If you travel frequently, then you might already understand how much of a burden that baggage can be. By slimming down your baggage to just a single backpack, you’ll avoid the hassle of baggage reclaim, and having to drag a wheeled case through a historic, cobbled city center. It’s a degree of freedom that’s surely worthwhile – but making it work often means following a few important principles.
Choosing multi-purpose fabrics
If you’re using just one bag, then you’ll need to wear unfussy clothes that can be packed tightly, without picking up bad smells and wrinkles. If you can pack clothing that matches a range of occasions, then you’ll have even greater scope for downsizing. If you wear your heaviest layers while you’re traveling, then you’ll give yourself a little bit more room.
For the same reason, backpack travel is a good match for summer breaks. It’s easier to stuff a bag with shorts and t-shirts than it is to do so with coats and woolly hats.
Make the most of weightless essentials
Sometimes, you don’t need to carry a given item, because there’s a lightweight digital alternative available. If you’re thinking of packing a heavy book, or a map, then you might think about downloading a digital alternative, instead.
You’ll want to keep your data secure, naturally – but this can be done with the help of the right software. A free free VPN for iPhone will keep your data safe, even when you’re connecting via a public Wi-Fi network.
Organizing with compression cubes
Folding your items loosely will often lead to them getting squashed into the bottom of your bag. Instead, break the interior of your bag into separate compartments, with the help of compression cubes. That way, when you need to retrieve something in particular, you won’t need to spend time unpacking and repacking the entire bag.
Switching to solid toiletries
Liquid toiletries can hold you up when you’re boarding an airplane. You’ll be limited to 100ml containers that fit within a quart-sized resealable bag. While it’s possible to find these and fill them yourself, it’s slightly inconvenient to do it every time you travel.
What’s worse, there’s always a likelihood that your shampoo will leak all over your stuff, when you lean against something in the wrong way. This can be bad news for your clothes – and disastrous for any sensitive electronics that might be stashed within the bag.
There’s an easy, obvious solution: solid toiletries. A bar of soap, or shampoo, is not likely to ruin your trip in quite the same way as the liquid alternatives. If you don’t want to constantly restock your toiletries as you travel, this might be the best approach.
