Published on April 26, 2025
I still remember the moment I realized I’d become everything I once mocked. Standing at the luggage carousel in Lisbon, watching the same black roller bags circle endlessly, I caught my reflection in the polished airport wall—sweaty, irritable, and surrounded by no fewer than three separate bags. My glamorous European adventure was beginning with a back ache and the clumsy rattle of wheels across cobblestones.
That was four years and 17 countries ago. Now I travel with just one bag, and I’m never going back.
Here’s the thing about one-bag travel that nobody tells you: it’s not just about packing less. It’s about embracing a philosophy that transforms how you move through the world. It’s freedom. It’s standing in the customs line watching everyone else fret about their luggage while you breeze through with everything you need slung over your shoulder.
Let me show you how to join this particular cult of liberation.
Why One-Bag Travel Will Change Your Life
The first time you skip baggage claim entirely, striding past the huddled masses with nothing but your perfectly packed carry-on, you’ll feel like you’ve discovered a secret passage through the airport. That’s the gateway drug. Soon you’re rearranging your packing list for the fifth time, weighing items on a kitchen scale, and explaining to bemused friends why you only travel with three pairs of underwear.
Trust me, I’ve been that person at REI fondling ultralight towels while muttering about grams. I’ve cut my toothbrush handle off. I’ve decanted shampoo into contact lens cases. I regret nothing.
The benefits go beyond just avoiding luggage fees (though saving $70 round-trip isn’t bad). One-bag travel means:
- You’re more mobile, capable of spontaneous itinerary changes
- No waiting at baggage carousels or worrying about lost luggage
- Easier navigation of public transportation
- Less mental overhead deciding what to wear each day
- A profound sense of self-sufficiency
My friend Sarah puts it perfectly: “When I travel with just one bag, I feel like I’ve outsmarted the system somehow.” She’s right. There’s something quietly rebellious about refusing to be weighed down.
Choosing Your Perfect One-Bag
Let’s start with the obvious—you need a bag. But not just any bag. This is your home away from home, your turtle shell, your faithful companion.
The perfect travel bag should be:
- Carry-on compliant (typically 45L or less)
- Comfortable to carry for extended periods
- Durable enough to survive being stuffed under bus seats
- Organized enough to find things without emptying everything
- Weather-resistant (at minimum)
I’m partial to travel backpacks over rolling luggage for their versatility on varied terrain. Nothing shatters the romance of wandering through a Mediterranean village like the ka-thunk ka-thunk of wheeled luggage on ancient cobblestones.
My Personal Recommendations:
- For Urban Travelers: The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L isn’t cheap at $299, but it’s essentially a suitcase you can wear, with thoughtful organization and expansion options. The side access panels mean you’re not constantly unpacking everything to find your lip balm.
- For Adventure Seekers: Osprey’s Farpoint/Fairview 40L ($180) offers excellent comfort for those planning to actually wear their backpack for extended periods. The suspension system makes 25 pounds feel like 15.
- For Budget Travelers: The REI Ruckpack 40 ($149) delivers impressive quality at a more accessible price point, though you sacrifice some of the organization features of pricier options.
- For Minimalists: If you’re ready to go hardcore, the Cotopaxi Allpa 28L ($170) forces ruthless packing decisions while still offering surprising capacity.
Remember, the best bag is the one that matches your travel style. I spent years with a simple 35L Patagonia Black Hole duffel before upgrading to something with actual organization features. The duffel worked fine, but finding my passport often required emptying half my belongings onto hotel beds.
The Packing List: What You Actually Need
The secret to successful one-bag travel isn’t some magical folding technique (though those help). It’s being brutally honest about what you’ll actually use.
My old packing method involved throwing in outfits for every conceivable scenario: hiking clothes “just in case,” formal wear for hypothetical fancy dinners, extra shoes for… reasons? Now I pack for what I’ll actually do, not for all possible alternate universe versions of my trip.
Here’s my core packing philosophy:
- Everything must earn its place – Each item should serve multiple purposes or be absolutely essential.
- Choose fabrics wisely – Favor merino wool, quick-dry synthetic blends, and wrinkle-resistant materials.
- Embrace the laundry – Plan to wash clothes rather than pack fresh outfits for each day.
- Wear your bulkiest items on travel days – Your heaviest shoes, jacket, etc. shouldn’t count against your bag space.
