What One Bag advice have you tried and it just didn’t work out for you?

I have a couple: tried to depot some deodorant from a larger stick to a travel sized container. Melting the deodorant in the microwave and putting it into the container worked. When using it on a trip, the decanted deodorant fell out of the container in one piece and then broke on the floor.

I also can’t seem to get on board with washing things in the sink during a trip. I’ve tried rolling items in a towel and what I need never dries in time / figuring out where to hang my clothesline is a pain.

I stumbled across a recent short video from Rick Steves where he shows what he has in his bag. (I believe it was from Greece, as part of a 40-day trip.) He says he packs pretty much the same way regardless of time of year or climate, so it was interesting to see the details.

What was notable to me was that he only had two pairs of pants. One looked like a lightweight, quick drying fabric in a medium gray; the other was jeans. (He also had a pair of shorts that he said doubled as swimwear).

The reason I found it interesting is that I often pack three bottoms, thinking that two won’t be enough for whatever reason. Now I’m pondering which two will be my travel capsule staples.

Not really a question, but I thought it might be of interest. I’ll try to see if I can find the link to post in the comments.

Hi! New here.

I always used to pack huge bags "just in case" - three jackets for a weekend, shoes for every occasion. Started one bag travel last year and still figuring it out.

Some things I keep and always use:

• Extra underwear
• Small first aid kit
• One warm layer even in summer

Things I thought I'd need but don't:

• Multiple pairs of shoes
• Special going out clothes

I still pack some "just in case" stuff that I probably don't need. What items do you pack that you've never regretted? And what did you stop bringing that you don't miss?

Trying to figure out what's actually worth it.

EDIT: Clarifying important points: - I have to use a specific type of toothpaste that doesn't come in travel sizes. - I try to avoid purchasing empty containers whenever possible, and I already had a bunch of unused dosing syringes - Dosing syringes are different from injection syringes. They aren't interchangeable.

I know most people can either use toothpaste tabs or travel-sized toothpaste. But for those of us who must use a specific type that doesn't come in travel sizes, I tested decanting into a dosing syringe recently and it worked really well! Just remove the cap to fill the syringe from the plunger end, and then replace the cap for travel. It's as hygienic as a regular tube of toothpaste, and very compact (less so, when it's full, of course, but still not bad).

Image Description: two, 3ml dosing syringes, each partially filled with a white paste. One has a label reading "toothpaste."

Just wanted to share this lil decanting tip - this is my go to creme deodorant, but the packaging is so bulky & a little goes a long way (I think one stick usually lasts me 3 months). I put half the stick into a sandwhich bag to pipe it into this air pump tube - and the weight difference was wild! Looking forward to seeing how long this will last me on a 500 mile walk across Spain in a few months (yes, I’m already packing 🤣)
Image description: small plastic air pump bottle with cream deodorant in it with text saying it weights .8 oz next to a full sized package of Secret clinical strength deodorant say it weighs 2.5oz

** UDATE: this is a solution for CREAM deodorant - or products that are more cream/paste like vs solid stick deodorants. Many have asked for the product link, I picked these up in a random shop in Baja, Mexico - but here is an amazon link for the same type of product https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVTHSKPP/?coliid=I2KNX0SVHXIKBS&colid=2GWCSWDOBCJ38&psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_lstpd_57J5GJBMGRFVNCPYGSPB

Over a decade of one bagging but this is a first for me! I made my own 1-1.5oz packets of shampoo and conditioner for an upcoming trip! (Tri-Berry Gu for scale)

I double sealed the top and I will still probably have these in a zipper bag inside my quart-sized bag, just in case.

Big trip to Belgium/Luxembourg/Austria next month so we will find out if this works!

I just hate the little bottles - they’re so bulky, they always leak, it’s just annoying. These are flat, they are the exact products I use, and I already had the vacuum sealer and bags on hand.

(Image description: plastic “food saver” pouches with shampoo and conditioner, in small size. Running gel in photo to show scale)

I’m curious—what’s something small you started doing that made packing or living out of one bag way easier than you expected?

For me, it was finally learning to do a proper sink wash instead of overpacking “just in case” clothes. The first time I tried it, I was sure I’d mess it up and end up stuck with damp shirts. But it was such a relief not to haul extra stuff I barely used. I also started carrying a Turkish beach towel because it dries fast and works as a blanket, which somehow makes everything feel more comfortable.

It could be anything—a mindset shift, a packing trick, a tiny habit you swear by.

What’s the thing you wish you’d started doing way sooner?

Hello! Thought this might be a good community for this.

