For a week away, pack seven days of underwear and socks, three or four tops, two bottoms, one warm layer and one extra pair of shoes. Then add documents, money, phone and charger, toiletries and any medication. Put shared items on one list and each person's things on their own.
This is for a week in one or two places, by plane or car, whether you're packing for yourself or for a family. It can't know your forecast, your airline's bag rules or what a country allows in, so those you check yourself.
Example: one adult, seven days, mild weather
An illustration, not a rule. Say the forecast is mild and you have no wash planned. Tops are the item people overpack, because each one feels essential when it's in your hand.
Underwear and socks
- How many
- 7 pairs
- Why that number
- One a day, so no laundry is needed
Tops
- How many
- 4
- Why that number
- Two that go with everything, two for a change
Bottoms
- How many
- 2
- Why that number
- One to wear, one to swap in
Warm layer
- How many
- 1
- Why that number
- A sweater or light jacket, worn on the way
Shoes
- How many
- 2 pairs
- Why that number
- The pair you wear, plus one other
Sleepwear
- How many
- 1 set
- Why that number
- Pack a second only if you run cold
| Item | How many | Why that number |
|---|---|---|
| Underwear and socks | 7 pairs | One a day, so no laundry is needed |
| Tops | 4 | Two that go with everything, two for a change |
| Bottoms | 2 | One to wear, one to swap in |
| Warm layer | 1 | A sweater or light jacket, worn on the way |
| Shoes | 2 pairs | The pair you wear, plus one other |
| Sleepwear | 1 set | Pack a second only if you run cold |
Two layers, in this order
Picture Thursday night with the suitcase open on the bed. You've already packed six sweaters, because you might get cold, and you haven't packed a phone charger, because it's plugged in beside you. A list fixes that by making you decide once, in writing, instead of packing what you happen to see.
Build it in two layers. The first is what every trip needs, whatever the weather. The second is what this trip asks for.
The list, by category
Documents and money
- What goes in
- Passport or photo ID, bank card, some cash, copies of your bookings
Phone and power
- What goes in
- Phone, charger and cable, a plug adapter if you're leaving the country
Clothing
- What goes in
- The counts above, plus anything this trip adds, such as swimwear or a rain jacket
Toiletries
- What goes in
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, anything you use daily, in travel-size containers
Health
- What goes in
- Prescriptions in your carry-on, pain relief, bandages, glasses or contacts
Comfort
- What goes in
- Something to read, headphones, a water bottle, a small snack
This trip
- What goes in
- Two or three things that make it different: sun, snow, a formal dinner, a hike
| Category | What goes in |
|---|---|
| Documents and money | Passport or photo ID, bank card, some cash, copies of your bookings |
| Phone and power | Phone, charger and cable, a plug adapter if you're leaving the country |
| Clothing | The counts above, plus anything this trip adds, such as swimwear or a rain jacket |
| Toiletries | Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, anything you use daily, in travel-size containers |
| Health | Prescriptions in your carry-on, pain relief, bandages, glasses or contacts |
| Comfort | Something to read, headphones, a water bottle, a small snack |
| This trip | Two or three things that make it different: sun, snow, a formal dinner, a hike |
Toiletries and the liquids rule
Toiletries are the one place a rule applies. For a carry-on bag, TSA allows liquids, gels, creams and pastes in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less, all in one quart-size bag, one bag per passenger. Prescriptions and medically necessary liquids are treated differently, and you tell the officer about them at the checkpoint. If you're checking a bag, the limit doesn't apply the same way, but leaking shampoo is its own kind of trouble, so put a bag around it.
Shared and personal
Splitting the list stops two people packing the same charger and neither packing the first aid kit.
