One Bag Travel

When traveling nowadays it usually involves getting to an airport, take a plane to the country you visit and then take some other form of transportation (rental car, taxi, bus, train) to get to your destination. You repeat that process on return.

When you subscribe to the One Bag Travel philosophy you can do this the easy way. The name really says it all: on your travels you take all your possessions with you in one light, carry on bag. It's a simple and better way to go.

You could travel the world with just one bag, but it takes some skill, planning and adjustment. It's a certain mindset you need to have: travel as comfortable as you can, while bringing as little as possible.

When using this method of travel there are numerous benefits.

Cheap
You don't have to pay extra charges for carry on luggage. Or tip porters for carrying your luggage to your room. In stead of taking taxi cabs you can take public transportation or just walk.

Flexibility
Options of transportation increase while dealing with delays or missed connections because you don't have to worry about what will happen to your checked luggage. You could also board earlier flights when available. You can easily hop on any kind of transportation. You don't have check in early. You'll be the first out of the airport because waiting times at conveyor belts are a thing of the past.If you don't like your accommodation you can easily walk down the block to another one.

Secure
You don't need to check baggage or entrust it to others which could lead to miss routing or loss. There's a reduced risk of theft or being used by those who want to use you as an aid for their smuggling of illegal goods.

Serenity
Packing takes little time. You have less items to worry about and you know there's only one place they can be: your bag. You waste less energy hauling stuff around. You just have to worry less.

Sustainable
As an added bonus there's the benefits to the planet. You use less stuff which cuts down consumption. The vehicles that move you around use less fuel which leads to less greenhouse gasses. Some manufacturers supplying the specialized gear use recycled materials.

Falling back on old habits is the greatest risk. There will come a time on every trip that you'll miss something. It could be an umbrella for heavy rain or sunscreen for that bright sun. It's inevitable that you can't pack for every contingency. Overcoming that mindset is the biggest challenge to most.

However you can overcome that challenge when you subscribe to what Tim Ferriss likes to call the BIT method of travel: Buy It There. If you allocate about $50-200 per trip for those little purchases like sunscreen or an umbrella you'll be fine.

When you read about the benefits you would think so. You would be wrong. It's a very specific way of traveling. And some people just need to bring stuff they think they may possibly need (and in the process bring a pile of suitcases as pictured). As said, it's all about a certain mindset. It a conscious choice to travel as light as possible while not compromising on a certain level of comfort. Brad of One Bag, One World says it best with his 7 maxims of ultralight travel (although he might be getting a bit far with the weight; it is more about meeting the airline regulations and having a weight you find comfortable to carry around; also with electronics: there are many people out there who couldn't live a day without their iPods).

1) Ultralight travel is not for everyone.
2) Ultralight travel is not just traveling with one suitcase.
3) Ultralight travel means carrying 15 pounds or less.
4) Ultralight travel does not mean the traveler must look, smell, or feel bad.
5) Ultralight travel requires a certain amount of specialized gear and clothing.
6) Ultralight travel means the traveler must commit to doing a certain amount of sink laundry.
7) Ultralight travel means a traveler must make a conscious effort to minimize, miniaturize or eliminate electronic equipment.

If you feel that one of those points doesn't reflect your way of wanting to travel, one bag travel might not be for you. Also when your trip requires certain items (think ski trip) or is highly specialized (expedition to Antarctica), this way of travel is not for you.

But when these points do speak to you, you could be on the brink of starting something that has a lot of benefits while traveling and is enjoyed by many. You could be well on your way to become a one bag traveler yourself.

Souvenirs can add to the enjoyment of a trip, but they can also cause a little bit of a hassle. They can become a nuisance having them to haul them with you during the remainder of your trip or they can force you to check your luggage due to weight or dimensions. There is a simple solution however how to handle souvenirs when you're traveling with one bag: ship them home.

Couriers like UPS, Fedex and TNT have a growing number of branches all over the world where you can ship to whatever destination you desire. They also provide a number of packing options which help you to safely send your souvenirs. Checking if branches are available is just a matter of checking on the web.

