r/HerOneBag

Help me not overpack! I leave for Ireland in 12 hours, will be in Dublin and Galway 5 days total. I need lots of suitcase space for gifts for family! Should I get rid of the airplane sweatpants and wear my leggings? Or get rid of a jacket? A tank? Here’s a list of what I’m bringing

-black lulu lemon zip up jacket
-blue Uniqlo long sleeve hooded tshirt
-pink Columbia rain coat
-gray target cropped hoodie (airplane)

-4 tank tops

-black lulu lemon leggings
-black American eagle midi skirt
-brown athleta Brooklyn pants
-navy sweatpants (airplane)

-Nike waffle debut sneakers

I use the fjallraven tote pack mini, love that it can be a backpack or a tote. All packed into my Cotopaxi alpa 35L.

Hey! My husband and I are doing 16 days in the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites from early to mid September. My parents will be joining us for the Switzerland part, and then my husband and I are splitting off for Italy. This trip is mostly going to be focused on trail running, hiking, and photography. Due to the needed hiking and camera gear, this isn’t going to be a true one bag trip. My husband and I will be putting hiking gear and his clothes in a hard sided carryon that we’ll check. I’m trying to limit my clothes to fit in my Cotopaxi Allpa 35L, with some room left over for my camera stuff, essential gear, and souvenirs. I need help to lighten my load!

Bern > Lauterbrunnen  > Zermatt > Stresa > Selva di Val Gardena, and an overnight layover in Copenhagen. 

We’ll have in house laundry in Lauterbrunnen and a close by laundromat in Stresa. I don’t think that we’ll have laundry in Selva, but I’m not opposed to sink laundry. We’re not planning anything fancy, but I want to have slightly nicer clothes to change into for evening activities after hiking. 

Plane icon for flight days, question mark on things I’m thinking of cutting. I’m also considering adding a packable raincoat, based on the forecast.

Photo Descriptions: 

Picture 1: Tops and Bottoms

Tops

• Ridge Merino Pink Tee
• Old Navy White Tee
• Ridge Merino Black Tee
• Linen White Button Down Short Sleeve
• Ridge Merino Black Tank
• Ridge Merino Burgundy Tank
• Ridge Merino Light Blue Tank
• Quince Light Blue Chambray Button Down

Bottoms

• Gray Workout Leggings
• Quince Burgundy Crepe Silk Skirt
• Toad & Co Wide Leg Fruit Pattern Pants
• Blue Gray Prana Koen Pants
• Levis Stretchy Jean Shorts
• Green Old Navy Bike Shorts
• Black Janji Bike Shorts
• Gray Running Shorts (sleep shorts and back up hiking shorts)

 

Picture 2: Dresses/Outerwear/Athletic Clothes/Shoes/Accessories

• Ridge Merino Blue & Green Tyedye Sun Shirt
• Patagonia White Patterned Sun Shirt
• Ridge Merino Mint Grid Fleece
• Patagonia Black Sweater
• Patagonia Sage R1 Softshell
• Patagonia Pink Houdini Windshirt
• Patagonia Blue Synthetic Puffy Vest
• Black Athletic Swim Top
• White Bikini Top
• Teal Bikini Bottoms
• Coral Patagonia Fleetwith Dress
• Blue Patagonia Fleetwith Dress
• Black Patagonia Fleetwith Jumpsuit
• Blue Bucket Hat
• Neon Skida Running Hat
• Altra Lone Peak Blue Trail Runners
• Green Bedrock Sandals
• Black and White Nike Dunks

Not Pictured

• Clothes
  • Socks x 5
  • Underwear x 7
  • Sports Bra x 2
  • Bralette x 3
  • Undershorts x 2

   

• Salomon ADV Skin 12, 2x flask bottles, 1.5 L reservoir
• Sawyer Water Filter
• Garmin InReach
• First Aid Kit
• Trail running nutrition
• GoPro Hero 10 and various accessories in hard sided case
• Smith Sunglasses (running) & Goodr Sunglasses x 2 (casual)
• Trekking Poles
• Toiletries & Meds
• IPhone
• Various Chargers

 

Hello!
I’m trying to pack as light as possible for this trip while still feeling prepared for potential warm days or cold rainy falls days. I’m from Vancouver, Canada so I know rainy weather but not sure I fully know what I am getting into. Apparently there is also a heatwave going on in the UK but it looks mild on the weather app.

I’m 32F if that helps, and my plan is 5-6 days in Edinburgh for fridge fest, a tour of the islands, a couple days each in Aberdeen and Inverness and then a few days in Glasgow.

I’m wanting some cute outfits for the cities, including a date night outfit, comfy wear, layers and some solid hiking outfits for the highlands.

I plan to purchase a lovely Shetland sheep wool sweater while I am in Scotland as a cold layer when I arrive. Not pictured is a pair of pjs.

My partner says 4 is not many shoes which I agree but he is a less experienced traveller and I want good walking shoes for city, and hiking, and nice walkable shoes for a date (my Sorel sandales).

Potentially add ons:
- a denim jacket
- a leather trench coat (waterproof)
- a pair of jeans or trousers
- two hats (one baseball, one touque)
- tights? (Do I just go to PRIMARK?)

Any feedback is great - please be kind as I am a serious overpacker and this is the best I can do. 😅

Image description:

Collage featuring:
- 2 black t shirts
- 1 black sheer top
- maroon top
- little black dress
- olive T-shirt dress
- long line by skirt
- 2 pairs denim shorts (black and blue)
- gym shorts
- hoodie
-sweatpants
- two pairs leggings
- 7 pairs socks
-2 pairs compression socks
- 7 pairs of the best Canadian underwear brand Huha
-black t shirt bra
-sports bra
- white bra
- sandales
- waterproof hiking boots
- sneakers
- walkable flats
- tote bag
- Couch tabby bag with strap (my bf will have a day bag for us for water bottles etc)

Thank you to everyone!

Edit: luggage choice is either:

Monos check in medium suitcase

https://ca.monos.com/products/check-in-medium?variant=45773933773110&currency=CAD&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign=20336500935&utm\_adgroup=150516168466&utm\_content=664707449502&utm\_term=dev\_m--net\_g--tid\_aud-865674415603:pla-2267627185843--kwmt\_--kwid\_--prodid\_%7Bproductid%7D--plc\_&wm\_source=google&wm\_medium=ads&wm\_ad\_id=664707449502&wm\_adgroup\_id=150516168466&wm\_campaign\_id=20336500935&gad\_source=1&gad\_campaignid=20336500935&gbraid=0AAAAAC6YPFn4Wbzv1R0CMZv7tSh3nX3h6&gclid=CjwKCAjwhZDUBhBGEiwAbi5bjviI4RgOLgWYWavmg5terCaZyPPY2r15ZQqD398CKPNXAZ7wdcl5ZxoCJlkQAvD\_BwE

OR

If it all fits- my mec 44L travel backpack.

Hi, I just received my order of Osprey Astronova 23L backpack, I was looking for a good quality city backpack for university and this one is allegedly made for campus.

I also read how Osprey is surprisingly ergonomic, so I was excited to try it out. However as soon as I unpacked this backpack and put some weight into it I felt how much pressure the outside edge of the straps has on my shoulder bones. The strap itself is also quite rigid, so it doesn't adapt to the shoulder groove well.

Does anyone have this problem? Is this because the backpack is "unisex", therefore made for men's wider shoulders? Do you get used to this type of pressure or is it better to return it?

Image description: backpack shoulder straps on shoulders.

I bought Cadence capsules in a bit of a rage last year, after dropping and shattering one of my reusable glass toiletries bottles in a gym locker room (after years of being frustrated with their pumps). I've seen a split of really negative reviews and probably paid overly positive praise. I figured some of the inconsistencies and really bad experiences were quality control, but wondered if mine would get worse with time. Here is my experience with them over the past ~ 8 months and ~ ten trips (traveling with one carry-on bag).

The cons:

• They are expensive! I had used my last reusable toiletries set for ~ 8 years before breaking one, so I figured this would be worth it since I would use them for a decade or more. They are bombproof (but not leakproof) so I think I will be using them for a long time.
• They are pretty heavy! I already have to use a roller bag, and the package fits pretty nicely there, so that's not generally a problem for me.
• They are somewhat messy to use, pouring thinner liquids out or reaching in with fingers for thicker creams. I had a fruity body wash...ferment? after about a month (water frequently gets in the open mouth in the shower). This is why I will never use one for toothpaste.
• They frequently leak a little bit, where I need to rinse off the outside of the container. This is usually no big deal to clean up, and not all that different from most toiletries containers.
• After a recent trip where they were checked for the first time, I think I understand that they are not leakproof enough for that, and maybe that's where the really negative experiences are coming from. See my photo for the comical amount that leaked out when checked for an international flight (wanting all my under-seat storage for my poor legs for a long flight after a long trip). Not sure if this was pressure, temperature, rough handling, or all 3.

The pro (just one, I guess):

• They are so easy to refill and reuse! All my travel toiletries are just the products I regularly use now (the 10 containers shown: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, face lotion, hand lotion, hair gel/cream, hair oil, sunscreen, tinted moisturizer). The only exception is toothpaste, which still fits in my toiletries bag on top of the capsules. I've never had a system that switched everything over to a consistent container like this, and it just simplifies everything so much.

This one pro outweighs the negatives for me, so I am still happy with them and plan to keep using them, even though they are not perfect. A snack-size Ziploc bag fits two of them nicely, so I'll keep a few of those on hand for extra containment when necessary.

They had offered to replace the pink one for free (claiming the leaks were probably just residual product left on the threads), and I'll probably see if they can replace the brown one as well. 2/10 defective rate is not great.

Image description: My toiletries bag after being checked on an international flight. All capsules contain liquids, from hair oil to thick lotion. One pink capsule leaked basically all of its contents (into an inner ziploc bag) and a thick cream also somehow escaped its brown capsule. Since the leaks have depended on the capsule and not the liquid, I think those two are just defective.

I just returned from a 6.5 week Europe trip with my 5 year-old (solo parent travel the last 3 weeks) so thought I would do a post-mortem! We went to Copenhagen, Billund, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Curonian Spit (Lithuania) and near London (UK).

Both my child and I travelled carry-on only with our backpacks, and I carried some of their stuff in my bag so that theirs wouldn't be too heavy. We almost exclusively travelled by train, bus and ferry (we did have a rental car for about 2 weeks in Sweden) and I did bring a RideSafer vest as a booster seat alternative. Weather was mostly warm and dry with a few cooler rainy days in Denmark and Finland. Temperatures ranged from 14 degrees to 28 degrees, but was mostly in the 18-23 range for the majority of where we were. Most of our travel was urban but we did get some great time in nature in Sweden, bog hike in Estonia and dune exploring/hikes on the Curonian Spit in Lithuania, including a day of bike travel (I rented a bike in every city for a day, kiddo went on a child seat, trailer or cargo part at front), so we were definitely active/outdoors. I also carried a cross-body bag for my wallet etc. I found that I was very happy with the amount of clothing that I brought and the clothing/shoes/outerwear choices I made, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

If you're ever thinking of one-bag solo travel with a child, I highly recommend it!

My backpack is almost 20 years old from a brand that no longer exists and I don't know the exact volume, but I think it's around 40L and has a detachable day backpack that zips off of it (the best). Weight was around 15 kg. I wish I didn't have to bring my laptop and charger since it definitely adds bulk and weight, but I had to do work while we were away so I didn't have a choice.

Tops:

• 1 white cotton/bamboo V-neck tee
• 1 black linen tank top
• 2 merino crop tank tops (navy/beige) - one was a support tank
• 1 Breton 3/4 sleeve striped top
• 1 chambray long-sleeve button down shirt
• 1 yellow bamboo fleece boxy long-sleeve crop top
• 1 black modal T-shirt dress

Bottoms:

• 1 black merino bike shorts
• 1 grey merino shorts
• 1 green modal/spandex outdoor pants
• 1 black high-waist terry-fleece pants
• 1 grey wide-leg cropped linen pants

Shoes:

• Vessis waterproof Weekender sneakers (white)
• Keens hiking sandals

Outerwear:

• 1 rain coat
• 1 lightweight cropped windbreaker jacket

Other clothes:

• 2-piece merino bathing suit (top doubles as a bra!)
• Summer pyjamas (not pictured)
• Light pashmina
• 7 underwear (including 2 merino)
• 2 bras (including 1 merino)
• 5 pair socks

Non-clothing:

• Toiletry kit
• Small makeup kit
• Hair straightener (travel rechargeable)
• Earplugs & eyemask
• Water bottle
• Laptop and multicharger
• Tech kit (adaptors, cables, etc)
• Travel light
• Travel clock
• Sunglasses
• Reusable shopping bag
• Mini first aid kit and OTC meds kit
• Laundry strips for machine wash and soap for hand wash
• Travel picnic blanket
• Crossbody bag
• Ride safer vest (used as car booster seat)
• Wet bags (2)
• Child's sandals
• Child's raincoat
• Wet wipes
• Extra change of clothes for child
• Snack bags/reusable zippered pouches
• Snacks
• Child toys/activity kit

Child's bag:

I got them the REI co-op Kids Tarn 18 Pack. It was amazing and I highly recommend it! About 3 kg, they had no issues carrying it (they are big for their age). I fully expected I would be carrying it now and then for them but I almost never did.

• 6 underwear
• 4 t-shirts
• 1 long-sleeve shirt
• 1 button up shirt
• 1 zip-up sweater
• 3 shorts
• 3 pants
• 3 pair socks
• 1 swim suit
• 5 books (very small/thin)
• Small colouring book
• 1 stuffed animal
• 1 screen-free audio/game system with headphones
• Camera
• Water bottle

Top 10 MVPs

1. Merino clothing: A lot of people have talked about how amazing merino wool is for travel and I have totally drunk the Kool-aid! I brought merino shorts, tops, bras, underwear and bathing suit and it was the best. Breathable, lightweight, didn't get stinky or need to be washed frequently, dried fast...I think in the future my whole travel wardrobe will be merino! And my merino bathing suit was AMAZING. The top doubled as a bra and the bottoms doubled as underwear, so no wasted space in my bag having to bring a separate swim suit. Highly recommend!
2. Vessis shoes: I read a lot of conflicting reviews on these, but I absolutely loved my Weekenders. Not only were they waterproof and definitely held up to water (had a few rainy days in Sweden and Helsinki and they were put to the test) but they were SO comfortable. We did an absolute ton of walking and my feet never felt sore or tired the whole trip.
3. Packing cubes: Never thought I'd jump on the packing cube bandwagon, but they were so useful. I brought 4 compression cubes, and it was so handy having one cube per type of clothing (one for tops, one for bottoms, one for socks/underwear and one for bras/bathing suit/scarf/other). It was really easy to pack and unpack them from my bag and put the whole cubes into a closet or drawer to keep my clothes separate and organized in each place we stayed.
4. Detachable day bag: My bag is super old but I am grateful I have one with a detachable zip-off day backpack. It's a decent size that also has an expander, and I liked being able to carry just one bag when they are attached together, but when I had to take a bus/flight/train I would zip off the extra bag and wear that as my carry-on while stashing my main bag overhead or under the bus. My laptop, extra child clothes and toys stayed in the day bag for travel days. Plus very useful when we were out and about for the day or day trips and I could bring everything we'd need like extra clothing, swim stuff, wipes, food etc.
5. Travel light: I searched high and low online for a great travel light that could function as a night light for my kiddo, and the Olight recharchable light was a hit. It was also nice in places that didn't have great low-lighting options for when my kid was in bed and I had to do some work.
6. Travel clock: I hate relying on my phone as an alarm and clock when I travel, I get really paranoid when I have to wake up in time to catch a train/flight/bus. I bought a very small, lightweight and compact travel clock that was gave the time, date and temperature, and woke me up when I needed it to!
7. Child activity pack (used as wardrobe) and toys kit: I used this fold-up compact activity pack to pack all of my child's clothes and put the whole thing in their backpack! When we arrived at each destination, I hung it up in a closet or on a hook and it functioned as a nice organized wardrobe. The mini activity kit (in yellow in photos) to keep all toys and markers etc in one place was also very useful.
8. Ride Safer Travel vest: Even though this took up a chunk of room and added weight in my bag, I'm so glad we did not have to travel with a booster seat. We ended up using cabs/Uber/Bolt a fair bit (usually to get to and from our accommodations once we arrived/left a destination), so it was very very useful.
9. Face cloth: These are apparently not a thing in Europe (in any of our accommodations) so I always travel with one. I only wish I had brought another one for my child!
10. Eco-friendly laundry strips: We had a washer in almost every place we stayed, and I am a big fan of natural, eco-friendly unscented laundry detergent, so having our own that we could use instead of relying on whatever was available at each accommodation was pretty great. They are small and pack flat and it's just one strip per load.

What was meh:

1. Collapsible water bottle: I thought I would love this silicone collapsible bottle a lot more than I did. Even though it was handy to hook it to my day bag or crossbody, I found at its full height it was super wobbly (would not stand up on a moving train or bus table) and the lid leaked. Plus any dirt or sand immediately stuck to the silicone. Next time I'd just bring a normal bottle.
2. Travel picnic blanket: Even though it was small and compact and hung on the outside of my bag on a carabiner, I thought we'd use it more than we did. I only used it twice when we went to the beach. I guess I'm glad I had it for that, but not sure it was worth it hanging off my bag for 6 weeks.
3. Scarf/pashmina: I did use it, but I think only because I brought it. I would have been fine without it (although I did appreciate having it as a beach cover the one day).

There was nothing that I wish we had brought!

Also a huge thank you to this subreddit for giving me so many ideas and tips on what to bring and what to leave behind. Reading others' trip reports was super helpful!

Photos:

1. All unpacked items going into my bag as listed above (clothes in packing cubes, toiletries, tech etc)
2. Fully packed bag
3. All items going into my child's bag unpacked (clothing, activities)
4. Child activity kit packed with clothes
5. Child's packed bag and activity kit that I carried
6. All tops I brought
7. All bottoms I brought
8. All other clothing items I brought (shoes, coats, scarf, bathing suit)

Heading to Japan for 30 days throughout November. Traveling ultra-light (aiming for near one-bag/minimal luggage) and planning to pick up just two versatile pairs of pants that will cover the entire trip for massive daily walking steps.

What I'm looking for:

Vibe & Fit: Clean, low-key urban aesthetic. Durable and comfortable for 20k+ daily steps, but looks sharp enough for casual dining/city roaming.

Climate/Weight: Japan in November is crisp/cool, but I run warm—so I need breathable fabrics that regulate temperature well and don't trap heat, but still work comfortably in mild autumn weather (and keep working for regular use back home).

Availability: Must be available in physical retail stores to try on in person (no Amazon-only / online-exclusive direct-to-consumer brands).

Currently on my radar:

Lululemon ABC Pant (Warpstreme fabric) – Heard great things, but how does the fabric feel for sustained walking?

Columbia Silver Ridge / ROC line – Practical, but not sure how the cut and style hold up in urban settings compared to athleisure/travel brands.

Would love feedback or "anti-recommendations" on these two, or suggestions for other specific models/brands available in stores. Thanks!

I just got home from my first longer trip where I attempted (key word, as I did not totally succeed!) to pack in one bag and I feel like I learned SO much. I read a ton of posts on this sub before I left which was so helpful!

This was a 12 day trip in August to Estonia and Sweden with lots of city exploration, a few days at the seaside, and a couple of fine dining meals. The first half of the trip I was visiting friends in Estonia (notable because I didn’t think I’d have a chance to do laundry at their place but I did!) and the second half was in hotels/airbnbs in Sweden with a travel partner. Most days had several “stages” to them, so I frequently wore a casual, walking-around outfit for the day then changed into a nicer outfit for dinner/drinks.

Bags (Photo 1)

I brought two bags, one as a carry-on and one as a personal item. They’re both generic, random bags I’ve gotten over the years from Amazon — nothing special or optimized.

My larger carry-on was the Matein 40L backpack. This held all of my clothes in packing cubes.

My personal item (which may not strictly fit the size requirements but I’ve always been able to get it on planes) was the Etronik 35L duffle bag. This held shoes, electronics, toiletries, etc. This wasn’t 100% full (probably 75% capacity?) but I didn’t have an option that was better suited for the amount of stuff I had, so I just went with it. Outbound, this included baked goods I was bringing for my friends who used to live in my city — those took up quite a bit of the space!

Clothes (Photo 2)

Dresses:

• Black midi dress — one of my favorite dresses and I wore it a few times.
• Linen Marimekko/Uniqlo midi dress — expected to wear this more but ended up just wearing it once as a cute/breezy coverup on a beach day. 
• Black mini swing dress — brought this as an easy-to-throw-on swim coverup, but ended up only swimming once, so this didn’t get worn.

 Bottoms:

• Darker wash wide leg jeans — I wore these on travel days and multiple times throughout the trip. Washed them once mid-way.
• Lighter wash even wider leg jeans — I wore these a few times as well, although not as often as the darker wash.
• Black swingy skirt — Another favorite and I wore this a few times, including once for a nice/fancy dinner.
• Maroon a-line skirt — I didn’t reach for this at all, not sure why. It’s a new skirt so maybe I just wasn’t instinctively reaching for it?

Outer layers:

• Pink cropped button down — wore this often as a very light jacket. It was the perfect thing to throw on over a dress or t-shirt when it was just slightly breezy.
• Denim button down — wore this a ton as a slightly warmer jacket, and it made a great pillow on the train/cabs/plane.
• Packable rain jacket — There was a fair amount of rain in the forecast when I was packing, but we had perfect weather the whole time, so I didn’t need this! Luckily it packed down pretty small.

Sweaters/long sleeves:

• Tan wool sweater — I wore this once but found that generally it wasn’t cold enough to need something this heavy.
• Black thin wool sweater and long sleeve brown t-shirt — Didn’t wear these at all even though they’re both favorites at home!

T-shirts/tanks:

• Brown shirt — For all of my airplane travel days.
• Blue boat neck shirt and black/white striped shirt — Wore both of these a few times. 
• Navy short-sleeved merino sweater — I found this a little scratchy and close-fitting around the neck. It’s new and I didn’t have a chance to test wear it before I packed it.
• Red/white striped shirt and white tee — Didn’t reach for either of these this time.
• Cream wool tank — Wore this a handful of times, both casually with jeans and once with my black skirt for a nice dinner.
• Striped brown/white tank — This was perfect for the hottest day of my trip.
• Boxy black linen/wool blend tank — This is a favorite (I sewed it myself!) but it got lost in the shuffle and I didn’t end up wearing it.

Extras (Photo 3)

Under things/PJs/lounge:

• Underwear — a few more than I’d usually bring because my period was due to start mid-way through the trip
• Socks 
• Sports bras and underwire bras — Wore the sports bras for travel days and underwire bras for non-travel days.
• Swimsuit
• Yoga pants — For long flights and PJs on a couple of chilly nights.
• Sleep shirts
• Bike shorts — Worn as sleep shorts.

