Minimalist Packing Tips & Hacks - Travel Light With Only Carry-On Luggage!

In this video we're tackling the confusing world of carry-on packing. What is the true size of a carry-on suitcase? What can you bring on board? How to pack like a minimalist? We even do a test-pack to show you what we'd pack on a long term trip.

We are big fans of traveling light with only the essentials to carry around. Travel doesn't just end at the airport. Whatever you pack for a trip has to be hauled around in taxis, on the bus, on the train, in and out of hotels and hostels.

With some careful planning, you can have a great trip with small, easy to handle luggage.

A few other reasons why we love carry-on packing is because you can save money by not paying to check a bag, you don't have to wait for your luggage to unload from the plane and waste time at the carousel, and you don't have to worry about losing your luggage or having someone take it by mistake.

Here are a few TSA (Travel Security Administration) websites to help you figure out what you can, and can't bring on board. It varies by airline and by country. We chose these links based on the top countries that watch our videos :)

India:

If you have any tips, hacks, or tricks for packing light, please share them in the comments!

Thanks for watching!

Mat & Danielle

PS thank you to all of our Patrons who support us so generously and a very special thank you to our backbone supporters: The Burgess Family!

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VIDEO CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:

All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.

Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives

Filming Credits:
Mat of Exploring Alternatives

[ExploringAlternatives]

What about you? What's the least amount of luggage you've ever traveled with? Did it make your trip more enjoyable?

[JayeCole]

As a very experienced traveller (about 20x per year), I would say there are some key things I noticed:
1) Packing cubes (although I think a fair few people have mentioned this in the comments). Rolling clothes is a great backup option but you can fit almost 50% more if packed properly into cubes.
2) Why would you bring an electric toothbrush and an entire container of floss? Your teeth will be fine with a significantly smaller foldable travel toothbrush for a few days/weeks and you can pull out enough floss for a few weeks and wrap it up and use up about 10% of the space.
3) Shave off a small section of the soap. That amount of soap is a waste of space unless you will be travelling for over a month and in that case - you can buy more on the go.
4) A plugin USB splitter. A huge percentage of electronics charge off a USB so a plugin splitter will make one plug become 4 or more.
5) Phone apps for travel guides, maps, taxis, translators, etc.
6) Some umbrellas back up as small as 6 cm. I can't see why I would avoid bringing one and having to buy one (expensive and wasteful) when they make travel umbrellas which take up less space than the huge electric toothbrush that was packed.
7) A reusable standard razor takes up much less space than a pair of clippers. Unless you are going to be travelling for over a month, it is a bit of overkill.
8) I can't see some things which would be essentials for most travellers like a bit of lip balm and lotion (dry aeroplane skin), painkillers like paracetamol & ibuprofen (many countries like Spain will only sell these in a pharmacy and at limited hours which is a nightmare if you become ill at 2am). I understand travelling minimally - but there is no need to be uncomfortable.
9) Scanning/photographing important documents like travellers insurance & a copy of your passport in case you need them or your passport is lost.
10) This all seems geared towards warm weather travelling which doesn't represent a significant number of places a person would travel to. I would love to see another video with cold weather items as they are much bulkier.

[claudiaw]

Just have a few things to add:
1. If you're using multiple airlines during your trip, use the most restrictive carry-on limits. For example, if two of the carriers allow 8kg, but one only allows 7kg, then pack only 7kg. Also pay attention to personal item size restrictions, because some carriers do specify exactly how big and heavy it can be.
2. When measuring the carry-on bag, go from the floor (i.e., include the wheels) in the height.
3. Check to make sure that your over-the-counter meds are legal in all the countries you're visiting. For example, you can buy codeine in Canada without a prescription, but that's not the case in a lot of countries.

[TarTelperienNumenor]

I've recently started using bar shampoo and bar conditioner when I fly since my liquids bag is always stuffed. I bought mine from Lush; they were a bit pricey but a 2 week trip barely made a dent (and I have long hair), I think one shampoo bar could easily last a couple months!

