How to Pack an Entire Vacation in a Personal-Size Bag
I have just returned from a five day trip to Paris on a budget airline that charges hand luggage. I’m cheap, which means everything should fit in a small bag under the seat in front of me. Friends, I did it. You can too.
We’ll talk about the details of what I packaged and how, but it’s a feat that has more to do with planning than execution. This is what I mean.
Measure your bag
The space under the seat in front of you is quite roomy, large enough for a medium-sized backpack or stuffed messenger bag. But don’t look at it: if you’re wrong and can’t fit your bag into this space, the crew will ask you to put it somewhere else. This may mean an additional charge or, depending on how crowded the plane is, you may even need to hand it over for check at the gate.
Avoid this minor nightmare by checking airline bag sizes . On Wow Airlines, my carrier for this trip, personal items can be 17 “by 13” by 10 inches , including handles and wheels, and cannot weigh more than 22 pounds. Visit the airline’s website and then get out a tape measure and check. (If you have a padded bag, remember to measure it when it’s fully packed.)
However, to really prepare, you also need Plan B. You may be buying too many souvenirs and need to check your bag. Or sometimes on domestic flights, you will end up on a tiny plane with no under-seat space and have to check your belongings. Here’s your insurance policy: Pack your flight essentials in a small purse or packing cube that you can tuck into your seat back pocket. That way, if you have to give up your bag, the important things will be with you.
Cut your packing list mercilessly
I don’t have a magic spell to put a suit, formal dress, or sleeping bag in my carry-on. The one-bag approach only really works for people with simple needs who go on simple trips. I did not bring my laptop or any sports equipment with me. I’ll bring a few changes of clothes, essential toiletries, an outline, and a phone charger.
I didn’t bother with soap or shampoo as I knew I could buy them at their destination. (Taking a shower with French soap made my stay in France a little more natural.) My husband bought six packs of plug adapters, and I caught him stuffing it all into his bag. “Wait, how many plugins are we bringing?” I have asked. Just two: his phone charger and mine. So, we left four adapters at home.
I collected fresh socks, shirts and underwear for each day and planned to wear the dress once, and the shorts and pants twice. (If I was more hardcore, I would only pack two outfits and wash one in the hotel sink every night.) I resisted the urge to pack the skirt “just in case.”
To weed out the “just in case” pile, ask yourself what would I do if I needed it but didn’t have it? Without a skirt, I would just wear a dress or shorts. This is fine; the skirt stays at home. But if my legs hurt and I didn’t have blisters with a bandage, I would have to wander the streets of Paris looking for a place to buy them. The bandages went with me.
Think big, pack small
Throw away your bag so you don’t bring the trash from your previous trip, then start packing wisely. A few tips:
- Pick the smallest item that will work. Bring travel sized toothpaste, even if the full size is technically small enough to go through security. Compare your jackets and sweaters and bring the thinnest and warmest enough – or would you prefer a lightweight scarf that can be worn like a shawl?
- Roll up your clothes. Rolling is the most compact packaging method . Place your socks and T-shirts on the inside of the roll and gently smooth wrinkles on the outside. Know how to get rid of unexpected creases: is there an iron in your room? Will you steam your clothes in the shower?
- Wear the biggest things. Your bag will have more space if you put on jeans and pack your shorts than the other way around. You can also wear a travel pillow in flight and strap it to your bag while you travel around the airport.
Make sure everything is available. You will be unhappy if the inside of your bag is messy. Use packing cubes or lay out rolls of clothing to divide the space as needed. Make good use of your pockets as well: for example, flat items in the laptop compartment, and your passport and phone charger in any convenient pocket.
Keep mementos small or intangible
In the end, you have to return everything. If you’ve brought travel-sized toiletries with you, you may be able to finish them off and throw them away before returning home. You also don’t have to worry too much about keeping your clothes wrinkle-free. These settings can give you a few cubic inches.
If you’re serious about bringing home souvenirs, consider bringing a foldable duffel bag from home or buying a cheap bag on the go. Then you only pay for checking baggage in one direction, not both. Also compare the baggage check fees to the cost (and time delay) of sending your belongings home.
But if you don’t have a lot of room for souvenirs, keep an eye out for light things during the trip. I borrowed a French cooking magazine for Mom and translated the most delicious recipes on the way home. Foreign snacks are also great gifts and are easy enough to fit in small spaces. Photos, videos and good old memories are great souvenirs too, and they don’t take up any physical space at all. (You can even print a photo book when you return, or write down your thoughts in a journal to make them more tangible without encroaching on your underwear.)
What did I actually pack
Okay, it’s time to prove it’s true. Here’s what I did.
Bag: I used Eddie Bauer’s messenger bag that I bought many years ago; it is now out of production. We went on many trips with one bag, this bag and me. My husband, who packed equally lightweight, used a Swiss Gear backpack similar to this one .
Large and bulky items: My only extravagance was a pair of leather shoes with a T-strap heel. I tucked my socks and underwear into them to keep them in shape, and then wrapped them loosely in a plastic bag so they wouldn’t stain the rest of my belongings. I also had a travel pillow tied to the handle of my bag.
Clothes: On the four-day trip, I brought four shirts, one dress, one pair of shorts, and five sets of socks and underwear with me. I was wearing sneakers, a jacket and a shirt with trousers.
Toiletries: I had a small zip pouch with lipstick and deodorant, and a zipper with a few personal items in the liquid phase, such as moisturizer and toothpaste.
Electronics: All I need for a non-working trip is a phone, a charging cable, and a battery. (My husband prefers an electric toothbrush and razor at home, but settled for analog versions on this trip.) We also brought a headphone splitter and a pair of headphones for each of us.
Fun: a book for an airplane; a sketchbook and a small pack of art supplies; Cliff bars; wallet, passport, etc.
In hindsight, I made only a few mistakes. I should have kept the fancy shoes and either ditched them, or took a pair of plain flat shoes instead. I didn’t need the jacket I wore at the airport, although I’m glad I brought it. That’s all; this is one of the most well thought out trips I’ve done.
However, I have had some rough times in the past. I can recall two trips in which I got cold because I didn’t want to collect most of my warm clothes. In one of these cases, I only had to wear skirts; a pair of tights or leggings would take up very little space and would be a lifesaver. On several trips, I forgot to pack my purse because somehow in my mind the messenger bag was my purse. It is much better to have a real bag (or tote bag, or laptop bag) for your daily excursions than throwing all your clothes on your hotel bed to deal with carry-on luggage.
Now, as I write my packing list, I visualize my daily activities and it helps me remember things like wallets. And I apply the “just in case” test to all of these “just in case” items. And now I am the person who hops out of the plane with a small backpack, zips past the baggage claim and takes the subway to his Airbnb. This is a great way to relax.