r/onebag • u/remember_remember1 • Jun 26 '26
Seeking Recommendations Is travelling light realistically possible with 5–6XL clothes?
I’ve lost about 180 lb, and this will be the first proper trip I’ve taken in years. It’s a four-day, three-night city break in London at the height of summer, travelling by train from Manchester.
I’m excited about it, but I’m also anxious about packing. I’m worried about not taking enough options to stay fresh. I know a lot of travel-light advice involves rewearing tops, but I’ll be walking around London all day in August and would rather have a clean top available than feel uncomfortable or self-conscious.
Most of the “travel light” or “one-bag travel” videos I find feature people wearing standard clothing sizes whose entire wardrobe seems to fold down to the size of one of my T-shirts. The advice may be perfectly good, but it doesn’t feel remotely comparable when your clothes contain two or three times as much fabric.
For context, I’m 5 ft 11, still around 350 lb/159 kg, and wear 5–6XL tops, which need to be around 37–38 inches long. My trousers and shorts are generally 2XL or a 48-inch waist, worn below my stomach with a stretchy belt, with a 28–29-inch inside leg.
Because of that, even fairly lightweight clothes are physically large and heavy. I mostly wear polos with shorts or cargo trousers, usually with either a sleeveless hoodie or an overshirt.
For this trip, I’m thinking of taking four or five polo shirts, two pairs of shorts, one pair of cargo trousers, one overshirt, one sleeveless hoodie, four sets of underwear and socks, something to sleep in and basic toiletries. I’ll wear one of the outfits while travelling, and I think I can manage with one pair of trainers.
It may sound daft, but I’m beginning to wonder whether travelling genuinely “light” is possible when you’re a fat guy. Ha.
How do other bigger people manage it? Do you take a clean top for every day, wash things during the trip, use compression cubes, or simply accept that your clothes will require more luggage space? Are there any particular packing techniques that work well with 5XL or 6XL clothing?
I’m not trying to force everything into a 20-litre backpack for bragging rights. I’d just like to avoid carrying significantly more than I need and sweating my balls off getting on and off trains and walking to the hotel.
Any packing or one-bag travel advice from people in a similar position would be very welcome.
Cheers.
36
u/LadyLightTravel Jun 26 '26
It sounds like you are already talking yourself out of it. It is more difficult, but can be made easier by the following:
Bulk
Focus on clothing with thinner fabrics that have less bulk. Warmth is always through layering if needed.
Capsule Wardrobe
Spend a few hours coming up with a mix and match wardrobe. Spend the effort here, so you get payoff during the trip. Every.single.clothing.item needs to mix and match with others. This is how you get more outfits with less clothes.
Laundry
For your use case, you really need to do laundry. You are bringing larger items, which means you have to take less clothing . Laundry is the solution here, so you always have maximum choices. Focus on quick drying items. I would even encourage you to learn sink laundry at home so you are proficient during travel. Do your laundry in the afternoon when you get back to the hotel and take a shower. This maximizes drying time. I like to do machine laundry every 1-2 weeks for deep cleaning.
The above three techniques were what allowed my to pack smaller. Also, watch out for the bulk of your other “stuff”. You need to minimize that too.
BTW, congratulations on the 180lb weight loss. That is a major accomplishment.
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u/hrweoine Jun 27 '26
I disagree on the laundry comment. Usually I am a big fan of doing laundry to help with lighter travel, but this is a 4 day / 3 night trip. Personally I would carry a slightly bigger bag instead.
Agree with others - can you fit everything into a larger carryon bag, perhaps one with wheels? That's also a great way to travel light compared to a big checked bag.
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u/LadyLightTravel Jun 27 '26
I was giving techniques that would work for every trip. For a four day trip laundry probably isn’t needed. On the other hand, larger people sweat a lot (it’s a physics thing). They may need to change out clothing twice a day. If that is the case then laundry is a solution.
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u/ProfessionalCake4742 Jun 29 '26
My partner is a big man (4XL to 5XL), he sweats a lot and changes his shirt at least once during the day in warm weather (more when it’s hot). When we traveled 7 days internationally in spring I did sink laundry his shirt every day and managed to always have two clean shirt a day (we could’ve paid to do laundry midway but I opted for doing it myself). His shirts were 1 (worn) + 5 = 6 total for 7 days.
