370,000 Redditors Want You to Travel With One Bag. Here’s How to Do It.

Attention all chronic overpackers: We hear you and see you, but there’s no need to pack 20 pairs of underwear for a four-day trip. Let’s face it—some of us have travel anxiety, and we take it out on our poor suitcases, stretching those zippers to their limits. But with ever-increasing fees and weight limits, checked bags can be expensive. The solution? Travel with just one bag, with advice from of r/OneBag.

When you want opinions from thousands of strangers who have been in your position, there’s Reddit. Anyone planning a trip can spend hours perusing subreddits devoted to travel, like r/TravelHacks, r/SoloTravel, r/Shoestring, and, of course, r/OneBag, a community dedicated to helping you “pack less and simplify your travel experience, prioritizing exploration over logistics.” For anyone who’s ever lost their luggage, hurt their back lugging a suitcase through the subway, or simply wants to feel less weighed down while on the move, here’s how to travel with only one bag.

What is one-bag travel?

One-bag travel is self-explanatory: It’s traveling with one bag. No check-in suitcase—only a single piece of luggage that you carry on to the plane. Here are some reasons why you should travel light.

• Freedom: Traveling with one bag physically frees you up and allows you to more easily navigate your new, exciting destination.
  
• Peace of mind: It’s hard to lose your bag (unless you forget it) when it’s in the overhead bin right above you.
  
• Budget-friendly: Skip checked bag fees.
• Save time: No need to stand around the baggage carousel waiting for your luggage. Instead, breeze off the plane and right to your hotel. Plus, since you’ll be traveling lighter, it will take less time to pack and unpack.
  
• Safety: For those who like to travel solo, packing everything in one bag is a smart way to keep your things as safe as possible. It’s easier to keep track of a single bag.

There are two main things to bear in mind with one-bag travel: 1. One-bagging is about having a single piece of luggage, but don’t forget a small sling bag, packable tote, or compact day-pack to use on the plane or train and while out during the day. 2. Since you’ll only have a carry-on, you won’t be able to bring liquids over 3.4 oz (100 ml). You can always buy larger toiletries on arrival and, if you’re really eager to bring back a bottle of wine or jar of honey, you can check a bag on the way home.

Courtesy of Cotopaxi

How do you travel with only one bag?

Do laundry while traveling

Chronic overpackers might find the idea of using just one bag absolutely preposterous. But all it takes is savvy planning. For those who master the art of traveling as free as can be, the pros outweigh the cons. The bulkiest thing in everyone’s luggage is clothing. And though it’s not advisable to bring just one outfit for a trip, there are ways to bring less. First, remember that you can always do laundry while traveling, and every avid one-bagger has their own system. Socks and underwear are the easiest thing to wash yourself in a sink, bathtub, or wash bag. And biodegradable, pocket-size detergent sheets make the chore easier. Investing in a few pairs of merino wool socks and shirts, especially undershirts, is also useful; thanks to wool’s hydrophobic properties, B.O. particles have a hard time absorbing into wool clothing, so you can wash them less often.

Second, use a site like LighterPack, which helps you track how much you’re really packing, and how the weight can add up. Start by setting aside your biggest and bulkiest items, such as a heavy jacket or boots, and plan to wear these on the plane; they’ll keep you warm in that chilly cabin air. Some posters on /r/OneBag swear by synthetic-fabric pieces, some of which have moisture-wicking properties and tend to dry more quickly. However, polyester, acrylic, and nylon fabrics are some of the biggest contributors to microplastic pollution. To be more environmentally friendly, you might purchase merino, linen, silk, and gauzy cotton pieces, which dry quickly after being washed.

Shoes also generate discussion in /r/OneBag. Ideally, you can make do with the pair you’ll wear on the plane. But if you’re spending a week in Paris and then a week hiking in the Alps, or have a long layover somewhere wintry on your way to the tropics, you will need two pairs of shoes. In that case, wear your bulkiest footwear on the plane.

One-baggers swear by solid toiletries, such as shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. Not only do solid bars pack neatly, but you won’t have to worry about anything exploding in your bag. Lush has a wealth of bar-based beauty products, and brands like New Zealand–based Ethique (which is also 100 percent plastic free) and vegan-friendly Obia are also handy options. Raw Elements makes reef-safe sunscreen sticks. If you’ll have easy access to a pharmacy on arrival, consider packing only the essentials and buying everything else at your destination, whether sunscreen in Australia or a mini tube of toothpaste in Italy.

When it comes to packing electronics, think about what you really need. Many people on /r/OneBag pack headphones, a powerbank, a multiport adapter and, if traveling for work, a laptop or tablet, plus whatever cords are needed to charge their devices. Some pack e-readers, others take a paper book. Charging cords can always be picked up when you arrive, but adapters for North American plugs can be hard to find outside of North America, so double-check that those have been packed.

Related: 19 Travel Packing Tips From Frequent Travelers

Courtesy of Fabian Öhrn/Away

The best luggage for traveling with only one bag

One-baggers aren’t big on suitcases, but if you don’t want to carry a backpack, you can still travel with a single, carry-on suitcase.

First, decide which camp you fall into: Would you rather buy a bag and tailor your packing list to its size, or take the dimensions of what you want to bring and then find a piece of luggage that fits?

Either way, there are a couple of things to consider when choosing a single bag. Do you prefer a backpack, duffel bag, or suitcase? If it’s the latter, is it important to you to have four wheels over two? Do you prefer a soft or hard shell? Take into consideration which airlines you usually fly. Do they have stringent baggage policies, or are they more generous with baggage weight?

Here are some bag options frequently recommended by Redditors:

Duffel bags

Cotopaxi’s Allpa 70L Duffel Bag and Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel Bag (which comes in 40L, 55L, 70L, and 100L) are perennial Reddit faves. The rugged bags are made of weather-resistant, recycled materials and can either be carried by hand or worn like a backpack (the straps for either option are stowable and removable).

Backpacks

Scrolling through the subreddit, you’ll notice that backpacks are the preferred system for one-baggers. And there are so many choices. One that pops up frequently is the Bellroy Transit Backpack Plus because it meets carry-on restrictions, has a removable sternum strap and hideaway waist belt to take the strain off your shoulders, and boasts internal compression straps to reduce bulk. It’s now sold out, but check secondhand sites; you never know what might pop up. Other much-loved options include the Osprey Farpoint and Fairview family of travel packs and the 40L Tortuga Backpack. For those looking for a hybrid roller/backpack, the wheeled versions of these Osprey bags also have good reviews. For something smaller, Redditors suggest Cotopaxi’s Allpa 35L Travel Pack because it’s lightweight and features a full-wrap zipper like a suitcase or the 30L version of Tortuga’s bag. The Cotopaxi Allpa is also available in 28L, which may be more suitable for petite frames.

Hybrid backpack/suitcases

Baboon to the Moon’s collection of Go-Bags comes in a wide array of colors and sizes. Both the Small and Mini comply with TSA’s carry-on requirements. The Go-Bag can be either worn as a backpack or carried like a duffel bag.

Suitcases

r/OneBag enthusiasts aren’t super keen on suitcases—the wheels make the bag heavier, and they’re not as easy to move through crowded streets, subway stations, or over cobblestones. The Briggs & Riley Compact Carry-On Spinner and Away’s the Carry-On are both recommended, but truly any carry-on suitcase that you are able to lift up will do. Choose a bag that meets the size limits of most airlines and offers a lifetime limited warranty.

Courtesy of Eagle Creek

One-bagging travel tips

• Use packing and compression cubes: Easily keep your clothes separate from your power cords (or, more importantly, your dirty underwear from your clean) with these organizational bags. They make it easier to pull out exactly what you need. The compression bags also help squish items into more manageable packages; this won’t save you any weight, but it’ll give you more space.
• Choose a rectangular-shaped bag: Because compression cubes are usually rectangular, it’s better to use a similarly shaped bag to maximize packing efficiency.
• Bring a carabiner: A carabiner clipped to the outside of your bag is extremely useful; it can hold an extra pair of shoes, a water bottle, a hat, or a jacket.
• Consider your bag’s weight: The point of traveling with one bag is more freedom of movement, so make sure you can easily lift your own bag to overhead bin height.

Above all, remember that you don’t need to pack for every eventuality. If you’re going trekking during monsoon season, yes, a raincoat is a must. If you’re heading to Spain in July, you probably won’t see a drop of rain, so leave the umbrella at home and don’t think about the what-ifs. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you’re going to be a radically different person than at home, so pack what you’ll use—and nothing more.

This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on December 8, 2025, with current information. Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.