Travel Items I Never Leave Home Without & How To Pack for 3 Weeks in a Carry-On

I NEVER check a bag so if an item is coming with me, it truly needs to be something practical & indispensable! I've mastered the art of traveling for 3 weeks with a carry-on & I'm sharing HOW!

From organizing cords and cables on long haul flights, to making sure I can fit 2-3+ weeks worth of clothes in a carry-on suitcase (yes it’s possible if you plan correctly) to having the chargers and beauty products, these items are my travel essentials!

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Traveling without much makeup? Yes ✅ Preboard beverage?Yes! 🥂

Essential Travel Items To Make Traveling Easier & More Organized

Everything I’ve linked below I also keep featured on my Amazon Store - Travel Section.

Packing Cubes​ – If you’re not using them, you’re missing the boat. They keep everything so much more organized and using them compacts your wardrobe so you can fit more in your suitcase.

Passport Holder​ – Great quality, I bought one. Then I bought a few more for everyone in the family.

​Cord Organizer Wallet​ – Keeping all the cords, cables, and charging blocks organized is important on planes, in hotels, or Airbnbs and this one does the trick. I have the smaller size but recommend the larger size if you have a lots of cables/cords/blocks, i.e. more than 5 or so. Although see my next two items for a way to get away with bringing less.

European adapter + charger​ – If you only take one charger to Europe (or South America) or another locale that doesn’t use US-style outlets, this is your gadget.

Apple Charger for Phone + Watch​ – A great combo that’s connected together to make for less messy cables.

​Best Backpack for Laptops + Stuff​ – Not only does it hold a fullsize laptop, it holds a ton of other things like your sweater for the plane and your family’s snacks, with lots of compartments, great zippers, high quality. Honestly this is better IMO than a Tumi for a fraction of the cost.

Lululemon fanny pack DUPE - Great when I need more space but don’t want to carry a purse and my running/walking belt (see below) is too small. Think Disney Day, museum day, sightseeing and exploring day. Easily fit your phone, battery pack to charge it, chapstick, small stick sunscreen, credit cards, bit of cash, keys, pack of gum, Tylenol, etc. A “long day out” of the hotel or Airbnb and exploring, this is great.

Running/Walking/Day Belt​ – This fits very close to your body (great when traveling to prevent pickpockets) and can hold chapstick, a full size large iPhone, ID, credit card, a little cash. I go for daily walks and runs with this, I’ve ran marathons with it, and have toured European churches where they say you can’t bring anything in. Super practical.

Compact Flat Iron​ – Love this thing. Very small but mighty! Extremely slim. It’s also great to keep in your gym bag, daughter’s after-school sports bag, or gift idea. Inexpensive at under $15 and powerful.

Collapsible Hair Dryer​ – 1875 watts so you don’t need to spent an hour drying your hair! The best compact dryer I have tried and beats those that are 3x the price of this one! This is one of those travel essentials for anyone who needs a blow dryer and you don’t want to count on your hotel or Airbnb option (which have been around since 1982, tend to sound like a dying beetle, and have about that much power).

Zote Bar Soap - You may need to wash your socks, underwear, and maybe a shirt or two in your hotel shower or sink and this soap is great! No one in my family breaks out from it, yet it’s strong enough to clean your clothes, bar formula so it doesn’t count as a liquid, and I always have a bar of it in my suitcase.

The Best Suitcase (and the only one we use)

Best Suitcase EVER​ – Saved the best for last. This suitcase has been to 3 continents over the last 8 years including a month’s worth of possessions for South America during the pandemic; 3 weeks in Europe in the summers of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. With just this and the Best Backpack I’m set for 3 weeks. This suitcase is expandable, and it’s a CARRY-ON, and the wheels are stationary.

It’s super high quality, it has so many pockets and compartments, it’s just a super solid piece of luggage. My daughter and I both have had our suitcases for 8+ years and they’re still going strong with tons of travel later. Suitcases, like purses or wallets, are very personal and for me, this is so much better than a Tumi based on the actual available interior size compared with the exterior footprint.

Best of all, it fits in overhead bins on domestic airlines like Southwest (sometimes the bins can be smaller) and it fits in the overhead bins when traveling on long haul flights internationally. Only on very small planes, like “commuter” planes, have I ever had an issue and then the airlines will gate-check it for you, no problem.

If you prefer this suitcase with 4-swiveling wheels, it exists. I personally don’t like it when all four wheels move because I think it’s harder to wheel over cobblestones and it may roll with a mind of its own while on trains or buses when you don’t want it to, but wheels are personal preference.

How Do You Get Everything Into Just a Carry-On for 3+ Weeks?

My tips, thoughts, and tough love advice about packing for nearly a month in just a carry-on is as follows: