Trips & packing
A carry-on that works from check-in to your first night
Pack your carry-on for a long flight and the first night after arrival. Keep documents, electronics and comfort items easy to reach.
The checklist
- Resealable liquids bag
- Travel containers
- Pocket tissues
+ 38 more explained items
Your carry-on has three jobs: get you through the airport, make the flight manageable, and keep the first hours after landing simple. Pack for those moments rather than collecting every travel gadget. A warm layer, an accessible charging cable and clean clothes for arrival often earn their space more reliably than an elaborate comfort kit.
Start with the bag allowance on your actual booking. Then divide what you need into a small flight pouch, documents and valuables, and an arrival backup. The pouch should fit inside your permitted baggage, so opening the overhead compartment is not necessary every time you want headphones or a toothbrush. Choose items you already use; the buy section is a gap check, not a shopping obligation.
The list below moves from missing supplies to things to pack and checks to finish. Keep the airport rules separate from the shopping list: being useful does not make an item permitted. Save or print this page while you prepare, then adjust the checklist to your own route and luggage allowance.
Who this list is for
An adult taking a long international flight, possibly with a connection and checked luggage. This guide covers the cabin essentials and a modest arrival backup; adapt it to your ticket, personal needs and every airport on the route. It is not a complete family or medical-equipment packing plan.
Tips
Build the bag around the ticket, not a standard size
Check the operating airline for each leg, including a short feeder flight before the long journey. A ticket sold by one airline can be flown by another, and the operating carrier sets that leg’s cabin rules. Confirm number, dimensions and weight of bags, then measure your packed bag rather than its empty shell. Leave room to close it without pressure. Your flight pouch is part of the allowance, not a guaranteed extra bag.
Make a small kit for the hours in your seat
Put headphones, an eye mask, earplugs, a reading option, tissues and a charging cable together. Choose a soft pouch you can reach without spreading belongings across the row. A neck pillow is optional: try it at home before dedicating bag space to it. Wear comfortable clothes and keep a removable warm layer close. Follow the crew’s stowage instructions; access to the pouch never takes priority over a clear aisle.
Check liquid rules at every security checkpoint
Do not copy a rule from the departure airport and assume it applies to a connection or the trip home. UK guidance explicitly says airport rules can differ. It also counts toothpaste, creams and gels as liquids, not just drinks. Read the current instructions for each airport, choose compliant containers and use a separate transparent bag when required. An empty bottle avoids carrying a drink through screening; fill it only where that is allowed.
Treat a power bank as a checked rule, not a default gadget
Look for the battery’s watt-hour marking and read your airline’s capacity, quantity and onboard-use rules before packing. FAA guidance requires spare lithium batteries and power banks to stay in the cabin, protected against damage and short circuit; airlines can apply stricter conditions. Keep one accessible if your route permits it, but do not assume you may charge from it in flight. Charge your devices beforehand and follow the crew’s instructions.
Keep your personal essentials ready to show
Pack medicines you need on the journey where you can reach them, together with any prescription or supporting documents required for the route. UK guidance describes extra checks for essential liquid medicines and medical equipment; that is not permission for every destination or transit country. Check those separately and ask the airline about equipment that needs special handling. This guide helps organise what you already use; it does not recommend new medicines or doses.
Plan for a cabin bag that is taken at the gate
Even compliant larger bags may be placed in the hold when cabin storage is limited. Make passports, valuables, essential medicines and electronics easy to remove together. Lufthansa explicitly asks passengers to take these out before a cabin bag goes into the hold; FAA also requires spare lithium batteries and power banks to remain in the cabin. Practise lifting out the essentials pouch at home so a last-minute request does not turn into unpacking the whole suitcase.
Pack for arrival as well as the flight
A spare top, underwear, socks and a compact wash kit let you freshen up after landing or manage a delayed checked bag. Keep the accommodation address and arrival instructions available offline, with the destination written clearly enough to show a driver or station employee. Bring a small snack you normally eat, after checking security and destination food rules. Choose a book or downloaded audio that works without Wi-Fi, and leave novelty accessories at home.
The checklist
41 items, grouped like in the Cartdock app.
Print this page to tick items off on paper: the printout keeps only the checklist, with a box before every item.
Buy
Small supplies
- Resealable liquids bag — Use the format required by the airports on your route.
- Travel containers — Only if needed; check container capacity limits before filling.
