The Ultimate Travel Companion: How to Find Your Perfect Carry-On Travel Pack

Isn’t it time you lightened your load? In this article, I delve into the advantages of travelling light and provide expert tips on choosing the ideal one-bag travel pack for your needs – whether you’re a seasoned traveller or planning your first adventure. Get ready to revolutionise the way you travel – with your ultimate (carry-on) travel companion.

Why a carry-on travel pack is the way to go

I have stopped counting the number of travellers we see almost daily on the road, lugging around ginormous travel packs that precariously sway over their heads. We wish we could talk to everyone of them and convince them to travel light next time.

We’ve been there. During our first three-month RTW trip together in 2012, we travelled with the usual 70-litre backpacks. Since 2016, though, we have only travelled with carry-on travel packs (full-time and in all four seasons), and we would never go back.

So, what are the benefits of travelling light? Here are three of them, but there are way more…

It makes arriving a breeze

Have you ever waited for (what seems like) an eternity at the luggage carousel? The conveyor belt seems to be the most popular place on earth. You can’t see a thing as everyone else has claimed their spot right next to it. As the place slowly empties, you wonder what happened to your luggage. And then, finally, half an hour after you went through security, it appears, and you breathe a sigh of relief.

Now imagine travelling with a carry-on: You grab your travel pack out of the overhead locker. Once off the plane, you walk swiftly past your fellow travellers, dodging the myriad of trolley suitcases they pull beside or behind them. The lines at security are still short. A few minutes after you land, you’re out of the airport, greet your loved one/s and/or grab that train/bus/taxi into town.

Your luggage can’t get delayed, lost or stolen

How many times has your luggage been delayed (or worse yet, lost or stolen)?

• One year, I arrived in Berlin on Christmas Eve. My winter jacket was in my checked luggage (since we flew in from Sydney, where it was summer). Four days later, my suitcase finally arrived, damaged and unusable. A strike combined with bad weather (and Christmas) had made Heathrow Airport a giant luggage warehouse.
• Paul almost missed out on competing in a half-marathon in Italy a few years ago when our plane was delayed in Dubai. While we made the connection, running from one gate to the other, our luggage didn’t. We were reunited with our suitcases (one containing Paul’s running gear) less than 12 hours before the race.

Everyone who has ever travelled with check-in luggage can tell similar stories. Not much fun.

If you travel solo, how often have you wished you had a travel buddy to look after your 70-litre pack while you quickly popped into the bathroom (or elsewhere)? A carry-on travel pack is small and light enough to take wherever you go. We even did a food tour once in Berlin with our carry-ons on our backs.

It may just save your travel plans

Imagine you wake up late. You have 30 minutes to catch your train. The train station is a good 20-minute walk away. The morning traffic is horrendous. If you want to make your train, you have to run.

Now imagine you have a (carry-on-sized) wheelie and a day pack. You gather your gear as quickly as possible, but it still seems like an eternity until you’ve carried your wheelie down the stairs and out of the building. The streets to the train station are cobblestoned and full of people heading to work. Good luck making that train.

Now imagine grabbing your (also carry-on sized) travel pack. It’s packed and ready in a flash. You run down the stairs and along the streets, shouting apologies as you zigzag between people. You only carry 10 kgs/22 lbs on your back, so moving on cobblestones is not too difficult. What are your chances of catching that train?

What is considered carry-on?

Size and Weight

Unfortunately, every airline has different carry-on luggage rules with regard to both size and weight:

• The most common dimensions for carry-on are 56 x 36 x 23 cm | 22 x 14 x 9 in (with the height, width and depth adding up to a maximum of 115 cm | 45 in). By pure maths, this gives you about 46 litres – which is also the (maximum) luggage size you want to consider when looking for your perfect carry-on travel pack.
• When it comes to carry-on weight limits, some airlines allow 10 kg/22 lb, while others allow only 7 kg/15 lb. The amount you can bring into the cabin also depends on whether you travel domestically or internationally, and your ticket class.

Low-cost airlines often have the lowest limits and are usually the ones that enforce the rules most strictly. So, check the rules (on the airline’s website) before you book your flight.