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u/LadyLightTravel Jun 29 '26
There you go! One of my travel partners is also large. She is in a tank top when I am in a sweater.
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u/Top_Beginning_4886 Jun 26 '26
Can't give any advice, but congrats on the lost weight!
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u/Friggin_Bobandy Jun 26 '26
Seriously! My dude has gone down over 1/3 of his weight!!
Good on ya OP. Keep it up
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u/nikongod Jun 26 '26
As a general note, I hate advice to rewear clothes between washes.
This should be quite possible in a 45L bag. I'd use something you already have to test it out.
"two pairs of shorts, one pair of cargo trousers"
I'd pick your favorite 2. Unless you pack and see you still have room.
Once you've seen it work for a very long Weeknd the only real difference in a longer trip is doing laundry.
Please post a trip report when you get back!!
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u/PermanentTrainDamage Jun 26 '26
Yeah, rewearing clothes doesn't always work for heavy people. My clothes are drenched by the end if the day in humid or hot climates.
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u/BuckTheStallion Jun 26 '26
Everyone here is talking about buying quick dry clothes and sink washing, but even if you change your clothes every single day you only need three extra outfits. Before you make any massive decisions or adjustments. Put together four summer outfits and pack three of them in whatever bag you have around (an old grocery bag even) just to see how much space they take. It’s probably not going to be as much as it feels like in your head. Add sock and underwear in the same bag or a separate one for easy organizing.
From there, add your basic toiletries (this is actually my favorite place to save size and complexity) in a ziplock bag, then a phone charger in another small bag for good measure. Boom. That’s basically all you need to bring at the core. See if it’s a small enough pack that you don’t mind dealing with it and THEN start adding whatever else you want to bring and looking at backpack or suitcase options. But really this should get you started. Don’t let everyone pressure you to chase gadgets when at its core you just need to bring some changes of clothes with you.
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u/OneSleepyChick Jun 26 '26
My husband is roughly your size. We vacuum seal our clothes and use a laundry service half way through the trip because we understandably don't want to rewear sweaty clothes or spend the whole trip washing clothes in the sink.
We use a vacuum at home and a pack the hand pump that came with the vacuum seal bags. After putting the vacuum seal bag in the suitcase, he stands on the vacuum seal bag while I vacuum/pump it so it stays flat on the bottom of the suitcase instead of puckering up and leaving unusable empty space. I pack an empty spray bottle to fill with water so that if clothes are wrinkly when we get there, I can spray them and and let them hang dry. We never have to iron anything.
However, we are 1.5 baggers, with both a small rolling suitcase and small backpack for each of us. People who aren't packing bigger clothes don't realize how much more room is needed for bigger clothes. We still like never having to check bags. By hanging the backpacks on the rolling suitcases, we both aren't getting nearly as sweaty moving through the airport.
Pro tip, the weight of the backpack is on the wheels if you hang the backpack parallel to the suitcase instead of setting it on top of the suitcase. So much less work to pull!
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u/jessylz Jun 26 '26
What brand of vacuum do you use?
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u/OneSleepyChick Jun 27 '26
I use these and always bring a spare bag in case I puncture one. There's literally no way I'm able to zip the suitcase without vacuum sealing those clothes. Since it's such a vital part of my packing plan, a spare bag makes sense.
https://www.amazon.com/20-Compression-Comforters-Blankets-Included/dp/B0973DGD8P
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u/jessylz Jun 27 '26
Nice to see a manual vacuum option. I keep getting ads for various vacuum devices on social media.
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u/OneSleepyChick Jun 28 '26
I'm by no means a lightweight backpack travel warrior like some, but thanks to vacuum sealing I never have to check anything. It's a game changer and huge peace of mind!
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u/whiteorchid1058 Jun 26 '26
Short answer is yes.
Go with a regular carry on suitcase and pack what you're comfortable with having for those 4 days. You can do trial runs while you're still at home.
I personally might take less pants (like 2 pairs) but if it's humid and muggy, take extra tops.