In case above option is not available, you could always try the local option. Many shops in tourist areas all over the world have started to provide a mailing service. Be sure though that they pack your souvenirs carefully in order to prevent damage and be sure to ask about the courier they'll use. If it's not one of the services above find out how good the local postal service operates, because not all are created equally. It won't be the first time packages arrive weeks or months later or just vanish.

You need a special kind of bag for this kind of travel. It should stay within the carry-on dimension limits, which means the bag's dimensions of height, width and depth need to stay below the maximum linear dimensions of 51 inch (or 130 cm). They should be made from a sturdy material, be water resistant and comfortable to carry around. Manufacturers of these type of bags use a sturdy nylon or some kind of polyester material.

Choosing the bag is a matter of personal taste. Some prefer a backpack, others prefer shoulder bag. Some of the best reviewed bags happen to be shoulder bags. Here they are.

Patagonia MLC

My bag of choice. MLC stands for Maximum Legal Carry on and it absolutely stays true to its name. I have never had any trouble getting this bag onto an airplane as a carry on bag. This shoulder bag can be turned into a backpack (not preferred because of the lack of a back frame; I even thought about cutting out the straps to even save more on weight), is water resistant (survived an Irish rain storm) and it has enough zippered pockets to keep things separated. Highly recommended. You can find a review of the bag here.



Rick Steve's Convertible Carry On

Another highly recommended bag . It has the same features as the MLC, but it's cheaper. Although it has a padded waistband to use when converted to a backpack, like the MLC it doesn't have a supporting back frame. The quality doesn't match the MLC but it's a great bag for this kind of travel.



Red Oxx Air boss.
This bag is getting some excellent reviews and is being named as one of the best bags around. It is the most expensive one here but it has many things going for it. Not in the least that it's developed with the help of One Bag travel expert Doug Dyment of Onebag.com



Overall you can't get wrong with any one of these bags. All 3 come with good reviews and recommendations. It's just a matter of personal taste and budget which one will work for you.

If you're planning to go to places where wall sockets aren't wildly available (think Australian outback or the jungles of South America) and you still want to use your ipod and digital camera a solar backpack could be a great choice for you. The idea is simple: attached to the bag are solar panels which convert solar energy and store it in the bag's internal battery. That battery is then used to charge your electronic devices.

People are traveling the world with these as their bag of choice so it is possible to use these for your one-bag travel adventures. The bags are small enough to be carry on luggage, but bulky enough to hold your attire if you travel light. There is however the added weight of the battery that you have to keep in mind. They are also more expensive than your average backpack.

I have no personal experience with these bags, but the Voltaic Solar Backpack is receiving some good reviews.

It's easy to talk the talk, but you should walk the walk. For my travels I have the following packing list (updated july 2011):

Clothing:

- 4 pair of lightweight boxers: 3 packed, 1 to wear
- 4 pair of lightweight socks: 3 packed, 1 to wear
- 2 pair of trousers with zip off legs: 1 packed, 1 to wear
- 1 lightweight fleece pull-over: packed
- 3 quick-drying polo shirts : 2 packed, 1 to wear
- 1 pair of shoes: to wear
- 2 lightweight tees : 1 packed, 1 to wear
- 1 jacket which doubles as rain jacket: to wear
- 1 bucket hat: packed
- 1 pair of swimming truncks: packed
- 1 pair of flip-flops: packed

Toiletries (packed in a small ziplock bag):

- 1 travel deo stick
- 1 small tube of toothpaste
- 1 travel toothbrush
- 1 travel razor
- 1 small can shaving cream

Misc:

- 1 ultraLite towel
- 2 larger ziplock bags (for laundry)
- 1 small messenger bag that acts as daypack
- 1 pair of earplugs
- 1 paperback

Gadgets:

- 1 Digital camera with 1 extra battery + adapter
- 1 Mobile phone + adapter
- 1 AC adapter plug

(This is a packing list for a summer holiday)