The best personal item bags are the ones that can do three things: carry everything you need for a full day of travel, keep it all organized, and look great while doing it. Yes, that last part is essential. At least, for us at Sherpani.
Travel days sometimes come with surprises: delays, hours spent sitting on a tarmac, unexpected train transfers, and weather to deal with. Not to mention a dead phone battery, makeup and hygiene touch-ups, and extra layers for overly air-conditioned planes. You get the point—your personal item needs to carry all the things that keep you safe and happy during the long haul.
We know how overwhelming packing your personal item can be. It tends to become an overpacking fiasco. But the difference isn’t always how much you’re packing. A lot of the time, it’s about where you’re packing it.
Learning how to pack a personal item bag comes down to making every inch (and every pocket) work a little harder. We believe there should be a compartment for everything. Your laptop should never be competing for space with your shoes, and your passport shouldn’t have disappeared behind a light layer, a book, and a water bottle. Each should have its own home—where you can easily and quickly access it—because smart travel is all about efficiency.
So, we’re going to break it down for you, pocket by pocket, using the Crew Travel Backpack, an airline-friendly personal item designed with a place for just about everything.
Consider this your unofficial, Sherpani-approved map to the perfectly packed personal item.
First: What counts as a personal item bag?
Your personal item is the bag that travels with you under the seat in front of you. It’s not a carry-on, which goes into the overhead bin above you and carries the bulk of your belongings. Your carry-on is typically a rolling suitcase, like the Sherpani Meridian.
Your personal item is usually a backpack, tote, laptop bag, crossbody, or similarly sized travel bag. The only catch is that personal item size requirements aren’t universal. It’s important to check with your airline before deciding on your personal item.
However, most standard airlines allow your under-the-seat bag to be somewhere between 18 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 8 inches deep (there’s usually some leeway there).
Sherpani's Airline Approved travel hub is a good place to start if you're comparing personal item sizing, carry-on requirements, and bags designed with air travel in mind. Once you know your bag fits, the fun part begins: figuring out just how much you can carry for the journey ahead.
How to pack a personal item bag: Start with a system
The secret to fitting more into a personal item isn't stuffing every available compartment until the zipper begs for mercy. It's all about creating designated zones.
The first step is to think about what you'll need during the flight, what you probably won't touch until you arrive, and what you may need to pull out quickly while at the airport. Then pack accordingly: what you need in transit stays within easy reach, and what you won't need until you arrive goes deepest in the bag (or stays out of it entirely).
The Crew Backpack, for example, is packed with pockets and smart organization. It provides 18-liter capacity that expands to 25 liters when needed, a dedicated laptop compartment, a front organization pocket, hidden zip pockets, a hidden water bottle pocket, and security features for smaller valuables.
We know not all personal item bags are created equal, and even at Sherpani, we offer a range of styles and sizes people love to use for travel. But for this guide, we'll use the Crew as a model for what to look for and how to pack an organized personal item bag, and the approach applies to a range of designs.
Here's how we'd put all that space to work.
Laptop compartment: Tech goes here
Tech is going to be some of the most important and vulnerable stuff in your bag, which is why giving it its own home is a good place to start.
Whether it’s a backpack like the Crew or a travel weekender like the Boston, find a dedicated spot for your laptop and other tech to keep them safe and separate from everything else. This not only keeps it safe, but also makes it easier to access when you’re ready to work during a layover or settle in once you arrive.
Pack here:
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Laptop
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Slim tablet (Kindle, iPad)
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Important flat documents (paperwork, itineraries)
The Front Organization Pocket: Build Out Your In-Flight Kit
This is where strategic packing will pay off most.
Your front pocket should be the hub for all your smaller necessities that you just know you’ll reach for while you're in transit. Think of it as your little travel command center.
Pack:
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Charging cables
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Headphones
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Pens & notebook
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Lip balm
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Tissues
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Hand sanitizer
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Small snacks
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Pair of extra socks
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Any other little essentials you use throughout the travel day
Keeping these items together saves you from digging through your bag every time your phone battery hits 10%, your feet get cold on a 9-hour flight, or you’re still a little hungry after they’ve already handed out the complimentary bag of stale mini pretzels.