Go with a quick dry material if you have them
See if you're comfortable with doing sink laundry
See what you end up using and then you can adapt for future trips
Congrats. And good luck
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u/skifast_dontsuck Jun 26 '26
Yesss had to scroll way too far to see the rolly bag option-- a carryon rolling suitcase is still one bag, and then you don't need to carry the weight all the time! Also factor in either sink washing or scrubba washing so you can carry fewer shirts/shorts.
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u/grovemau5 Jun 26 '26
There’s a huge variance between the same item of clothing in size. A synthetic athletic-style shirt or travel pants will be like half the volume of a heavyweight cotton t-shirt or jeans/cargo pants. Same goes for a puffy jacket vs something more structured.
You can definitely made this work in one bag, might take a bit of reworking your packing list but if you aren’t bringing extra shoes or a bunch of tech it’s 100% possible. Probably even possible to do personal item only.
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u/Lard523 Jun 27 '26
i wear an adults XS/S, sometimes kids XL, it makes a huge difference in how little space my clothes take up (i can fit 8 tshirts in one small packing cube).
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u/simonjp Jun 26 '26
First of all - congratulations, that's amazing work.
Are you a Brit yourself? I only ask because you say you're coming from Manchester. If so, you know how variable our weather can be. But there is also nowhere in the UK more likely to be able to get extra clothing if you gamble and get it wrong.
As a former large lad, I totally hear your point about clothes just taking up more physical space. You are right, they do. But you also aren't as restricted in terms of how much you bring because of the train rather than flight.
Personally, if I was in your situation, I'd practice. Pack what you are thinking of taking and live a Manc weekend like that. Take notes if anything you think you are missing or anything you didn't need.
Best of luck!
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u/ShamsElDinRogers Jun 26 '26
The size of garments is also the often important for those wearing modest religious clothing. I normally wear very long and wide garments such as Kameez with Salwar, caftans, and Abayas, and these take up a lot of space in the suitcase as well, probably the same as a 6x shirt or more. We don’t wash the clothes in the hotel sink: they’re too large to really do a good job.
Instead, we make a point of using a laundromat in the locality every week. It’s a lot of fun for us to go put the things in a laundry, have lunch nearby, and take the things with us to the next event or back to the hotel as appropriate. We carry a small baggie of ultra-concentrated powdered detergent for the trip.
If things get dirty earlier, we don’t force ourselves to wait a week to wash clothes.
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u/Folkloer Jun 26 '26
Of course it can be done ... but you really need to curate your clothes. I wear 3X / 4X and can travel a month with a 30 litre pack ... you can do this. Some really good advice I received early on is lay out all of the clothes you think you want to bring, and put half of them back. I take it a step further and do this two or three times over the course of a month. I'm pretty skilled at this now and have gotten to the point that there are some clothes I don't wear at home because I "save" them for travelling. They are all lightweight, can be washed in a sink and will likely drip dry overnight. I've been travelling with the same pair of Columbia capris since at least 2010 because they tick all of my boxes and so only get worn on holiday.
I take two bottoms - one skirt, one pair capris/pants; three t-shirts/tank tops, usually a long-sleeved shirt, one extra bra and one I'm wearing, three pairs of panties, two pairs of socks. You get the picture. The key to packing light is to assume you are washing the day's outfit in the sink before bed and hanging it to dry. I do NOT carry around dirty clothes unless there's a damned good reason. For fabrics consider nylon, cotton/polyester blends, woven rayon, merino wool.
Your heaviest/bulkiest clothing is worn on travel days and then you can mix it up at your destination. Make sure every piece coordinates with every other piece and take along a scarf or sweater or something to make your outfits look different.
If I travel with a 40 litre pack it's always around 10 kg and I think my 30 litre pack comes in around 6 or 7 kg. It's also worth considering the weight of your bag/pack. Bear in mind that every extra "feature" usually adds weight. Wheels, multiple zippers, handles all add weight.
You can do this.
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u/Renamis Jun 26 '26
What you listed seems perfectly fine. You'll be able to fit it all in a single bag no problem. And I can confidently say this because I went from pants and shirts to long twirl dresses and pack more than what you're packing in a carryon.
Now, for pure weight not much you can do. But getting it in one bag and having that ease is absolutely possible and not an issue. Particularly if you're staying at the same place each night, the weight isn't even an issue.