 

Shoes:

• Adidas Sambas — Wore these constantly for up to 18,000 steps.
• Camper Dana sandals — Wore these 5-6 times on warmer days. Super comfy and easy to walk in.
• Loafers — My go-to shoe that looks cute with pants or a dress/skirt. Also my airplane shoes.

Accessories (Don’t judge me for my excesses!):

• Brown shoulder bag — Took this out a couple of times but ended up getting sick halfway through my trip which necessitated carrying around a box of tissues, so this didn’t get a ton of use.
• Black tote bag — My go-to bag pretty much every day.
• Larger pink/orange tote bag — For days I needed to carry more stuff (towels for beach day, big shopping days), and ended up being my airplane bag on the way back due to the number of souvenirs/treats I bought to bring home.
• Navy corduroy baseball cap

 

Makeup and health (Photo 4)

Makeup/Jewelry — Muji zippered pen case:

• Eyes - Glossier mascara, Glossier boy brow, eyeshadow brush, Urban Decay eye shadow (in the future I’d find a smaller palette with just my two everyday colors) 
• Face - Cargo blush, blush brush, Smashbox halo tinted moisturizer (didn’t wear this and wouldn’t bring it in the future unless I have a very specific need to do “nicer” makeup), Tarte creaseless creamy concealer
• Lips - Burts Bees tinted lip balm, Mario lip serum (this was empty, oops! Tossed it out)
• Other - Tweezers, compact mirror, Altoid mini tin with four pairs of earrings

Meds/health — Muji zippered pen case:

• Muji divided container with daily meds, Dramamine travel tube, prescription bottle (I take one controlled substance medication so travel with it in its original labeled bottle when I leave the country), nasal spray, a few foil blister packed Imodium and a couple of Sudafed, Altoid mini tin with advil and tylenol

Toiletries (Photo 5)

• Body/hair care - deodorant, sunscreen, hair products in tiny bottles from Muji, face lotion in a small container from Muji, comb, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, baggie of tampons/liners/pads (not pictured) 
• Shower - Shampoo, conditioner, razor, Dr Bronners soap, Korean spa scrub mitt 
• Dental care - Toothpaste, toothbrush, tongue cleaner, mouthwash, nightguard, floss

Bits and Bobs (Photo 6)

• Tech - Noise-cancelling headphones, wired headphones as backup, Instax camera and extra film, USB-c charger, laptop, plug adapter, mini white noise machine — I am very picky about my white noise…. however, this broke halfway thru the trip :( so I ended up using my phone 
• Other - Water bottle, wallet, sunglasses, hair clip, sleep mask, umbrella ( didn’t end up raining and probably would’ve been fine to just bring the rain jacket), passport (not pictured)

 Reflections:

I’m not generally an excessive packer, but this was the first time I made a concerted effort to pare back to just what I’d need, and while I clearly could’ve cut more, I feel like this is the start of a totally different approach to travel for me. It was great to not have a suitcase and I’m delighted at the thought of only having one bag in the future. 

It also helped define some parameters about how I’d like to pack in the future — I know that I’m not very driven to do laundry while traveling (outside of staying somewhere with a W&D) for trips shorter than two weeks or wearing hyper-optomized clothes on repeat — I want clothes that feel natural and aligned with my general fashion sense. This will mean building a flexible, stylish-ish, comfortable travel capsule wardrobe that works for lighter packing and still feels like me.

What I’d do differently:

• I didn’t organize these images of the clothes until after I got back — it's SUCH a helpful visual & I’ll definitely do this in advance next time to be able to better visualize what/how much I’m bringing. 
• I probably could’ve done with just one pair of jeans, even though I did wear them both fairly frequently.
• I brought a couple things that were new to me that either weren’t as comfortable as I hoped or that I didn’t instinctively reach for. I’ll consider the question of whether I want to bring a new item of clothing that feels unvetted or focus on tried-and-true items I know I’ll enjoy wearing.
• Too many shirts…! I was grateful to have options to change into after a sweaty day but I’d like to cut this number down.
• Do I really need two sports bras? Probably not! Since I just wore those for travel days, it wouldn’t be too onerous to wash one out after wearing and let it dry so it’s clean and ready for the next travel day.
• Next time, I’ll bring my silk PJs from Lunya that pack down SO small and would similarly wash and dry quickly if I wanted to wash them every few days.
• Unless I had a truly fancy event/dinner planned, I’ll probably stick with a black tote bag  vs a purse. I can fit much more in it, it packs down smaller, and it’s more versatile.
• I got sick halfway through the trip and really wished I’d packed more than two Sudafed. I’ll definitely research what basic drugs I can’t get in the country I’m traveling to and prioritize packing a few more of those. I ended up having to buy more stuff than I really wanted or needed (saline nose spray, zinc pills, an herbal cough reducer, So Many Tissues) which took up more space in my bag.
• I can bring smaller bottles of shampoo/conditioner/face wash/soap/etc to save space. I’ll buy a couple smaller ones, fill them up, and use them at home so I can really see how many days they last. 
• I’ll definitely replace my bulky plug adapter with a smaller one before I travel internationally again.