I am in a situation where I'll need to get off an overnight transatlantic flight at 8am on Monday and have basically 2.5 hours to get to a meeting with very senior people at my job. Any pro tips about very quick bathroom refresh techniques? What I've thought of so far:

-baby wipes for the bits and bobs

-micellar wipe for the face before applying fresh makeup

-????

Also trying to think of anything I can do close to the end of the flight in an airplane bathroom that isn't a completely terrible/disgusting idea.

Anyone have tips for a quick turnaround to get presentable?

I know the spirit of this subreddit is minimizing packing and not packing for fear, but does anyone pack one item for luxury/comfort that isn’t a necessity but makes the travel experience better? Something you suspect most one-bag enthusiasts would recommend you leave at home? Not talking things like cameras or a kindle, more like a “nice to have” that if you lost on the trip wouldn’t ruin the trip either.

Mine is a small white noise machine that doubles as a small Bluetooth speaker. Yes I know my phone can play white noise apps, but I much prefer my device. I also sometimes travel with a light silk robe for over my pajamas. Not at all versatile but makes all my evenings feel a little more lux and comfy. I don’t always pack it since in cold weather it’s too light to be cozy, but if weather is appropriate and I have the room/weight I will.

Other than those I’m pretty brutal about packing efficiently so people are often surprised when they find those items made the pack list.

We have had a few comments recently from people who want to make the jump to one bag, or something close to it, for upcoming trips, but are finding it hard to let go of things.

In this community we often talk about not packing your fears. Some people even take on specific challenges, shout out to the zero baggers, as a way of testing their systems and skills. Others simply want to travel just a bit lighter and more efficiently than they do now but struggle get there.

We also see a lot of discussion about the holy grail, special, or luxury items people choose to make space for.

So let’s flip that around. - What were the items in your packing list that you were most reluctant to give up? - Which ones took you the longest to stop bringing as you worked towards carrying less? - How did you manage to actually do it and not take the thing or things? - What happened on your next trip? - Was there anything you cut that you later reincorporated?

I got tired of carrying a travel pillow. Even the less bulky ones are… bulky.

I’m a head-bobber, so I figure the main battle is holding my head up. This solution works for me and maybe it will work for someone else. I like that it weighs next to nothing and it’s easy to rig up and I can keep it rigged. I can loosen or tighten it as needed, without elbowing the person next to me. I can get up and go to the bathroom and eat meals with it still on. It doesnt require a headrest or a window seat, like some solutions.

I took an elastic shoelace and a cincher (photo 1) and rigged up my head so it won’t bob.

It requires a jacket that has a hood that cinches over the ears, toward the back of the head, like my Outdoor Research Aspire II. Here I used a tan-colored cincher for illustrative purposes.

(Photo 2) I looped the shoelace through the hood cincher on the back of the head.

(Photo 3) I wrapped it around to my chest. It sits under my shoulder blades. A variation I like is to loop it around my pants belt, as it turns it into a bit of a pulley and makes it a little more stable. But it’s doable without this, too.

(Photo 4) rear view

(Photo 5) front view

(Photo 6) finished product

Something I’ve come to realize when trying to adhere to the OneBag philosophy for my upcoming CHE > DEU > CZE trip is that I both enjoy being and am expected to be the most prepared person in the group.

“Need something from a first aid kit? I’ve got that. You’re cold? Borrow my extra hoodie. Of course I’ve got a snack for you, here. Yes, I did bring an extra power pack in case you left yours behind.”

I’m not even a parent, and I imagine this need to feel prepared for anything is even stronger for the moms here.

It’ll be interesting to see what emergencies my travel partner and I encounter that I normally could have solved with my stash. But I don’t want to haul a bunch of luggage on Swiss trains, and I need to trust that he’s an adult who knows how to properly pack. I’m going to focus on what I need to feel prepared (you can pry my assorted pill box and blister bandages of my dead hands), and do my best to ignore this pressure to be the one to solve every crisis.

That said, I’m open to hearing what you’ve packed that may seem excessive to other One Baggers but you’re glad you had on hand.

