You are tired of lugging two 50-pound, wheeled suitcases over Italian cobblestones, but what is the alternative? Adopt one bag travel on your next trip!
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What is one bag travel?
One bag travel, or one bagging, is as much a philosophy as anything else. It involves carrying less so that you can experience more. For most trips, you can easily fit more than you need into just one bag. While this might be hard to believe if you are used to traveling with multiple checked bags, packing for your first one bag trip is easier than you might think! And I don’t think I really need to say it, but of course, your one bag is a carry-on!
What are the benefits of one bag travel?
For starters, you never have to wait for your luggage at the baggage claim. There is nothing like cruising past the baggage carousel with your one bag over your shoulder while others fight the masses to retrieve their bulky suitcases!
Furthermore, with the state of airlines today, there are two types of luggage: carry-on luggage and mishandled luggage. I don’t know about you, but nothing would ruin my trip faster than landing in Istanbul for a week, only to find that my baggage has just landed in Paris for a week, or worse yet, has been lost forever!
How much can you actually bring in one bag?
Well, currently, we are traveling in Europe for three months with only one bag each. Here is what I was able to fit into my one bag:
One Bag Packing List
- Clothing
- One pair of blue jeans
- One pair of nylon pants
- Two pairs of gym shorts
- One pair of sweatpants
- Three T-shirts
- Two dress shirts
- Five pairs of socks
- Five pairs of underwear
- One full base layer for cold weather
- Gloves
- Cold Weather Hat
- Shoes
- One pair of hiking boots
- One pair of Vans
- One pair of flip flops
- Electronics
- Laptop
- Kindle
- Earbuds
- Various chargers and power banks
- Standard toiletries and over-the-counter medication for aches and pains of all shapes and sizes.
And you know what? I vastly overpacked!
Tips for one bag packing:
- Try to pack a capsule wardrobe, meaning that anything you bring can be worn with everything you bring.
- Cotton is not your friend. Wool and synthetics can usually be worn a couple of times before they need washing. Cotton? Not so much.
- And my biggest tip for one bagging? Bring two bags! One bag purists will hate this, but I am all for bringing a second, smaller bag along. You can use it as a personal item on your flight, so you don’t have to dig through your main pack every time you need something. Furthermore, nothing replaces having a small bag to carry as a daypack while you explore new cities. And finally, it will give you a bit of extra room to bring home a souvenir or two!
If you are sold on going carry-on only for your next trip, check out this comprehensive carry-on backpack roundup (https://www.unworktotravel.com/travel-backpack/) to find the perfect pack for you.
