The advantages of packing light aren't always obvious[1] until you experience them, so you can pretty much tell someone's level of travel experience by how small their luggage is. I've yet to meet someone who packs more and more stuff based on past experience.
As the article mentions, good fabrics (like merino wool) can go a long way.
(1) Reliability and flexibility being foremost. Not having to worry about lost luggage. Itinerary changes are much easier when all your stuff is with you and can fit on your lap or under your seat. Then comes the comfort and speed. Being able to take the stairs or not blinking an eye at walking an extra half mile go a long way towards making travel enjoyable.
As someone raised as a light packer, I've come to the opposite conclusion a little: I'd prefer packing "medium" to have a lot of flexibility to be dressed well for whatever may come up. A small half-full duffel bag isn't that much better than a full one, so if I'm on a short trip I've found that I'll often appreciate having the extra options.
That being said, I literally do not own a roller bag, and am quite happy taking the stairs.
I've been going lighter and lighter and am down to a backpack that I carry (mostly just meds and electronics) and a small suitcase that I could carry-on, but I usually check. But my spouse packs heavier and heavier every year. It's a way to cope with anxiety; you think of everything that can possibly go wrong, and you make sure you have that mitigated with something in your carry-on.
And that's why on our last trip we had 9 pounds of dog food for our service dog, in cold packs, in our carry-on. "But what if there's a problem with the flight, and we lose our luggage, and we can't get to a pet food store for the whole two weeks?"
Spoiler: The cold packs didn't last, the food spoiled, and we had to go to a pet store.
Yep. That's why I tend to overpack, though I've been mostly traveling with a single backpack these days if I'm traveling solo.
I'm trying to convince myself that I can afford to buy many things when I arrive somewhere, including paying for laundry. The biggest annoyance is time - if I have to do laundry on a trip, that means either sitting next to a washer and dryer for a few hours, or findind a wash-and-fold laundromat - which comes with its own set of anxieties.
I have had success with washing wool or technical garments in the sinks of hotel rooms. I don't actually do that very often but knowing that I can helps with the anxiety of running out of clothing.
I've been on both extremes - single carry-on (with no personal item, or a laptop in a bag solely to watch movies on the plane) for a two week vacation, and checked bag for a 3-day work trip. It depends entirely on context. Purpose of the trip, length of the trip, optionality with extending the trip, how locked in your itinerary is, all can play a role in whether it makes sense to pack a little, pack a lot, and whether you expect to use everything.
I took a checked bag on my last < 1 week work trip and didn't use 2/3 of what I brought but I'd bring the exact same bag if I had to because you never know what might come up.
That's just relative, no? Surely people with children pack more, but the concept is the same - you pack a lot the first time you travel with them, and then narrow it down the more you travel with them.
For me, it was having children that really forced me to learn to travel light. We lived in Chicago and going to the airport meant walking to the transit stop to get to the airport, so I needed a way to carry luggage (I did so on my back) for a mile while also being able to push a stroller.
I’ve done lightweight backpacking in the past and usually check in luggage now. I’ve come to the conclusion that for how I usually travel these days - long amounts of time in single places, not trying to cram in many destinations in a single trip - there isn’t a major benefit to keeping it light. Usually I’ll just keep one change of clothes in a small backpack and check everything else. So I don’t need to carry anything until I reach the destination and have a backup in case of delays etc. Unless you’re traveling to the absolute middle of nowhere, if your bag gets lost you can get compensated for that, and buy whatever you need at your destination. Then on arrival I take a cab to wherever I’m staying, where I just have to roll the roller suitcase from the baggage claim to the cab (like 5 minutes of flat walking with ample elevators etc). Make sure that wherever I reserve isn’t up 10 flights of stairs (it usually isn’t a problem). Then that bag will just sit for the entire time I’m on vacation. Finally repeat in reverse.
I find the benefits of lightweight backpacking type optimization overblown for my travel style. Maybe it’s important if you’re speed running 20 destinations in a single trip or are incredibly unlucky with checked bags getting lost, but especially with kids now I just don’t really see much benefit.
Unless I have to travel to a destination with a drastically different weather or I have to stay longer than ten days, it usually takes me no more than 15 to 20 minutes to get packed.
With my undiagnosed ADHD I usually start an hour or two before my airport cab.
My problem is not what to pack or that I pack too many things but to actually begin the process of packing.
I used to struggle to even start packing and solved it for me by creating a default packing list in google keep. So I now just need to mindlessly retrieve passport, ticket, cards, 3x socks, 3x shirt, etc. and check them off the list.
Only takes 15 minutes now and not a single braincell or any willpower need to be involved. And who doesn't love checking items off a list.
> I had my worst-ever packing experience in the late nineties, when I was a teen-ager.
Is hyphenating a word like teenager a New Yorker idiosyncracy? Or is that a "soft" hyphen that crept into the final article copy?
On the topic of packing, my advice is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. Rolling avoids wrinkles and allows more space-filling options. That plus the general advice of packing just a few universally-appropriate items. If you really need something else you can always buy it locally and then discard it (or something else) when you pack for the return trip.
It's a New Yorker style manual thing, just like diaresis on reëducate for example [1]. I think it's sensible in this specific instance (and others like it generally) because it allows the user to disambiguate [I had my worst] [ever packing experience] from [I had my worst ever] [packing experience]. I'm not sure what other punctuation or style you'd use there to clarify that, besides letting the user figure it out from obvious context.
The New Yorker has a variety of these kinds of somewhat-archaic patterns, and I actually really like them because a) I think it gives a bit more literary feel, like the MIT Tech Review that also uses them, and b) it makes the text accessible to a broader audience, people who might speak english as a second or fourth language and not natuarally scan that phrase without punctuation.
Even better than rolling is a suit fold. I inherited one, and only got around to using it years later when I needed to fly in to a buddy's wedding with a suit. Ever since, it's my go-to piece of luggage. It's small enough to fit in a seat well in a pinch, it's light and portable enough to sling over your shoulder for a multi-leg public transit journey, and your clothes don't need any ironing to look immaculate when you get to your destination.
I am usually only traveling with a carry-on and I use something called "ranger rolls".
Roll them as densely as you can get them. try not to leave them that way outside of immediate travel. I like it precisely of your space filling comment. I can fit clothes into what was ordinarily dead space with any other method in any other bag or suit case.
