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I have traveled across 5 continents and 15+ countries in the last three years, with trips ranging from one week to five weeks and everything in between, and on all my travels I utilized a carryon exclusively for packing. I did not check any luggage in all that time, and feel that my mobility on trips has become easier and more flexible. I no longer worry about the airline losing my bags, exorbitant checked bag fees, or waiting 30 minutes in the airport for my bags to appear. I’m now able to move between hotels or cities easily, without being weighed down by luggage.
Packing Process
Being a minimalist by nature, I did not find it hard to fit a week’s worth of stuff into a backpack. Here are some things I’ve learned over the last three years:
- Take no more than 2 pairs of shoes
- Wear the bulky pair on the flight, and pack the lighter pair in your bag.
- I usually wear my hiking boots when flying, and pack a lighter dressier pair which can be worn in museums, restaurants, or on Shabbos.
- If flying to a colder climate, pack layers rather than bulk
- I visited the snow-capped Pyrenees Mountains in Andorra and the deserts of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa in a single trip, taking a light fleece lined jacket and a sweater (both worn while flying), as well as a scarf and gloves (these take up almost no space and go a long way in keeping your body warm).
- If you’re departing from a warmer location and are not comfortable wearing a sweater, drape it over your arm to save space in your carryon.
- For longer trips, find local laundromats
- I pack no more than one week worth of clothes, and have never had an issue finding a laundromat when needed on longer trips.
- Many hotels have a laundry room for guests, and when booking an Airbnb I try to choose one with a washer/dryer.
- Pack mix & match clothing
- Take no more than two skirts, pants, etc- wear one, and pack one in your bag.
- If you like dressing up when going out, pack a sweater top that will look good with several top/bottom combos, to keep your wardrobe interesting while still utilizing minimal items
- If you’re packing a pair of earrings, clip them onto a button to keep them together- this also makes it easier to locate
- Buy bulky toiletries at your destination
- I pack small TSA approved bottles of shampoo and toothpaste, but only use those until I have a chance to stock up at my destination.
- While not an umbrella user myself, if traveling to a rainy destination I recommend purchasing this upon arrival- no need to shlep across oceans.
- Pack your food separately
- When flying to a destination with limited kosher, I usually pair my backpack with a small cooler bag (‘personal item’ size in airline lingo) and pack all my foodstuffs in that, like I did on my three week trip to Portugal. TSA often inspects bags that contain food, and by packing this separately you ensure that your backpack remains neat and untouched.
- See “Pro Tip” section below on how to take liquids past TSA when flying just with a carryon.
Favorite Backpack
I’m currently using the 40L Vancropak bag for my travels. The interior resembles a suitcase, the flap opens 180° so you can access and view everything easily, the pack is expandable, and it has a few exterior pockets for smaller items. Additionally it’s made of lightweight materials, so you’re wasting no more than a few ounces on the bag itself. The only downside of the Vancropak is the quality, which while commensurate with the price, could be better. At the moment I’m too enamored with the bag layout and lightness to care, but I would definitely pay more for the same bag type of superior quality, if available.
Pro Tips
Here are some packing tips I’ve learned over the years:
- Bounce
- Bounce is a luggage storage service that partners with local stores in hundreds of cities, allowing you to store your bags safely and conveniently. I generally use them if I land in a city early in the day and don’t want to head to the hotel til later in the evening, or if I check out of my hotel in the AM but don’t want to double back to the hotel before departing. Having just one bag limits my storage fee for a full day to ~$8, while allowing me to visit sites unencumbered.
- Liquids & Carry-ons
- I often fly to countries with no kosher milk, but have found a perfectly legal workaround on how to bring milk with me, without needing to check any bags. I purchase the 8 oz shelf stable UHT milk from Golden Flow and freeze it until the milk is solid frozen (you can do this with regular milk as well- I prefer UHT so that I don’t need to have a fridge on a daily basis). Fully frozen items that have no melted liquid yet are permitted past TSA- I pack that in a small cooler bag, and voila!
- Want to learn more about how I travel worldwide with limited access to kosher food? Read my article on Traveling Without Access to Kosher Food.
- Vacuum Packing Bags
- While not generally a fan of packing cubes and other fancy packing accessories, I have found vacuum packing bags to be helpful in reducing space. I don’t use them on a regular basis since I find that one week’s worth of clothing fits amply in my bag, but if I ever feel the need to pack more, or if packing something bulky, I find that these bags reduce the space taken up by clothing by ~30%.
- TSA-Size Toiletries Bottles
- I fill these bottles with shampoo, toothpaste, moisturizer, etc, so that I’m within the TSA approved limit for liquids. I find that these bottles hold approximately one week’s worth of toiletries, so for shorter trips I utilize just these. For longer trips I usually purchase what I need at my destination.
- Laundry Detergent Sheets
- A friend introduced me to these laundry detergent sheets which take up very little space, as I find that laundry detergent is often a pain to buy at my destination, since they tend to come in large bottles, which means using a few ounces and tossing the rest. Additionally they often have an unfamiliar scent which is not to my liking.
- Shampoo/Conditioner Bars
- While this is not currently part of my travel ensemble since I prefer taking small bottles of my preferred brand of shampoo/soap and buying more at my destination if needed, I do hope to try those in the future.
- Vitamins/Pill Organizer
- Vitamins and other pill bottles tend to take up a fair amount of space, so if you take those on a regular basis, consider getting a pill organizer. This keeps your medications organized while taking up less room in your bag.
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