Wins and what I’d do the same:

• I really loved having all three pairs of shoes…! I think this’ll be a priority for me whenever possible.
• The korean spa scrub mitt takes up basically no space, dries quickly, and is great for scrubbing off dirt and grime after a long day.
• Bringing a larger tote bag came in clutch when we discovered SO many delightful treats and gifts to bring home — having it allowed me to shuffle everything around. I’ll probably find a lighter-weight tote (probably Baggu) that takes up less space or a single tote that works as both a day bag and a transit bag.

 

The biggest lesson came on the trip home — my travel companion checked a bag on the way home (included w/ our tickets) so they wouldn’t have so much to schlep thru the airport. But their bags didn’t make it onto our connecting flight…! Luckily it wasn't lost and was delivered within 24 hours, but it was 1) frustrating to wait so long at baggage claim vs getting out of the airport quickly after a long travel day, 2) stressful to have the bag be MIA, and 3) logistically challenging to not have the stuff inside the bag for 24 hours. I’m now fully committed to being more efficient and minimal with my packing so I don’t ever have to personally deal with that nonsense.

Thank you everyone for being so generous with information sharing on this group! This sub is so great and I appreciate everyone who shares their experiences, expertise, and advice 💞

Hi! I will be travelling internationally in the next couple months, and am in the market for a more elevated/chic personal item bag than what I usually use (a backpack or calpak luka). Here are my preferences:

- Vegan/recycled leather or a synthetic material preferably

- Top zipper (non-negotiable for me when traveling)

- Can fit a 14 inch macbook + change of clothes

- Dark, chic colors (dark browns/maroon/purples preferably)

- Price range: < $200

- Structured (can be slouchy tbh but I need a top zip)

- Long handles so I can wear it on my shoulder

- Bowler bag shape or just something that's not a traditional square tote shape

This time around I will be spending some time in the city during my layover + grabbing brunch, I wanted to use something that can also mimic an elevated tote/work bag.

Bags I like:

- Juliette Bowler bag (July): essentially want a dupe of this, matches everything I like except that price + material

- Large Ginevra Tote (Charles & Keith): Love, except no long handle would have to hold

- Brooklyn Bag (Olend): Love, except have read through reddit and have heard majority negative reviews bc it has no structure?

- Stockholm Bordeaux (Demellier): I really like the silhouette, but not the cost + material

- Uptown Tote (Poppies & Peonies): Love the silhouette, but magnetic closure + longer strap is almost too long/messenger bag like

It doesn't have to fit my criteria entirely, so open to any and all suggestions- thank you!

While I didn’t quite achieve one bag, my husband and I did just successfully complete two weeks abroad (London, Barcelona and Rome) in August with only a backpack and a rolling carry-on each, (photos 1-4) with plenty of room left over for souvenirs. I forgot to take more detailed packing photos, but here are some from my test pack I did a few days before! This sub has been a HUGE help for me and my over-packing nature, so I thought I’d share the things that worked really well for me!

The first thing I did when planning what to pack is take pictures of all the clothes I was thinking about bringing and put them all in the Freeform app on iPhone to see them all together. Then about a week before the trip, I made a plan of what I was going to wear each day, factoring in how much walking and how sweaty we would get that day. (Photos 5-6) That was super helpful to make sure I had the right clothes to meet any dress code requirements for religious places as well as making sure I could get the most out of each wash (like rewearing my plane shorts for a day where I was going to get really sweaty and gross anyway for example). While this may seem like overkill for some, it was super helpful for me and I ended up following my plan almost exactly. Really helped with the early mornings not having to think about what I needed to wear that day.

MVPs
- These toiletry pouches hold 3 oz without any bulk. We have skin issues so bringing lots of lotion was a nonnegotiable and we weren’t sure if we could find the same brand abroad. These were perfect and left plenty of room for hair products and things I couldn’t easily decant.

- Dry bag laundry. I saw someone in this sub mention doing laundry in a dry bag, so that’s what we did! We brought a dry bag, 3 oz pouch of laundry soap (which was way more than we needed) and enough clothes for a week but started washing in small batches a few days in due to limited clothesline space. Used the towel rolling method and then we hung them up on a tiny packable clothesline that worked great. Luckily we were able to get ahold of a fan at the hotel because our AC was not working well for the first few nights, so that helped with drying.

- BRANWYN Marino wool bralette. I wore this one bra every single day. I brought one other bralette to wear in the evenings post-shower while it dried if needed.