I usually travel with one 19-22L bag (the same one Tynan, mentioned in the article uses… or used a decade ago). I ran across one of his videos when looking for a bag, and everyone was recommending the same Tom Bihn bag at the time.
I found traveling light requires understanding and accepting 2 things:
1. You will do laundry while on vacation, how much you pack determines how often laundry is done.
2. Unless going to an uninhabited area, people live their whole life where you’re going. If you forget something, you can probably buy it at the destination. I almost always buy toiletries locally to avoid dealing with liquids and TSA. I’ve bought stuff a couple times, but it’s rare. I find that with 19L, I still over pack and have stuff I bring and don’t use.
On an overnight trip, I only brought a plastic shopping bag with me. We were going by bus and would arrive late in the evening. The next day we’d be out and about all day, before meeting up at the bus in the evening to head home. I knew I didn’t want to be saddled with luggage, so I wore cloths that were on the verge of being thrown out, and brought a change of clothes and a phone charger in the grocery bag. The next day, the other people on the trip who brought multiple bags, laptops, coolers, etc for 1 night, were stuck sitting in one place watching their bags. I was able to roam free like a local. No regrets.
Being able to pick light and travel with minimal belongings is a great skill to have. But on the other hand, if your itinerary looks like home -> car -> plane -> car -> hotel, then you can pretty much go nuts bringing big checked suitcases with as much junk as you think you might need. Just keep the essentials in a carry-on in case the airline loses a bag.
I really don't understand what people are putting in the 2-3 large suitcases I see them struggling to shove in overhead. For one, rolling luggage is usually a mistake for anyone who's not flight crew.
I bring a week's worth of thin clothes that layer. If I need more, I'm either washing by hand or using a service. Basic toiletries, an e-reader, phone, keys, charger bricks, a notebook/pens, daypack. It fits into an underseat backpack with room to spare.
This has scaled fine all the way up to multi-month scientific expeditions in remote locations. Sometimes I need to accommodate specialized equipment like formal clothes/shoes, camera bodies/lenses, excavation equipment, tent, water purification, sleeping pad/bag, etc, but that's solved through the magic of bringing a slightly larger bag.
>For one, rolling luggage is usually a mistake for anyone who's not flight crew.
Rolling luggage is amazing, especially that that goes into the overhead compartment.
"I bring a week's worth of thin clothes that layer. If I need more, I'm either washing by hand or using a service. Basic toiletries, an e-reader, phone, keys, charger bricks, a notebook/pens, daypack. It fits into an underseat backpack with room to spare."
That's if you don't need to take more or heavier clothes, formal clothes, an extra pair of shoes, if you're packing gifts, or extra gear taken space elsewhere (e.g. camera and lenses in your backpack), and not taking stuff like souvenirs and such back.
>This has scaled fine all the way up to multi-month scientific expeditions in remote locations.
If you slob it like a 19 year old backpacker, sure.
> If you slob it like a 19 year old backpacker, sure.
Had an interesting trip when I was 55. First 7 days: my niece's wedding, a cross-country + transatlantic trip away, with lots of occasions (or need, if you were so minded) for good looking semi-formal wear. Next 20 days: backpacking (like a 19 year old) for 280 miles across the Scottish Highlands.
I'm not sure what you're considering "heavier" clothes, but my layers work just fine to about -20C. It was a bit chilly the times it was <-40C, but I don't think that's what you meant?
The comment covered special gear, so not really sure what you want me to add there. I use a slightly larger bag that fits in overhead.
>I'm not sure what you're considering "heavier" clothes, but my layers work just fine to about -20C. It was a bit chilly the times it was <-40C, but I don't think that's what you meant?
What I mean is that even for 0C, I'd take a heavy padded jacket which would fill 1/2 to 2/3 of the backpack by itself.
I wouldn't be letting it "a bit chilly" with mere layers in -20oC.
I don’t do the whole minimalist packing thing but my super warm down jacket from montbell fits in a tiny stuff sack and I often wear that inside of other not so warm layers to stay comfy in the winter, so it probably depends on what you’re using for warmth.
Most of that volume is air, and I use vacuum bags for storage/laundry organization. My jackets only take up the volume of a few t-shirts en route. Sweaters are more difficult, because I don't want to put handknit fabric into a vacuum bag, so the times I've needed to travel with those I wear them onto the plane as normal clothing, or slung over an arm.
I've had this conversation a lot with my wife, as we have divergent philosophies.
I'm an old Peace Corps hippie that then road warriored for a few years where I would do a 4 day work trip and limit myself to a bag I could fit under the seat on a plane. You have to be ruthless, rewear stuff that will be fine for multiple days, etc. You also learn what is non-negotiable to bring.
My wife is a planner, so she builds for redundancies and tries to pack for every scenario. She targets to fill a roller bag and the biggest personal item tote she has. But I will also admit there's much more social pressure on women than men in terms of what makes up an outfit.
> For one, rolling luggage is usually a mistake for anyone who's not flight crew.
I used to travel with just a soft carry-on bag that converted into a backpack. It was great to just pick it up and go, and not have to worry about constantly extending and retracting the handle or bracing the bag so it wouldn't roll away on a hill.
But around the age of 50, my back informed me in no uncertain terms that those days were behind me. Now I let the wheels on my luggage carry the weight.
No major commercial airline allows a passenger to put 3 large suitcases in the overhead bins: it's one carry-on bag in the bin plus a small personal item. If I'm going scuba diving, especially technical diving in a cold environment, then I need to fill my carry-on and personal item with the expensive or fragile dive gear plus check two large bags for the bulky dive gear plus whatever else I need for the trip.
The description is a bit exaggerated, but I regularly see families with a large overhead suitcase + personal bag + secondary bag per person waiting at the carousel. I don't think many of them are diving in the places I go to, but who knows.
You misinterpreted what you saw. I fly a lot and most airline gate agents are quite strict about enforcing carry-on bag limits. They frequently pull passengers out of the boarding line and force them to gate check extra carry-on bags. The only common exception is for medical equipment needed during the flight.
Recently I visited my parents and had to pack cycling gear, backpacking gear, wedding suit, on top of my daily clothes. I had two pairs of shoes in my luggage which alone takes up like a quarter of a carry-on. I filled a carry-on and a big checked luggage. For a week trip without significant activities it would just be a light carry-on.
