TRAVEL GEARTRAVEL TIPS & ADVICEPOPULAR February 21, 2019

How to Pack in Just a Personal Item Sized Bag

Peter Thornton 
Sr. Content & Deal Strategist

personal item. What does this mean? Should you pony up and 

pay extra for a larger carry-on or checked bag? Is it possible 

to take a trip with only a small backpack or handbag?

Tips for Packing in Only a 

Personal Item

I’m here to tell you that yes, it is possible. Although not ideal, 

traveling with only a personal item can be a great way to take 

a super cheap getaway for a few days. And if you’re into 

the minimalist lifestyle, you can even stretch this out to 

week-long trips or longer. More and more airlines are 

selling super cheap flights that only include a personal 

item with the hope that most passengers will pay extra 

for bags and/or other ancillary fees. If you don’t want to 

pay any more than that low fare you were attracted to, 

use these tips to travel with only a personal item sized bag.

What is a Personal Item?

First of all, let’s be clear on what exactly a personal item 

is. The exact dimensions vary by airline, but are usually a 

maximum of around 18x14x8 inches and up to 22 lbs. 

Each airline and individual employees will vary on how

 strictly these limitations are adhered to. In general, 

think small backpacks, large purses, or small wheeled 

bags that will fit underneath the seat in front of you on 

an airplane.

The growing number of airlines that only include a small 

personal item in the lowest class base price include 

Allegiant, Flair Air, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, 

Swoop, and United. There's even an international 

carrier, WOW Air, that only includes a small personal 

item in the initial price you see. Read on to learn how 

to take advantage of these airlines’ cheap flights.

What to Bring When Packing in a 

Personal Item Only

You’ll have to be extremely picky about what goes in 

your bag if you’re going to travel with only a personal 

item. There is no room to bring any items on a “just in 

case” basis. A general rule of thumb is to bring along a 

total of about three outfits, including what you decide 

to wear while traveling. Of course, this varies depending 

on how long your trip is and what other items might be 

more important to you.

It’s usually best to leave your laptop behind on such trips 

as the added weight may tip you over the scale and many 

of your computing needs can be done with a smartphone 

these days. A tablet or an e-reader can be a good 

alternative if you prefer to have a larger screen. That 

being said, it’s not very common for airlines to actually 

weigh your personal item, though some will insist.

Below, I’ve included a list of what I usually bring with 

me when packing just a personal item. This list is 

obviously more geared towards male travelers, but 

I’ve tried to include a few similar examples for female 

travelers as well. The number of clothing items really 

depends on how lightweight your clothes are and how 

long you plan to travel. Remember to wear your bulkier 

items and a few layers on the plane. Check out these 

16 Perfect Garments to Wear on Your Next Flight.

What to Pack in Your Personal Item Bag

Clothing:

• 2 T-shirts
• 1 Pair of shorts
• 1-2 Pair of pants
• 1 Belt
• 1-2 dress shirt(s) or dress(es)
• 3-5 Pair of underwear / socks
• 1 Swimsuit
• 1 Hoodie
• 1 Lightweight waterproof jacket
• 1 hat
• 1 Pair of universal shoes
• 1 Pair of sandals or flip flops

Technology:

• Phone
• Tablet or Laptop (if necessary) with a protective sleeve
• Chargers for devices and portable USB charger
• Accessories (usb stick, cables, etc.)
• Universal power adapter
• Earbuds

Toiletries / Personal items:

Make sure your liquids are TSA compliant.

• Small reusable bottles filled with shampoo, 
• conditioner, body wash, and sunscreen
• Toothpaste
• Pocket laundry wash
• Toothbrush, shaver, comb, deodorant, medications, etc.

Travel Documents & Money:

• Passport / ID, itinerary, wallet, USD cash
• ATM card with no fees
• Credit card with no foreign transaction fees

Miscellaneous Items:

• Travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Eye mask
• Carabiners
• Water bottle
• Padlock
• TSA luggage locks
• Keys
• Pen
• Bungee(s)
• Ziploc bags
• Drawstring bag

The key to traveling with only a personal item is that 

you should only bring one pair of shoes. For this 

reason, you’ll have to choose wisely on which pair 

to bring and make sure it is a versatile and comfortable 

shoe that can be used for daily touring and also look 

nice enough to wear for a night out on the town.

Of course, if you’re traveling for more than just a few 

days, you’ll have to find somewhere to do laundry. 

This is usually pretty cheap and the pocket laundry 

wash works well if you need to wash something quickly. 

If you need to travel for a formal event, wear your 

formal attire on the flight to save space in your bag 

and also so it does not wrinkle. You may even get 

noticed for an upgraded seat if you’re looking spiffy 

and the airline needs to upgrade any passengers in 

order to open up oversold Economy seats.

How to Pack Your Personal Item

After setting aside a few layers of your bulkier items 

to wear on the plane, it’s time to cram all other items 

in your small personal item bag. To save as much 

space as possible, roll your clothing and you can keep 

things more organized by placing your clothes in a 

drawstring bag or a reusable shopping bag before 

placing in your personal item sized bag. Do the same

 for your pair of sandals or flip flops so other items 

don’t get dirty or if space is of the essence, you can 

easily attach a pair of sandals to the outside of your 

bag with carabiners. A bungee cord can also be 

useful to strap bulkier items to your bag that you 

don’t want to wear if it’s too hot while traveling.

Some items such as heavy coats won’t fit in a 

personal item sized bag, so if you’re going to a 

colder climate, you’ll need to wear or carry these 

items on the plane outside of your bag. I also like 

to bring a small plastic shopping bag with snacks 

or purchase a to-go meal at the airport to bring 

onboard. If space in your personal item is tight, 

you can always place a few items in your snack 

bag and you’ll likely never have any issue boarding 

a plane this way.

Personal Item Bags to Fit 

Everything You Need

Choosing the right personal item bag is paramount 

to fit what you need for your trip. It’s a good idea to 

check the airline’s size requirements for specific 

limitations, though unless the bag looks overly large,

 I don’t think many gate agents actually size up these 

bags. There are plenty of options to choose from for 

personal item bags. A small backpack is ideal for 

organization as they usually include many different 

compartments and also allow you to be hands-free 

when traveling. If you prefer wheeled bags, there 

are even a few small enough to fit underneath an 

airplane seat. Another option is to go with a large 

tote bag, which can usually fit the most items. Here 

are a few bags I recommend.

Travelpro Maxlite 5 15” Lightweight 

Carry-on Rolling Under Seat Bag

Swiss Gear Travel Gear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack

ECOSUI Duffel Bag Weekender Overnight Bag Large Travel Tote

Samsonite Large Wheeled Underseater

Leather Carry On Bag - Airplane Underseat Travel Duffel By RusticTown

Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Backpack

For more bags that fit the personal item dimensions, 

check out these 7 Smart Backpacks for Your Next 

Weekend Trip.

The added bonus of not lugging around extra bags 

will also allow you to save once you arrive at your 

destination. Public transportation options suddenly 

don’t seem too bad when you’re only carrying one 

small bag and you can put your extra money towards 

tasting the local food or enjoying the attractions during 

your trip.

Related Article: How to Pack for an Extended 

Trip in Just a Carry-On Bag

Header image by diy13 via Shutterstock. 

Product images courtesy of Amazon.