My travel pack and carryon ideas for “nothing checked” travel
Traveling and packing is very personal. Whether you travel a lot or a little, a system is key to making the whole ordeal a little less stressful. Having the right equipment helps too. I’ve been through a few “personal item” options for frequent travel and as a person who likes to be ready for anything, I’ve landed on this one as well as a few others to be ideal for my needs.
With the 1 carryon and 1 personal item rule, I’ve found it valuable to have a high capacity, organization friendly backpack as my carryon. There are some good ones at all different price points. My overall picks are below. I don’t like to travel with a checked bag for 1 week or less trips, so capacity matters when it comes to my “2 items” I carryon.
My current backpack: Incase A.R.C Travel Backpack; 21L (38L fully expanded) - $249.99 retail
I get compliments all the time for its sleek design, but what I love most are the unique pocket design and storage. It has enough unique pocket space to accommodate a specific home for every travel essential someone might need. When people comment on its size, I explain “my whole life is in here” for a reason. There is space for everything you could possibly need.
Pros:
Two unique back compartments: Separate and back-facing for a laptop and a tablet in one; passport or easy access to your ID for the other.
Fits up to 16” laptop and an ipad or tablet in a separate compartment from the rest of the pack.
Who likes to pull their identification out of their bag or purse in the security line? Not me. I keep my ID in the back pocket in a small zip enclosed pocket for easy access to grab and put away without taking my backpack off; I know it’s safe and secure as well.
Front top pocket: Has interior organization for quick access to electronic essentials and other items that are regularly needed and used while on the go.
Front bottom pocket: Could be used for extra battery packs and chords needed for travel. I also keep a snack or two in here.
Shoe compartment: Exterior access show compartment at the bottom of the bag - I use this for jewelry box and other hidden essentials, but it’s a great option for a second pair of shoes if daily transit and frequent walking is a part of the commute.
Side water bottle pocket: Fits well a 16-32 slim tall water bottle for on-the-go hydration.
Full zip enclosure: The allows for a butterfly style opening and easy packing and unpacking. You can compress items down on either side and there are a few interior pockets for packing as well.
Top handle, side handle, tightening straps, and clip closures: Several ways to carry, move, grab, tighten to compact, and keep your bag sleek and together. I appreciate the thought put into these additional elements.
Cons:
Large size: Pros almost always also result in a con. one of the cons to the pack is that it is large and when absolutely full can run a bit heavy!
Fits nearly all under seat compartments on airplanes: I only travel United and on older planes that aren’t updated the underseat where the battery takes up space causes trouble with this back pack. Additionally if you get the bulk head seats - you’ll have to put both overhead and due to the size this essentially takes up the space for a full rollerboard as well. This is inconvenient for me on about 15% of my flights. Enough to be a con.
The luggage handle pass through doesn’t always work: When the bag is pretty full, the pass through doesn’t work that well. I nearly never use it. I actually prefer a sideways pass through.
Full Packing List:
Main Left Section: Slim Purse, Over-ear headphones, First-aid kit, Makeup bag, and Laptop Display Multiport, Java Socks
Main Right Section: Sweater, Charging Station, Laptop Charger
Bottom Front Compartment: Large battery back up, two small magsafe battery backups (one with a stand), 2 outlet adaptors (one C and one dual usb), 2 usb > type C and lightening chords, and a snack.
Water bottle in side pocket
Shoe Compartment: Jewelry box, tampons, acidified body wipes, deodorant, and eye masks.
Back Low Pocket: Card case with ID
Laptop compartment: Laptop and notebook and/or tablet
Top Front Compartment: Bluetooth mouse, 2 sets of glasses, 2 pairs of airpods, 2 pens, sunscreen powder, lip balm, essential oil for stress, hand sanitizer, 2 roll on scents, and 3 type C -> C, lightening, and micro usb chords, pill organizer.
Fits all of this and more! These are the essentials I bring and there is still enough room for additional odds and end you might need for a specific adventure. No more worries about the two item rule! Pack your purse, essentials and more in this pack!
Other Packs I’d Consider:
Cost: $199.00
Why: Enough room for everything I like to pack. Ultra-lightweight and built in packing cells to hold extra clothing essentials without impacting available organization space. 6-yr warranty, large capacity, and discreet and separate laptop pocket are just a few things that make this a great alternative pack. I may consider this brand for my next. Also, a side load style luggage pass through makes this have a feature mine doesn’t have.
Cost: $49.99
Why: All the same features as mine but a much more affordable price point. I haven’t travel tested it but after researching budget friendly options, this one certainly stood out. I recommend based on it being made of recycled plastic and having all the features I love about mine. It expands to 30L and should fit most under seat storage on planes as well.