Also small rolling luggage is fine if you’ve got status with the airline. If you board in group 2 you will never be forced to gate check your bag. Just make sure it fits in the smaller RJ overheads and you’re good to go.
Rolling luggage has exactly zero disadvantages? You dont have to roll it if you dont want to, but rolling if frequently easier. I have seen people walk 2-3km from hotel to the station with rolling luggage, no issue or effort needed. It would be harder if they had to actually carry it.
Used to travel for work 3 weeks a month and worked with a group of folks who took pride in traveling light. I learned to never pack for more than 6 days. After 5 days either do the laundry or use the hotel laundry service.
Hotel laundry service tends to be quite expensive, but many hotels have a coin-op (or maybe an app these days) laundry room where you can do your own. That's very handy for underwear, socks, and casual items.
And some people for whatever reason think that everything you wear once needs to be washed before you can wear it again. Break out of that mindset. You can usually wear pants and shirts several times if they aren't sweaty and don't have food spills or something like that. Hang them up or fold them at night, maybe touch up with an iron if they are wrinkled.
Coin op washing machines are a pain if you travel internationally because no one can give you enough change. And you never no if the damned thing is actually working until you show up.
TikTok keeps pushing me those person item hack jackets with tons of pockets where you can stuff clothes, one of them even folds up into a bag with handle, seems not entirely stupid idea, for cooler weathers, but I've never seen it in the wild.
From personal experience when I was younger: Spending a month traveling on European trains with a backpack will teach you a whole lot about what you actually need to pack, and what you will want to just leave behind and purchase again locally if you really turn out to need a given item.
For me, the starting point that makes a lot of it way easier is to focus on layering. Anyone who lives in the Bay Area will instantly understand it: you don't build outfits for different weather, you build outfits for all weather that just depend on how many layers you've got on. For example, no cold-weather coats: instead you pack a feather-light and very foldable rain shell, layer it over thin sweaters for cold weather (multiple, if it's cold enough), and wear it directly over a light outfit for warm rainy weather.
The heaviness of your layering will depend directly upon the environment you will be in. The above is adequate for most temperate climates.
If you plan on being at higher elevations during local fall/winter/spring, your base layer will likely be light (and moisture wicking, please do this), and your first layer will likely need to start heavier than a temperate climate base layer.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in the North Central US during those seasons, the layering strategy is appropriate, but the heavier outer layers are non-negotiable, especially as the average temperature drops below 15F.
That's true, but doesn't really negate the principle... the set of layers is just different. If you're heading to that high elevation where it's mostly cold, you probably don't need to bring shorts on the off chance it's 85F one afternoon - you just wear your lightest pants that day.
The other things I've found is it's pretty darn easy to wash a few items in the sink while traveling. A 14 day trips doesn't require 14 pairs of socks - 4-5 is plenty, just wash them. Etc. Most people massively overpack. I'm always amazed at the number of people lugging around full size rollers at the train station.
I tried layering when I traveled somewhere cold, where the high was just above freezing. I felt foolish whenever I went indoors and had to peel off three or four layers in order to feel comfortable.
The next time I went, I brought a proper winter jacket. When I was indoors, I took off my jacket. It was simpler and more comfortable, both outdoors and indoors. You cannot replicate a winter jacket with a rain shell and a bunch of layers.
The Bay Area has a lot of microclimates but none of them are really cold nor hot or humid.
I live in the Bay Area and I don't understand that. Layering is a stupid hassle. I'll put on one jacket of appropriate thickness when I go outside and take it off when I come inside. Simple.
In late 1970s, I spent two months hitching and riding trains around Europe, just an external frame backpack and a sleeping bag. A few years ago, I spent 2.5 weeks in U.K. and Ireland, with an 18-liter backpack and a waist bag (a.k.a. fanny pack ), which made getting around a breeze especially at airports and on trains. It even allowed me to carry a notebook computer. As mentioned in TFA, merino wool and no cotton garments helps. The rain was a minor inconvenience, but I did have lodging where I could get things rinsed and dried out in my room. I did buy an umbrella but should have splurged on better quality, even if I would end up abandoning it.
Best packing advice I ever received: take half as many clothes, and twice as much money, as you think you'll need.
There are certainly circumstances where you need really warm clothes. And hiking (and requirements for dress clothing) complicate thingx as well. But if I'm visiting cities and towns in not surefrigid weather, I can generally handle carry-on with some washing out in sinks and so forth with the right low maintenance clothing.
If it's surprisingly raining you would not bring umbrella anyway and left it in tour accommodation (but you can make simple cheap rain jacket from big plastic bag or trash bag, just tear holes for your neck and arms), so packing things you won't most likely need is useful only for the way to/from airport, while you are at destination there is not much use in things left in the room when the weather suddenly changes or suddenly you need to replace something broken kilometres away from accommodation.
I was hiking through the Malaysian jungle (Tanah Rata, jungle trail maybe 9/9A) in flip-flops (pretty standard in SEA also for hiking in mountains) and one of my flipflop broke, guess how helpful would be knowing I have spare shoes in my accommodation? Tried to fix it will some local plants - didn't work, so had to finish hike slowly until reaching at least unpaved road (ofc it broke in the most overgrown part, maybe made wrong turn), later paved road where I could walk barefoot and hitchhike back to town where I stayed to buy new flipflops (btw. my long-term advice, don't ever buy flipflops for outdoors, they always break (at the worst moment), slides (slippers, whatever you call them) are much more reliable).
"If it's surprisingly raining you would not bring umbrella anyway"
Me I wouldn't, I have a small and lightweight rain cover that fits allmost everywhere.
"I was hiking through the Malaysian jungle (Tanah Rata, jungle trail maybe 9/9A) in flip-flops"
And I love to travle light and being barefeet, but I really would not recommend hiking in Flip Flops. I like protecting my feet from leeches and more importantly snakes, scorpions, spiders, thorny bushes and small holes where you can hurt your angles.
