12 Travel Items to Keep In Your Carry-On In Case Your Checked Bag Gets Lost

Do you think you could pack an entire week’s wardrobe into a carry-on? It’s quite possible, especially if you’re determined to move through each airport with relative ease. 

Still, if you’re staying in your new destination for longer than a week or need to check a bag or two, there are a few strategies that’ll put your heart and mind at ease while you wait for your lost luggage to arrive. 

These are twelve essential items that will see you through the worst until everything is sorted out. 

1. Cell Phone and Laptop Chargers

These days, we always need to remain connected when traveling. Most of our boarding passes, hotel reservations, and other bookings are on an app somewhere on our phones. Be sure you’re always able to plug in somewhere, including both your cell phone and laptop. 

2. Portable Power Banks

In case you need to plug in but, for some reason, can’t find any outlets, you always want to be self-sufficient enough to charge your cell phone and laptop on the fly. 

Popular brands like Anker make portable power banks for both cell phones and laptops that are no bigger than an iPhone. Be sure to tuck one into your carry-on, as well. 

3. Travel Adapters

Buying last-minute travel adapters at the airport will be far more expensive than the ones you purchased on Amazon before your trip. 

Make sure you tuck two travel adapters into your carry-on, as well, so you can make use of the chargers you packed – and also recharge your power bank when it needs it. 

4. Travel Documents

In truth, all your travel documents should be on you at all times, and not in your carry-on. We prefer traveling with a money belt around our waists and under our shirts to prevent any loss or theft of passports, credit cards, or cash. 

If you’re not a fan of the money belt, then the next best place for your travel documents is in your personal item, like a purse, messenger bag, or backpack. 

Still, there may be other travel documents that won’t fit in your money belt like backup paper copies of your hotel reservations and other tickets. Those can be tucked into your carry-on for safekeeping. 

To help you maximize the space between your carry-on and your personal item, here’s the ultimate personal item packing list. When you play your card right and strategically pack the two, you’ll be able to free up even more room in your carry-on (and possibly avoid having to check a bag at all)!