Let me walk you through a sample packing list for a two-week trip to Europe in moderate weather:
Clothing:
- 3-4 t-shirts/tops (merino wool if you can swing it)
- 1 button-down shirt (for nicer occasions)
- 1 light sweater/long-sleeve layer
- 1 packable down jacket or versatile outer layer
- 2 pairs of pants (one might be jeans, one should be lightweight)
- 1 pair of shorts or a skirt
- 4-5 pairs of underwear
- 4-5 pairs of socks
- 1 comfortable walking shoes
- 1 nicer shoes/sandals
- 1 packable rain jacket
- 1 hat (sun protection or warmth, depending on destination)
Toiletries:
- Toothbrush & travel-size toothpaste
- Deodorant (solid, not spray)
- Shampoo/conditioner/body wash (in reusable 100ml bottles)
- Face wash & moisturizer
- Sunscreen (decanted into smaller container)
- Minimal makeup (if you wear it)
- Basic first-aid supplies
- Any prescription medications
Tech & Documents:
- Passport & ID
- Phone & charger
- Portable battery pack
- Universal adapter
- Earbuds
- Kindle or other reading material
- Small notebook & pen
Miscellaneous:
- Reusable water bottle (empty before security)
- Eye mask & earplugs
- Microfiber travel towel
- Small day bag that packs flat
The above list is, of course, adaptable. You might add specialized gear for activities or adjust for extreme climates. The point isn’t to follow my list exactly but to adopt the mentality of questioning everything that goes in your bag.
The Art of Efficient Packing: Techniques That Actually Work
Once you’ve ruthlessly edited your packing list, you need to make it all fit comfortably in your chosen bag. This is where technique matters.
I’ve tried vacuum bags, packing cubes, ranger rolling, bundle wrapping, and pretty much every other method travel bloggers swear by. Here’s what actually works:
Packing Cubes: Your New Best Friends
If you buy nothing else for one-bag travel, invest in 3-4 quality packing cubes. These fabric organizers transform how you pack by:
- Compressing clothes into manageable modules
- Keeping categories separate and easy to find
- Preventing your bag from becoming a jumbled mess when you remove one item
- Making repacking quick and painless
Eagle Creek’s Specter line strikes a good balance between weight and durability, while Peak Design’s packing cubes offer compression without zippers. Budget options from Amazon work fine too—I used the same $15 set for years before upgrading.
Rolling vs. Folding: The Great Debate
Rolling clothes is generally more space-efficient than folding, particularly for t-shirts, underwear, and other small items. For button-downs and nicer pieces, a modified fold-and-roll technique prevents deep wrinkles.
Controversial opinion: Those fancy military-style ranger rolls look impressive on YouTube but are unnecessary for most travelers. Simple compact rolls accomplish nearly the same result with less effort.
The Layer System
I pack my bag in distinct layers:
- Bottom layer: Rarely needed items, typically weather-specific (cold weather layers, rain gear)
- Middle layer: Daily clothing in packing cubes
- Top layer: Tech, toiletries, and items I’ll need quick access to
This system means I’m not digging through my entire bag multiple times a day.
Dealing with Dirty Laundry
The elephant in the room: How do you keep dirty clothes from contaminating clean ones when everything’s in one bag?
My solution is a dedicated “dirty clothes” packing cube or a simple drawstring bag that lives in my main pack. Some travelers use plastic bags, but I’ve found them noisy and prone to tearing.
If you want to get fancy, Sea to Summit makes ultralight laundry bags with odor-barrier technology. But honestly, regular laundry is the real solution. Which brings me to…
Laundry: The Not-So-Secret Secret of One-Bag Travel
During a two-week trip to Japan, I watched in horror as a fellow traveler lugged an enormous suitcase up the narrow stairs of our ryokan. Later that evening, he confessed he’d packed 14 complete outfits—one for each day.
Meanwhile, I had washed my small collection of clothing in the bathroom sink three times already.
The math is simple: Washing clothes = fewer clothes needed = smaller bag. But how do you actually make this work while traveling?
Sink Washing 101
Hand washing clothes in a sink or tub is straightforward:
- Plug the sink and fill with warm water
- Add a small amount of soap (I use Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap as it’s multipurpose)
- Agitate clothes for a few minutes
- Rinse thoroughly
- Roll items in a towel to remove excess water
- Hang to dry overnight
Pro tip: Pack a small length of paracord and a few clothespins to create an impromptu clothesline in your hotel bathroom. I’ve strung these between shower fixtures, over curtain rods, and across balconies.
For those who find sink washing too tedious, portable washing systems like the Scrubba Wash Bag offer a more efficient alternative, though they do add weight and bulk to your pack.
Laundromats and Hotel Services
For longer trips, I schedule proper laundry days every 4-5 days. In many countries, laundromats or laundry services offer same-day washing, drying, and folding for reasonable prices.
In Europe, I’ve paid €8-12 for a full load of laundry service. In Southeast Asia, it’s often less than $2. The time saved is well worth the expense, and you can use laundry day to explore the neighborhood or catch up on trip planning.