> I like protecting my feet from leeches and more importantly snakes, scorpions, spiders, thorny bushes and small holes where you can hurt your angles.
depends where you are and where you go, no such thing in cameron highlands trails, it is quite high and cold, I've met with leeches only in Thai jungle (while on trail), same with scorpions only on some small Thai island unpaved road, most of the time I try to follow some trails if I won't get lost, there are various kinds of jungle, the most dangerous thing I've met on some trail was probably some pretty big monitor lizard
But you will have a much better idea what to buy, when you have first-hand experience with the weather and are surrounded by locals who are adequately prepared.
For me, colder weather doesn't necessarily dictate warmer clothing, it dictates a faster pace or more inside activities.
Another thing is getting used to and being comfortable with being cold and hot. Enjoying time in saunas and cold plunges made me pack even lighter than I already did.
You've got to be kidding. I'm not going to waste time on a trip washing laundry by hand. Just pack another bag, and if you're staying longer then pick a hotel with coin-op washer / dryer machines available for guest use.
I passed through stages of owning no vehicle, then homelessness, then losing all my possessions, then had my own place again, and for the past 23 years, amassing personal belongings again, without owning a vehicle. I've walked around with nothing to my name but what's in my backpack. In those times, I was strict about not becoming a "bag lady" type, no pushing a shopping cart, and no stashing of my stuff: if it didn't fit into the one backpack, something had to go.
A seminal film for me was Up in the Air with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick. George Clooney plays a nomadic executive who doesn't ever stay home. He visually demonstrates how he packs and how he never uses carry-ons. I took that advice, and I was flying Southwest Airlines.
I routinely went back-and-forth on 90-minute flights; having no checked baggage was a good strategy for streamlining, and cost-saving. Visiting my parents, I could keep clothes and stuff at their place, and there it was waiting for me when I arrived. Don't forget to bring an empty bag for souvenirs! Don't forget the shoes you'll need!
I've built a collection of luggage, and recently used it all, when I went on "Staycation". It was weird, because I only planned for a one-night stay, and I could literally go across town and pick up anything I wanted from home, and I only brought 1.5 changes of clothes. But I filled up about four bags. I packed under time pressure, but I hadn't forgotten anything; in the end, I did not go home to pick anything up, yet I stayed for three days and two nights.
We recently traveled to Italy, and after purposefully packing light ("just a carryon"), of our 8 gate-checked carry-on bags, we received 2 on day 7 and the rest on day 8.
It was revealing to see how much our agonizing "should I take this or not" decisions just did not matter, because we didn't have them anyway. Receiving our bags after the week was somewhat overwhelming - look at all this stuff!
In the future, we will bring less (but maybe not quite "travel with a passport and a credit card"), but we will make sure that our bags-that-stay-with-us contain at least needed medications and next-day necessities.
And if given a choice, we'd all much rather we make it to the destination without our bags than the other way around!
Travelled southeast asia + China for one year with small maybe <20L backpack (and I could fit there even quite thick hooded sweater for cold weather and huge lonely planet guide back in those days, now with smartphone/laptop everything would be much easier).
The basic simple rule usually is - the packing for 3 months or even whole year is no different from packing for 1 week, if there is stable climate. How often do you need things you won't use within 1-2 weeks? Pretty much never, if it's not something you use all the time within one week then it's most likely not needed.
The lighter your baggage is the more mobile you are, you can go easier further to have more accommodation options, more transportation options, good luck carring your suitcase on unpaved road, mountain, forest or just broken sidewalks or high curbs every 10 meters.
Now I travel with my family each summer for beach vacation in Europe, we still pack each person only one small backpack - after all what you need for hot weather in Europe for ~10 days? Bunch of t-shirts (let's say 1 per 2-3 days of vacation, you can rotate them), shorts/dress (if girl), underwear, swimsuit, sandals, flipflops (wear sneakers into plane, they take the most space) and just in case of bad weather light jacket and one long pants, kids are even able to put there plush toy, book, some drawing tools. This summer we just bought sun umbrella for like 8EUR which paid itself in one day compared to renting sun umbrella/berth, though we were unsucessful in selling it, so it was not for free, but we didn't need to lug it with large suitcase as some people. When the kids were small (unable to carry their own backpacks) I could pack all 3 of us into one 50L backpack with wife having her own 24L backpack.
I don't really understand travelling for summer vacation with large suitcase, what are people packing there, are the moving or what? I am always astounded when kids are going to school trip for FOUR nights, they leave Monday morning and Friday noon they are back, yet parents pack these kids large more than 50cm tall suitcases full of things, my kids with one 24L rolltop backpack (rolled down) and smaller (half empty) 15-20L daypack are always kids with smallest baggage, yet they are not missing anything, now I started to pack even towel and 50ml shampoo/shower gel since they have some crappy accommodations not providing it.
There are record 35-40C temperatures in Europe this summer, yet now when they went to camp for one week I saw again all the kids with large suitcases for hot weather, what the heck are ALL these parents packing. Out of 60 kids there was literally ONE other kid which had like 50-60L large backpack, everyone else medium/big suitcases and their accommodation provides shelves to store your things, so they don't need to live out of suitcase which is the only benefit of suitcase over backpack (though there are duffel bags you can wear as backpack).
https://archive.is/27YEq
The advantages of packing light aren't always obvious[1] until you experience them, so you can pretty much tell someone's level of travel experience by how small their luggage is. I've yet to meet someone who packs more and more stuff based on past experience.
As the article mentions, good fabrics (like merino wool) can go a long way.
(1) Reliability and flexibility being foremost. Not having to worry about lost luggage. Itinerary changes are much easier when all your stuff is with you and can fit on your lap or under your seat. Then comes the comfort and speed. Being able to take the stairs or not blinking an eye at walking an extra half mile go a long way towards making travel enjoyable.
As someone raised as a light packer, I've come to the opposite conclusion a little: I'd prefer packing "medium" to have a lot of flexibility to be dressed well for whatever may come up. A small half-full duffel bag isn't that much better than a full one, so if I'm on a short trip I've found that I'll often appreciate having the extra options.
That being said, I literally do not own a roller bag, and am quite happy taking the stairs.
I've been going lighter and lighter and am down to a backpack that I carry (mostly just meds and electronics) and a small suitcase that I could carry-on, but I usually check. But my spouse packs heavier and heavier every year. It's a way to cope with anxiety; you think of everything that can possibly go wrong, and you make sure you have that mitigated with something in your carry-on.