- First aid kit and pain relief
- A multi-port charger and one adapter
- Sunscreen or bug spray
- Snacks for the trip
- A laundry bag, an umbrella
- Passport or ID and bank card
- Clothing and shoes
- Medication and glasses
- Toothbrush and daily toiletries
- Phone cable and headphones
Shared, packed once
- First aid kit and pain relief
- A multi-port charger and one adapter
- Sunscreen or bug spray
- Snacks for the trip
- A laundry bag, an umbrella
Personal, one each
- Passport or ID and bank card
- Clothing and shoes
- Medication and glasses
- Toothbrush and daily toiletries
- Phone cable and headphones
The method
- Write the four things you can't do without: documents, money, phone and its charger, and medication. Pack these first, in the bag you'll keep on you.
- Check the forecast and add two or three lines for this trip only.
- Lay clothing out by day. If a piece doesn't go with two others, it stays home.
- Decide who packs each shared item, and write their name beside it.
- Check items off as they go into the bag, not afterward. Do documents first, then the rest.
What can go wrong
- Packing a whole list for the possibilities. Write down what the trip will need, and leave what it might need. You can buy sunscreen almost anywhere.
- Shared items with no owner. If no one's name is beside the first aid kit, it will sit at home.
- Forgetting the phone charger because it's in use. Put it on the list, and pack it last.
- Checking a bag that holds your medication or your only charger. Anything you can't replace on arrival goes in the bag you carry.
- A list that lives in your head. Print it, or keep it where the other person can see it.
Related lists
If you'd rather fit the week into one bag, a carry-on only packing list starts with the bag. If children are coming, packing and planning for a trip with kids or a baby adds a list for each. And the night before you travel is the time to check the bag against the list.
What the Companion does with this
Travel Companion has eleven starting lists: the basics, beach, city break, cold weather, camping, road trip, cruise, business trip, carry-on only, children and a baby. You choose one, press the button, and its items are added to your trip's list, grouped under Everyone and then each traveler by name. You can remove or change any of them, check them off, and save the list as a PDF with check boxes. Two limits. The starter wording uses UK words in places, such as Torch, Sun cream and Power adaptor, so change those to what you'd write. And the list belongs to the one trip you've set up. See the Travel Companion page.
Questions people ask
How many outfits do I need for a week?
Four tops and two bottoms cover most weeks if they mix, plus seven days of underwear and socks. Add a dressier option only if the trip has an evening that needs it. If the trip includes a wash, drop underwear to four or five pairs and pack fewer tops.
What should I not forget when packing for a week?
Your ID or passport, your bank card, your phone and its charger, and any medication. Everything else can be bought or borrowed on arrival, and these can't. Put them on the list first, and pack them in the bag you carry, not the one you check.
How do I make a packing list for more than one person?
Split it in two. Shared items, such as a first aid kit or a multi-port charger, go on one list with an owner's name. Each person then gets their own list of personal items, so nothing is packed twice and nothing is left for someone else to assume.
Can I bring liquids in a carry-on for a week?
Yes, in small containers. TSA's 3-1-1 rule allows 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per container, all in one quart-size bag, one bag per passenger. Medications and some infant liquids are handled separately, and you tell the officer about them at the checkpoint.
Should I do laundry on a one-week trip?
It depends on the bag. If everything fits comfortably, seven days of underwear means no wash. If you're traveling light, one wash midweek lets you take about half the clothes. Check whether your lodging has a machine before you count on it.
Sources and how we checked
- TSA: 3-1-1 liquids rule: Container size, quart-size bag, one per passenger for carry-on liquids.Checked 26 September 2026.
- TSA: liquid medications: Medically necessary liquids allowed in reasonable quantities and declared at the checkpoint.Checked 26 September 2026.
Where to go next
If this is where you areCarry-on only packing list: how to fit it in one bagIf the whole week must fit in one bag, this covers choosing the bag first and packing to the list.- Traveling with kids or a baby: packing and planning
Packing for children too? This adds per-child lists and the paperwork to note for each.
- Night before a trip checklist: the fifteen-minute version
The evening before you leave, this six-check list confirms the bag holds what matters.
- Road trip planning checklist: stops, stays, car and pack
Packing for a drive instead of a flight? This adds the stops, stays, car check and who drives when.