# How to Pack a Carry-On > Carry-on packing: low-cost size and weight limits, the 100 ml liquids rule, what won't get through, power banks cabin-only, and a technique for several days. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/yak-spakuvaty-ruchnu-poklazhu/ - Language: en - Published: 2026-10-14 - Categories: Travel, Leisure, Hotels, Tours, Ukraine, Events --- Getting your **carry-on packing** right, enough for a few days with nothing confiscated at security, is doable even on a low-cost airline with its strict size limits. The trick isn't an expensive suitcase, it's two habits: keeping liquids within the 100 ml rule, and not dragging along anything you could wear or leave at home. Below are the sizes and weights (always check yours with your own airline, they differ), a list of what won't get through, and a packing technique that squeezes days of autonomy out of a small bag. ## What sizes and weight are allowed? There's no single standard, and that's exactly where people get hit with a fee at the gate. With full-service airlines, a proper carry-on of roughly 55×40×20 cm plus a small personal item usually flies free. Low-cost carriers are tougher: often only a small under-seat bag (around 40×20×25 cm) is free, while a normal cabin case on the overhead shelf costs extra. Weight floats too. Some don't weigh it at all, others set a limit around 7-10 kg. Ballpark figures to work from: Carrier typeUsually freeApproximate weightFull-service airlineCabin case on shelf + small personal itemaround 8 kgLow-cost, basic fareSmall under-seat bag onlyoften not weighedLow-cost, fare with cabin bagCabin case on shelf, for a feeabout 10 kgThe figures in the table are approximate. Check the exact centimetres and kilograms on your flight's site before departure, since even within one carrier the fares get updated. The cheapest way not to overpay: measure your bag at home with a tape, wheels and handles included, rather than by eye. ## The 100 ml liquids rule: how it actually works The single most common reason **carry-on packing** gets opened at security is liquids. The rule is simple in words and sneaky in practice. Each container, up to 100 ml. All of them together, in one clear zip bag of up to a litre. One bag per passenger. The key trap: they judge the bottle's stated volume, not what's left in it. A 150 ml cream tube with just a smear at the bottom still gets taken. So decant what you need into travel bottles of up to 100 ml in advance. More counts as liquid than you'd expect: not only water, but shower gel, toothpaste, roll-on gel deodorant, foundation, even yoghurt and honey. There are exceptions. Medication, baby food and special dietary food are usually allowed over the limit, but keep them separate and be ready to explain. The liquids bag comes out of your luggage and goes in its own tray at the scanner; otherwise it can't be imaged and you'll be asked to repack while the queue waits. ## What can't you bring into the cabin? The logic is simple: anything you could theoretically wound someone with, or that burns and explodes, either goes in the hold or stays home. The list is indicative, verify the details, because rules shift somewhat from country to country. - **Sharp objects:** knives, scissors with long blades, a multitool, even nail clippers with a blade sometimes get flagged. A file and small round-tipped scissors usually pass. - **Liquids over 100 ml** outside the exceptions. You buy your water after security, in the departures area. - **Power banks and spare lithium batteries,** the reverse: cabin only, never in the hold. More on that below. - **Flammables:** gas canisters, lighters with a fuel reserve, certain aerosols. - Sports gear that works as a blunt weapon (poles, sticks) travels in the hold only. If you're unsure about a specific item, it's easier to look it up in the prohibited list on the departure airport's site than to gamble and say goodbye to it at the checkpoint. ## Electronics and power banks: why cabin only Here one rule saves you from a ruined trip. Power banks and any spare lithium batteries travel strictly in the cabin, never in checked baggage. The reason is fire safety: in the cabin the crew spots overheating, in the hold they can't. So if a case with a power bank is suddenly gate-checked (it happens on packed low-cost flights), take the battery out and keep it in hand. What else makes sense to keep on you rather than in the hold: laptop, camera, phone, chargers and documents. At security a laptop usually has to come out into its own tray. A small tip: coil your cables and stuff the chargers inside your shoes or a bag pocket beforehand, so you're not laying everything out on the belt under the queue's gaze. ## How to pack for several days with no checked bag The core idea of travelling bagless: you pick clothes by number of outfits, not by number of days. Three or four pieces that mix and match give more looks than seven that go with nothing. Stick to one colour palette, and any top works with any bottom. ### A base set for 3-4 days - Two or three T-shirts or long-sleeves in neutral colours. - One pair of versatile trousers that suit both a walk and a restaurant, plus whatever you're wearing en route. - A light sweater or cardigan for a cool evening and an air-conditioned plane. - Underwear and socks at the rate of days plus one pair. - One pair of versatile, already broken-in shoes; a second pair, if you really need it, on your feet for the journey. Take small toiletries in mini format, and they slot into the liquids limit automatically. A full-size shampoo won't clear security anyway, while a travel set of bottles up to 100 ml settles the matter. ## Packing technique: how to squeeze out volume What eats space in a bag isn't the things, it's the air between them. A few tricks that genuinely work: - **Rolling instead of folding.** Roll soft items (T-shirts, underwear) into a tight cylinder. They take less room and barely crease. Stiff items go flat instead. - **Packing cubes.** Light zip organisers split the bag into zones and keep the rolls compressed. You find what you need without turning the whole contents over. - **Heavy at the bottom, by the back panel and wheels.** Shoes, power bank, a book go near the base, light on top. That way the bag holds its shape and doesn't crush anything fragile. - Empty space inside shoes is lost volume. In go socks, chargers, glasses in a case. - Wear your heaviest and warmest piece (jacket, sweater) for the journey rather than cramming it into the bag. It saves space and takes weight off the luggage. ## A few tricks to finish The small things that often matter more than a quality suitcase: - Measure the bag at home and, if in doubt, test it in the sizer by the desk yourself, before the queue reaches you. - Keep the liquids bag in an outer pocket so you can pull it out in a second, instead of digging through your whole **carry-on packing** in front of the scanner. - Upload photos of your passport, booking and tickets to the cloud. The phone dies precisely when the border officer asks to see them. - A foldable tote weighs almost nothing, and on the way back it hides the souvenirs and purchases that wouldn't fit. - Heavy items in your jacket pockets, not the bag. Nobody weighs a jacket. Packing a carry-on for several days with no checked bag is entirely realistic once you keep three things in mind: your flight's dimensions, the liquids rule, and outfits over quantity. Measure the bag in advance, decant your cosmetics into travel bottles, wear the warmest layer on you, and the security queue passes without surprises.