The Crew's front zipper pocket also includes RFID protection and a zipper lock, making it a useful spot for smaller travel essentials you want both organized and protected.
The Hidden Zip Pockets: Give Important Things a Home
There are some things you never want to have to dig for in front of the TSA officer or in line to get a bag of Smart Food. Your Vienna passport wallet? One of them. Your Tulum RFID travel Wallet? Also one of them.
The Crew includes two vertical hidden zip pockets that give smaller essentials their own dedicated spaces instead of letting them float around the main compartment. That’s where your passport and wallet should go.
The best packing system is one you can remember without thinking. Pick a pocket for each important item at the beginning of the trip and keep using the same one.
Passport always goes there. Wallet always goes here. Keys always live in that pocket.
It's a tiny habit that becomes surprisingly helpful when you're moving through airports, hotels, train stations, and unfamiliar places.
The Hidden Water Bottle Pocket: Hydration Without the Bulk
A reusable water bottle is a travel-day essential—until it takes up half the room in your bag.
That's why a side water bottle pocket, or a hidden zippered water bottle pocket (as featured on the Crew, the Camden Pro and the Milli), deserves its own packing prestige.
Keep your bottle empty while going through airport security, then fill it once you're through. Storing it in its dedicated exterior pocket keeps it separated from electronics and clothing while still making it easy to grab. We love traveling with a reusable water bottle to avoid spending money on plastic bottles (it quickly adds up), and because it usually carries more water anyway.
The Back Security Pockets: Keep Valuables Close
The items that would send you into a tailspin if they went missing should also be the hardest to accidentally leave behind.
The Crew has padded mesh pockets positioned against the back of the bag, giving smaller valuables another secure place to live while keeping them close to you. These are ideal for the things you want to keep close and accessible but don't necessarily need sitting in an exposed exterior pocket. (Hello, spare cash and backup cards.)
The bigger lesson applies to any personal item, big and small: don't put all your valuables in one place. Thoughtful organization isn't just about fitting more into your bag. It's about knowing where each of your essentials is throughout the trip.
What Should Be Easy to Reach on a Flight?
There's a moment after boarding when everyone in your row is settled, tray tables are up, and you realize the one thing you want is buried at the very bottom of your bag.
Avoid becoming the person performing an archaeological dig under seat 14A... Before boarding, make sure these are somewhere easily accessible, because frankly, you’re going to need them:
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Headphones
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Phone charger or portable battery
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Water bottle
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Snack
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Lip balm
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Sweater or light layer
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Book
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Tablet or e-reader
If it's a longer flight, you can even put your in-flight essentials into one small pouch. Pull out the pouch when you sit down, slide your backpack under the seat, and you're done.
What Not to Pack in Your Personal Item
Knowing how to pack a personal item bag also means knowing when to stop.
Avoid filling it with too many "just in case" items. Three books for a two-hour flight? Probably ambitious. Three different layers for one flight? Pick the most practical. A full-size version of every toiletry you own? Your shoulders are about to write a letter to the manager.
Instead, prioritize the things that earn their space.
Wear your bulkiest layer onto the plane. Choose clothing that can be mixed and matched. Use travel-size toiletries where appropriate. Keep tech accessories limited to what you'll actually use. And don't duplicate items you already have in your carry-on or checked luggage.
Because the less time you spend digging through your bag, the more time you have for the good parts.
Ready to get packing? Explore Sherpani's Airline Approved travel bags and find the right bag for your next trip!
What size bag fits under an airplane seat?
Most airlines require under-seat bags to be around 17-18" L x 12-14" W x 8" D, though exact dimensions vary by carrier. Sherpani's personal item bags are designed to fit within the most common size restrictions across major US and international airlines.
Can I bring a personal item and a carry-on on the same flight?
Most airlines allow one personal item plus one carry-on bag, but basic economy fares on some carriers (like American or Delta) may restrict you to a personal item only. Always check your specific fare class before flying.
What should I pack in my personal item vs. my checked bag?
Keep travel essentials in your personal item — medications, chargers, a change of clothes, valuables, and anything you'll need in-flight or if your checked bag is delayed. Save bulkier items and toiletries over the TSA liquid limit for your checked bag.
