How to Pack for 10 Days in a Carry-On: My Simple Packing Strategy

Yes, you really can pack for a 10-day trip in a carry-on.

My family travels with carry-ons whenever possible, even for longer trips and international travel. It saves time at the airport, eliminates the worry of a checked bag getting lost, and makes getting around so much easier, especially when you're dealing with trains, cobblestone streets, small hotel rooms, or multiple destinations.

The trick isn't necessarily packing less. It's packing smarter.

Here’s how I do it.

1. Start With the Right Carry-On

Before you start packing, make sure your suitcase actually works for the type of trip you're taking.

I generally prefer a lightweight rolling carry-on because I don't want to carry everything on my back through an airport. But weight matters, especially when traveling internationally, where some airlines have stricter carry-on limits.

Look for a bag that:
• Meets your airline's carry-on size requirements
• Is lightweight before you put anything in it
• Has good wheels and handles
• Opens in a way that makes packing easy
• Uses the interior space efficiently

And always check your airline's specific baggage rules before leaving. Carry-on dimensions and weight limits can vary significantly between airlines.

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2. Don't Pack 10 Completely Different Outfits

This is probably the biggest mistake people make.
You don't need 10 shirts, 10 bottoms, multiple jackets and six pairs of shoes just because you're going away for 10 days.

Instead, pack clothes that can be mixed and matched.

For a typical 10-day trip, I might pack something like:
• 6-8 tops
• 5-6 bottoms
• 1–2 dresses or nicer outfits
• 1 lightweight sweater or cardigan
• 1 jacket appropriate for the destination
• Pajamas
• Underwear and socks
• Swimsuit, if needed
• 3 pairs of shoes

The exact numbers will depend on where you're going and what you'll be doing, but the goal is the same: almost everything should work with several other things in your suitcase.

Neutral colors make this much easier.

3. Plan to Wear Things More Than Once

Your jeans don't need to go into the laundry after wearing them to dinner for two hours.
Neither does a sweater, jacket or pair of shorts.

When I'm planning outfits, I assume I'll wear many pieces more than once. Tops and undergarments are the things I tend to change most often.

This one mindset can cut your clothing pile almost in half.

4. Plan Laundry in the Middle of the Trip

If possible, I love planning an Airbnb or other accommodation with laundry somewhere around the middle of a longer trip.
Suddenly, you're not really packing for 10 days.

You're packing for about five.

Even if you don't have access to a washing machine, you can wash a few lightweight items in a hotel sink. Pack a small amount of laundry detergent or detergent sheets and hang things overnight.

For longer trips, doing one load of laundry is much easier than dragging twice as much luggage around for 10 days.

5. Use Packing Cubes

I am a big fan of packing cubes.

They don't magically make your clothes disappear, but they keep everything compressed, organized and much easier to find.

I like separating things into categories — tops in one cube, bottoms in another, underwear and socks in a smaller cube.

They're especially useful on trips where you're changing hotels. Instead of digging through your entire suitcase every night, you can pull out the cube you need. Compression packing cubes can save even more room, but be careful: saving space doesn't save weight.

You can absolutely fit more into your suitcase than you should be carrying!

6. Roll or Fold? Do Both.

People have surprisingly strong opinions about this.

I don't think everything needs to be rolled.

I roll smaller casual clothes like T-shirts, leggings and pajamas. I fold things that wrinkle easily or don't roll well.
The better strategy is simply using every bit of available space.

Tuck socks into shoes. Fill small gaps around packing cubes. Put belts along the perimeter of the suitcase.

Think of packing like a puzzle.

7. Shoes Are the Enemy

Okay, maybe that's slightly dramatic.

But shoes take up an enormous amount of space.

For most trips, I try to limit myself to three pairs, including the pair I'm wearing on the plane.

Usually that's something like:
• Comfortable walking shoes or sneakers
• Sandals or another casual option
• One nicer pair, if needed

Wear your bulkiest pair on the plane.