Hand Luggage vs Personal Item

Most airlines allow one piece of hand luggage (which must fit into the overhead lockers) plus one personal item (which must be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you). Some airlines apply their total carry-on weight limit (7-10 kgs) to both items, others only to the hand luggage (and not to the personal item). Again, if unsure, check the airline’s website before you book your ticket.

When we encounter airline staff who take the weight limitations (too) seriously (but are only concerned about the weight of our hand luggage), we put

• my sling bag (my usual personal item) and whatever makes my travel pack too heavy into my Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Shopping Bag (usually used to carry groceries or laundry), which then becomes my personal item; and
• Paul’s laptop (and whatever else makes his travel pack too heavy) into our Matador Freerain22 Daypack, which becomes his personal item.

Despite a decade of travelling light, we haven’t managed to keep our total carry-on limit (hand luggage AND personal item) under 7 kgs. It’s just not possible when you travel full-time in all four seasons and also carry laptops. So, if we happen to fly with an airline that has a 7 kg (total) standard limit, we try and purchase a carry-on top-up (which usually brings our allowed carry-on weight to 14 or 15 kgs – more than plenty for us).

How do you choose the carry-on travel pack that’s right for you?

Before you go shopping for a travel pack, think about and write down your requirements. They may not be as obvious initially, but the more you look at the options, the more precise they’ll become. To help you get started, here is the list of criteria we’ve developed over the past decade of carry-on-only travel.

Close to maximum carry-on limit

Initially, we weren’t sure how much we’d need, but the more we looked at different sizes, we realised that less than 40 litres would be a bit of a squeeze for me and less than 45 litres a squeeze for Paul – even as practising minimalists.

Apart from the volume, check the actual dimensions of the pack. A tall and narrow travel pack (like a hiking rucksack) might be 40 litres, but if the dimensions are (way) off, you may still be forced to check it in.

Ultra-lightweight yet super strong

The lighter your travel pack (when it’s empty), the more you can carry until you reach the 7 kg or 10 kg carry-on weight limit.

While lightweight is important, your travel pack must also be super strong to withstand the daily (ab)use of travel. The last thing you want is for your travel pack to burst open at a busy intersection in Hanoi or when you’re jumping on a chicken bus in Guatemala. Look for lightweight rip-stop material (the material will prevent a small puncture from turning into a giant tear, hence the name), and especially check the zippers (ideally YKK) and seams (best if they are multi-stitched) – notorious weak points on any backpack (even daypacks).

Even weight distribution

If your back health is important to you, ensure your carry-on travel pack has an adjustable harness and a proper (padded) hip belt.

The ability to adjust the travel pack to your torso size ensures the weight sits close to your back. A travel pack needs to be adjustable both where the shoulder straps attach to the bottom of the pack AND where they attach at the top (the latter are called load lifters).

Your full travel pack must also sit comfortably on your hips to take the weight off your shoulders and back. That’s where a proper (padded) hip belt becomes critical – I’m surprised how many carry-on travel packs don’t come with one.

(Separate) Laptop compartment at the back

Continuing on the topic of (optimal) weight distribution, a laptop is likely the heaviest item you carry in your travel pack. So, the best place for it is right against your back.

You’ll also want it to be easily accessible (even when the travel pack is full) – for example, when you go through security or want to do some work in a café while you wait for your train. Thus, a separate, zippered laptop compartment you can access from the outside is best.

Easy access to your toiletry bag

And speaking of security: Your toiletry bag is another item you’d want easy access to whenever you go through security. A toiletry bag usually weighs a bit (at least mine does), so I prefer a separate zippered compartment (at the bottom or top) that can be accessed easily from the outside (even when my pack is full).

Stretchy side pockets that fit a water bottle

Staying hydrated is essential when travelling – our go-to reusable water bottle is the Klean Kanteen 27 oz Wide Water Bottle. Whatever water bottle you travel with needs to go somewhere. You don’t want to (have to) carry it in your hand all the time (or have it dangle from a carabiner on your pack). Trust me. That’s what side pockets are for.

Ensure the side pocket is broad and deep enough to fit your water bottle. If your water bottle fits, but the pocket is a bit shallow (making it easy for the bottle to fall out), look for ways to secure it to your pack (for example, by looping a compression strap through or around its cap).