Capsule Wardrobe: The Art of Mixing and Matching
The key to looking presentable with minimal clothing is creating a capsule wardrobe where everything coordinates with everything else.
I stick to a limited color palette (typically blacks, grays, and blues) with perhaps one or two accent colors. This means any top can be worn with any bottom, multiplying your outfit combinations.
For example, 4 tops and 3 bottoms can create 12 distinct outfits—enough for nearly two weeks without repeating exactly the same combination.
The other secret is choosing the right fabrics. Merino wool is the holy grail of travel clothing—it resists odors, regulates temperature, and can be worn multiple times between washes. Yes, it’s expensive, but a quality merino t-shirt might be the best travel investment you’ll make.
Similarly, modern technical fabrics from brands like Bluffworks, Outlier, and Ministry of Supply offer clothing that looks professional but performs like athletic wear.
Minimalist Toiletries: Looking Good with Less
I used to haul around a toiletry bag the size of a small suitcase. Now my entire grooming kit fits in a dopp kit smaller than a book.
The shift came when I realized most hotels provide basic amenities, and anything else can be purchased locally if truly needed. Do I really need three different hair products for a week in Barcelona? Probably not.
My current toiletry strategy:
- Solids over liquids – Solid shampoo, conditioner, and soap save space and eliminate leakage concerns. Lush and Ethique make excellent options.
- Multi-use products – Dr. Bronner’s soap works for body, hair, laundry, and even dishes in a pinch. Coconut oil can be moisturizer, hair conditioner, and makeup remover.
- Decant everything else – Transfer necessary liquids into smaller containers. Contact lens cases work brilliantly for short trips.
- Skip what you can – Most hotels provide soap, shampoo, and lotion. Many destinations sell common products, often in travel sizes.
Tech Essentials: Staying Connected Without the Bulk
The days of lugging around cameras, laptops, tablets, and all their associated cables are behind me. My travel tech has been streamlined to:
- Smartphone – Functions as camera, map, translator, guide, and entertainment
- Kindle – For longer trips, the battery life and eye-friendly screen make it worth the space
- One universal charger – Multi-port USB chargers eliminate cable clutter
- Portable battery pack – Essential for long days of navigation and photography
For those who need to work remotely, a lightweight laptop may be unavoidable. But consider whether a tablet with a keyboard case might serve the same purpose with less weight and bulk.
One-Bag Travel for Different Types of Trips
The principles of one-bag travel adapt surprisingly well to different trip styles:
Business Travel
Yes, you can do business travel with just one bag. The key is selecting versatile, wrinkle-resistant business attire and packing strategically.
A navy blazer, worn on travel days, pairs with multiple shirts and pants to create different looks. Women can maximize a few key pieces like a blazer, dress, and pants in complementary colors.
Winter Destinations
Cold weather travel presents the biggest challenge to one-bag devotees. My approach:
- Layer aggressively – Multiple thin layers often outperform one bulky sweater
- Wear, don’t pack bulky items – Your winter coat, boots, and heaviest sweater should be worn, not packed
- Choose down insulation – Modern down jackets compress incredibly small while providing maximum warmth
- Rely on merino wool base layers – They keep you warm, wick moisture, and need less frequent washing
I’ve managed two weeks in Scandinavia in December with just a 40L backpack using these principles.
Beach Vacations
Ironically, beach trips are perfect for one-bag travel. Swimwear, lightweight clothes, and sandals take up minimal space.
The challenge is often coming home with souvenirs. My solution: pack a lightweight packable tote bag that can serve as a second bag for the return journey if absolutely necessary.
The Mental Shift: One-Bag as a Lifestyle
The most profound change in becoming a one-bag traveler isn’t about gear or techniques—it’s psychological. You begin to realize how little you actually need to be comfortable and happy.
This mindset inevitably bleeds into everyday life. My home closet is now more curated. I think twice before buying new possessions. I value experiences over things.
One-bag travel taught me that freedom comes not from having options for every contingency, but from nimbleness and adaptability. The less I carry, the more I can immerse myself in the experience of travel rather than managing my possessions.
As Colin Wright famously said, “It’s no longer about how much you own, but how much you enjoy what you do own.”
Your One-Bag Journey Starts Here
If you’re intrigued but intimidated by one-bag travel, start small:
- Try a weekend trip with just a backpack or small duffel
- Each trip, pack less than your previous journey
- Make notes about what you actually used versus what sat untouched
- Invest gradually in versatile, quality items that serve multiple purposes
The most common feedback I get from readers who’ve embraced one-bag travel is: “I can’t believe how much stuff I used to bring that I never actually needed.”
