How carry-on only travelers board their flights

As I note in my book "A Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Packing: Minimalist Travel Secrets That Save You Time and Money" I heartily recommend that you try to board early in your boarding zone. If you are not accustomed to doing this, it means you need to be at the gate and listening to the announcements. If you are boarding more than halfway through the process, it is likely that staff will have announced that there is no more overhead space and carry-on luggage is now being checked at the jetway. Make sure your bag is in backpack mode and loaded on your shoulders. As your boarding pass is scanned, square your shoulders with the staff member, smile and offer a courtesy, and keep walking. As you make your way to your seat, scan the overhead space and you’ll almost certainly find room for one of these soft carry-ons. Don’t be shy about rearranging items to reclaim lost space. 

As a last resort, you can almost certainly fit one of the bags I recommend under the seat in front of you. The flight attendants will need to be convinced that the bag is safely out of the way. A darker colored bag – mine is black – is less likely to stand out if it is sticking out a bit.

A true minimalist traveler is able to locate his seat, stash his bag, and move quickly out of the aisle.  It’s helpful, then, to have quick access to anything you’ll need for in-flight comfort and entertainment. Spending a lot of time digging around in your bag for these items goes against the spirit of minimalist travel. 

One solution here is the travel vest (I use the cheaper Columbia model), which you will have preloaded with everything you need for the flight. Stash your bag and take your seat. I’ve used this solution successfully and quite happily, although it has been pointed out to me that I look like a big dork wearing this vest.   In summer, the vest really is too hot to be practical.

My summer solution is the Grid-It organizer, basically a heavy card with interwoven elastic bands which grip cords and cables, bags of trail mix and so forth. Right before you put your bag away in the overhead, whip out the Grid-It and stash it in the seat pocket. 

And lately, the F1 Seat Pack by Flight001 has caught my eye, although I haven’t used it myself. I’d be interested in your experience if you’ve tried this product.

Get more 1-bag travel tips and secrets in my booky wooky, now available at Amazon!