And that's why on our last trip we had 9 pounds of dog food for our service dog, in cold packs, in our carry-on. "But what if there's a problem with the flight, and we lose our luggage, and we can't get to a pet food store for the whole two weeks?"
Spoiler: The cold packs didn't last, the food spoiled, and we had to go to a pet store.
> It's a way to cope with anxiety
Yep. That's why I tend to overpack, though I've been mostly traveling with a single backpack these days if I'm traveling solo.
I'm trying to convince myself that I can afford to buy many things when I arrive somewhere, including paying for laundry. The biggest annoyance is time - if I have to do laundry on a trip, that means either sitting next to a washer and dryer for a few hours, or findind a wash-and-fold laundromat - which comes with its own set of anxieties.
I have had success with washing wool or technical garments in the sinks of hotel rooms. I don't actually do that very often but knowing that I can helps with the anxiety of running out of clothing.
I've been on both extremes - single carry-on (with no personal item, or a laptop in a bag solely to watch movies on the plane) for a two week vacation, and checked bag for a 3-day work trip. It depends entirely on context. Purpose of the trip, length of the trip, optionality with extending the trip, how locked in your itinerary is, all can play a role in whether it makes sense to pack a little, pack a lot, and whether you expect to use everything.
I took a checked bag on my last < 1 week work trip and didn't use 2/3 of what I brought but I'd bring the exact same bag if I had to because you never know what might come up.
For people without children, yes; with children, often, the opposite.
That's just relative, no? Surely people with children pack more, but the concept is the same - you pack a lot the first time you travel with them, and then narrow it down the more you travel with them.
(Said as a parent)
There's a bell curve. Infancy is the left, age 4+ is the right. The swell is toddler age.
For me, it was having children that really forced me to learn to travel light. We lived in Chicago and going to the airport meant walking to the transit stop to get to the airport, so I needed a way to carry luggage (I did so on my back) for a mile while also being able to push a stroller.
Same exact principles apply. You just add the children's stuff, taking care to pack those light too.
I’ve done lightweight backpacking in the past and usually check in luggage now. I’ve come to the conclusion that for how I usually travel these days - long amounts of time in single places, not trying to cram in many destinations in a single trip - there isn’t a major benefit to keeping it light. Usually I’ll just keep one change of clothes in a small backpack and check everything else. So I don’t need to carry anything until I reach the destination and have a backup in case of delays etc. Unless you’re traveling to the absolute middle of nowhere, if your bag gets lost you can get compensated for that, and buy whatever you need at your destination. Then on arrival I take a cab to wherever I’m staying, where I just have to roll the roller suitcase from the baggage claim to the cab (like 5 minutes of flat walking with ample elevators etc). Make sure that wherever I reserve isn’t up 10 flights of stairs (it usually isn’t a problem). Then that bag will just sit for the entire time I’m on vacation. Finally repeat in reverse.
I find the benefits of lightweight backpacking type optimization overblown for my travel style. Maybe it’s important if you’re speed running 20 destinations in a single trip or are incredibly unlucky with checked bags getting lost, but especially with kids now I just don’t really see much benefit.
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Unless I have to travel to a destination with a drastically different weather or I have to stay longer than ten days, it usually takes me no more than 15 to 20 minutes to get packed.
With my undiagnosed ADHD I usually start an hour or two before my airport cab.
My problem is not what to pack or that I pack too many things but to actually begin the process of packing.
I used to struggle to even start packing and solved it for me by creating a default packing list in google keep. So I now just need to mindlessly retrieve passport, ticket, cards, 3x socks, 3x shirt, etc. and check them off the list.
Only takes 15 minutes now and not a single braincell or any willpower need to be involved. And who doesn't love checking items off a list.
Yup, same here, except now I don't have to look at the list anymore. Have ended memorizing it.
I do the same thing, except I have some anxiety around traveling, so I have - no exaggeration - started packing a week before a trip.
Top offenders for giving you minimal bang for the buck are shoes.
Simply having two pairs because say, gym + anything else disproportionately adds large overhead.
I usually get away with one pair. But its not always possible.
> I had my worst-ever packing experience in the late nineties, when I was a teen-ager.
Is hyphenating a word like teenager a New Yorker idiosyncracy? Or is that a "soft" hyphen that crept into the final article copy?
On the topic of packing, my advice is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. Rolling avoids wrinkles and allows more space-filling options. That plus the general advice of packing just a few universally-appropriate items. If you really need something else you can always buy it locally and then discard it (or something else) when you pack for the return trip.
It's a New Yorker style manual thing, just like diaresis on reëducate for example [1]. I think it's sensible in this specific instance (and others like it generally) because it allows the user to disambiguate [I had my worst] [ever packing experience] from [I had my worst ever] [packing experience]. I'm not sure what other punctuation or style you'd use there to clarify that, besides letting the user figure it out from obvious context.
The New Yorker has a variety of these kinds of somewhat-archaic patterns, and I actually really like them because a) I think it gives a bit more literary feel, like the MIT Tech Review that also uses them, and b) it makes the text accessible to a broader audience, people who might speak english as a second or fourth language and not natuarally scan that phrase without punctuation.
[1] https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-curse-of-...
Actually my question was about teen-ager. Haven't seen that hyphenated since before e-mail stopped being hyphenated.
Worst-ever does make sense in that usage.
Yeah it's definitely New Yorker style manual, archaic but imo charming
Even better than rolling is a suit fold. I inherited one, and only got around to using it years later when I needed to fly in to a buddy's wedding with a suit. Ever since, it's my go-to piece of luggage. It's small enough to fit in a seat well in a pinch, it's light and portable enough to sling over your shoulder for a multi-leg public transit journey, and your clothes don't need any ironing to look immaculate when you get to your destination.
I am usually only traveling with a carry-on and I use something called "ranger rolls". Roll them as densely as you can get them. try not to leave them that way outside of immediate travel. I like it precisely of your space filling comment. I can fit clothes into what was ordinarily dead space with any other method in any other bag or suit case.
Teen-ager and some other unusual hyphenations are New Yorker style, yes
I usually travel with one 19-22L bag (the same one Tynan, mentioned in the article uses… or used a decade ago). I ran across one of his videos when looking for a bag, and everyone was recommending the same Tom Bihn bag at the time.
