Enrichment · Passion Projects · Travel

Know it fits
before you pack.

Type the bag’s size and list what is going in. The calculator turns both into liters and tells you how full the bag will be before you start packing.

Check my bagWhat you get

The travel packing volume calculator

The worked example is a 22 by 14 by 9 inch carry-on for five days. Nothing you type leaves this browser.

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What you get

Enrichment · Passion ProjectsFree

What you finish with
The bag’s capacity and usable space in liters, the volume of everything on the list, how full the bag is and the space left or over, with the biggest items first. It prints as a packing list.
Who it is for
Travelers trying to fit in a carry-on, students packing for college or a semester away, and families sharing bags.
Format
Browser calculator for a phone, tablet or computer, by touch or keyboard. Prints a summary; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); export and import a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions, a correction or a request: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Measure the bag outside.
  2. Keep the usable share near 80%.
  3. List the items with counts.
  4. Estimate liters from the guide.
  5. Wear the bulkiest item.

Check my bag

How the volume is worked out

Inches to liters, then the list against the space.

The worked example: a carry-on for five daysBag22 × 14 × 9inches outsideCapacity45.4 L× 0.016387Usable36.3 L80% of itPacked64%23.1 L of thingsThe worked example: a carry-on for five daysBag22 × 14 × 9inches outsideCapacity45.4 L× 0.016387Usable36.3 L80% of itPacked64%23.1 L of things
Dimensions give the capacity, the usable share allows for frame and wheels, and the list’s liters are measured against what is left.

Typical volumes

These are rough figures for planning: a rolled T-shirt about 0.7 liter, a pair of jeans about 1.8, a sweater about 3, a pair of sneakers about 5, a toiletry bag about 2, a laptop in a sleeve about 2.5, and a pair of socks or underwear about 0.25. For better numbers, press a few of your own things into a box of known size.

Why not 100 percent

A bag measured outside includes its frame, wheels, handle and lining, and clothes do not pack like water. Most bags hold about three quarters to four fifths of the box their outside dimensions describe. The common United States carry-on size is 22 by 14 by 9 inches, about 45 liters as a box.

Sources

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST Handbook 44 and SI unit conversions: cubic inch to liter (nist.gov).
  2. Transportation Security Administration. What can I bring? and carry-on rules (tsa.gov).
  3. U.S. Department of Transportation. Fly Rights: carry-on and checked baggage (transportation.gov).
  4. National Institute of Standards and Technology. A metric guide for everyday measurement (nist.gov/pml).

Volumes are estimates; soft items squeeze and hard ones do not. Airlines set their own size limits. Your entries stay in this browser. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.