A Guide to Personal Item Only Travel – How to Pack Light

Personal Item Only Travel – How I Pack Light Using the Best Backpack | AD

I’ve been interested in minimalism for a long time now. Travelling without lots of luggage has also been on my radar for quite a while but, until this year, I hadn’t given super light packing a go. I now have a few personal item only trips under my belt so thought it would be a good time to share what works for me. 

Why I Choose to Pack Light when Travelling

The main reason I choose to pack lightly is because it’s easier. The less stuff you have to look after, the better. Another reason for choosing to fly with just a personal item (which is a small backpack) is that it’s cheaper. These days, airlines usually charge extra for luggage, even for the small carry-on suitcases, so using just a backpack that fits within your airline’s size allowance is often the most affordable way to travel.

The Backpack Really Matters

What you choose to pack in when travelling light is very important. Not only does the bag need to fit the airline’s requirement but it also needs to be comfortable, practical and roomy enough to fit everything you need for your trip.

Recently, I found the perfect personal item only backpack for my travel needs – the goodeehoo Urban Voyager Backpack (read my full review of this backpack here).

This wonderful 22l backpack has been designed with travel in mind. The size is 29×17×43cm which means it will be accepted as a personal item by many airlines. Additionally, it has soft sides to help with any stricter luggage restrictions too. 

Other features include:

• Designed to keep everything neat and organised
• Padded laptop sleeve in a separate compartment for easy access 
• Large main compartment that opens like a suitcase
• Compression straps to keep everything in place
• Comes with a clear toiletries pouch for liquids which attaches to a strap inside the bag
• Lots of smaller pockets to organise smaller items
• Large front pocket with a zip and a key strap inside
• Two side pockets (one which is expandable to fit larger water bottles)
• Luggage sleeve to use for sliding the backpack onto a suitcase handle if needed
• Padded, adjustable shoulder straps
• Made with durable, water repellant fabric and premium alloy hardware

This bag is perfect for my travel and packing needs. I love the many clever features which makes it so easy to keep everything organised and makes security checks at the airport much more straightforward. 

How I Pack Light – Tips & Tricks

Since beginning my light travels, I have been on European big city trips for 3-day trips (without access to a washing machine – see what I packed for a Copenhagen weekend here) and 6-day trips (with access to a washing machine). Obviously having access to a washing machine helps since you can rewear more clothes and pack fewer items of clothing. 

Whether I have laundry facilities or not, there are many things that I do to make packing light work for me. Below you can find my list of tips and tricks:

• Check the weather forecast to ensure that you pack the right kind of clothes and to ensure you don’t pack things you won’t need.
• Wear bulky and heavy things when travelling (jacket, jeans, thick jumper, boots, etc.).
• Plan your outfits for each day and consider the activities you’ll be doing. 
• Pick versatile clothing items that you can rewear. 
• Choose clothes that pack down small and that won’t crease too badly. 
• Keep accessories simple and wear them all on the travel days.
• If you’re travelling with someone, share what you can, such as chargers, hand sanitiser, first aid kit, sun cream, toothpaste, etc.
• If you can, save space by just taking one pair of comfortable shoes (the ones you wear when travelling!). 
• Roll clothes tightly when packing or use travel vacuum packing bags (the ones that you can simply roll to remove excess air).
• Keep toiletries simple and opt for travel miniatures where possible. 

The key is to plan what you pack, choose well and only pack what you really need. Think about whether things are really necessary and choose things that don’t take up much space. Every little helps so pack with intention!

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