I found traveling light requires understanding and accepting 2 things:
1. You will do laundry while on vacation, how much you pack determines how often laundry is done.
2. Unless going to an uninhabited area, people live their whole life where you’re going. If you forget something, you can probably buy it at the destination. I almost always buy toiletries locally to avoid dealing with liquids and TSA. I’ve bought stuff a couple times, but it’s rare. I find that with 19L, I still over pack and have stuff I bring and don’t use.
On an overnight trip, I only brought a plastic shopping bag with me. We were going by bus and would arrive late in the evening. The next day we’d be out and about all day, before meeting up at the bus in the evening to head home. I knew I didn’t want to be saddled with luggage, so I wore cloths that were on the verge of being thrown out, and brought a change of clothes and a phone charger in the grocery bag. The next day, the other people on the trip who brought multiple bags, laptops, coolers, etc for 1 night, were stuck sitting in one place watching their bags. I was able to roam free like a local. No regrets.
Being able to pick light and travel with minimal belongings is a great skill to have. But on the other hand, if your itinerary looks like home -> car -> plane -> car -> hotel, then you can pretty much go nuts bringing big checked suitcases with as much junk as you think you might need. Just keep the essentials in a carry-on in case the airline loses a bag.
I really don't understand what people are putting in the 2-3 large suitcases I see them struggling to shove in overhead. For one, rolling luggage is usually a mistake for anyone who's not flight crew.
I bring a week's worth of thin clothes that layer. If I need more, I'm either washing by hand or using a service. Basic toiletries, an e-reader, phone, keys, charger bricks, a notebook/pens, daypack. It fits into an underseat backpack with room to spare.
This has scaled fine all the way up to multi-month scientific expeditions in remote locations. Sometimes I need to accommodate specialized equipment like formal clothes/shoes, camera bodies/lenses, excavation equipment, tent, water purification, sleeping pad/bag, etc, but that's solved through the magic of bringing a slightly larger bag.
>For one, rolling luggage is usually a mistake for anyone who's not flight crew.
Rolling luggage is amazing, especially that that goes into the overhead compartment.
"I bring a week's worth of thin clothes that layer. If I need more, I'm either washing by hand or using a service. Basic toiletries, an e-reader, phone, keys, charger bricks, a notebook/pens, daypack. It fits into an underseat backpack with room to spare."
That's if you don't need to take more or heavier clothes, formal clothes, an extra pair of shoes, if you're packing gifts, or extra gear taken space elsewhere (e.g. camera and lenses in your backpack), and not taking stuff like souvenirs and such back.
>This has scaled fine all the way up to multi-month scientific expeditions in remote locations.
If you slob it like a 19 year old backpacker, sure.
> If you slob it like a 19 year old backpacker, sure.
Had an interesting trip when I was 55. First 7 days: my niece's wedding, a cross-country + transatlantic trip away, with lots of occasions (or need, if you were so minded) for good looking semi-formal wear. Next 20 days: backpacking (like a 19 year old) for 280 miles across the Scottish Highlands.
I'm not sure what you're considering "heavier" clothes, but my layers work just fine to about -20C. It was a bit chilly the times it was <-40C, but I don't think that's what you meant?
The comment covered special gear, so not really sure what you want me to add there. I use a slightly larger bag that fits in overhead.
>I'm not sure what you're considering "heavier" clothes, but my layers work just fine to about -20C. It was a bit chilly the times it was <-40C, but I don't think that's what you meant?
What I mean is that even for 0C, I'd take a heavy padded jacket which would fill 1/2 to 2/3 of the backpack by itself.
I wouldn't be letting it "a bit chilly" with mere layers in -20oC.
I don’t do the whole minimalist packing thing but my super warm down jacket from montbell fits in a tiny stuff sack and I often wear that inside of other not so warm layers to stay comfy in the winter, so it probably depends on what you’re using for warmth.
Most of that volume is air, and I use vacuum bags for storage/laundry organization. My jackets only take up the volume of a few t-shirts en route. Sweaters are more difficult, because I don't want to put handknit fabric into a vacuum bag, so the times I've needed to travel with those I wear them onto the plane as normal clothing, or slung over an arm.
Boots for -40 are practically a carry-on item just by themselves.
I've had this conversation a lot with my wife, as we have divergent philosophies.
I'm an old Peace Corps hippie that then road warriored for a few years where I would do a 4 day work trip and limit myself to a bag I could fit under the seat on a plane. You have to be ruthless, rewear stuff that will be fine for multiple days, etc. You also learn what is non-negotiable to bring.
My wife is a planner, so she builds for redundancies and tries to pack for every scenario. She targets to fill a roller bag and the biggest personal item tote she has. But I will also admit there's much more social pressure on women than men in terms of what makes up an outfit.
> For one, rolling luggage is usually a mistake for anyone who's not flight crew.
I used to travel with just a soft carry-on bag that converted into a backpack. It was great to just pick it up and go, and not have to worry about constantly extending and retracting the handle or bracing the bag so it wouldn't roll away on a hill.
But around the age of 50, my back informed me in no uncertain terms that those days were behind me. Now I let the wheels on my luggage carry the weight.
No major commercial airline allows a passenger to put 3 large suitcases in the overhead bins: it's one carry-on bag in the bin plus a small personal item. If I'm going scuba diving, especially technical diving in a cold environment, then I need to fill my carry-on and personal item with the expensive or fragile dive gear plus check two large bags for the bulky dive gear plus whatever else I need for the trip.
The description is a bit exaggerated, but I regularly see families with a large overhead suitcase + personal bag + secondary bag per person waiting at the carousel. I don't think many of them are diving in the places I go to, but who knows.
You misinterpreted what you saw. I fly a lot and most airline gate agents are quite strict about enforcing carry-on bag limits. They frequently pull passengers out of the boarding line and force them to gate check extra carry-on bags. The only common exception is for medical equipment needed during the flight.
You're replying to the same person that thinks they can dress for -40C with some layers that will easily fit in a carry-on.
Recently I visited my parents and had to pack cycling gear, backpacking gear, wedding suit, on top of my daily clothes. I had two pairs of shoes in my luggage which alone takes up like a quarter of a carry-on. I filled a carry-on and a big checked luggage. For a week trip without significant activities it would just be a light carry-on.