And before packing shoes "just in case," ask yourself whether you're actually going to wear them.

8. Wear Your Bulkiest Clothes on Travel Day

Don't use half your suitcase for the things you could be wearing.

If I'm bringing sneakers, a sweater or jacket, those are usually coming with me onto the plane rather than taking up valuable suitcase space.

You can always take the jacket off once you're onboard.

9. Downsize Your Toiletries

Full-size toiletries can eat up an unbelievable amount of space.

Transfer your favorite products into small travel containers or buy travel sizes of the things you really need.

Also think about what your hotel will already provide. Do you really need to bring shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a hair dryer if they're waiting in the room?

For liquids in your carry-on, remember to follow TSA's current rules.

And don't forget that some everyday products are available in solid versions; shampoo bars, sunscreen sticks and other solid toiletries can help reduce the number of liquids you're carrying.

10. Be Ruthless With the "Just in Case" Items

This is where carry-ons go to die.
"What if it gets really cold?"
"What if we go somewhere fancy?"
"What if I decide to work out every morning?"
"What if I need four different handbags?"

Pack for what you are actually planning to do, not every scenario that could theoretically happen.
In most destinations, if you truly forget something important, you can buy it.

11. Use Your Personal Item Wisely

Your personal item is valuable real estate.

I usually reserve mine for things I want with me during the flight or don't want packed away:
• Wallet
• Passport and travel documents
• Phone and charger
• Medications
• Headphones
• Electronics
• Snacks
• Water bottle
• Small toiletry pouch
• An extra layer – this is my favorite!
• Anything valuable or difficult to replace

I also like a personal-item bag that can slide over the handle of my suitcase. It makes walking through the airport much easier.

12. Bring a Foldable Bag for the Trip Home

This is one of my favorite tricks.

Pack a lightweight foldable duffel or tote inside your carry-on on the way there.
It takes up almost no room.

Then, if you buy souvenirs or somehow return home with more than you started with, which seems to happen surprisingly often, you have an extra bag.

Depending on the airline and what you've purchased, you can use it as your personal item, carry-on or checked bag on the way home. I often carry on my bag on the way there and check it on the way home so I can carry my souvenirs on the plane with me!

Just make sure you know your airline's baggage allowance first.

13. Don't Forget About Weight

This is especially important for international travel.

A suitcase can be the correct dimensions and still be too heavy.
Some international and low-cost airlines have carry-on weight limits that are much stricter than what many U.S. travelers are accustomed to.

If you're worried about weight, use a small luggage scale before leaving home.

My Biggest Carry-On Packing Rule
Before I put something in my suitcase, I ask:
Will I actually use this?

Not might I use it.
Not would it be nice to have.
Will I actually use it?

If the answer is probably not, it stays home.

Packing in a carry-on isn't about depriving yourself. It's about bringing the things you'll actually use and leaving behind the things you're carrying around for imaginary situations.

A Simple 10-Day Carry-On Packing List

For a typical trip, a starting point might look like this:

Clothing: 6-8 tops, 5-6 bottoms, 1-2 nicer outfits or dresses, pajamas, underwear and socks, one sweater or cardigan, one destination-appropriate jacket and a swimsuit if needed.
Shoes: Three pairs maximum, including the pair you're wearing.
Toiletries: Travel-size essentials and only the products you'll actually use.
Other essentials: Packing cubes, chargers, medications, travel documents, sunglasses, a reusable water bottle and a foldable extra bag.

Of course, a 10-day trip to Italy in July requires a very different suitcase than 10 days in Iceland in November. Use this as a starting point and adjust it for your destination.

The Bottom Line
Once you get used to traveling with a carry-on, it's hard to go back.

No waiting at baggage claim. No worrying about whether your suitcase made the connection. No dragging a giant bag up train steps or across cobblestone streets.

And yes, you can absolutely travel for 10 days with one.

You just have to stop packing for every possible situation and start packing for the trip you're actually taking.

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