How to Travel With One Bag, According to Travel Experts

We’ve all been there: standing in front of a big open suitcase the night before a trip, wondering if we really need 10 pairs of underwear, six pairs of jeans, and four pairs of shoes for a four-day getaway. The answer, according to travel experts, is a definitive no. In fact, you might consider ditching the checked bag completely. 

One-bag travel, aka traveling with just one carry-on, has evolved from a backpacker’s necessity to a mainstream travel philosophy. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re ready to take the leap, there are some things you may want to know beforehand.

Here’s how to travel with just one bag, according to travel experts and frequent flyers.

Start With Your Shoes

Tesa Totengco, founder of Travels with Tesa and a Travel+Leisure A-List advisor, recommends building your packing list from the ground up—starting with your shoes. “My No. 1 strategy in packing a carry-on is to start from the bottom up: choose your day shoe and nighttime shoe and then plan the rest accordingly,” she told T+L. 

Mei Zhang, founder of travel company WildChina, and another Travel+Leisure A-List advisor, agrees. As a frequent international traveler, she usually packs a pair of flats and a pair of running shoes, stylish enough to go with a dress but comfortable enough to go on a long walk. Her pro-tip? Wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane and pack the other pair in your bag.

Choose Fabrics Strategically

Zhang recommends ditching heavy fabrics and opting for natural fibers, like cashmere and merino wool, instead of bulky sweatshirts, as they are odor-resistant. She also swaps out the jeans for sport or city pants that can be stylish without adding bulk. 

Travel+Leisure A-List advisor Patricia Johnson, a director at travel concierge business AbsoluteBelize, uses a weight-based formula that favors tops over bottoms. “Pants are usually heavier than blouses,” she said. “So, the practical and obvious solution is to pack fewer pants and more blouses to switch up the look.” For beach destinations, she recommends packing a multipurpose sarong that can function as a cover-up, dress, skirt, or scarf.

Another essential strategy is building your wardrobe around a neutral color palette. “Choose solid color clothing (blacks, neutrals) and punch it up with printed silk scarves that don’t weigh anything or take up any space,” Totengco added. 

Chirag Panchal, Travel+Leisure A-List advisor and founder and CEO of Ensuite Collection, agreed. “Blacks, whites, and tans mix and match so easily that you can get way more outfits out of fewer pieces,” he said. “For women, throwing in a couple of scarves or accessories can really change up a look without taking up much space.”

Master the Toiletry Situation

To reduce toiletry bulk, Zhang uses a single bar of soap that does triple duty. “I use a dermatologist-recommended sulphur soap to triple task as face soap, body wash, and light laundry soap for handwashing underwear and socks,” she said.

For liquid products, Panchal recommends transferring things like shampoo or lotion into smaller, reusable bottles. “I use Cadence bottles specifically and just fill them with exactly what I need for the trip,” he said. “It saves so much space, and you are never lugging around half-empty bottles.” 

When packing, remember the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule: liquids must be 3.4 ounces or less in a carry-on. 

Additional Packing Tips

When it comes to tech, most travelers need just a phone, headphones, charging cables, and maybe a universal adapter. To optimize space, consider using one multiport USB charger instead of individual chargers for each device, and keep cables organized with rubber bands.

Panchal also recommends skipping expensive hotel laundry services and going to local wash-and-fold laundromats instead. Strategic fabric choices like merino wool pieces combined with accessible laundry options mean you can pack for two weeks with the same amount you’d bring for four days.

“Packing cubes are a game changer if you are not already using them,” Panchal also recommended. “They keep everything organized and compress your clothes down so you are fitting a lot more into one bag than you would think.”

Johnson agreed and also recommends packing cubes.

“As someone who is not very good at folding neatly and packing, I must say compression cubes have saved me a lot of space!” Johnson says. “I can now pack a week’s worth of clothes in a carry-on, something I could not do before packing cubes.” 

Don’t Worry If It’s Not Your Thing

One-bag travel isn’t for everyone, but it can be a fun exercise in rethinking what you actually need. The key is packing for the trip you’re actually taking, not preparing for every possible scenario. Try it for a long weekend first and see if you enjoy the ease of traveling light. If not, there’s also no shame in checking your suitcase.