Packing for 1-bag travel

The greatest part of the success of minimalist travel (see my just-published guide on the topic!) is just making the commitment. And once you’ve gotten over that hump, the rest is essentially details and tricks. 

Of those details, some of the most sophisticated are around figuring out how to pull your things together in a way that’s compact and organized. Fitting it all in a small space, and being able to find what you need later, quickly, even in the dark. Your bag should be as much a pleasure in the hotel room as it was zipping through the airport.

Folding vs. rolling

If you follow the various blogs and YouTube videos on this topic, you are probably aware of one of the central controversies in one-bag travel: rolling versus folding. Folding is how we typically put our clothes away in our closets at home. Advocates of folding clothing in a suitcase sometimes suggest that thin pieces of tissue paper or even the plastic bags from dry-cleaning services can be inserted between items to prevent wrinkling. On the other hand, advocates of the rolling method suggest that you can fit more clothing into a small space by rolling each item separately. For example, folding a T-shirt in half right down the middle and then, starting at the bottom, rolling it up tightly.

The bundling method

My position on this controversy?  Neither folding nor rolling. Rather, I am an enthusiastic advocate of the bundling method. The bundling method takes a bit of practice. Briefly, lay out a long sleeve shirt on the bed or other flat surface. Then, lay out a 2^nd shirt with the shirt tail pointing in the opposite direction of the first shirt’s tail. So if the tail of the first shirt is closer to you and the collar is away from you, placed the collar of the 2^nd shirt on top of the first shirt collar but with the 2^nd shirt’s tail away from you. 

After alternating shirts in this manner, lay jeans or other pants down on the pile with waist band in the middle of the pile and the legs of the shirt pointing straight off to the right or to the left. So at this point we are forming something of a “plus sign” with the pants on top of the shirts. 

Finally, continue the process with any shorts. An essential element of the bundling method is the “core.” The core is a small dense bundle of clothing around which you tightly wrap the other items, one by one, working from the inside out. This core, for example, might be a pair of flip-flops, or your socks wrapped up tightly in a couple pair of underwear. If you are packing more than one pair of shoes (not recommended), you might make good use of those shoes by stuffing socks and underwear inside them. Personally, I roll up underwear and socks in the bathing suit and use that as my core. 

Place the core in the center of your pile of clothing, and – piece by piece – wrap each item of clothing around that core. You end up with a tight bundle of clothing, with dress shirts towards the outside of the bundle, a process which eliminates any sharp folding, and minimizes wrinkling of dress shirts. This is perhaps the biggest advantage of bundling over folding or rolling.

If you had any trouble following my description of all this, you might check out this video or (my favorite) review this PDF to more easily understand the bundling method.

Get more hacks and tips my guide to 1-bag travel at Amazon!

My favorite travel app

My favorite travel app is really more than that – TripIt is a service which integrates with your Google calendar and email in addition to being a phone-based application. 

Any hotel or rental car or flight related email can be forwarded to the service or, with your permission, the application can scan email and retrieve itinerary-relevant data, adding a trove of travel information – flight time and confirmation number, arrival terminal and hotel contact information - to your calendar, automatically. 

Share your favorite travel apps or time-saving strategies here, and check out my 

"Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Packing: Minimalist Travel Secrets That Save You Time and Money" at Amazon!

Pre-trip tips for the 1-bag traveler

Before the day of your journey,make a detailed packing list, check it prior to each trip, and revise it after each trip. My just-published guide to 1-bag travel is full of recommendations, some of which will change the way you travel forever, and some of which are absolutely wrong for you. But even the best recommendations are worthless if the right items don’t make it into your bag, or if you try to work from memory rather than a packing list and end up over packing.

The injunction to “take half as much clothing and twice as much money” is a common bit of packing wisdom, and likely good advice for those who are working from a carefully prepared packing list. But you’re not one of those.

Some wise travelers type or write their list on paper, and pack it in their bag in a Ziploc bag. My packing list is in Evernote, accessible from my phone or laptop. Choose a packing list method that’s convenient for you, and follow-through.

Charge It

Charge everything the night before. If you’re following the recommendations in this book, that “everything” will be limited to your smart phone and a backup battery. Additional electronics in the “maybe” category include an ultrathin laptop or tablet or an e-reader. At this writing, it is still the rare airport that has sufficient outlets for passengers needing to charge up at the last minute. And that whole last minute charging experience is stressful and rarely fully successful. In my experience, by the time I find an outlet and start charging up, they announce my zone is boarding. If you are to be prepared for an entertaining and efficient trip (hopefully you’ll have some fun and get some work done on the flight), make sure your work- and music- and movie-device is at the ready, in advance.