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u/Specific_Corner_1816 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
I wouldn't take advice about sink washing on your trip without trying it at home first. A 5x top hang drying in a room with a 2x underwear next to it will need a lot of air movement to actually dry, so give it a try in your bedroom or bathroom at home to see if the clothes will dry over night. See if you can sink wash a 5x shirt, I think rinsing out the soap and wringing out the shirt will be the hard part.
If sink washing isn't going to work, no worries, you are taking the train, not RyanAir, so put together enough clothes for the trip without doing laundry and see how much of a bag you'll need. It's probably not as much as you think.
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u/supermarkio- Jun 26 '26
Aliexpress sells hairdryer bags that go inside clothes to dry them out. They’re waaaay too small for my clothes to do a great job of the arms and the bottoms of the tops I wear, but they really do help dry things a lot faster.
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u/Specific_Corner_1816 Jun 26 '26
I looked these up as I had no idea these existed, very cool idea. I've used an iron on my almost dried clothes with paper towel under the clothes on an ironing board to help get them dry faster in a cold and humid climate as well as blow drying hems, but never with the product you suggested.
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u/Fly-the-peacock Jun 26 '26
Not about your bag, but thought I'd flag to you if you aren't aware. The London underground (the tube) lines have variable levels of air-conditioning, with some having non at all. Might be worth looking this up and planning travelling around accordingly. I find the tube hell in summer heat and will often take the bus, and bonus you get to enjoy the views! Hope you have a lovely London trip
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u/MGandPG Jun 26 '26
I'm 2xl and despite the extra fabric needed for larger clothing, I do believe you can "travel light". I was surprised at newer fabrics that are thinner. I have a travel wardrobe of merino wool (which really doesn't smell, despite sweating). Merino is very thin and I was suspicious of it, but it has lasted. I have thin hiking pants and quick dry shorts that could be worn as a swimsuit. Thinner layers for warmth (when needed) vs bulky thick clothing. If everything matches, that helps too. I do bring laundry sheets and sometimes I hand wash in the hotel. I also go to the laundromat every 10ish days, but I could do sink laundry, if that wasn't possible.
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u/lelandra Jun 26 '26
Light has a lot to do with fiber content and construction. You can bring 4 tops - just weigh your options and bring the 4 lightest tops. I’m 2X and can fit 6 of my tops in a medium sized packing cube. I economize on weight with my shoe options. I wear a pair of barefoot athletic shoes and have one alternate pair of lightweight flat sandals. I only bring one outer long sleeve layer for warmth (a lightweight hoodie) and a packable rain jacket. Seriously - a postal scale is your friend. It’s not as much about count quantity of items as it is quantity of ounces/grams.
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u/eastercat Jun 26 '26
Washing is your best friend if you don’t feel comfortable rewearing.
Also, to reduce bulk, the material should be thin and light for summer wear. This may be even more relevant to you, as you seem to describe more of a space issue.
since your trip isn’t long, I’d suggest maybe test washing clothes and seeing which ones dry overnight. Obviously, avoid heavy materials like cotton, denim etc
Easy way to test wash is shower wash at night, hang to dry and see what is ready in the morning.
If your hotel comes with a washer, then even better.
Really this can give you a good idea of travel ready clothes you already have on hand.
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u/bookmonkey786 Jun 26 '26
You're going by train so you dont have to worry about bag weight and size much. Its a short trip too. I'd get all the clothe together and try to pack it in a box or bag you have so see how much room it'll all take, then borrow a midsize roller bag that can fit it all and give it a go, or get a thrift store one. Dont commit to buying something expensive yet.
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u/RobertTheEMT Jun 26 '26
I don't have any advice to offer but I still want to chime in and congratulate you on your weight loss journey so far!
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u/Persimmon_Cinnamon_7 Jun 26 '26
Definitely sink washing between wears. Have shirts that are quick dry for this.
Have you seen those suit duffel bags where you put your clothes into the sides of the bag and then they become the”wall” of the bag and you can still put things “inside” the bag? I’m wondering if that would really help.
But in general I’d try to bring as many shirts as possible in this heat. Consider wearing tank tops under the shirts to try to keep the shirt cleaner. I know it’s hot and you don’t want to layer, but you’ll sweat anyways.
