What should I pack in my carry-on bag?

The ultimate question is: What should I pack in my carry-on bag? When traveling, your carry-on bag is the most important tool that you can utilize to make your travels as smooth as possible. And I have finally found the PERFECT bag to fit my needs (pictured below). And you might be surprised at how you could make it work for you as well!

The Bag(s):

Before I even talk about what goes into my carry-on bag… I’m going to show you the bag that I use. I’ve always used a backpack, but this one is a game changer. It is technically made to carry a DSLR camera in the bottom case section, and that is what I use it for and why I originally bought it. However, you could literally use that section for anything like shoes, bathing suits, extra clothes, make-up, toiletries… you name it! Then in the top section, there is a large sleeve that you can slide your laptop down into, extra space on top, and a zipper pouch to store other necessities.

In addition to the backpack, I carry a medium sized tote (pictured above) that can fit my purse, sweater, make-up, and anything else extra that I might need.

Carry-on bag packing essentials:

All of your electronics (you don’t want them getting messed up in your suitcase that will get thrown around)
Snacks
Phone Chargers + Portable Charger
Earphones
Drugs (ibuprofen, etc.)
Purse/Cash/Documents
Travel Pillow (invest in a nice one that snaps around the top of your bag)
Entertainment (like DVDS)
If I am going somewhere tropical, I might throw an extra bathing suit or outfit in there if I have room
Make-up (because I’m not doing my make-up before a 6am flight, but I might do it at the airport while I wait)
Sunglasses

Links to more of my exact items:

And there you have it. It’s not scary or even a ton of stuff that you have to carry around. Just make sure that you have anything that you might want to grab while waiting at the airport or on the plane itself. If you have any more questions about what to pack in your carry-on bag, drop you question in the comments below!

Thanks for reading and Follow along for more travel adventures on FB or Instagram!

Previous Post: The Ultimate Packing List

Until next time,

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What should I pack in my carry-on bag?