After perfecting your packing, the other downside of travelling with carry on luggage is in packing liquids in hand luggage. It is a real challenge to pack all the liquids you need into an approximate 20 cm x 20 cm clear plastic bag. The key to this is only take what you know you definitely need, everything else can be purchased at your destination. You will learn everything there is to know on how to pack liquids in hand luggage to make future travels more convenient.

 

If you don’t travel light then it will involve you playing a game of Tetris in your liquid bag possibly at the front of a queue of angry passengers when you can hear your flight being called for boarding. Stressful and unnecessary.

 

My handy guide comes from years of experience so you can breeze through security.

 

 

The first trick to pack liquids in hand luggage is to choose the right containers which fit neatly together. Buying travel size products is very handy but they do not fit together neatly, remember Tetris games aren’t fun at security. By going to a bargain shop and buying a kit meant for travel products, your items will fit better in your limited bag space. However, just for your information, the seal on their plastic bag is normally shocking so I wouldn’t bother with that. Save the clear plastic bags from your previous travel as some airports charge for bags. For airports where they are free, pick up extra.

 

All airports now expect your clear plastic bag to seal when going through security. If you are really struggling to close the plastic bag then take the lids off spray items just whilst it goes through the xray machine. This will give you a little more room.

 

Below is my recommended guide to pack liquids in hand luggage.

 

Shower gel

 

Using solid soap can save space in your liquid bag as this can go into your main hand luggage. If you are moving around a lot then try cutting up the soap into usable cubes and wrapping in clingfilm, so you are not travelling with slimy soap.

 

Shampoo

 

You can buy sachets of shampoo from a lot of bargain shops. This saves space and can be put in last to fill those gaps around bottles. However this is not very environmentally friendly as you are adding unnecessary plastic to your packing.

 

 

Alternatively Lush and a lot of other shops supply shampoo bars.  A Lush shampoo bar typically lasts 4 months for the average person. However it does depend slightly on the length of your hair and how often you wash it. This again will not have to go into your liquid bag.

 

 

 

 

 

Lipstick/lip gloss

 

Make sure you buy the smallest ones you can get. Be aware that packaging can make the item bigger than the contents. A lot of the time airport security will not stop you with solid items such as lipstick but be prepared to lose it if you can’t fit it in your bag.

 

Hairspray/mousse/serum/gel

 

Use travel size products. Remember you can take the lids off if required as you put it through security. Better still buy in the country you are travelling to as then you are not limited on size.

 

Moisturising cream

 

Buy travel size or transfer to your travel size container. You can also consider buying it once you arrive at your destination (unless you want a certain brand) to make packing liquids in hand luggage easier.

 

Face cleanser and make up removers

 

Use facial wipes as these can go in your luggage; however, you could use baby wipes. They are gentle on your skin, cheap and can be used when a baby wipe shower is needed on overnight trains or flights. However, if you have the type of skin that requires cleanser and toners, then opt for a 2 in 1 product. Transfer it into your nice shaped bottle to easily pack along with other liquids in hand luggage.

 

 

Contact Lens solution

 

Work out how much solution you require before you go by using it sparingly for a week and multiplying this by the time you are travelling for. Daily contact lenses need to be put in your liquid bag as they contain a small amount of liquid. This can cause big problems for people travelling for a few weeks due to the space they take up.

 

However, with both daily contact lenses and solution, check the policy of the airport you are flying out of. This sometimes can be taken through as medication resulting in rules being a little more relaxed.

 

 

Always remember that in some airports, when you take a connecting flight, the liquids in hand luggage will be re-checked. You must remember when buying perfume and products in duty free that you may be wanting to fly home with these items. Are they 100 ml or less? Will they fit in your clear plastic bag?

 

Items you have to pack in your hand luggage:

 

Surprising to some, there are a few items that are only allowed in your hand luggage and not your check in luggage. There is a full list of which bag your items should go in on the TSA website but here are a few common ones amongst backpackers. Lithium batteries (more than 100 watt hours) are only allowed in your hand luggage but you are limited to two spare batteries per passenger but these can not be loose. However if the lithium batteries are less than 100 watt hours then these can also be placed in your check in luggage however personally I would not do this as your will have your check in bag searched to check the watt hour. Please remember that power banks contain lithium batteries and therefore need to be placed in your hand luggage.

 

Battery-powered E-cigarettes, vaporisers and vape pens, are not allowed in your check in luggage but can be transported in your hand luggage or one you. However you are not allowed to vape on the plane and can only be used in the airport in special areas where smoking and vaping are allowed. Remember that your e-liquid will go towards your liquid allowance and can not be in a container of more than 100mls. Anything with a gas cartilage in such as Cordless curling irons (and butane fuelled). Spare cartilages are not allowed to be carried at all.

 

If you are travelling abroad with a friend or partner, why don’t you arrange to share products?

 

So there you have it, my packing guide for carrying liquids in your hand luggage. Have you any tips you would like to share or have you found this useful?  Comment below. And don’t forget that if you have enjoyed this articles and would like to receive updates of my travels and articles such as this one, then subscribe to my blog (It’s free) for fortnightly emails.