You might not achieve the Instagram-worthy minimalism of travelers who summit Kilimanjaro with nothing but a fanny pack. That’s fine. The goal isn’t deprivation—it’s intentionality. Pack deliberately, not defensively.
Your shoulders will thank you. Your travel experience will be richer. And you’ll never again be that person frantically repacking an overflowing suitcase on the hotel floor at checkout time.
Trust me, I’ve been there. The view from the other side is much better.
Have you tried one-bag travel? Share your experiences in the comments below!
FAQs About One-Bag Travel
What size bag is best for one-bag travel?
Most one-bag travelers aim for something between 30-45 liters, with 40L being the sweet spot for many. This typically meets carry-on requirements for most airlines while providing enough space for 1-2 weeks of travel.
How many days can you travel with just one bag?
With proper planning and occasional laundry, you can travel indefinitely with one bag. I’ve done trips ranging from weekend getaways to three-month journeys using the same 40L backpack.
What should I do about liquids for one-bag travel?
Focus on solid alternatives (shampoo bars, solid deodorant), decant necessary liquids into small containers, and remember that most toiletries can be purchased at your destination if needed.
How do I deal with dirty clothes when traveling with one bag?
Use a dedicated packing cube or lightweight bag for dirty clothes, and plan to do laundry every 4-5 days, either in a sink or at a laundromat.
What are the best shoes for one-bag travel?
The ideal is one pair of comfortable walking shoes versatile enough for most activities, plus one alternate option (sandals, dress shoes, or hiking boots) depending on your destination.
How do you pack for different seasons with just one bag?
Layer strategically, rely on versatile items like merino wool, and remember that you can always wear your bulkiest items during transit to save space in your bag.
Is one-bag travel suitable for business trips?
Absolutely! Choose wrinkle-resistant, multi-purpose business attire and invest in quality pieces that can be styled multiple ways.
What’s the best way to organize a one-bag setup?
Most one-bag travelers swear by packing cubes to compartmentalize their belongings. Organize by category (clothing, tech, toiletries) or by frequency of use.
How do you deal with souvenirs when traveling with just one bag?
Plan ahead by leaving some extra space, carry a packable tote or duffel as a backup, or ship items home if you find must-have souvenirs.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when trying one-bag travel?
Packing for imaginary scenarios instead of realistic needs. Most new one-baggers pack too many “just in case” items that never get used.
Essential One-Bag Travel Products
Bags & Organization
- Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L – Peak Design – Exceptional organization with multiple access points and thoughtful details.
- Osprey Farpoint/Fairview 40 – REI – The gold standard for comfortable carry with substantial loads.
- Eagle Creek Specter Packing Cubes – Eagle Creek – Ultralight organization that won’t add unnecessary weight.
- Matador FlatPak Toiletry Bottle – Matador – Leakproof, ultralight alternative to bulky toiletry bottles.
Clothing & Footwear
- Unbound Merino T-shirts – Unbound Merino – Odor-resistant, quick-drying, and comfortable for multiple wears.
- Bluffworks Departure Jeans – Bluffworks – Look like regular jeans but with technical properties perfect for travel.
- Allbirds Wool Runners – Allbirds – Comfortable, versatile, and machine-washable shoes.
- Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket – Patagonia – Incredible warmth-to-weight ratio and packs into its own pocket.
Toiletries & Personal Care
- Ethique Solid Shampoo & Conditioner – Ethique – Eliminate liquid hassles with these long-lasting solid alternatives.
- Matador FlatPak Soap Bar Case – Matador – Keeps solid toiletries dry and contained between uses.
- Lush Toothy Tabs – Lush – Solid toothpaste tabs eliminate one more liquid from your 3-1-1 bag.
- Scrubba Wash Bag – Scrubba – Portable washing machine that makes laundry significantly easier.
Tech & Accessories
- Anker PowerCore 10000 – Amazon – Compact battery bank that can recharge your phone multiple times.
- Kindle Paperwhite – Amazon – Weeks of reading material in a device lighter than a single paperback.
- Google Pixel with Google Translate – Google – Camera translation features make navigating foreign languages significantly easier.
- Anker 543 GaNPrime Charger – Anker – Compact multi-port charger replaces multiple power bricks.
Miscellaneous Essentials
- Sea to Summit Traveling Light Eye Shade – Sea to Summit – Lightweight comfort for sleeping on planes, trains, and in bright hotel rooms.
- Vapur Collapsible Water Bottle – Vapur – Rolls up when empty to save space in your bag.
- PackTowl Personal Towel – REI – Quick-drying microfiber towel that takes minimal space.
- Lewis N Clark RFID Neck Wallet – Lewis N Clark – Secure storage for passport and valuables under clothing.