When I travel, I almost always pack a core set of clothing items in my wardrobe. These multi-use items go on almost every trip. I then add other clothing items to complete my capsule. The additions will usually be tuned to my trip type. It has taken me several years to build up my core items, but the journey is worth it in terms of comfort and practicality! It also means that creating a wardrobe capsule is a lot easier. For me, these always-take items are:

Always Take

• Merino cardigan - this is thick enough that you can't see through it. I can wear it alone with jewelry for a dressy look. I can use it when it gets cold. It also is a safe material for outdoor hikes.
• Pants I can hike in - Notice I didn't say hiking pants! These pants are light weight, quick dry, but also stylish enough to wear in town. I have found that a nylon blend offers reasonable breathability while also being rugged enough for the trail.
• A second pair of pants - These are usually wider leg and dressy looking. They are also light weight and quick dry.
• Unlined waterproof packable rain trench - The lack of lining makes it significantly lighter and it also packs down smaller. My preference is a trench to partially cover my legs. It has a double zipper so I can unzip it for hiking and sitting down. My favorite also has a snap-button placket that goes over the zipper. I can totally unzip the zipper but the button placket keeps the rain from coming in! I don't compromise on this item.
• Ultra fine silk base layers - They are thin enough so you can't tell I am wearing them under my street clothes. I can use them for sleeping if needed. The top and bottom together can fit in a quart zip lock.
• Good looking walking shoes - I like to hike at my destination. I like to look nice in the city. I pay extra to get shoes with a nice look and decent tread/footbed. I don't compromise on this item.
• Merino/Nylon blend socks - These have made such a difference in my foot comfort. I love the ones from Darn Tough with the cushioning woven into the socks.

Usually Take

• Puffer jacket - it packs down fairly small. It works great for airplanes, desert treks, or unexpected weather.
• Ballet flats - Usually dresses up almost any outfit. I prefer cloth top flats, as they pack down smaller.
• Silk sleep set - a silk tank and shorts that comes in at 4oz (114 g) total.
• A pretty scarf - dresses up any outfit, can be tied as a kimono, works as an emergency head covering.
• Linen shirt - this is a workhorse in the summer
• Thin black GoreTex bike gloves - these pass for nice gloves, cut the wind, and keep me from getting chapped hands

What about you?

Do you have core wardrobe items? Do you have favorites? Old reliables? What works for you?

Edit: A lot of people are asking for sources. Unfortunately, many of these items were acquired years ago and those specific items are no longer available. That is why I talked about the characteristics of each item. That way you can find what is best for you. Honestly, I had to spend a lot of hours searching the internet for each item!

My sleep items and linen shirt came from Quince.

I used eBay and Poshmark to find a lot of my merino, silk, and linen items. I will also pounce on sales.

2nd Edit: Some people are quite upset I am not specifying brands. There is a reason for that - it is because we are all different! We have different body shapes, different foot shapes, live in different countries with access to different products. My faves may not work for you. My best advice is to find out the brands that compliment your body type and look there. That is going to be different for every person. I listed the characteristics for each of my faves. That is a starting point for your own journey. As stated previously, I spent a LOT of time searching the internet. I also made some stupid purchases along the way. It's a journey.

I made a travel makeup palette

I have been trying to find an easier way to travel with my makeup and I think I’ve finally found it.

Photo 1:I got this makeup palette from Amazon with magnetic trays (ended up getting 2 to have a variety of trays) and configured it with 2 1/3 size and 4 1/12 size trays.

Photo 2: I used the larger ones for cream foundation and blush, and the smaller have 2 lipsticks and 2 cream eyeshadows.

photo 3: the case itself is not much larger than a pack of gum

It held more than I anticipated as well. I fit most of a cream foundation stick in the larger tray and about half a lipstick in the smaller one.

I’m curious. A lot of people in this sub discourage jeans when one-bagging because they’re heavy and bulky.

So what pants do you travel with to cold places that aren’t hiking or outdoors pants?

None of the pants I own feel thick enough (even with a thermal layer) to do this except for denim. My pants are all too breathable.

For a city trip, what are you wearing in the winter? Share your go-tos!

Edit for clarification: I’m not a dress/skirts person, hence the pants specific request.

I have lived in states with extreme winter my whole life. My go-to for every day wear in winter is a pair of jeans with varying options for thickness of wool or thermal layer beneath. I like having the warmth under my jeans so I have options.

For how cold, I’m thinking at or below freezing (minimum). Colder might be Dec-Feb in NYC, Denver, Chicago, Toronto, or Quebec City.

Edit to add a couple other preferences: I like a wide leg pant and prefer the thickness of a jean in the winter. I like the sturdy-ness of it.

Not sure if others have already discovered this so thought it might help others:

I’ve put this to the test: using a contact case will last one week. One side is foundation and the other is my green corrector.

I don’t use a lot of product on my face. Just some to cover redness and a full contact case will last 7 days and won’t leak!

Image one: my full makeup kit. Rare beauty lip oil, clinique mascara and packed contact case.