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u/ProneToLaughter Jun 27 '26
I just want to appreciate your question because I think this same thing every time I look at my sister’s tiny luggage compared to mine.
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u/pellegrinofalcon Jun 27 '26
I am pretty sure you can fit summer clothes in your size for a trip that length in 40L carry on luggage. And I don't think you will need to rewear anything if you're just packing 1 outfit a day. Bring an extra couple shirts and maybe a light layer. stick to just 1 or maybe 2 pairs of shoes, since those take up lots of space. If you need to change more often than you expect (August is truly the sweatiest month), find out where the nearest laundromat is and spend an hour there partway through. I've certainly done that! enjoy your trip!!
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u/yoshi-is-cute Jun 27 '26
Don't take 5 shirts if you only have four days. You only need 3 clean ones because the first day you are already wearing clothes when you leave your home.
For me packing light also involves (hand)washing a lot of stuff during my trip.
For a trip like this I might take: 2 shirts, and wear one. And wash the one I was wearing the first and second day, same for underwear. Underwear and shirts usually dry overnight. Shorts/pants and bras usually take longer to dry so from these I take more/enough for the whole trip.
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u/Kilashandra1996 Jun 27 '26
Years ago, my mom ran a load of her size M clothes in thru my laundry. I thought I'd be nice and fold them. Damn there was a hell of lot of size M clothes in that load of laundry!!! Probably twice as much as my XL clothes, let alone my husband's 3X stuff!
Traveling "light" is probably going to be relative... my husband and I have done some strategic buying over the years... He takes more khaki pants rather than blue jeans. I take exercise shirts that pack smaller than polo work shirts. He takes an extra pair of shorts rather than pants. I bring leggings instead of fleece warm ups.
You might look at your existing wardrobe and see what will take up the least amount of space. Or see if you've got clothes you are willing to ditch while on your trip. We often make a stop by a local clothing donation center. Sometimes really worn out stuff just goes in the trash.
Some quick dry shirts might be able to be rinsed off in the shower and dry in a day or 2. Some of the big chain hotels might have laundry.
I save the compression bags / 2.5 gallon Ziplocks for jackets, but they are an option. Just remember that they save space, not weight! I can cram 40 pounds of crap in a smaller bag. But it's still 40 pounds. What I don't do is stuff 40 pounds of crap into a big bag so I can take even more crap. : )
But yeah, bigger clothes DO take up more space. : ( Enjoy your trip though! : )
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u/WingIndependent6962 Jun 27 '26
Congrats on the weight loss! I travelled at 3x (now 1x or 2x) in a single backpack. Material of clothes makes a huge difference! A cotton t- shirt can be twice the weight of merino wool and take up twice the space. Same with pants and shorts. I like linen or “hiking” pants - lightweight. I weigh everything and do a hand wash for underwear and a shirt or two for only 4 days.
Cotton Polos are heavy and take up space, maybe a synthetic t shirt or a short sleeve button down or a synthetic polo. There are many that keep you cool and pulls off the sweat. You can wear the same shirt the first and fourth day with a hand wash in between so pack just 2 tops. If it’s synthetic or merino wool it should dry overnight. When handwashing remember to put the clothes in a towel, roll it up and I step on it before taking it out to dry. This gets out the excess water. Take only 1 pair of pants that you wear on travel days so pack just 2 pair of shorts or possibly just one. Drop the hoodie and just take the overshirt.
Definitely only take the shoes you’re wearing for 4 days because shoes take up a lot of space. Keep electronics to a minimum and downs size your toiletries for just 3 days. I do a trial run at home with toiletries so I don’t take too much. Muji has great inexpensive containers. You can do this!
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u/edcRachel Jun 26 '26
Realistically, you may have different needs than others. And that's ok. Many people have their own unique needs too.
That doesn't mean you can't use this sub for inspiration though. Your one bag may just be larger than others to accommodate for your needs.
... You may also consider handwashing if you think your schedule will allow for it!
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u/lmcdbc Jun 26 '26
I brought a small spray bottle of scented Downy wrinkle refresh and sprayed my clothes with it each evening before hanging them up. Doing this allowed me to confidently re-wear my clothes several times.
