Hand luggage only packing list for a week

Seven days fits in hand luggage if you pack four days of clothes and wash once. That single decision, not clever folding, is what makes a week of carry-on travel comfortable rather than tight.

55 items · 7-day city break, mild weather, carry-on only · tick them off, print, or adjust the list to your trip below

Four days of clothes, one wash

Seven days of outfits does not fit in a cabin bag with any comfort. Four does, easily. A sink wash mid-week takes twenty minutes and turns the bag from stuffed to half-empty — which is also the margin you need for anything you buy while you're there.

The sink-wash routine, so it's dry by morning

Wash in the evening, rinse, then lay the garment flat on a dry towel, roll the towel up tightly with the garment inside, and stand on it. That removes far more water than wringing and does less damage. Hang it after and most fabrics are dry by morning; a hotel's bathroom towel rail is often heated, which helps.

Fabric choice is what makes it work

Merino wool resists odour for days of wear and dries fast; technical synthetics dry faster still. Cotton does neither and is why most people's carry-on attempts fail. You need fewer merino t-shirts than cotton ones to cover the same week, which is where the volume saving actually comes from.

One pair of shoes on your feet

Shoes are the bulkiest thing in any bag. Wear the substantial pair and, if you need a second, make it something flat and packable that fills the gaps around everything else. Two pairs of shoes in a cabin bag for a week is possible; three is not, and isn't necessary.

Packing List for International Travel: The Complete Checklist A copy-paste packing list for international travel: documents, carry-on essentials, the 5-4-3-2-1 clothing formula, tech, meds, and what to leave home.
Travel Checklist: Everything to Do Before Leaving Home The complete pre-departure travel checklist — what to do 2 weeks out, 1 week out, the day before, and the day you leave, from documents to door locks.

Each one is a full list with advice specific to that trip — and the generator underneath it, so you can adjust it to yours.

Hand luggage only packing list for a week

Four days of clothes, one wash

The sink-wash routine, so it's dry by morning

Fabric choice is what makes it work

One pair of shoes on your feet

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