Also small rolling luggage is fine if you’ve got status with the airline. If you board in group 2 you will never be forced to gate check your bag. Just make sure it fits in the smaller RJ overheads and you’re good to go.
Rolling luggage has exactly zero disadvantages? You dont have to roll it if you dont want to, but rolling if frequently easier. I have seen people walk 2-3km from hotel to the station with rolling luggage, no issue or effort needed. It would be harder if they had to actually carry it.
Used to travel for work 3 weeks a month and worked with a group of folks who took pride in traveling light. I learned to never pack for more than 6 days. After 5 days either do the laundry or use the hotel laundry service.
Hotel laundry service tends to be quite expensive, but many hotels have a coin-op (or maybe an app these days) laundry room where you can do your own. That's very handy for underwear, socks, and casual items.
And some people for whatever reason think that everything you wear once needs to be washed before you can wear it again. Break out of that mindset. You can usually wear pants and shirts several times if they aren't sweaty and don't have food spills or something like that. Hang them up or fold them at night, maybe touch up with an iron if they are wrinkled.
Coin op washing machines are a pain if you travel internationally because no one can give you enough change. And you never no if the damned thing is actually working until you show up.
Also washing and especially drying is what causes the most wear to your clothes, unless you are performing manual labor in them.
If it's a trip for work, who cares how much it costs.
I've never worked someplace that would reimburse laundry. Or maybe I never tried...
TikTok keeps pushing me those person item hack jackets with tons of pockets where you can stuff clothes, one of them even folds up into a bag with handle, seems not entirely stupid idea, for cooler weathers, but I've never seen it in the wild.
the secret is synthetic skirts, they're smaller than a pair of socks - you can basically pack 20 outfits in a 35L
From personal experience when I was younger: Spending a month traveling on European trains with a backpack will teach you a whole lot about what you actually need to pack, and what you will want to just leave behind and purchase again locally if you really turn out to need a given item.
For me, the starting point that makes a lot of it way easier is to focus on layering. Anyone who lives in the Bay Area will instantly understand it: you don't build outfits for different weather, you build outfits for all weather that just depend on how many layers you've got on. For example, no cold-weather coats: instead you pack a feather-light and very foldable rain shell, layer it over thin sweaters for cold weather (multiple, if it's cold enough), and wear it directly over a light outfit for warm rainy weather.
The heaviness of your layering will depend directly upon the environment you will be in. The above is adequate for most temperate climates.
If you plan on being at higher elevations during local fall/winter/spring, your base layer will likely be light (and moisture wicking, please do this), and your first layer will likely need to start heavier than a temperate climate base layer.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in the North Central US during those seasons, the layering strategy is appropriate, but the heavier outer layers are non-negotiable, especially as the average temperature drops below 15F.
That's true, but doesn't really negate the principle... the set of layers is just different. If you're heading to that high elevation where it's mostly cold, you probably don't need to bring shorts on the off chance it's 85F one afternoon - you just wear your lightest pants that day.
The other things I've found is it's pretty darn easy to wash a few items in the sink while traveling. A 14 day trips doesn't require 14 pairs of socks - 4-5 is plenty, just wash them. Etc. Most people massively overpack. I'm always amazed at the number of people lugging around full size rollers at the train station.
> you probably don't need to bring shorts on the off chance it's 85F one afternoon - you just wear your lightest pants that day.
or even bring pants that can have the lower leg sections removed, so that even if it is 95F one day, you still have some lightweight shorts ...
I tried layering when I traveled somewhere cold, where the high was just above freezing. I felt foolish whenever I went indoors and had to peel off three or four layers in order to feel comfortable.
The next time I went, I brought a proper winter jacket. When I was indoors, I took off my jacket. It was simpler and more comfortable, both outdoors and indoors. You cannot replicate a winter jacket with a rain shell and a bunch of layers.
The Bay Area has a lot of microclimates but none of them are really cold nor hot or humid.
I live in the Bay Area and I don't understand that. Layering is a stupid hassle. I'll put on one jacket of appropriate thickness when I go outside and take it off when I come inside. Simple.
In late 1970s, I spent two months hitching and riding trains around Europe, just an external frame backpack and a sleeping bag. A few years ago, I spent 2.5 weeks in U.K. and Ireland, with an 18-liter backpack and a waist bag (a.k.a. fanny pack ), which made getting around a breeze especially at airports and on trains. It even allowed me to carry a notebook computer. As mentioned in TFA, merino wool and no cotton garments helps. The rain was a minor inconvenience, but I did have lodging where I could get things rinsed and dried out in my room. I did buy an umbrella but should have splurged on better quality, even if I would end up abandoning it.
Best packing advice I ever received: take half as many clothes, and twice as much money, as you think you'll need.
There are certainly circumstances where you need really warm clothes. And hiking (and requirements for dress clothing) complicate thingx as well. But if I'm visiting cities and towns in not surefrigid weather, I can generally handle carry-on with some washing out in sinks and so forth with the right low maintenance clothing.
Pack what you will need, not what you might need. Anything you might need you can just buy.
Unless the shops are closed and it is surprisingly raining now and you did not bring that rain jacket/umbrella.
If it's surprisingly raining you would not bring umbrella anyway and left it in tour accommodation (but you can make simple cheap rain jacket from big plastic bag or trash bag, just tear holes for your neck and arms), so packing things you won't most likely need is useful only for the way to/from airport, while you are at destination there is not much use in things left in the room when the weather suddenly changes or suddenly you need to replace something broken kilometres away from accommodation.
I was hiking through the Malaysian jungle (Tanah Rata, jungle trail maybe 9/9A) in flip-flops (pretty standard in SEA also for hiking in mountains) and one of my flipflop broke, guess how helpful would be knowing I have spare shoes in my accommodation? Tried to fix it will some local plants - didn't work, so had to finish hike slowly until reaching at least unpaved road (ofc it broke in the most overgrown part, maybe made wrong turn), later paved road where I could walk barefoot and hitchhike back to town where I stayed to buy new flipflops (btw. my long-term advice, don't ever buy flipflops for outdoors, they always break (at the worst moment), slides (slippers, whatever you call them) are much more reliable).
"If it's surprisingly raining you would not bring umbrella anyway"
Me I wouldn't, I have a small and lightweight rain cover that fits allmost everywhere.