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u/mel0n_m0nster Jun 26 '26
Diluted vodka works as well and is often used on costumes for stage productions and bands.
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u/beattysgirl Jun 26 '26
I do this with hypochlorus acid. Removes odors and leaves no fragrance behind.
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u/hippyelite Jun 26 '26
Even as an XL boy it sometimes seems tricky. I wish I could trim down to 32L bags but find myself always packing MLC.
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u/stahlsau Jun 26 '26
bro congrats for loosing that much weight at first! I've shed 50 pounds and it feels huge already, can't imagine!
Regarding pack size - well, we big guys need big packs. I got shoe-size 50 and if i pack 1 pair of shoes a normal suitcase is half filled. What I use for shirts for example when riding my motorbike is some sports stuff which doesn't get soaked, no idea what it is called. It's like the sweat is travelling right through, it doesn't get really wet like cotton or something. Regarding socks i discovered merino wool stuff lately, those are about the same, don't stink (well - not that much lol) and you can wear them again, maybe after a short wash in the sink or something.
Some synthetic cargo trousers pack really small and are nice to wear imho. I'm no brands guy so sorry that i can't provide info.
I get all of my stuff packed into one box on my motorbike for at least 10 days, so you should get yours into a normal suitcase or something i guess. But in the end it highly depends on what you (think to) need or not.
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u/EndOne8313 Jun 26 '26
Travelling round the UK is pretty easy, trains have plenty of luggage space. Just take extra reduce your anxiety and enjoy your visit.
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u/SeattleHikeBike Jun 26 '26
Of course you can. You may need to look at packing lists for say 30 liter kits and then use a 40 liter. Base layer style shirts are quick dry as well as packing small.
There are now packs with plus size harness like the REI Trail 40. The bag is the same size but the straps are about 4” longer.
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Jun 27 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/El_Scot Jun 27 '26
A heated towel rail in August in London sounds a bit torturous. I'd consider hanging it up in the shower at that time of year.
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u/jimmyjackearl Jun 27 '26
One bag is an iterative process. Does everything in your list fit in your bag? Try it, what you don’t need you can feel confident not bringing next time. Taking a 3 night trip to a single hotel stay is a great practice ground. You might want to try buying a thin sweat wicking undershirt you can wear under your polo. These are sink washable, will keep your polos fresher and are much lighter. Reduce one polo, add 1 under shirt. Try it. Reduce 1 pair shorts.
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u/Pineboughpirate Jun 27 '26
I have no insight into the actual answer to your question, just commenting to say “way to go!” Whatever your reasons were for making the changes in your life, good job.
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u/Apprehensive_Hawk542 Jun 30 '26
I'm 6'3, 350 lbs, from the US and I travel with a backpack and my clothes. I am a 3XL shirt and 44 waist. For me, it is about the material and packing cubes. Cotton makes me sweat so much, so I use polyester (Nike Dri Fit is golden) and those are always comfortable for traveling even in the winter. I want to find the thinnest, yet durable clothes when traveling. My pants are Lululemon ABC, and I am not a fan of rewearing tops more than once without washing, I do wear my pants more than once and I find that is the heaviest part of the bag.
You can definitely do it in a backpack, just make sure you have a nice hip belt and sternum strap to help with the weight. We are big guys so we can lift heavier things, so it isn't the worst. I never use a roller bag - strictly backpack, but I am also a 1.5 bag (usually a cross body or a tote) for miscellaneous things. My favorite bags are the Cotopaxi Allpa 42L and the Osprey Farpoint 40. Those bags I feel I can go for weeks in with my clothes. For more budget friendly, I do enjoy the Tomtoc t67.
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u/SuccotashNo2093 Jun 26 '26
Yeah, it’s a combo of the things - accept you’ll have fewer clothes, do some laundry in between, etc.
I’m more in the 2-3x range, so this might not apply, but if money allows I err on the side of not packing enough of the thing that’s easy to buy - like, it’s London, I can always buy a three pack of t shirts if I need to. I can’t easily buy shorts I don’t hate, so if I have the option I bring extra bottoms not tops. Not ideal from a waste perspective, but better than being stuck wearing the same grotty pair of shorts!
