Everyday carry gear is all about offering preparedness and utility in a compact and pocketable package. Thanks to the diminutive footprint of most EDC items, these pieces of gear can sometimes do a phenomenal job of also lending themselves to travel-use — particularly as small carry-on items that are TSA-friendly and don’t require you to go through the trouble of checking a bag. To demonstrate this point, we’ve rounded up what our hands-on testing process has revealed to be the best carry-on EDC essentials for travel.
Selection & Testing Process
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There are thousands of pieces of everyday carry kit that can be used for travel, so when we set out to uncover the EDC gear that’s most conducive to being used as a carry-on, we began by breaking down the parameters and qualities that make gear ideal for travel use. This included reviewing each item’s size, ensuring they’d be small enough to easily be kept in a pant pocket or stashed in a sling or backpack. Obviously these items had to also be small enough to fit in a bag or pack that meets carry-on sizing requirements. We also limited our selections to pieces of kit that are TSA-approved. Durability and reliability were also heavily considered, as the last place you want a piece of gear to fail is when hundreds if not thousands of miles from home.
With these factors guiding our search, we then broke the larger EDC space down to separate categories (such as best pen, best watch, best backpack, best power bank, and so on). From there, we then used the above criteria to make two-to-three selections from each sub-space. After that, we proceeded to get hands-on with each piece of gear and put them through their respective paces by daily-carrying them to and from the office for several weeks — as well as utilizing them for any and all travel done during this time, whether catching a bus, ferry, or train, driving an extended distance, or hopping a flight. Once armed with the intel from our hands-on testing, we then narrowed our initial shortlist down to a final selection of what this process proved to be the best carry-on travel EDC essentials.
Bellroy Lite Travel Pack 30L
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Best Travel Backpack: The Bellroy Lite Travel Pack 30L is a 30-liter carry solution that’s been engineered from the ground up specifically for jet-setting and globe-trotting. Tipping the scales at just 2.0lbs, the bag is cut from a lightweight yet rugged Dura Lite Nylon construction and features a ton of travel-focused features such as an AirTag slip, tuck-away shoulder straps, a quick-access top pocket for boarding passes, passports, and other travel essentials, and a luggage handle pass-through. Equipped with internal mesh packing cells and dividers that function as integrated packing cubes, the bag’s main compartment is supplemented via a lower pocket designed to accommodate a jacket or second layer, and a zippered laptop compartment capable of housing notebooks of up to 16”. The entire thing also break-down flat for easy packing.
There are several factors that make this bag special — and wildly conducive to travel. For starters, it’s extremely lightweight and packable, yet it’s still designed to withstand the rigors of globe-trotting. It also incorporates an ideal combination of travel-specific features with EDC amenities. Next, on top of being lightweight, it delivers a full host of features. Additionally, in typical Bellroy fashion, the Lite Travel Pack 30L also sports the Aussie outfit’s usual modern minimalistic design language, plus it employs the use of its signature sustainable eco-friendly materials and manufacturing. Most important, it makes travel easier and more convenient.
Matador FlatPak Toiletry Bottles
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Best Travel Containers: For obvious reasons, water bottles have long been a must-have EDC essential, though with limited space, they don’t always lend themselves to traveling with just a carry-on. And that’s where Matador’s FlatPak Toiletry Bottles come into play, as this fully collapsible vessel a liter (or 33.8oz) of volume while being able to break-down to a form no larger than a balled-up first. The bottle is made from TPU and is devoid of any and all BPA and PVC.
For being a collapsible travel bottle, this item also boasts a surprising number of features, from a side handle made from synthetic hypalon rubber to its full-length onboard straw to its lockable bite valve which also features a removable cap. The entire bottle weighs in at only 2.5oz, too. Thanks to the presence of an easy-fill zipper bottom, filling the thing up is an absolute breeze. It also fits in most standard cup holders and water bottle pockets as well. Add all of this up, and you’ve got what’s easily one of, if not the single best travel water bottle currently out there.
TRTL Flask
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Best Water Bottle: The TRTL Flask is a modern vacuum-insulated everyday carry bottle with a few cook tricks up its sleeve. Boasting a 20.28-ounce (600ml) capacity, the TRTL Flask is crafted from top-shelf food-grade 304 stainless steel and comes adorned in a hardwearing matte powder-coated finish. Thanks to a double-walled construction, this bottle can keep cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours — and keep hot drinks hot for 12 — which makes it perfect for long flights or layovers.
This bottle’s proverbial secret sauce lies in its cap. This screw-down item comes fitted with an attached clip that lets you slot it into the seat in front of you on flights — or slip it onto your backpack or bag. The top of the cap also conceals a small compartment with a threaded cap for housing pills and medications. It also doesn’t hurt that it happens to make for a pretty great EDC bottle as well — making it just as useful on your flight as it is when you land.