- Pocket tissues — A compact pack for the airport and cabin.
- Small laundry bag — Separate worn arrival clothes from the clean backup.
Personal-care gaps
- Travel-size toothpaste — Counts as a liquid or paste for screening; choose a compliant container.
- Lip balm — Choose a familiar product and check whether the format falls under liquid rules.
- Small hand cream — Optional; it must fit your route’s liquid restrictions.
A modest snack
- Familiar dry snack — Check airport screening and destination food-import rules; do not assume permission.
Take along
Documents and access
- Passport or accepted travel document — Check validity and entry requirements for your route.
- Boarding pass and booking reference — Keep an offline copy if your airline allows it.
- Visa or travel-authorisation details — Only where required; retain the approval reference.
- Accommodation address and arrival instructions — Save offline so you can find the first destination without mobile data.
- Payment method — Keep accessible without exposing it while opening the main bag.
- Insurance details and emergency contact — Save a readable offline copy.
Your seat kit
- Headphones — Choose a pair you can wear comfortably for a long stretch.
- Eye mask — Optional; useful if you want to block cabin light.
- Earplugs — Optional; store in a small clean case.
- Warm removable layer — Keep within reach rather than at the bottom of the suitcase.
- Empty refillable bottle — Check checkpoint rules and fill only where permitted.
- Book or e-reader — Choose one compact option that works offline.
- Phone and charging cable — Match the cable to the device; a seat power outlet is not guaranteed.
- Permitted power bank — Check airline rules and Wh marking; protect it and keep it in the cabin.
- Glasses and case — If you use them, keep the case reachable and protected.
- Neck pillow — Optional; pack only if you have tried it and it earns its space.
Personal care and arrival backup
- Personal medicines — Bring what you already need and the documentation required along the route.
- Prescription or supporting medical letter — Where needed for medicines or equipment; check destination and transit requirements.
- Toothbrush and compact wash kit — Keep liquids compliant and easy to present at security.
- Spare top — A compact change for arrival or delayed checked luggage.
- Spare underwear and socks — One modest change, rather than an extra holiday wardrobe.
- Destination plug adapter — Only if your chargers need it at the destination.
- Essential electronics and valuables — Keep easy to remove if the cabin bag is taken at the gate.
To do
Before departure
- Confirm each operating carrier’s cabin allowance — Check the actual ticket and every flight leg.
- Measure and weigh the packed bags — Include wheels, handles and fully filled pockets when measuring.
- Read departure, transfer and return security rules — Check liquids, special items and screening instructions at every relevant airport.
- Check battery transport and onboard-use rules — Confirm the Wh marking, airline limits and any required permission.
- Check medicine and equipment requirements — Include transit and destination rules; contact the airline for special equipment.
- Check snack and food-import rules — An item allowed through security is not automatically allowed across the border.
- Download passes, directions and entertainment — Verify that the files open without an internet connection.
- Charge devices before leaving — Avoid depending on an available airport outlet.
- Pack an essentials pouch for a possible gate check — Keep documents, medicines, valuables and relevant batteries ready to remove.
- Recheck flight and terminal information — Leave time for connections and follow the current airport instructions.
Questions and answers
Does every long flight allow a cabin suitcase and a backpack?
No. The booking, operating airline and sometimes the aircraft determine the allowance. Check each leg and pack for the most restrictive applicable allowance. A pouch, shopping bag or airport purchase should not be treated as automatically additional baggage. Resolve uncertain dimensions before you arrive at the gate.
Can I use one liquid rule for my whole trip?
No. Check departure, transfer and return airports individually. A container that passes the first checkpoint may fail the next one. Medical and other exemptions also have conditions, so read the local instructions rather than choosing a larger bottle based on another airport’s policy.
What should stay with me if my bag is gate-checked?
Keep travel documents, valuables, required medicines and your essential electronics accessible for removal. Spare lithium batteries and power banks must stay in the cabin under FAA guidance. Ask the crew about handling any unusual device instead of leaving it buried in a suitcase that is going into the hold.
Do I need to buy everything listed here?
No. Start by marking what you already own and deleting optional comfort items you do not use. This is a preparation aid for one adult, not a minimum equipment requirement. The best final bag is the smallest one that covers your actual flight, connection and first hours at the destination.
Make your own list in Cartdock
Save your own copy with the exact items, measures and instructions. Changes stay in your copy.
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