: a tight colour palette so most tops go with most bottoms, layers instead of bulky single-purpose items, and fabrics that don't crease badly and dry overnight if you rinse them.
- Plan to re-wear and mix rather than pack a fresh outfit per day.
- Choose one pair of versatile shoes to wear and at most one spare — shoes eat space.
- Pick layers (a light jumper, a packable jacket) over one heavy item, so you're ready for changeable weather.
- Wear your bulkiest things — boots, the heavier jacket — on the plane rather than packing them.
Roll, cube and compress
How you pack matters almost as much as what you pack. Rolling soft items rather than folding them tends to save space and reduces hard creases. Packing cubes keep everything compartmentalised so the bag stays organised all week and you're not excavating it every morning. Fill gaps — socks inside shoes, small items in corners — so nothing shifts and no space is wasted.
Build your list first, then pack. Our packing-list generator creates a tailored checklist in your browser so you can see exactly what's going in before you start filling cubes — and tick things off as you go.
The liquids rule, and what stays in hand luggage
For carry-on, the long-standing security guidance is that liquids, gels and pastes must be in containers of 100ml or less, together in a single transparent resealable bag. Decant your toiletries into small bottles, or buy travel sizes, and consider solid alternatives — bar soap, solid shampoo, a stick deodorant — which sidestep the liquids limit entirely. Rules can vary by airport and are changing in some places, so always check the current requirements with your airline and departure airport before you fly.
A few things should always live in your hand luggage rather than a bag you might have to gate-check: passport and travel documents, medication, valuables and electronics, a change of essentials, and your phone and chargers. If your cabin bag ever has to go in the hold at a busy gate, you want the irreplaceable things still on you.
Weigh it at home
The most avoidable carry-on disaster is being made to check (and pay for) a bag at the gate because it's over the limit. Cabin baggage size and weight allowances vary a lot between airlines, so check yours for your specific flight, then weigh your packed bag at home with luggage scales or by standing on bathroom scales with and without it. Knowing you're comfortably under the limit turns boarding from a gamble into a non-event.
Packing is the last step of a much bigger process. If you'd like to see where it fits, from budgeting to booking to departure, our how to plan a holiday guide pulls it all together.