What’s in my bag: Travel essentials I swear by for carry-on only trips
After two years of mostly light, carry-on only travel, these are the most important and effective travel items I'll never leave home without.
I didn’t choose the Carry-on Only Life, the Carry-on Only Life chose me.
It chose me because sometimes I was too cheap to pay for a flight that included checked luggage. It chose me because sometimes I had a 90-minute layover in a busy airport and didn’t trust the airline to get my bag on the next flight in time. Whatever the reason, I love the feeling of landing in a new city and smugly breezing past the baggage claim with just my carry-on in tow. I love slipping my compact luggage under my legs on trains rather than risking a big suitcase getting snatched from the bag racks (which I saw nearly happen to someone in Switzerland last month!). And, honestly, I just like convincing myself that I’m lightweight and minimalist on the road because I’m definitely not at home.
I don’t have light packing tips per se, but I do have a list of minimalist and efficient travel items that might just take some weight off your next trip—or at least give your skin a nice glow (fair warning: it’s pretty skincare-heavy). After two years of traveling carry-on only, I’ve finally nailed down my go-to essentials, and I’ve included links to where you can find them—both Olive Young Global and local sources where available.
Travel essentials for your packing essentials
The personal item bag: Mammut laptop bag
The Mammut Seon Transporter 15 is small and compact enough not to raise eyebrows as a personal item when flying low-cost carriers, but with enough pockets to accommodate your laptop, chargers, toiletries, and other necessities that you need easy access to. It’s also perfect for travel because it comes with a strap that secures the bag over luggage handles.
The cabin luggage: WheelPak cabin luggage
Of course, a great personal item needs a reliable cabin luggage to pair it with. I wish I could share my amazing new battery-powered luggage or my really sleek limited edition Tumi bag, but alas, my go-to cabin luggage is an unassuming cabin luggage from a Korean brand called WheelPak with 60 followers on Instagram.
This WheelPak bag currently costs around 60 USD. It’s lightweight and expandable, but also meets stingy European airline standards for cabin luggage. It might not glide like a Rimowa, but it gets the job done.
Skincare and toiletries on the go
The toiletry bag
This is the best solo traveler toiletry bag I’ve come across, coincidentally bought at the same time and store as my laptop bag. I guess Swiss people are good at good, functional bags.
The Mammut Washbag Travel L toiletry bag is probably the only toiletry bag you’ll ever need. The biggest reason I got this toiletry bag, despite already owning one, was because it comes with a large hook for hanging (my other bag had a small hook, which didn’t fit many of the thick knobs or hooks at hotels). The bag also has a mirror, which actually comes in quite handy. The open pockets are useful for quick access to items you need once it’s in use and hanging. And I like that it folds up and secures with a strap rather than with zippers bursting at the seams.
The skincare
Skincare gets its own category, obviously.
Breeden skin bottle dispenser (브리든 스킨 보틀)
At first, I couldn’t tell if the Breeden skin bottle was an innovative travel dispenser or another compelling Instagram ad, but I’m glad to share that it’s the former. I was initially looking for a bigger hanging toiletry bag to carry both makeup and skincare, but realized that having a separate container for liquids and bag for personal care is useful for going through security when you need liquids to be easily accessible.
The Breeden skin bottle is super portable, which means it’s not only suitable for travel but easy to pop in your bag for the gym and sauna. I like that you don’t even need counter space to use it; I’ve done my 10-step skincare routine at an airport lounge with this bottle on my lap.
The skin bottle sometimes gets called out as a water bottle when I’m flying, but all the refillable dispensers inside are marked with liquid volume (ml), so I’ve never had trouble at airport security.
The only criticism I have for the Breeden skincare bottle is that it cannot handle oil-based liquids. This caveat is stated on the product description, but I assumed it applied to natural oils and hair/massage oils. Turns out it actually includes eye and lip makeup removers, which are usually oil-based. This word of caution needs to be stated more explicitly because one of the liquid dispensers comes pre-labeled as “remover” and very few make up removers are oil-free in Korea. Plus, if you’re going to charge 50,000 KRW won for a product, you should be able to manufacture parts that can be used with oil. (On that note, if you know of a liquid eye makeup remover that is not oil-based and available for purchase in Korea, please let me know!)
Sheet masks: There are so many viral collagen sheet masks on the market, but the Arocell Super Collagen Mask Sheet is my new fave and best value for long-haul travel, as well as for overnight sleeping.
