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You can tell a lot about a traveler by what’s in their carry-on.
Mine has been through overnight flights to Tanzania, dusty transfers across Morocco and snowy mornings in Québec. It has been shoved under seats, wedged into overhead bins and lived on my lap in the back of a safari truck.
Over the years, it’s been edited down. Ruthlessly. What’s left are five things I won’t leave home without, plus one I never actually pack.
At a glance
- Apple AirTags, so nothing gets lost
- iWALK magnetic battery, so your phone never dies
- TESSAN universal adapter, one plug for most countries
- MZOO contoured eye mask, for sleep anywhere
- FlySnoozy seat cushion, for long-haul economy
- The bonus: digital copies of everything
Plus the airline rules worth knowing, what changes when kids come along, my full carry-on checklist and quick answers.
01 · Apple AirTags
never lose track of anything
I always know where my things are. And my phone pings me if I leave something behind.
I put one in every checked bag, one in my carry-on and one in the kids’ backpacks. When you’re traveling with children, connecting through two airports and handing bags off to drivers, that little ping is the difference between a calm arrival and a panicked one.
Standing at a baggage carousel watching the belt go round? I already know if my bag made the flight. That’s peace of mind you can hold in your hand.
Why this one
- The new second-generation AirTag, with up to 1.5x the precision-finding range
- Works with the Find My app you already have on your iPhone
- Plays a sound so you can find it buried in a bag
Tip: Name each AirTag in the Find My app (“Summer’s carry-on,” “Kids’ backpack”) before you leave home. When you’re tired at 2 a.m. in an arrivals hall, you’ll be glad you did.
02 · Portable Battery
for the best day of the trip
I take a lot of photos. And my battery is always the first thing to go.
It never dies on a boring day, either. It’s always on the morning the elephants walk right past the truck, or the evening the light turns gold over the dunes.
You’ll never be caught with a dead iPhone halfway through the best day of the trip.
Mine is the iWALK magnetic battery. It snaps right onto the back of my iPhone and charges it wirelessly, and it’s so thin I forget it’s there. No cords, and no hunting for an outlet in a café.
Why this one
- Magnetic and wireless, so it charges while you keep shooting
- About a third of an inch thin and around 4 ounces
- 5,000mAh, roughly 19 watt-hours, far under the 100 watt-hour airline limit
- LED display, so you always know how much charge is left
Tip: Portable batteries have to go in your carry-on, never your checked bag. More on the rules below.
03 · Universal Charger
one plug, most countries
No more bag full of adapters. No more finding out at midnight that you packed the wrong one.
Morocco, Portugal, Tanzania, Québec. Different outlets everywhere. This one block covers them, and it has USB ports built in, so my phone, battery and the kids’ tablets all charge off a single plug.
Hotel rooms never have enough outlets near the bed. This fixes that, too.
Why this one
- Works in more than 150 countries, with plugs for the US, Europe, the UK and Australia
- One outlet plus two USB-A and two USB-C ports, so it charges five devices at once
- About 2.5 inches square and 5 ounces, small enough to live in your carry-on
Tip: An adapter changes the plug shape, not the voltage. Phones and laptops handle any voltage, but leave the hair straightener at home or buy a dual-voltage one.
04 · Eye Mask
lights out, wherever i am
Overnight flights. Naps in the car between stops. That one hotel room with the paper-thin curtains.
Mine is the MZOO 3D contoured mask, so it doesn’t press on your eyes or smudge what’s left of your mascara. It blocks out the cabin lights completely, and it came with earplugs and a little pouch that keeps it clean in my bag.
Sleep is the first thing travel steals. This is how I steal it back.
Why this one
- Contoured eye cups, so there’s zero pressure on your eyes
- Blocks light completely, even on a red-eye with the cabin lights on
- Adjustable strap, plus earplugs and a travel pouch in the box
05 · Seat Cushion
for when you turn right
Airplane seats are the worst if you’re turning right into Economy.
Fourteen hours from New York to Nairobi taught me that. The FlySnoozy air cushion is the simple gadget that transforms the whole experience. It inflates with a built-in pump, takes the pressure off, keeps you from shifting all night, and folds down to almost nothing when you land.
It’s the cheapest upgrade you’ll ever buy.
It also earns its spot on long drives. Think the road between Marrakech and the Sahara, or a bumpy game drive in the Serengeti.