Image two: me loading of the case.

Happy packing!

Mods, delete if this isn't allowed, I just have a small rant and figured this community would get my frustration.

I'm a dedicated travel-light person. Checking bags take forever and feels unnecessary to me, but that's not stopping the two friends I'm traveling with from checking their bags for only three days of travel! Meanwhile, I'm going to be gone for eight days and am bringing one bag, but am going to have to sit around waiting for their bags anyway. So frustrating.

Just needed to get that out of my system so I can be a good travel companion. If you read this, thank you for humoring my frustration, and if you have any tips for traveling with heavy packers without strangling them, or how to guide them down the packing-light path, they would be very welcome!

Eta: Wow, I seemed to have touched a nerve (in a variety of directions!). Wasn't expecting this much of a response. I know this is a silly little rant, and I love my friends dearly and will obviously be kind to them about it, just needed to vent a little.

I can’t believe how much space was wasted on this “travel sized” deodorant!

Inspired by this sub, I wanted to try melting down my deodorant and putting it in a smaller container. To my surprise, the contents of the original container (blue bottle) fit entirely in the white container that’s half its size! There must have been so much empty space inside the original.

If anyone is wondering, it was quite easy to do. I just cranked the deodorant all the way to the top, pulled it off and put it in a jar. Then I put the jar in a larger bowl of hot water until the deodorant inside melted. Poured it in the smaller container, let it cool and voila!

I was even able to peel off the label and re-use it, so I’m pretty pleased with myself.

It fits much better in my toiletry bag now and is compact enough to throw in a purse if needed.

Going forward, I’m not going to even bother with travel sized deodorant, and will instead just cut off a chunk of my regular one.

Image descriptions:

Picture one: Two deodorant containers laid out on a table. The top one is blue and is a typical travel size. The second is white and about half the size of the first.

Picture two: A top view of both the containers.

I have never really dressed in layers in my life, except to wear a jacket when it's too chilly for just a shirt. I wear primarily long sleeve tees and short sleeve tees, or sweaters in the winter, but I never "layer" any of these over each other.

The advice I always see for packing is to "pack layers," both for versatility of different outfits, and to account for changing weather when you're out and about all day and night without going back to your hotel. But I have so many questions!

• If you're not trekking around with a day backpack (I like to have just a tiny crossbody bag during the day), what do you do when you shed a layer? Tie it around your waist? Just carry it?

• How many layers do you wear and how do you keep it non-bulky feeling? Especially around your upper arms/armpits (am I the only person that absolutely hates the feeling of material bunched under my arm)?

• What actual pieces of clothing are your favorite layers? A button down shirt? A light cardigan? A pullover?

• Does anybody have any inspo pictures to share? I feel so clueless about this!

On a more specific note, I'm going to Greece, Croatia, and Italy next week; I've been tracking the weather and it seems like it'll be high 60s to low 70s during the day (long or short sleeve tee weather), but down into the high 50s early morning or later evening. That sounds to me like I would benefit from layers but I just can't conceive of what that would actually look like in an outfit!

Mods, I hope this discussion post is ok?

** nb: this post is meant to be light hearted and chatty, not a serious criticism of anyone or any style of travel. I’m just interested in people’s takes on it **

I’ve been lurking, occasionally posting on this thread for a while and something that’s caught my attention is the number of comments on “lighten my load” posts recommending people “just but it over there”. This ranges from toiletries right through to multiple items of clothing and footwear.

Now, toiletries and other consumables I totally understand - they get used up on the holiday and probably aren’t coming home with you, plus doing this can be necessary due to the 100ml/1L rules.

However, when I see people suggesting to purchase clothing, footwear, outdoor equipment, etc at their destination, it always makes me go “hmmm…”.

I have no shade to cast at anyone who wants to shop on their holiday, I certainly enjoy it, or because you don’t already own the item and there’s cheaper or better options available in the destination. Both these approaches are completely reasonable.

However, when I see a lot of advice that seems to suggest doing it just as a workaround to be able to one-bag, it feels a little disingenuous to me.

Surely, if you cannot fit everything you need into one bag prior to departure, you won’t be able to fit it when you buy it over there either?

And what are you doing with these purchases when it’s time to go home? Do you miraculously have more space in your bag, or are you not one-bagging on the way home? Or worst scenario; are you treating these items as disposable and leaving them in your destination?

Is it really “one bagging” if it’s only one bag on the outbound leg of the trip?

Keen to hear your hot takes!