Clamshell design

A travel pack that opens like a suitcase (rather than from the top) makes (un)packing and accessing an item on the go a breeze. Fortunately, most carry-on travel packs these days have such a clamshell design.

Some clamshell travel packs have a single large main compartment on one side of the clamshell (plus several exterior compartments for easy access). Others feature a split-case design, with storage compartments on either side of the clamshell – anywhere from 50/50 (zippered compartments of equal size on either side) to 80/20 splits. We’ve also seen travel packs that further compartmentalise each side of the clamshell.

We prefer to use (removable) packing cubes rather than fixed compartments for our clothes and shoes, and are therefore not so keen on split cases. The more compartments there are, the more the pack usually weighs, too. So, find the balance that’s right for you.

Lockable zips

Travelling with a carry-on, you’ll have your luggage with you most of the time. But if you do have to check in your luggage (for example, if the bus is too crowded or your plane too small), lockable zips come in handy.

If your favourite travel pack doesn’t have lockable zips (and not even security loops that prevent easy unzipping), here is a little trick: Use cable ties (just make sure they fit through your zipper and the place on your pack you want to tie it to). Most thieves are opportunistic, and while cable ties can be cut, they make it just a little (too) cumbersome for thieves.

Fairly priced

Good quality luggage is not cheap – that includes carry-on travel packs. Yes, there are (Chinese-branded) travel packs available online that are insanely affordable. While we have no experience with them, we’d be concerned about their quality (see above) and doubt that they are made ethically and sustainably (more on that below).

Good warranty

Many carry-on travel packs on the market these days come with lifetime guarantees and/or repair programs – a sign that the company stands by the quality of its products. So, if you’re undecided between two models, maybe the warranty terms help you make the call.

Sustainably and ethically made

Last but not least, it’s essential to ensure the manufacturing of your travel pack is done as sustainably and ethically as possible:

• Most lightweight, durable travel packs (at least for now) are made from petrochemicals. So, if possible, select a travel pack that is made from or contains recycled materials.
• For travel packs made from virgin materials, check whether the materials are Bluesign-approved and/or whether the manufacturing process adheres to the Bluesign Restricted Substances List to ensure strict ecological and toxicological standards are met.
• If you want your travel pack to repel water, only consider models that use perfluorochemical(PFC)-free methods (aka “no forever chemicals“) to achieve durable water repellency (DWR).

If nothing else, check the sustainability credentials of the brand you buy from. If you can’t find anything (of any substance) on their website, chances are they don’t care.

Our carry-on/one-bag travel pack shortlist

We’ve researched and tested more than two dozen travel packs from different manufacturers before creating our shortlist below. We looked at external dimensions, usable volume, empty weight, materials, carry comfort, opening style, storage options, warranty, and sustainability information.

All travel packs on our shortlist

• offer a (stated) volume of 35-45 litres – based on their dimensions, though, all are in the 40-45 litre range,
• weigh less than (approximately) 2kg / 4lbs 7oz,
• come with a (proper) hip belt, and
• have at least one water bottle side pocket.

We exclude packs that are heavier than 2kg, lack a hip belt, lack external water bottle storage, sit too far outside common carry-on dimensions, or do not provide sufficient evidence of durability, warranty, or responsible materials.

Click on the name of the model you are interested in to reveal more detail and find one that ticks all (or at least the most important ones) of YOUR boxes:

What did/would we choose (based on our needs)?

We started our minimalist journey in 2016 with the Osprey Ozone 46 (Sandra) and the Tortuga V2 (Paul), both of which are no longer manufactured.

Paul’s Tortuga lasted seven years. The fabric was not rip-stop, and it started to fray along the seams – an area difficult to repair (multiple times). He now travels with the Matador GlobeRider45 Travel Backpack. It’s at the higher end of the weight spectrum, but it met all his requirements otherwise.

I still use my original Osprey Ozone 46. It’s not quite a clamshell design (that wasn’t a thing a decade ago), but it’s lighter than any other travel pack I’ve come across and very sturdy. So why change something that works well? That said, if I had to purchase a new travel pack tomorrow, it would be the Osprey Farpoint 40 or the Eagle Creek Tour 40. Both weigh less than 1.5kg and come with a lifetime warranty.

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