5 Must-Have Items in Your Carry-On

It doesn’t matter if you are travelling one hour from Adelaide to Melbourne or eighteen hours from Darwin to London, below are 5 items that you should always have in your carry-on.

Now, I usually like to get to know people before I start to let them poke around in my backpack.

But for you I’ll make an exception, and let you take a peek…

1. A Spare Set of Clothes

You arrive at your destination and head to the luggage carousel to collect your bag. You watch bag after bag go around, and person after person collecting them. And you wait, and then wait some more… You take a quick glance around and everyone has gone. Suddenly the carousel comes to a screeching halt, and you get that sinking feeling in your guts.

If you are fortunate enough to experience having your luggage left behind or lost. You will learn very quickly what is important to pack in your carry-on. That is why mine always has a spare set of clothes and 2x pairs of underwear. Just in case I need to go without my main luggage for a while.

2. Small Packet of Tissues

Whoever knew that an item so small and simple could be used for so many different purposes? Not just blowing your nose, but also:

• Toilet paper
• Napkins
• Wiping tables (surfaces)
• Cleaning sunglasses
• Blisters and bleeding

There is nothing quite like trying to squeeze into a toilet cubicle with all your bags. You get everything into its place, you pull your pants down and sit on the toilet. And then you reach over to the toilet paper holder, only to come away empty handed. The roll is empty… “Shit!”. Well, you hope not and it’s just a number 1.

And that is exactly why these little babies are always in a zip-lock bag in the front pocket of my carry-on for emergency situations like this.

3. An Over the Shoulder Handbag

How many hands do you have? It’s never enough when you’re travelling. And so, having an over the shoulder handbag makes life just that little bit easier when travelling. Perfect for carrying multiple bags at once, can slip into the top of your day pack for storage, and is comfortable to wear. It is important when travelling to places which are known for pickpocketing (stealing) that you can carry a bag which goes in front of you. As when you are in a busy public area people can steal items out of your bag if it’s on your back.

Tip: Don’t buy a bag that is too big, carrying it around all day will be uncomfortable. Also try and get one with lots of pockets so that you can find your valuables easily.

4. Pocket-Size Entertainment

Whether you are on a plane, train, bus, boat, or car, you will need to find things to keep you occupied and break the ice when meeting new people. I personally carry multiple items that are small, portable, entertaining, and can be used just about anywhere. Examples are a guidebook, deck of cards, crossword puzzle, journal, or a device to read this blog are all great options!

Tip: I highly recommend a deck of cards for breaking the ice.

5. Chargers

When I started travelling 16 years ago most people didn’t own a lot of devices. Nowadays, everyone needs to always have one in their hand. Just about everywhere you go now has docking stations. And so, having your charger somewhere easy to find and quick to access will save you precious charging time. Instead of wasting it rummaging through pockets to try and remember where you last put it, or regretting that you have put it in your checked-in luggage again…

And now it’s your turn… tell me in the comments below what item you just can’t travel without?