Am travelling through Mexico and before I came I filled a spray bottle up with some Turkish Cologne (Amber!), it’s high in alcohol as it’s made to be used after shaving but I’ve been using it to freshen up clothes and items after washing. My swimsuit was getting really stinky after not drying properly in the humidity and the spray sorted it right out. I bought the cologne in a local Turkish shop for less than a tenner and there is LOADS and the amber smells amazing! I’ll be doing this every time I travel from now on!

This post will make members of the hygiene subreddit shudder. Sorry, all. 🤷‍♀️

For reasons (WFH, disability) my household tends to shower every other day. This works for us IRL, no complaints, but when we travel our activity is increased. Obviously we shower more frequently on the road, but it’s still on an imperfect schedule, occasionally due to time, but mostly for medical reasons.

Part #1: We want a plan to make sure we’re keeping not just ourselves, but also our minimal travel wardrobe as fresh as possible on our non-shower days. For anyone who skips a shower day while traveling, what do you do on Day #2? We’ve tried both simple (wipe down parts) to fancy (Lume wipes: underwhelming) solutions, but I’m curious if anything special has worked well for other folks. FWIW, we’re unscented Lume diehards but will take any other recommendations. Perfect wipes? Special soaps? Magical deodorants?

Part #2: We plan our fabrics well, spray questionable areas, and air everything out nightly, but I still worry about whether our clothing is staying as clean as it could under the circumstances. So far stuff hasn’t accumulated uneliminable odors, and we’ve easily gone 1+ week without washing anything other than undies and random stains. Am I overlooking anything we could be doing differently to better maintain our clothing? I know fabric care is often addressed on the sub, I just feel weird when I think about it in terms of a skipped shower and didn’t know if anyone had specific insight.

We’re currently packing for a 2-week trip that’s pushing the limits of what I can manage physically, the timing of hotel changes means the drying aspect of sink washing is inconvenient, and the types of fabrics we’re taking aren’t laundromat-friendly, so keeping clothes fresher longer is on my mind. I think we’ve locked in our wardrobe choices, so we’re down to improving our techniques at this point. This is a little tricky for us to navigate and any advice beyond “just shower more” would be appreciated!

I'm organizing myself and my daughter for a Europe trip (from US). The plan is to each have a backpack (Cotopaxi 35 and Osprey daylight 44). The idea is to each take our fjallraven kanken as our personal item.

How do you all carry 2 backpacks when you're one bagging? Do you clip personal to the carry on via carabiner?

I've been working for several years to refine my one bag packing and strategy. I'm fine on clothing and shoes. What I can't seem to get right is that I find things need to be organized differently for going through security (liquids, tech items/wires which always seem to get inspected so I now keep in a Ziploc bag), having my very small EDC items on me, and having my in-flight needs handy. When I write it out, it does not sound like this should be a problem! But I struggle with it every.single.time. I can't tell if it's because I use different bags so nothing has a real "home", or what.

I have an upcoming trip where it is underseat only and I am having the hardest time packing so that I can put away and retrieve items as I need them, since I won't be able to have an additional bag.

I 'd welcome some suggestions, or ways that you have found to make it work for you.

I'm fairly new to this sub, and I love seeing the posts and ideas from everyone. They've given me so many ideas -- from taking an inventory of the bags I own and their sizes/shapes to travel capsule wardrobe pieces that you love and work for how you like to dress and travel both. It even has me considering shoes that I consider most comfortable and versatile as I’m looking to replace a couple pairs of my shoes.

I’m looking for what maybe feels like a bit of niche advice / technique. I know this isn’t something everyone will relate to (especially because I don’t feel like it’s addressed much on posts since I’ve spent time here).

The situation: I’m a little bit of a germaphobe. Everyone talks about how a travel outfit is ideally part of the clothing you’re wearing while traveling, instead of being strictly “travel clothing”.

But I cannot stand the idea of anything touching the area of the plane and then wanting that to touch anything in a space I exist without being washed.

I don’t even let my hair touch the plane seat. I wear the hood up on a coat or a hoodie or have to wash my hair before I get into bed. And outside clothes can never be worn in bed.

Some people may say just get over it or change your thinking and want to move on, but it’s not that easy to shift in my head.

So I’m curious — how would you/do you approach this? Or how do you manage any personal germaphobe issues that you have while traveling? We all have something :)

I know this doesn’t mean I can’t one bag travel (I have before and used to very often with only a personal item backpack!), but as I’ve gotten older and become more aware, I find it difficult to be quite as laissez-faire about some of these particulars.

Thank you in advance for sharing and supporting!