- Quince Flowknit Breeze Fit & Flare dress was perfect for going to dinner and I wore it almost every night, occasionally switching a skirt and a top. The dress is super comfy, dries fast, has pockets, and can be dressed up or down. I didn’t need to wear a bra with it which was great because usually my Marino wool bra was super sweaty still from my daytime adventures.

- I freaking love these shorts from Target. I now have 6 pairs of them in different colors (check Poshmark for more colors) because I live in these in the summer. Great length, drawstring, deep pockets and one of the pockets has a zipper which is amazing for travel.

- Rechargeable travel fan. Not packing related, but just wanted to note for someone who is prone to motion sickness, this baby came in CLUTCH when the Dramamine wasn’t working and I was in the second row of a van with less than optimal AC for a few hours.

- I got the Thread & Supply linen/cotton blend shirts on Poshmark and they were great for hot days when I wanted a little more coverage. They were easy to hand wash and line dry and looked cute with shorts or over my dress.

Other notes
-SUNSCREEN: We brought a little 3 oz bottle of sunscreen with us and then bought a larger bottle in Barcelona. We had to check our bags going from Barcelona to Rome because our carryon didn’t meet their size requirements (yet we saw so many that were the same size as ours so I think we would have been fine) so we were able to use that one bottle for the whole trip and bring the smaller one with us on day trips.

- BAR SOAP: We did a bar of soap which saved on liquids space, but we would have had plenty of room either way. We just prefer bar soap. I packed it in a little mesh bag I had saved from a Christmas gift and that was perfect to hang up and let dry. I almost bought a fancy dry bag for this but decided it was unnecessary and I was right.

- DAY BAGS: We loved this little 10 L packable backpack. It was the perfect size for a 32oz water bottle, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, my mirrorless camera, passports, wallet and a few other miscellaneous things. We put little S clips on the zippers to make it more secure. I also got the uniqlo mini shoulder bag and modified it some to add some zippered pockets and ways to secure wallet and phone in there. That worked well for days I didn’t bring the backpack and surprised by how much it fit! I saw SO many travelers with this same bag.

- SHOES: I went back and forth a lot on what shoes to bring. Ultimately happy with my choice of my athletic shoes, Teva Hurricanes and Teva original universal slims as my more dressy but still comfortable option. All these shoes did great on the cobblestones of Rome which is what my biggest concern was, though I didn’t do any major walking with the Teva universals. My Hurricanes probably got the most wear on this trip, and I wear them almost daily at home as well.

- WHITE NOISE: I really struggle to sleep without white noise and this one is SO tiny. It’s not my favorite white noise, but the size is great. Really helped with noisy hotel hallways when you’re trying to sleep past 6 am lol

- JEWELRY: I’m not much of a jewelry gal but I did bring my little gold huggy hoops and a small necklace for dinners. Just packed these in a tiny drawstring bag my earrings came with

- MAKEUP: Kept it simple with sunscreen stick, BB cream, powder, mascara and blush

Things I packed but didn’t use
- Black denim shorts. My only non athletic shorts I brought. I thought I might want them for a casual dinner, but I ended up just wearing a skirt or dress for every dinner. They were also a little snug so I should have known better than to pack them.

- Eye mask with built in speakers. Now the only reason I didn’t end up using these is because we got free eye masks on the plane trip where we were trying to sleep so I just use those instead of digging these out of my bag. I don’t regret bringing it but just didn’t end up using.

- 32 oz water bottle. I’m still undecided on if this was necessary because we did use it, but ultimately we bought a lot of bottles of water anyway so I could have easily just refilled those and saved the luggage space

- Power bank. I just upgraded to the latest iPhone so I didn’t have any issues with my phone battery. Never needed this and now flying with them is a little annoying because airlines want you to have them visible during the flight in case they catch on fire.

- Ear plugs. I realized I hate sleeping in foam ear plugs because they just don’t stay in. I used them on the plane but they kept falling out and were not helpful. Maybe if I tried a different kind. Not a huge deal though since they took up no space

- Swimsuit. I had a chance to use but it felt like more of a bother than it was worth
One normal bra. This was a last minute “just in case” pack since I had extra room. I just used my Marino bralette and regular bralette.

- Kindle. I downloaded tons of book options but ended up opting for audiobooks on the flights since I have a tendency to get motion sick. Not mad I brought it though since it’s so small. Just never got a chance to read while not flying because I was so exhausted every time I got back to the hotel.

—

Okay I think that’s all of my thoughts! Sorry this was such a long post, just had a lot to report back and happy to finally have something to contribute to this group!

—

Image descriptions:
Image 1: Osprey 26+6 backpack on top of green rolling carryon bag
Images 2-4: General photos of packing arrangement in backpack and roller bag with packing cubes.
Images 5-6: screenshots of outfit plan for the trip