"I was hiking through the Malaysian jungle (Tanah Rata, jungle trail maybe 9/9A) in flip-flops"
And I love to travle light and being barefeet, but I really would not recommend hiking in Flip Flops. I like protecting my feet from leeches and more importantly snakes, scorpions, spiders, thorny bushes and small holes where you can hurt your angles.
> I like protecting my feet from leeches and more importantly snakes, scorpions, spiders, thorny bushes and small holes where you can hurt your angles.
depends where you are and where you go, no such thing in cameron highlands trails, it is quite high and cold, I've met with leeches only in Thai jungle (while on trail), same with scorpions only on some small Thai island unpaved road, most of the time I try to follow some trails if I won't get lost, there are various kinds of jungle, the most dangerous thing I've met on some trail was probably some pretty big monitor lizard
Buying clothes at your destination doesn't always work out if you're not a standard size -- which may vary dramatically depending where you're going.
Just leave some room in the bag to bring back anything you might buy so you don't have to ship it.
Exactly. Buy local. Support the local economy and blend in.
if you’re visiting major cities and need basic clothing you’re probably shopping at the some of the same name brand outlets or lines
But you will have a much better idea what to buy, when you have first-hand experience with the weather and are surrounded by locals who are adequately prepared.
Depends how remote your destination is.
For me, colder weather doesn't necessarily dictate warmer clothing, it dictates a faster pace or more inside activities.
Another thing is getting used to and being comfortable with being cold and hot. Enjoying time in saunas and cold plunges made me pack even lighter than I already did.
Washing the days clothes as you shower is a game changer. Even Waring them into shower, soaping them while wearing, and rinsing out by hand.
Depends on climate, but if they dry in 2 days, you barely need anything
You've got to be kidding. I'm not going to waste time on a trip washing laundry by hand. Just pack another bag, and if you're staying longer then pick a hotel with coin-op washer / dryer machines available for guest use.
I have a simple list: money, medication, identification, underwear, bathing suit. Everything else you can figure out.
interesting how much overlap onebagging has with ultralight backpacking
I passed through stages of owning no vehicle, then homelessness, then losing all my possessions, then had my own place again, and for the past 23 years, amassing personal belongings again, without owning a vehicle. I've walked around with nothing to my name but what's in my backpack. In those times, I was strict about not becoming a "bag lady" type, no pushing a shopping cart, and no stashing of my stuff: if it didn't fit into the one backpack, something had to go.
A seminal film for me was Up in the Air with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick. George Clooney plays a nomadic executive who doesn't ever stay home. He visually demonstrates how he packs and how he never uses carry-ons. I took that advice, and I was flying Southwest Airlines.
I routinely went back-and-forth on 90-minute flights; having no checked baggage was a good strategy for streamlining, and cost-saving. Visiting my parents, I could keep clothes and stuff at their place, and there it was waiting for me when I arrived. Don't forget to bring an empty bag for souvenirs! Don't forget the shoes you'll need!
I've built a collection of luggage, and recently used it all, when I went on "Staycation". It was weird, because I only planned for a one-night stay, and I could literally go across town and pick up anything I wanted from home, and I only brought 1.5 changes of clothes. But I filled up about four bags. I packed under time pressure, but I hadn't forgotten anything; in the end, I did not go home to pick anything up, yet I stayed for three days and two nights.
We recently traveled to Italy, and after purposefully packing light ("just a carryon"), of our 8 gate-checked carry-on bags, we received 2 on day 7 and the rest on day 8.
It was revealing to see how much our agonizing "should I take this or not" decisions just did not matter, because we didn't have them anyway. Receiving our bags after the week was somewhat overwhelming - look at all this stuff!
In the future, we will bring less (but maybe not quite "travel with a passport and a credit card"), but we will make sure that our bags-that-stay-with-us contain at least needed medications and next-day necessities.
And if given a choice, we'd all much rather we make it to the destination without our bags than the other way around!
How many people were you traveling with that you though eight carry-on bags would fly???
Travelled southeast asia + China for one year with small maybe <20L backpack (and I could fit there even quite thick hooded sweater for cold weather and huge lonely planet guide back in those days, now with smartphone/laptop everything would be much easier).
The basic simple rule usually is - the packing for 3 months or even whole year is no different from packing for 1 week, if there is stable climate. How often do you need things you won't use within 1-2 weeks? Pretty much never, if it's not something you use all the time within one week then it's most likely not needed.
The lighter your baggage is the more mobile you are, you can go easier further to have more accommodation options, more transportation options, good luck carring your suitcase on unpaved road, mountain, forest or just broken sidewalks or high curbs every 10 meters.
Now I travel with my family each summer for beach vacation in Europe, we still pack each person only one small backpack - after all what you need for hot weather in Europe for ~10 days? Bunch of t-shirts (let's say 1 per 2-3 days of vacation, you can rotate them), shorts/dress (if girl), underwear, swimsuit, sandals, flipflops (wear sneakers into plane, they take the most space) and just in case of bad weather light jacket and one long pants, kids are even able to put there plush toy, book, some drawing tools. This summer we just bought sun umbrella for like 8EUR which paid itself in one day compared to renting sun umbrella/berth, though we were unsucessful in selling it, so it was not for free, but we didn't need to lug it with large suitcase as some people. When the kids were small (unable to carry their own backpacks) I could pack all 3 of us into one 50L backpack with wife having her own 24L backpack.
I don't really understand travelling for summer vacation with large suitcase, what are people packing there, are the moving or what? I am always astounded when kids are going to school trip for FOUR nights, they leave Monday morning and Friday noon they are back, yet parents pack these kids large more than 50cm tall suitcases full of things, my kids with one 24L rolltop backpack (rolled down) and smaller (half empty) 15-20L daypack are always kids with smallest baggage, yet they are not missing anything, now I started to pack even towel and 50ml shampoo/shower gel since they have some crappy accommodations not providing it.
There are record 35-40C temperatures in Europe this summer, yet now when they went to camp for one week I saw again all the kids with large suitcases for hot weather, what the heck are ALL these parents packing. Out of 60 kids there was literally ONE other kid which had like 50-60L large backpack, everyone else medium/big suitcases and their accommodation provides shelves to store your things, so they don't need to live out of suitcase which is the only benefit of suitcase over backpack (though there are duffel bags you can wear as backpack).