I’ve Traveled With Only a Carry-On for 10 Years—These Are the 5 Things I Stopped Packing

Few travel headaches ruin the start of a trip quite like standing beside an empty baggage carousel watching the luggage belt grind to a halt. For travel writer and founder at Jen33Travel Jen Curnutt, the final straw wasn’t just airline delays—it was watching other travelers mistakenly walk out of the terminal with her personal belongings.

“I originally began traveling with only carry-ons because I worried that the airline would lose my bags,” Curnutt shares. “My bigger issue these days is that I’ve had another passenger take my checked bag by mistake not once, but twice. The first time was more understandable because I had a plain black bag, but the second time shocked me. I was traveling with an incredibly distinctive Patagonia rolling fishing bag with unusual colors and a large fish on the side. I had never seen anyone else with that bag, yet someone still managed to mistake it for their own and leave the airport.”

That second mix-up cemented a permanent lifestyle shift. For the past decade, Curnutt has traveled carry-on only, stepping straight off the jet bridge and heading out into her destination without a backward glance.

“I love being able to step off the plane and immediately start my trip. I don’t have to make my way to baggage claim and wait, pay checked-bag fees, or wonder whether my luggage made the connection,” she says. “Traveling with only a carry-on eliminates that possibility and gives me much more freedom and peace of mind.”

Fitting weeks of travel into a single overhead bag, however, requires ruthlessly weeding out the dead weight that clutters most suitcases. Here are the five items Curnutt refuses to pack anymore—and the one game-changing item she relies on for every single journey.

Related: The Carry-On Hack That Never Fails Me After 5 Years of Travel

View this post on Instagram

5 Things She Stopped Packing

1. Extra Shoes

Footwear is heavy, rigid, and consumes more volume than almost anything else in your luggage. Curnutt learned early on that tossing in “options” is a recipe for an overstuffed suitcase.

“Extra shoes have been something I stopped packing a long time ago. They are heavy, bulky, and take up more space than almost anything else,” Curnutt explains. “I limit myself to the pairs I know I will wear and plan outfits around them. I also wear the largest or heaviest pair on the plane. If I do need to pack extra tennis shoes or boots, I always fill the space inside them with socks or other small items.”

Related: We Gave 3 Travel Experts a Strict $500 Fall Vacation Budget—Here’s Where They’d Actually Go

2. Full-Size Toiletries

Sacrificing precious carry-on space for giant bottles of shampoo or lotion is an automatic dealbreaker.

“There is no reason to sacrifice valuable carry-on space for large bottles,” says Curnutt. “I transfer my regular products into travel-size containers, use contact lens cases when I only need a small amount, and rely on toiletries supplied by the hotel when possible. If I am traveling for an extended stay, I can almost always buy toiletries upon arrival.”

Related: Travel Experts Say These 5 European Cities Are Better in Fall Than Summer

3. “Just-in-Case” Items

The hypothetical wardrobe—the extra sweater, the formal backup outfit, or gear for an activity that isn’t actually on your itinerary—inevitably returns home untouched.

“I stopped packing for every unlikely possibility. Extra outfits, another sweater, or something I ‘might’ need almost always comes home with me having never been touched,” Curnutt admits. “I now pack for my actual itinerary, reminding myself that I can usually purchase an unexpected necessity if it ends up that I truly forgot something. I’ve found it’s far easier to overpack than to forget something essential.”

Related: A Minimalist Carry-On Packing List for Women Over 60

4. Clothing That Only Works With One Outfit

If a piece can’t pull double or triple duty, it doesn’t earn a spot in the bag.

“If an item can only be worn once or one way, it generally doesn’t belong in my carry-on,” Curnutt notes. “I think of packing as creating a small capsule wardrobe. Choosing interchangeable pieces in the same color palette gives me more outfit combinations with far fewer clothes.” She leans heavily into versatile neutrals with a single accent hue, ensuring every top seamlessly coordinates with every bottom.

5. Bulky Cases and Containers

Oversized hard-shell organizers and rigid cosmetic boxes steal valuable cubic inches and add needless weight to your rollaboard.

“I no longer pack bulky jewelry boxes, cosmetic cases, or oversized product packaging,” Curnutt says. “Jewelry rolls, small pouches, travel-size bottles, and contact lens cases organize the same items using far less space.”

Related: Travel Experts Share Simple Hacks to Avoid Getting Your Carry-On Weighed at the Gate

The 1 Thing She Always Packs

When it comes to her absolute non-negotiables, Curnutt relies on a small set of smart organizers—led by high-performance compression packing cubes.

“My carry-on non-negotiables are a compression packing cube for bulky clothing, a jewelry roll, and a compact toiletry bag filled with products I’ve transferred into travel-size containers,” Curnutt explains. “If I’m packing wrinkle-prone, structured pieces like button-down tops, I also bring a slim garment folder. Each item either creates more room, keeps me organized, or protects my clothing without adding unnecessary bulk.”

Her packing system pairs two distinct techniques to get the maximum efficiency out of every corner of her suitcase.

“For a smaller carry-on, I use a combination of rolling my clothes and compression packing cubes. Rolling allows me to tuck clothing into the gaps inside my carry-on and maximize every inch of space,” she says. “I reserve compression packing cubes for bulky items, like sweaters, that take up a lot of room but can easily be compressed.”

By paring back the extras, rolling everyday essentials, and letting compression cubes flatten the fluffiest layers, Curnutt proves you don’t need a massive checked trunk to travel comfortably—just a smart strategy and the freedom to get up and go.

Related: 8 Fall Carry-On Essentials Every Traveler Needs