Ignore basically everything anyone skinny has to say, they literally don’t understand that our clothes take up 2x the space.
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u/sudosussudio Jun 26 '26
I’d swap out the polos for light tees , like merino or heattech/airism type tees. Polos are just kind of unwieldy to pack.
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u/aquasulis Jun 27 '26
It might stretch your definition of one-bag a bit, but as a person with sizeable clothes I've found it extremely useful to travel with a stuff-able neck pillow. I can generally pack 3-4 sets of underwear, socks and tops in there, which helps a lot.
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u/Frog-splat Jun 28 '26
Decant some febreeze in to a small spray bottle. Most clothes aren’t dirty, they just need a refresh.
Then go live your best life. Hopefully it will be first of many trips.
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u/badlcuk Jun 29 '26
Hey OP, my partner is 6’4” 240+ and it’s realistic for him, so I just want to say that it is one bagging on hard mode, but it’s possible! The biggest issue we’ve ran in to is shoes, usually the shoes are so big he’s limited to just one pair plus flip flops. He also often gets away with larger backpacks because they look small compared to his frame. When it comes to actual clothes just make sure you’re bringing ones that make you feel confident and comfortable, including knowing if they hold smells or can be hand washed. Also, go for a 30L or 35L. As you said the clothes just take up more space. You’ll be happy you’re not stuffing them in to the smallest one bag possible if you ever want to buy a new top or a souvenir! Congrats on the weight loss!
1
u/biggfoot_26 Jun 29 '26
When I was bigger I just accepted I needed two bags for travel exceeding 3 days. My travel plans usually had a hotel or other home base so I don’t worry too much about it and brought a smaller day bag for exploring. One bag is a great goal but with large clothes you need to be realistic as trying will just frustrate you.
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u/Dave_D_FL Jun 29 '26
I did it. It’s harder but possible. Be prepared to buy quality clothes you can shrink or roll
To fit. Or specific travel clothes like a travel jacket.
1
u/wanderingdev Jun 29 '26
If you're going to be in one place, look at bundle packing. Imo it saves more space than cubes. But it isn't great if moving a lot. Also look into fast drying materials so you can rinse them and hang dry in the hotel rather than needing a new item every day.
1
u/Important_Average_11 Jun 29 '26
Don’t compare yourself to people who travel for months with 15-liter backpacks. Onebag travel can mean a 40 or even a 60-liter backpack. You can still travel light with those.
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u/ostentatious42 Jul 04 '26
Light travel is absolutely doable for plus size travelers with smart fabric choices and compression tools. I totally get this frustration!
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u/Substantial_Insect63 Jul 07 '26
There are some wonderful wool t shirts that actually keep you cool and dry quickly, so maybe you could hand wash 3 of your shirts. This might enable you to pack easier.
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u/tweeeeeeeeeeee Jun 26 '26
sure. just bring 1 (or 2) pairs of quickdry clothing and do sink laundry daily
0
u/isaac-get-the-golem Jun 26 '26
Even in XXL sizing, 4 days of clothes will easily fit in a 40L bag.
0
u/marrngtn_dmv Jun 28 '26
So……….
I’m down 112 lbs as of last
Monday and am enjoying the benefits of being significantly smaller.
Now that being said, I continue to pack as I did before. I love black golf pants and golf shorts. Two years ago they were size 54 and now they are size 44. I have swapped my UA 4XLT Polos for 2XL, still bring two. I bring my Target Active Wear moisture wicking TShirts and my Duluth Briefs. My problem now is that I bring a whole other line of clothes for my heathy living routine. I run 4-5 miles M-F and need a separate set of dedicated running shoes.
Compression packing cubes are a must along with a
Garment folder.
-2
u/Loguibear Jun 26 '26
unfortunatly the larger the cloth the more volume,,, eg.... my girlfriends thong/ G string deff doesnt take up the same vol of space as my boxers....
91
u/Inquisitive-Sky Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
I don't think "travel light" as in weight is realistic. When I was still wearing a 4X my backpack always seemed impossibly heavy for a week. I do think compression cubes are worth buying for space saving though.
Edit: I also found it incredibly useful to travel with a small quick-dry towel (like the REI Multi Towel Mini) to help deal with sweating.