Travelers Company USA Travelers Notebook
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Best Travel Notebook: No travel EDC loadout is complete without a notebook, which is why we’ve opted to include the Travelers Company’s regular-sized USA Travelers Notebook on this list. Measuring 9.0” x 5.7”, this flight-ready item consists of a 64-page notebook set in a saddle-stitched leather cover. These notebook inserts can also be ordered and replaced as needed without having to order a new leather cover.
While most EDC notebooks lend themselves pretty well to travel, there’s a plethora of reasons why we believe the Travelers Company’s USA Travelers Notebook is fairly unbeatable for this application. Because of its light structure, this notebook can be used without needing any backing, making it all the more ideal for travel. It’s also more-than-durable enough to stand up to the rigors and abuse that comes from jet-setting. More importantly, it’s also designed to allow you to be able to store boarding passes and other vital documents.
Bellroy Toiletry Kit
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Best Dopp Kit: When traveling, it’s always a good idea to use a dedicated carry solution for accommodating your toiletries, as it not only helps to keep them organized, but it also prevents shampoo or toothpaste from getting on the rest of your clothing and gear should they open while in transit. Thanks to its organizational amenities, simple yet straight-forward nature, and overall quality, we’ve long been fans of the Bellroy Toiletry Kit. Measuring 8.66” x 5.11” x 2.75”, this sustainably-made dopp is crafted from Ribba Weave — a woven blend of nylon, polyester, and recycled polyester that’s largely derived from up-cycled plastic bottles.
Sporting a light structure, this toiletry bag also features multiple internal mesh pockets, a toothbrush sleeve, and exterior nylon grab loops for easy carrying or mounting. The entire interior is lined in a water-resistant lining that makes cleaning it remarkably easy. In addition to producing its standard Toiletry Kit in four color options, Bellroy also makes an even more premium Toiletry Kit Plus that offers a bit more storage space for only $10 more.
The James Brand Holcombe Carabiner
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Best Travel Keychain: Whether it’s the keys to the vehicle your renting or the residence where you’re staying, losing or misplacing your keys while overseas can be an absolute nightmare — which is why we always recommend traveling with a secure keychain or carabiner like Th James Brand’s Holcombe model. Sporting a rectangular design that’s brought to life in a top-shelf amalgamation of grade 5 titanium and stainless steel, this EDC carabiner features a spring-loaded wire gate and a catch compartment that’s shaped in a way to mitigate losing your keychain.
There are several subtle details that all add up to one of the best EDC carabiners on the market. On top of its premium material selection, the Holcombe also boasts a bottom portion with a multi-function nib that serves as a pry bar, a scraper tool, and a bit driver. Another minute touch that I appreciate is how this keychain is also sold with an included titanium keyring. And, while it probably goes without saying, the Holcombe is also a stellar choice for regular, non-travel EDC use.
Anker Nano Power Bank
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Best Travel Power Bank: Mobile gadgets and devices have become increasingly integral parts of our day-to-day lives — even more so when traveling or abroad. As such, we always recommend packing a high-quality power bank when catching a flight. And when it comes to modern power banks, it really is hard to beat the Anker Nano Power Bank. This item is consists of a compact yet potent mobile charging device that appears to have been designed specifically for the modern-day traveler. The power bank is constructed around a plastic housing that features a color display and an integrated USB-C cable. Inside, the thing packs a massive 10,000-mAh cell that delivers bi-directional charging speeds of up to 30 watts.
As far as conduciveness to travel, it’s hard to even know where to begin. This Anker product’s built-in onboard USB-C cable also means you’ll always have one of these practically universal cords on hand no matter where your journey takes you. What’s more, after only 45 minutes of being plugged in, this power bank to achieve a 50% charge, meaning you can plug in during quick layovers and gain most of — if not a complete — charge. Produced with sustainability in mind, the power bank’s exterior housing is also crafted from 80% recycled plastic. It also comes backed by a two-year warranty.
Bellroy Travel Wallet
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Best Travel Wallet: Just like the Australian outfit’s Lite Travel Pack 30L, Bellroy’s plainly-named Travel Wallet has been engineered from the ground up for jet-setting and globe-trotting. Measuring 3.85” x 6.02” x 0.51”, this travel-specific wallet is constructed around an eco-sourced leather shell. Equipped with RFID protection, the thing holds anywhere from 4-to-10 cards, while still having space left over to house a passport, boarding passes, and other vital travel documents or paperwork. There’s also a hidden compartment for stashing a few paper bills.
There’s a multitude of reasons that this particular item is such a clear winner for one of the best travel wallets currently out there. With the exception of those issued in Ireland or Germany, the wallet accepts all international passports. It also features four quick-access card slots for your most frequently-needed cards, whether that be your ID, credit card, or metro pass. I also love that this wallet ships with a min travel pen. And, just like the Lite Travel Pack, it’s abundantly clear that an enormous amount of time and attention went into designing and developing this flight-ready wallet. It doesn’t end there either as this travel wallet also comes backed by a multi-year warranty.
