The Carry-On Edit: What Survives a Three-Day Trip

Three days, one bag, no checked luggage. The test is not what you can fit. It is what you will actually reach for on the second morning.

Decant everything, then take one thing that is already small

Decanting is fine until the bottle you decanted into leaks over the only jumper you packed. A pre-sized kit removes that failure mode entirely, which is worth more than the few dollars it costs.

Cabin air is the real problem

Recycled air at altitude will undo a good routine in four hours. A mist you can use through a mask, without a mirror, in a middle seat, is the only skincare that gets used on a plane.

Everything else is a jumper, two shirts and the shoes you wore to the airport.