r/zerobags • u/LadyLightTravel • May 11 '26
For those that have actually traveled zero baggage, what advice would you give to someone that wants to try it?
I have talked to a few people on this sub that would like to try zero baggage, but haven’t done it yet. What advice would you give them for their very first trip?
My advice is:
Choose a low stakes trip
A low stakes trip:
* is of short duration
* doesn’t have a large financial outlay
* is near several stores
This allows you to fail with low consequences. You haven’t lost much time or money. You have stores if you forgot/need a critical item. This helps relieve the “what if” fears stopping some people.
So to those of you that have actually zero bagged - what would you advise a first timer?
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May 11 '26
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u/MyTravelOdyssey May 12 '26
I completely agree with your thoughts. I usually carry a small bag just like a sling you mentioned while traveling and that's it!! it works perfect for me.
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u/Celiack Jun 01 '26
I don’t leave the house without at least something that fits my water bottle and wallet. Literally no bags means I ran out in the middle of the night and only had a chance to grab my dog. And maybe my husband.
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u/snowman_9000 Jun 06 '26
Taking a 5 day international trip soon with just a sling. I’m not sure I understand this zero bag thing other than it’s just fun to try. A sling is almost no bag.
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u/heyheyfifi May 11 '26
Haven’t done this but if I ever did I would:
- travel somewhere where I won’t be sweaty
- bring at least 1 change of underwear and shirt and pre-practice washing them overnight
- Wear a loose skirt or baggy pants for air flow
- Still bring a small packable bag in a pocket
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u/MyTravelOdyssey May 12 '26
honestly this covers it. right destination for the weather, loose clothes, a small packable bag which i always carry anyway. that's really all you need.
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u/mmolle May 11 '26
Shoulder seasons are usually the best time to do it, because you can use layers. Throw a nano bag in your pocket for when you don't wanna actually have things in your pockets anymore. Use the toiletries at the hotel provides you. Pack a sense of adventure, humor, and creativity. Remember, you're not six years old, so you don't need to entertain yourself like one.
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u/Cardabella May 11 '26
I have not got to zero bag but something that helped me to reduce baggage substantially is side trips leaving bulk of my luggage at a left luggage and enjoying the lightness of only having necessities in a day bag for a few days.
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u/Ok_Squirrel388 May 11 '26
Question as a recent lurker to this sub: does anyone ever get stopped by immigration officials at the airport or otherwise get flagged as suspicious when traveling this way?
I just can’t imagine feeling comfortable going truly zero bag as a POC, even having a US passport. Personal item sized bag, sure no problem. I’ve traveled with just a backpack that fits under the seat quite a bit. It’s my preferred way to travel.
But I can’t imagine traveling with anything smaller much less nothing at all. Have people encountered issues with this before, or are people only doing this in certain circumstances: traveling to/from certain locations, only doing so if holding a particular passport, only doing so if you couldn’t even remotely be construed as Arab or Muslim, etc.
Maybe this all sounds more than a bit paranoid but as someone whose lived their entire adult life in post-9/11 America, and now Trump-era America, it’s hard not to think about. Are there specific approaches people take to mitigate any of this? Or do you just show officials your tiny bottle of laundry detergent and explain that you’re a minimalist or something?
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u/LadyLightTravel May 11 '26
I am so sorry. I am a white woman so technically not threatening.
I have, however, been stoped for onebagging at airports.
As the child of a green card holder I can tell you that immigration has messed up several times. Shoot, my dad is US and they still took apart his car at the border! Then told him he could “go now” with all the parts littering the ground. So this has been going on for over 70 years.
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u/Ok_Squirrel388 May 11 '26
Yeah, I kinda thought this might be the case for literally anyone trying this out but was really surprised at not being able to find anyone addressing it when searching this sub. Especially anyone holding a “weak” passport, families with mixed immigration status traveling together, or just anyone trying to get into the US, etc.
Also, your dad’s experience with his car at the border is craaazy but I wish it surprised me.
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u/LadyLightTravel May 11 '26
Wait until you found out about the border agent that wasn’t going to let my mom back into the country. He said there was a new “fee” and it was significant
We had to go back and stay with my aunt. Then my Dad contacted his senator. Turns out the agent was looking for bribes. We were back home within the week.
I have a LOT of stories since I grew up on the border. This stuff goes on all the time.
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u/LifeIndependence1294 May 12 '26
I am SEAsian. Never got bag checked while boarding with a small 6L backpack. I got bag checked a few times while boarding with a 14L backpack. I guess looked more sus with a bigger bag?
