Carry-on only packing list for 10 days

A carry-on does not hold ten days of clothes. It holds five days of clothes and a plan for the sink.

That is the whole trick. Once you accept a wash in the middle, the bag stops being the problem. If your trip is shorter, start with the 5-day carry-on list instead.

The formula

1 top per 2 days, plus 1. For ten days that is six tops. Not ten.

2 bottoms you can repeat, plus 1 for a different setting. Trousers can be worn four or five times before they need washing. Underwear and socks are the exception: one pair per day for the first five days, then wash.

Treat the counts as a starting point. A cold destination or a work trip changes them.

What goes on your body

The plane is a free storage unit. Anything bulky, heavy or hard to fold travels on you.

Wear on the plane:

• Your heaviest shoes
• The warmer layer, tied or worn
• The bottoms you will repeat most
• A jacket with big pockets for chargers, passport and headphones
• A scarf, if you own one, because it doubles as a blanket

Check the airline's weight limit for carry-on bags and your personal item before you go. Limits differ, and some budget airlines are strict. ## What stays in the bag

Pack in this order, heaviest and flattest first, near the wheels or the back panel.

1. Shoes, soles facing out, filled with socks
2. Rolled soft clothes in one or two cubes
3. Folded stiff items on top (shirts, one dressy outfit)
4. Toiletry bag at the top, where you can pull it out at security
5. Chargers and the power bank in your personal item, not the main bag

On batteries: the FAA says spare lithium batteries and power banks go in carry-on baggage, not checked baggage. Details and watt-hour limits are on the FAA PackSafe lithium battery page. Your airline may add its own limits.

The mid-trip wash

Plan it, or it will not happen.

• Pick the day: usually day 5 or 6, when you reach the place you stay longest.
• Bring a few sheets of travel detergent or a small bottle, and a flat sink stopper. A plastic bag works for soaking.
• Wash underwear, socks and one or two tops. Roll in a towel, press, hang overnight.
• Choose fabrics that dry by morning. Heavy cotton and denim do not.

If your accommodation has a washing machine or there is a laundromat nearby, even better. ## Liquids and toiletries

Keep everything in a clear bag and in small containers. In the United States, the TSA liquids rule is containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, in one quart-size bag. Other countries and airports differ, so check yours. The short version is on our liquids rule page.

For ten days, solid versions save space: bar shampoo, a solid deodorant, toothpaste tablets. Refill small bottles from a larger one in your first hotel if you have to.

Leave at home

• A third pair of shoes
• A "nice outfit" for an event that is not on the itinerary
• Full-size anything
• More than one book
• A hair dryer, if your accommodation is likely to have one (ask)
• Jeans, unless you plan to wear them on the plane

If it still will not close

Take out one outfit's worth of clothes and put the heaviest item on your body. If that fails, remove the bottoms you are least likely to repeat. The packing checklist has the one-week list if you want to tick through it in order.