Plan your work and work your plan

A day or so before your flight, review your travel details and take note of how long you’ll be in the air. Identify projects appropriate for that length of time. An hour-long shuttle, for example, might be long enough to catch up on some professional reading that’s been stacking up on your desk. A three-hour flight might be long enough to rework a set of PowerPoint slides or write a couple of blog posts. Longer international flights may allow several projects punctuated by entertainment which you have selected and planned in advance. You’re not at the mercy of limited in-flight movies or music - you can load up your smart phone or tablet in advance according to your reading and listening and viewing tastes and goals. One of the most important activities on any flight – for your energy and mental and physical health upon arrival – sleeping. So build that into your schedule as well. If it’s true (and I believe it is) that time is our most precious resource, let’s not waste any of it by wishing that we were somewhere else. That includes wishing that our flight was over, and dreading the minutes and hours of travel. Because that’s literally wishing a tiny piece of my life away. Book yourself solid with relevant or important or supremely entertaining activities, for the whole flight. And do this in advance. On my most recent arrival into Sydney, I was wrapping up a project that I was really excited about.  And as we were instructed to put our laptop trays and seats back into their full upright position, I actually wished I had a few more minutes to work on the project!

Check out more tips for the minimalist traveler in my 

Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Packing: Minimalist Travel Secrets That Save You Time and Money at Amazon!

Picking the right bag for carry-on only flight

When I was first considering paring down to 1-bag travel, I absolutely obsessed over this which bag would be exactly right.  I knew I wanted a sturdy one, and one I'd be glad to have along for the ride on even extended trips.  

So I watched videos, I read blog posts, and I perused dozens of user reviews at Amazon. And for me it ultimately boiled down to 3 choices:  the Sky Train by Red Oxx (about $250), the Tri-Star by Tom Bihn ($315) and the Mother Lode TLS Weekender Convertible (catchy!) at about $100 from eBags. These 3 bags are really good-looking, especially the  Sky Train and the Tri-Star.  And all share several features which for me, as a minimalist one-bag traveler, are essential.

They convert easily from backpack to a more traditional bag carried from top or side handles. The back straps can be tucked away when not in use.

All 3 of these bags have eliminated the collapsible handle and wheels feature almost ubiquitous with typical carry-on luggage. I’d always thought that rolling luggage was the best invention since sliced bread. That is, until I began to read about the details of this mechanism and to reflect on my own experiences rolling luggage – how much valuable space the mechanism takes up inside the bag, how the clumsy wheels prevent easy stowage on small planes, how easy it is to break the collapsible handle, and how difficult it is to maneuver these bags over gravel or snow, or going up and down stairs or nonfunctioning escalators (every airport has at least one nonfunctioning escalator).

Another feature of typical carry-on luggage which I began to question was the hard shell. If I’m checking luggage, I absolutely want it to be sturdy and difficult to crush. But if I’m carrying the bag on the plane with me, there are big advantages to softer material and squishy corners.

My research led me to conclude that a convertible backpack type bag with no wheels and no collapsible handle was the right choice.  Ultimately, I chose the cheapest of these 3 options above, the model by eBags.  I worried that by cheaping out I would end up with an inferior product, but after one year of use and abuse, I’m delighted with this bag.

I also liked the Red Oxx Air Boss but ruled this model out as it does not have the convertible backpack feature which is something I liked about the 3 bags mentioned above. Finally, there are a number of great daypacks and light backpacks that could offer many of the same benefits and features; but I wanted a bag which could reasonably be passed off as a suitcase. On occasion I encounter professional situations in which the backpack comes off as a bit useful or overly casual.

So I’ve made my biases clear, but your mileage may vary. You’ll do your own research. Think about your travel style, distance from rental car to hotel, physical layout of the airports you frequent, and the abuse to which your luggage is typically subjected. Be sure that the luggage you’ll select meets the most stringent carry-on requirements (there are FAA guidelines, but also some variability among carriers).  22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches - when fully packed - appears to be the standard at present.

Read more of my tips and hacks for easy and efficient travel in my "Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Travel:  Minimalist Travel Secrets that Save You Time and Money" at Amazon!  And share your strategies and suggestions here.  Thanks!

Boarding in "the Zone"

...the following is an excerpt of my just-published guide to 1-bag travel.

In the past, when I more frequently checked baggage, one of my great pleasures was to be among the last passengers boarding a flight. My logic was “why fight with everybody else to get on board when all we’re going to do is sit there until the flight is fully loaded anyway?” There was something really nice about watching everybody else elbow their way to the front while I relaxed with the magazine until the final boarding call. 

But the 1-bag traveler has to give up that snarky luxury. He wants to be in line, ready to board, towards the front of his boarding zone. If you follow my instructions carefully, you’ll be able to pack light enough that your bag will fit under the seat in front of you on those occasions when there’s no overhead space left. This works best when your bag is quite dark in color, as you are less likely to be challenged if a bit of it is sticking out into the area for your feet. 

The good news is that even if you don’t get your overhead space, you still will not be stuck checking your bag. But on a long flight, having that bag right in front of your feet is not particularly comfortable. So you want to get on board as soon as possible and grab an overhead space for your bag.

Is packing light right for you?

In my book "A Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Packing: Minimalist Travel Secrets That Save You Time and Money" I share my enthusiasm for traveling with only a carry-on.  That's it, nothing else.  Not even an additional computer bag.  I've traveled back and forth across for Australia over the course of a month with just my carryon.  