Phototherapy skin device: I take my Medicube Age-R Booster Pro (메디큐브 에이지알 부스터 프로) on trips only if I’m skipping my weekly facial (friendly reminder: it’s very common to have weekly facials in Korea. Mine costs 35 USD per one hour session). Bringing a skincare device on a carry-on trip might seem a bit extra, but with dry plane rides and unventilated hotel rooms, it really makes a difference in keeping my skin hydrated.
Minimal makeup must-haves
I keep my makeup routine minimal in general, so it’s not particularly different when I’m traveling. But when I decided to spend two weeks in Europe over the winter with one carry-on bag, I did a major overhaul of my makeup items to minimize it even further to fit inside my toiletry bag.
Orange Skin Delete primer: I don’t really believe in touting holy grail beauty products when everyone’s skin type and results are so different, but I guess this is as close as I’ll come to declaring one. This obscure Korean brand’s putty-like Orange Skin Delete pore primer (Korean link) is my go-to for a smooth complexion. I use it every day right after my SPF, even when I’m not wearing makeup, and I carry travel-sized portions of it in the Breeden bottle.
Mini Tir Tir cushion: Turns out it’s viral for all the right reasons—very even, light, and smooth coverage. I use the TIRTIR Mask Fit Mini Cushion, which is almost too small, but it’s the perfect size for travel.
Eyebrow pencil: My micro bladed brows have faded, so I use pencil to cover the bad choices I made with a tweezer in seventh grade (it also doubles as eyeliner as needed). Ironically, my go-to pencil right now is called Speedy Skinny Brow, from Peripera.
I personalized a Holika Holika palette case with my colors to minimize my makeup stash Personalized color palette from Holika Holika
I try not to buy new skincare or makeup before the one I’m using empties, but this was totally worth it for an ultra-light trip. Instead of carrying multiple cases of shadows and blushers, I got the Holika Holika My Fave Multi Palette Case, and filled it individually with colors to match my skin tone and my needs.Mini brush set: There are so many different and innovative travel-friendly brushes available, but I’m glad I went with this more traditional but ever so portable mini brush kit (Korean link). The handles are nicely weighted and the brush tips are pleasantly soft.
Tinted lip balm: Easy and fuss-free, this Burt’s Bee tinted lip balm is tinted like lipstick but moisturizing like a balm.
The essentials and basics
Tiny MacGyver baggy: This might be the most random thing I carry, but I swear by it because I always seem to find myself in situations where I really wish I had one or two of these items on me. My survival baggy includes two Tylenols, one disinfectant wipe, a cough drop, safety pin, and paper clip. I carry this in my pocket even when I’m skiing!
Antibacterial wipes: I wipe down everything I need to touch around my plane seat. I also wipe down toilets, bathroom faucets, and door handles in hotel rooms.
Face masks: I mask when I’m flying or taking buses or public transportation, especially en route to a destination because nothing ruins a trip like falling sick before it even starts.
Permanent marker: More useful than pens because it can write on everything without smudging.
Bag clip: The Ikea sealing clip is seriously so useful for sealing bags, or for keeping things organized and together.
Reading light: This is a reading light I use mostly for reading in bed, but it actually comes in handy both during flights, or finding your way around a blackout curtained hotel room.
Phone charger: I bought a smaller portable charger recently, and it’s nice to have a charging port built into the charger so you don’t have to deal with cables. While I’m happy about this purchase, I think I would prefer a flatter design next time.
Universal adapter with USB and USB-C: This travel adapter with built-in USB and USB-C ports lessens your load of having to carry chargers on top of adapters.
Flip flops: I usually carry Havianas for travel because I don’t trust hotel housekeeping (or other guests for that matter, hah). These came in very handy during a recent stay at a budget hotel with questionable cleanliness.
Additional items I take on trips longer than five nights:
Conditioner: Conditioner bars come in handy for trips when I’m staying at Airbnbs or budget hotels that don’t offer the three essential washes. I use this conditioner bar for longer trips, and I also love this smaller vegan travel shampoo, conditioner, and body soap kit from Jeju-based zero-waste co-op 꽃마리.
Laundry soap: I usually pack less underwear than I need and wash them by hand and because I’m Korean. I’ve been using this Goongbe baby laundry soap because I love the way it smells.
Period underwear: if I’m traveling anytime near my period, I’ll take these Khuf underwear because trust me, you do not want to be washing menstrual blood out of your limited travel wardrobe.
If you’re curious about any of these essentials, check out the embedded links to see where you can get them. And if you’ve got a life-changing, must-have travel item of your own, I’d love to hear about it!
I love this post! I've added the Mammut washbag to my Notes app wishlist, I love that it closes with a strap!