Why this one
- Built-in press pump, so there’s no blowing it up in your seat
- 56 air cells spread the pressure evenly, and you can let a little air out for a softer feel
- Weighs under a pound and packs into its own small bag, with an eye mask and earplugs included
The Bonus
the one thing i never pack, but never travel without
Digital copies of everything.
How many times have you had to pull out your passport on a single trip? At check-in. At the hotel. On the customs form. At the car rental desk.
Now imagine you can’t find it.
Have you ever thought you lost your wallet, or actually lost it, and needed the last four digits of your card to cancel it? I keep a folder in my Google Drive called Digital Copies, and everything lives there:
- Passports
- Driver’s licenses
- The front and back of every credit card
- Anything else in my wallet
- For my kids, their birth certificates
- Our marriage license
I update it every time we get a new card or a new passport. It costs nothing, takes ten minutes to set up, and it has saved me more than once.
Tip: Make sure your Google account has two-step verification turned on, so that folder stays as safe as your wallet.
Know Before You Go
the airline rules nobody reads
A few rules decide what can actually ride in your carry-on. These are the ones that trip people up.
Power banks
- Carry-on only. Spare lithium batteries and power banks are banned from checked bags. If your carry-on gets gate-checked, take the battery out first.
- Under 100 watt-hours is fine without asking. Between 100 and 160 watt-hours needs airline approval. Most phone batteries, like my iWALK, are a small fraction of that.
- Two per person on international flights. New international rules that took effect in March 2026 limit passengers to two power banks and ban recharging them onboard.
- Some airlines go further. Southwest, for example, requires a power bank to stay visible while it’s in use, not tucked in a bag.
Liquids
- The 3-1-1 rule still applies at US airports: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all in one clear quart-size bag, one bag per person.
- Some big airports have new scanners that let you leave the bag in your carry-on, but plan for 3-1-1 unless the sign says otherwise.
- Baby formula, breast milk, baby food and medication are exempt from the size limit. Tell the officer at the start of screening.
Tip: Rules change, and every airline adds its own. Check your airline’s website the week before you fly.
Family Travel
when the kids come too
Traveling with children changes the carry-on math. Here’s what I add:
- Their own small backpack, with an AirTag inside
- Headphones and a tablet with shows downloaded before you leave home, because airplane Wi-Fi never works when you need it
- Snacks. More than you think.
- A full change of clothes for each kid, and a spare shirt for you
- Wipes and a few zip-top bags for spills, sticky hands and wet clothes
- Any medication in its original packaging, never in the checked bag
Save This
my full carry-on checklist
Documents
- Passport or ID, plus visas if you need them
- Boarding passes and booking confirmations, saved offline
- A credit card and a little local cash
Tech
- Phone and portable battery
- Universal adapter
- Charging cables
- Headphones
Comfort
- Eye mask and earplugs
- Seat cushion
- A warm layer or scarf, because planes are always cold
- Empty water bottle to fill after security
Health and toiletries
- Medication in its original packaging
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Lip balm, moisturizer and hand sanitizer in your quart bag
- A change of clothes, in case your checked bag takes the scenic route
Quick Answers
frequently asked questions
Can you bring a power bank on a plane?
Yes, but only in your carry-on, never in a checked bag. Batteries under 100 watt-hours are allowed without approval, and 100 to 160 watt-hours needs airline approval. Since March 2026, international rules also limit you to two power banks and ban recharging them onboard.
Do I need a universal travel adapter?
If you travel to more than one country, yes. One universal adapter covers the plug shapes in most of the world and replaces a bag full of single-country adapters. It does not convert voltage, so check that your devices are dual-voltage.
Can AirTags go in checked luggage?
Yes. AirTags run on a small coin battery that is allowed in checked bags, which is exactly why they’re so useful for tracking luggage.
How much liquid can I bring in my carry-on?
At US airports, each container must be 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, and everything must fit in one clear quart-size bag. Baby formula, breast milk and medication are exempt.
What’s the one thing you never travel without?
Digital copies of my passport, licenses and cards in a secure Google Drive folder. It costs nothing and has saved me more than once.
now it’s your turn
What’s the one thing you never travel without? Tell me in a DM on Instagram. I’m always growing my list, and I might share a few of your favorites in a future post. Everything here also lives in my Carry-On Essentials list in my Amazon storefront.
And if this has you itching to pack a bag, come with me. Our small group trips come with a host and every detail planned. All you have to do is show up with a good carry-on.
— Summer.