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Best Multi-Tool: Crafted from top-shelf grade 5 titanium, the Windeler Extra Stak is a uniquely-designed four-component multi-tool with a magnetic-coupling setup that allows each part to be stacked in whatever order you see fit. The component consist of a flathead driver, a dual Phillips driver, a hex-opening, pry bar, bottle opener combo, and a frame-locking “Monoscale” knife offered in 440C or top-shelf — and rustproof — LC200N. The entire thing is also designed and manufactured completely in the UK.
There are numerous factors that make the Extra Stak one of our favorite multi-tool options for travel. Its design is super compact and pocketable, yet is incredibly utilitarian and actually manages to offer a ton of functionality. Thanks to its magnetic-coupling design, its knife component can easily be removed when hopping a flight — or can be left on if you plan on checking your bag. Depending on your hobbies and lifestyle, this multi-tool can also be built-on using a myriad of available add-ons — such as a scissor component that spans less than 4” from its pivot point, making it TSA-approved. All-in-all, it’s easily one of the best TSA-approved travel-ready multi-tools that money can currently buy.
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4
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Best Travel Earbuds: The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 is a cutting-edge wireless earbud model that boasts a feature list that makes it absolutely perfect for travel. Equipped with Sennheiser Signature Sound and sound personalization, these wireless earbuds also get super effective adaptive active noise cancelation and up to 30 hours of music playback time. These fourth-generation earbuds are also markedly more compact than folding over-ear headphones, making them the clear choice for travel use.
Alongside lossless audio, they also feature Auracast support and LE Audio, plus are somewhat future proof thanks to the fact they cn have their firmware updated to accept the latest codecs. And, out of the dozens and dozens of pairs of true wireless earbuds I’ve tested over the years, the gen-4 MOMENTUM True Wireless have to be some of, if not the most comfortable model I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying — marking just one more reason that these earbuds are perfect for travel. And, even when you aren’t traveling, this pair still makes for an extraordinary pair of daily-use earbuds.
L.L.Bean Waterproof Primaloft Packaway Jacket
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Best Packable Travel Jacket: The L.L.Bean Waterproof Primaloft Packaway Jacket is a warm yet lightweight outer layer that’s engineered specifically for travel. The jacket is constructed around a shell that’s cut from two layers of wind and waterproof TEK material. You get adjustable Velcro cuffs, a drawcord hem, underarm ventilation zips, a center front zipper, with an interior full-length windflap, an insulated hood with cordlocks adjustments, and two zippered hand pockets, two chest pockets, and a single internal chest pocket.
This jacket’s proverbial secret sauce is its synthetic insulation, which utilizes NASA-developed tech. Thanks to being stuffed with 60 grams of PrimaLoft Gold with NASA-bred Cross Core technology, it’s able to deliver impressive levels of warmth while still being extremely packable. It doesn’t end there, though. Tipping the scales at just 1.57bs, the entire jacket stuffs into its own pocket and breaks down to a super compact form — making it the epitome of a packable jacket. And, while it’s obvious terrific for travel, this jacket is also great for backpacking, camping, and other applications where minimizing mass and weight is key.
MOSCOT Lemtosh Sun
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Best Travel Sunglasses: The MOSCOT Lemtosh Sun is a modern pair of shades that both stylish and durable enough to be conducive to traveling. The glasses are constructed around premium frames that are handcrafted from Italian acetate, before being fitted with acetate nose pads and acetate tempe tips. Boasting 7-barrel hinges, these sunglasses also sport real glass G-150 lenses, diamond rivets, a comfort-bolstering keyhole nose bridge, and MOSCOT’s signature temple engravings.
One of the American eyewear outfit’s all-time best-selling frame designs, this pair is offered in nearly two-dozen frame and lens color options, pus is produced in four frame sizes (narrow, average, wide, and extra wide) — though we opted for the matte-black frames in the average (46mm) size. The only real downside to these glasses is that they not only come at a fairly steep price — albeit one that I’d argue is justifiable all-things-considered — but their MSRP doesn’t include a travel case, which has to be purchased separately for another $45.
MIDO Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961
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Best Travel Watch: Though a GMT may seem like a more obvious pick for a timepiece for travel, these watches are typically worn more once you arrive at your destination than they are for flying. As such, when seeking out a travel watch, we often gravitate towards comfortable, lightweight, and versatile-looking watches — like the MIDO Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961. Sporting a colorful dial layout, this watch is constructed around a 40.5mm stainless steel case with a full black PVD coating and 200 meters of water resistance.
Keeping the whole thing ticking is Mido’s own COSC-certified 25-jewel, Caliber 80 automatic movement. Thanks to a silicon balance-spring, this watch is also super resistant to impacts and shocks — making it all the better for travel. Same goes for its 80-hour power reserve. The watch also ships with a bead-of-rice bracelet with a matching black PVD coating, and a second rubber strap — allowing it to easily be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. As a dive watch, it’s also perfect for swimming or other activities on and around the water that are routinely enjoyed during vacations and while traveling.