But this way of traveling is not for everyone.  Here are some considerations to determine whether  1-bag travel might be right for you!

Fitness

The one-bag explorer needs to be reasonably fit. Carrying 30 to 40 pounds around a busy airport isn’t the stuff of elite athletes, but anyone with serious health problems might not be a candidate for minimalist travel.

Style

A clothes hound – someone who wants to arrive at his destination with multiple good-looking outfits – might find the sartorial demands of one-bag packing too limiting. The one-bag traveler needs to be as comfortable with his 3 or 4 clothing options as he is with his travel companions; you’re going to be spending a lot of time with these guys, you need to get along pretty well. 

All options open

Likewise, the guy who likes to keep all of his options open – packing downhill snow gear as well as casual beach wear - will find it difficult to follow the restrictions in this book.

Rich guys

The business traveler who tends to expense everything might not be as concerned about baggage check fees as the next guy.

Work+pleasure

The reader whose habits are most similar to mine will likely have the best experience with these recommendations. I tend to combine business travel with a bit of vacation time, so I pack snappy casual along with outdoor, hiking type clothing which doubles as hotel gym workout attire. I tend not to pack anything in between, like nice cotton shorts or casual unstructured blazers. I usually stay in 3 star hotels – nothing shabby, but not the types of places with lots of amenities. If you plan to camp out, or if you stay in 4 and 5 star hotels, your travel needs and expectations may be different from mine.

If you think you might be a 1-bag kind of traveler, check out my book at Amazon Kindle. And share your minimalist travel tips here at the blog!

Why pack light?

Something of a cult has emerged within the past several years around the whole idea of one-bag packing. Travelers who like to see how long they can go with just the bare necessities. There are as many arguments for becoming a carry-on minimalist as there are one-bag wanderers out there.  In my book "A Guy's Guide to 1-Bag Travel," I share what I think are some of the most compelling reasons:

·       If you need to change flights at the last minute, you can.  You know that thing where your connecting flight is delayed or canceled, but you could still make it your destination be jumped on a flight? And you’re standing there across the counter from the nice lady with the magic computer and she’s making loud clicking sounds with the keyboard, pausing, and then clicking again? And then in a low, conspiratorial voice she asks, “did you check luggage?” And how, if you say “why yes I did” she points you to join a group of huddled sad people who look like immigrants at Ellis Island who aren’t allowed in because they have typhoid or the wrong kinds of lumps on their heads? Ah, but if you answer “no ma’am I did not,” and she reaches down to the magic printer shelf and hands you a boarding pass and says “run, run to gate C 25 why aren’t you running already?”

·      No more lost luggage. They can’t lose your luggage if it’s with you at all times, and especially if – as will be my recommendation – it’s on your back. I travel a lot, and it seems that the airlines do a pretty good job getting luggage to its intended destination. But I have had the experience of misplaced luggage on a couple of occasions and it’s always a major headache. I pack pretty carefully, and if something is in the suitcase I probably need it, and waiting a day or even two days is super inconvenient.

·       No more busted luggage. If you pack so light you’re able to keep everything with you at all times, your bag will never leave your sight. You never have to wonder who’s handling (i.e., tossing or kicking or dropping) your personal things.

·       Save money, and lots of it. Checked luggage fees start at $25, and over the course of multiple flights we are talking hundreds of dollars. Upon arrival, the one-bag traveler has many more options for moving around the destination city. With 2 or 3 bags, an expensive taxi is really the only option. The minimalist visitor, however, can hop on a shuttle or train or city bus. Do the math yourself and determine how much you might save if you started traveling as a one-bag minimalist.

·       Save time at both ends of each flight. If you check in online ahead of time, and have the boarding pass on your phone, you can skip the whole weighing and checking of the luggage. And upon arrival, you head straight for the train or taxi and skip the 15 or 20 minute wait for baggage to arrive.

·       Cut out a lot of stress. If you’re at the airport with more than one piece of luggage, there’s always a small part of you that is worrying – do I have everything? Am I missing something? And even though luggage usually arrives to its destination, there’s that whole anxious waiting-for-luggage period. Jockeying for position, watching dozens of similar looking bags making their way around the carousel. Like parents picking up their children from summer camp, the worried look, the wondering “has something happened? Is every thing okay?” And maybe you’ve arrived early and so you’ll spend some time at a streetside café before you check in at your hotel. The cooler the city, the less cool it looks to enjoy your tiny cup of coffee surrounded by bags and suitcases. And upon checking into your hotel, the multi-back traveler has that weird moment when he is confronted by a helpful bellhop who wants to know if the gentleman would like some help with his bags. Sure, you’ve tried avoiding eye contact, but still they will offer. I always declined the offer, and wonder if that makes me look cheap or ill bred, but who wants that long awkward elevator ride with a stranger carrying your luggage to your room? The one-bag traveler never faces such a challenge. Nobody asks a guy with one small bag whether he needs help with that.


    Check out my guide to minimalist travel hacks and strategies at Amazon!