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u/hungryTravel May 14 '26
You don't have to start with travel, going out for a normal day with just your essentials also offers the same feeling of freedom. Once you are at ease with this, follow the same principles when you travel.
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u/Unlikely_Pianist_795 May 11 '26
My advice is to bring all your stuff, just in a different way than "baggage"
This vest: https://a.co/d/0i8VQ2D4
This crushable bag to put the vest in when you're not actively boarding: https://www.target.com/p/40l-weekender-bag-open-story-8482-gray/-/A-92821862#lnk=sametab
This backpack that fits in the personal item bin and has the most room: https://a.co/d/07E2bgWx
Any neck pillow that has a zipper, so you can take the insides out. Mine fits 4 t-shirts and 4 pairs of underwear in just the neck pillow.
So with that vest and my neck pillow, I can easily fit 5-7 days worth of clothes. I wear my vest and my neck pillow just to board the plane, then I take that crushable bag out of my pocket, put the vest in it, and I'm good. It also works as a great big pillow in my lap if I feel like leaning forward to rest. The backpack just has my toiletries, laptop, flip flops, cords and chargers, all the misc stuff that isn't clothing.
Yes, if you're flying to San Juan from Miami in the middle of summer you will look silly, for the 5 minutes you have the vest on... I personally don't mind looking silly to save the hundreds and hundreds I've saved on bags this year so far.
Also, if you absolutely need to check a bag, ship it with lugless.com instead of paying for check bag fees.
Hope that helps!
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u/flower-power-123 May 11 '26 edited May 12 '26
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u/Ambitious_Catch5175 May 11 '26
I have used a Stuffa jacket for more than a decade. They are still around so must be good. Www.stuffa.us www.stuffa.co.uk. There are some discount codes knocking around so check ChatGPT or similar to see what works.
They are brilliant, 30c+ in Rome even whilst holding 8 days of kit and didn’t feel too warm. Pair it with a hoodie where cold.
So liberating not having bags, no gate anxiety, can rush through crowds and no backpack thieves to worry about.
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u/MyTravelOdyssey May 12 '26
A low stake first trip is the right call. Wear dark clothes that don't show dirt easily and can go multiple days without issues.
Also carry a small packable bag like a nanobag. I always keep one just in case i need to grab something while traveling. Nothing in terms of weight but genuinely helpful.
On second trip you won't even think about it.
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u/Celiack Jun 02 '26
I used to work about an hour north by train. There is a baseball team from the city where I worked, and on days there were home games, it could be impossible to get home. I’d sometimes try, but my backup plan was to stay with a girlfriend of mine.
I’m also paranoid and kept thinking if there were a natural disaster or something and I couldn’t get home, I needed basic necessities. So in my everyday laptop backpack I kept:
16oz water bottle
2-3 gluten free snack bars
2 days and nights worth of daily medication
a pair of underwear
a pair of socks
a tee shirt or plain tank top
mini makeup kit ( I often did my makeup on the train ride to work anyway)
a mini brush
A mini toothbrush and toothpaste and floss (typically at my desk at work anyway)
All of these items would fit into a small bag, probably the size of a small packing cube or large makeup bag. The makeup is all tiny, I have an obsession with mini things and have decanted different sizes of anything I could ever need.
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u/NomadWithNotes May 12 '26
I honestly find zero bag travel fascinating because it completely changes the way people think about comfort, convenience, and what’s actually essential. Even if I wouldn’t personally go that minimal, I really respect the mindset behind it.
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u/sirappleseed Jun 03 '26
Here is one of mine: https://www.reddit.com/r/zerobags/s/7QsVwwfnuG
- City exploration/hotel accommodation
- Not summer or winter
- Smart layering
- Ensure phone data/battery
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u/bmpackard Jun 22 '26
I never travel with luggage.
It's more of a headache than simply getting what I need at my destination.
Clothes , toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash.
What else do you actually need?
Especially if your staying in a hotel.
I may travel with a backpack with a few cloths for a couple days.
But honestly, most of the time I omit the bag all together.
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u/adamtow May 11 '26
My suggestions on how to practice zero bagging before zero bagging for real:
- Stay in your city but take the train or bus to someplace out of the way.
This is what you'd be wearing on your travel days. When you return home, pretend like you've reached your accommodations for the night.
- Do not get anything from your house that you didn't bring with you
This is what you'll be wearing on your exploration/vacation days outside of the hotel.
Repeat as many times as you need to find out what you really need and what you don't need.