Checklist: How to Pack a Carry On Suitcase
The carry on suitcase is the most important piece of your travel preparation, and the item that can make the difference between a great trip and a terrible trip in many cases.
If your luggage is lost, damaged, or delayed, it is vital to have everything you need in your carry on suitcase. You need to know how to pack a carry on suitcase the right way so that you aren’t stranded without your necessities!
Trust me – as a mom of 4 kids (soon to be 6), flying without your essentials makes travel a nightmare. You need to not only plan for what you will need at your destination in case the airline loses your luggage, but also what you need in the airport during layovers and on the plane to make it a smooth ride for little ones.
If you’re traveling with children, you’ll need to anticipate any needs they might have in advance. Do not count on a drink or snack service on a plane being timed with coincide with your child’s appetite.
Some important guidelines: You’ll need to make sure you have enough clothing, medications, and personal items (toiletries) to last you one day, or until you can get them replaced. Pack all breakables and valuable items (either monetary value or sentimental value) in your carry on so that they are never out of your possession. This includes travel information and identification.
Preparing for travel can get hectic, and the stress of having to remember so many things can cause you to forget the items you really need. It’s nice to use a checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten any important items that you’ll need in your carry on. Use this carry on packing checklist as a reference, and add additional items to the list to customize for your family.
Carry On Suitcase Checklist
Clothing
- 1 change of clothes
- 1 set of pajamas
- 1 pair of comfortable walking shoes
- 1 sweatshirt or sweater (in case you need to layer)
Electronics
- Ear buds or headphones
- Laptop and power cord
- iPad or tablet and charger
- Cell phones and chargers (1 for wall and 1 for car)
Travel Info
- Airplane tickets, confirmation number, reservation info
- Travel itinerary
- Frequent flyer number
- Hotel address, confirmation number and reservation info
- Conference receipts, tickets, and reservation info
- Loyalty card for hotel
- Rental car reservation info
- Passport and/or visa
- Identification
- Photos of all kids’ birth certificates, adults’ driver’s licenses, and passports (in case hard copies get lost or stolen)
Personal Items
- Extra pair of contact lenses (in case one gets lost or torn)
- Contact solution and rewetting drops
- Glasses
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Hair brush, hair styling products
- Makeup for ladies
- Deodorant
Financial
- Money
- Credit cards
- Traveler’s checks
Medical
- Daily prescription medications you take
- Allergy medicine and/or epi-pen(if any family members have food or other types of allergies)
- Vitamin/mineral supplements
- Packaged wet antibacterial wipes (you never know what you’re going to be touching)
- A copy of medical records in digital or pdf format on your cell phone for anyone traveling in your party with a serious health condition
Entertainment
- Magazines
- Books
- Crossword puzzle books
- Notebook or journal for writing
- Thank you cards or holiday cards to be written out, envelopes to be addressed
- Portable game systems and extra games
Valuables
- Jewelry
- Watches
- Leather coats
- Purses and wallets
For Traveling with Kids
- Extra diapers and wipes
- Small toys
- Books
- Coloring books and crayons or markers
- Small individually wrapped snacks, like granola bars or crackers
- Juice boxes (Because of liquid rules, check with TSA to see if you can take them through security. Some TSAs will allow you (at their discretion) to take liquids through if you have babies or toddlers. If not, you may have to purchase juice boxes after going through the security checkpoint.)
Photo credit: geishabot/Flickr.
17 Comments
Tonya
Great list!! Thanks
Upstatemomof3
This is a great list. I am totally hanging on to it for my next vacation. 🙂
Wiwitz
I’m a young man. Men pack differently. I just went to Germany for 6 mnhots. Packed one suitcase at about 20 kg. Not just clothes, but everything I needed for 6 mnhots. Men know how much they need for a trip, pack efficiently, and are hence LESS LIKELY to lose their things than a woman who might pack 3 suitcases for a short 2 week trip.On reflection, I could have packed less. I didn’t even need that second pair of shoes
Kristin
The last time I traveled I decided that I could live with the clothes on my back for three days if necessary, because it seemed like my entire bag was full of electronics and their charging cords. LOL
This is an excellent list! Thank you
Come by and see me today
Kristin
Farrah from Wife and Mom of 3
This is a great travel list! I always seem to forget at least one item. So printing away now! 🙂
Home Ever After
@UpstateMom @Farrah:
Thank you! Glad you guys will use it. I love checklists, because they mean I don’t have to spend energy trying to remember things I already remembered once! lol Thanks so much for the comments, ladies. 🙂
Home Ever After
@Kristin:
I know, it seems like we’re all so connected that the electronics could take up all of our suitcase space. Cool to hook up with you through WFMW – thanks for the comment!
Stacie Haight Connerty
This is a great list. Thanks for sharing!!
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Hollan
What is considered medical products for eyes that I can carry in my carry-on suitcase that is 12 oz. that is liquid?
Home Ever After
@Hollan: That question is probably best answered by visiting TSA’s website for complete descriptions of which items are acceptable.
Jane
Hey, really good post.. This is a great way to help an unplanned traveler like me! I always think that I’ll make a checklist. But it never happens!
Nyree
Great List. Nice and to the point. I’ve seen a lot of sites that have a lot of fluff on there and a lot of items that I wouldn’t carry. This list is great!
Kelly
Great list. As a former employee of CVG (Cincinnati airport), I would also like to offer up this tip – pack in a manner that makes it quick and easy to re-pack if your bag is randomly selected for further search. Too many times I saw families miss planes because of an item buried in the bottom of a carry-on and the length of time it took TSA to locate the item and the time it took for the mom or dad to repack the carry-on. Also – take advantage of packing the maximum # of liquids by using your children’s carry-ons. It’s one ziploc bag of liquids per person and all people (including babies) count towards that number.
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Nide
in the EU you cantake any shmpao or any at all the things in the plastick bag you cant take with you only 100 ml plastick clear bottels..own food are not alovet eider own drink not alowet..but pls chek before you travet to europa.. but yes rool the things old army trick you all have a good day best regards from Denmark
thomas lee
This woman carries way too much. Pajamas?? Sleep naked, or in undies and tshirt. Carry books, magazines????? Er, carry a smartphone with entertainment on memory chips. Etc.