Packing List Generator
Generate a packing list from trip duration, destination climate, and planned activities.
Returns clothing, toiletries, electronics, and documents checklist.
Packing weight and bag size estimation helps travelers avoid airline overweight fees and back strain. The calculation combines estimated item weights, compression efficiency, and bag volume capacity.
Total packed weight formula: Total Weight = Σ (Item Count × Average Weight per Item) + Bag Weight
Bag volume needed: Volume (liters) = Σ (Item Volume × Count) × Compression Factor
Compression factor:
- No compression bags: 1.0×
- Packing cubes: 0.85×
- Compression packing cubes: 0.65–0.70×
- Vacuum compression bags: 0.40–0.50×
Average item weight reference:
- T-shirt: 0.15–0.25 kg
- Long-sleeve shirt: 0.25–0.35 kg
- Jeans/trousers: 0.5–0.8 kg
- Lightweight pants (linen/travel): 0.25–0.35 kg
- Underwear/socks (pair): 0.05–0.10 kg
- Sneakers: 0.6–0.9 kg per pair
- Dress shoes: 0.9–1.2 kg per pair
- Toiletry bag (full): 0.5–1.5 kg
- Electronics (phone + charger + cables): 0.5–0.8 kg
- Laptop (13-inch): 1.2–1.5 kg
Airline weight limits:
- US carry-on size limit: 22″ × 14″ × 9″ (56 × 36 × 23 cm) — typically allows bags up to 40L
- International carry-on weight limits: usually 7–10 kg (varies significantly by airline)
- Checked bag: typically 23 kg (50 lbs) in economy; fees from $35–$100 for overweight bags
- Budget airlines (Ryanair, EasyJet): stricter limits, higher fees — always verify before packing
The 1-2-3-4-5-6 rule for a 1-week trip (carry-on only):
- 1 pair of shoes (plus sandals on feet)
- 2 pairs of pants/bottoms
- 3 tops/shirts
- 4 pairs of socks
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 6 accessory items (belt, sunglasses, hat, scarf, etc.)
Estimated total weight: ~5–7 kg — within most international carry-on limits.
Worked example: 10-day Europe trip, carry-on only (40L bag, max 10 kg airline limit).
- 3 t-shirts (0.20kg × 3 = 0.60kg) + 2 long-sleeve (0.30kg × 2 = 0.60kg) + 3 pants (0.30kg × 3 = 0.90kg) + 10 underwear/socks (0.07kg × 10 = 0.70kg) + 1 sneakers (0.80kg) + toiletries (0.80kg) + electronics (0.70kg) + jacket (0.60kg) + bag itself (1.0kg)
- Total: ~6.70 kg — within limit with 3.3 kg spare for souvenirs