The best way to organize your backpack and carry-on

Reading Time: 3 min

Scoring a brilliant points deal on an international business-class seat is worth celebrating, but when it comes to the actual day of travel, it’s the little things that matter most. Little things like not having to bother your seatmate half a dozen times to get something out of the overhead bin.

On most trips of three days or fewer, I leave my checked bag at home. Instead, I travel with a backpack and a rollerboard suitcase. The former gets tucked underneath the seat in front of me, while the latter heads for the overhead bin.

After nearly two decades of flying, I’ve honed a proactive packing system that enables me to minimize the amount of time I spend visiting the overhead during a flight. Here's my foolproof setup.

Below is my list of essentials that I reserve room for in my backpack. These are items that I’m most likely to need access to while I’m in my seat.

By keeping these handy, I avoid pestering my seatmates and I ensure that I can reach them even if turbulence keeps the pesky “Fasten Seatbelt” sign illuminated for hours.

• Laptop and phone charging cables — and throwing in a ​power bank​ doesn't hurt, either
• Headphones or earbuds — you can't go wrong with the in-ear ​Apple AirPods 4​ or over-ear ​Apple AirPods Max Wireless​. The ​Anker Soundcore P30i Earbuds​ and ​JLab Buds Lux Headphones​ are also solid, budget-friendly picks
• Ear plugs such as the ​Loop Quiet 2​, which are comfortable enough to sleep in
• Eye mask, like the ​FACEMOON Weighted Eye Mask​, with memory foam for extra comfort
• Neck pillow, such as the ​FlyHugz Neck Travel Pillow​, a Points Path favorite
• A light jacket or blanket — the ​EverSnug Premium 2-in-1 Travel Blanket​ even doubles as a pillow
• Water bottle
• Electronics that matter (e.g., laptop, tablet, phone)
• That book I’ve been meaning to finish
• Supplies for my kid (e.g., workbooks, toys, a lunch box, etc.)

As you craft your own list of backpack essentials, take a beat to visualize how you plan to spend your next flight.

Envision exactly how you want the flight to go — whether that's napping, ​being productive​, or enjoying some in-flight entertainment. Then document the items you'll want within reach.

The easiest approach is to put everything not listed above in your rollerboard. Ideally, you won’t need to access it at all mid-flight.

However, I run through two key considerations when packing it:

• Heavy items go at the bottom to prevent tipping while moving around the airport.
• Keep items you might need mid-flight (but can’t fit in your backpack) at the very top, so you can quickly retrieve them with the suitcase still in the bin.

A bit of planning goes a long way, and small stress reducers like these can inject much-needed calm into your next trip.