[reedschindler]

I traveled to Europe for two weeks with just a backpack and an extra bag. Two words though: packing cubes!! They were absolute lifesavers, and I would highly recommend using them if you're going to go the route of only doing carry-on.

[natalieb.mortensen]

I have only travelled with carry-on for ~10 y and I recommend having all your liquids(including toiletries etc) to be stored i a 1L ziplock and keeping it at an easily accessible place in your smaller bag along with your electronis. Most airports require you to put those in a separate tray for security screening and it's just a hassle to find all the items at the bottom of your suitcase once you're already queuing :)

[AlyssaTaylor]

I spent 8 days in Costa Rica over the summer with just a carry-on and my backpack. It's definitely worth travelling that way! No luggage fees, no possibility of missing bags, and super easy as I was on the go for much of the trip. It was a bit hard going in as I was bringing a few gifts for a family that had previously hosted me, but I was able to use that extra space to bring home lots of coffee!

[Victoria-dhvb]

Chapstick, a small container of hand sanitizer, a small pack of tissue, sunscreen, and a mini emergency sewing kit. Because that sewing kit is a God send when you need it. Think ripped baggage or clothing... and they can be surprisingly hard to find and very expensive in some places.

Another thing that can come in handy is a wall charger that has a bunch of USB plug ins and then having a converter for the other side that plugs into the wall. When backpacking we were able to just use this with all of our devices' chords. Ours has 4 charging ports and we could use it for the cameras, phones, tablets, etc.

Extra zip lock bags, because if anything leaks they are a life saver.

And a lightweight foldable bag, good if you are grabbing groceries or if you end up with too much stuff to fit in your bag when you are going home... you can check your main bag (most flights allow 1 free checked bag) and use the spare bag as a carry-on

[pieter]

Very useful for many, but a few additions/corrections: (1) When discussing carry-on sizes, you forgot to mention that the size includes everything including handles and wheels. The way you showed the measures didn't exactly suggest this. (2) The 100 ml max bottles need to be packed in a separate 1 liter baggy, not inside a larger toiletries bag. That baggy has to be taken out for security (except when you are TSA pre-checked or some equivalent scheme, in which case you probably don't need these tips to begin with. (3) I always keep my coat and sweater handy. Planes and even airports can be chilly, and except in extremely hot weather walking around with your coat draped over the case or over your arm would not be out of place. (4) As other have mentioned: packing cubes!

[nomap]

Great video. Instead a laundry bar, have you looked at the laundry soap sheets being sold now? They’re the size of dryer sheets and 3x as thick. I take about 3 sheets for a 2 week trip and 1/3 sheet will wash a sink full of clothes. When we need to go to the laundry mat, we use a full sheet for a wash load. They’re much lighter than a bar and more packable.

[pinkysworn]

Two of my biggest tips are (1) to stuff small flexible items (socks, underwear, belts, etc.) inside of sturdy shoes so you’re not wasting any space, and (2) to switch over to solids as often as possible for your toiletries. Nowadays a trip to Lush or your local health food store can eliminate the need for many of those pesky liquids altogether. You can swap for shampoo bars, solid conditioners, lotion bars, tooth tablets or tooth powder, and plain old bar soap. No chance of spills! No 100 ml limits!

Oh, and bonus tip for those of us who wear makeup: travel with multi-purpose products to cut down on individual items. You can find tons of options for cheek/lip products in one, eyeliner/mascara in one, medium coverage moisturizing BB cream with SPF, etc.

[mirkwoodforest]

Really great advice! I work on the railway and ‘travel’ or take about 10 trips a month. I work in really changing weather which can range from very hot to really cold. My basic kit includes a 110$ light rain jacket with a good hood. It’s really easy to roll up and tuck into my bag. Now depending on how cold it is I wear dress type pants from Marks Work Wearhouse and have pajama bottoms under them. I wear a cotton t-shirt that’s a size too big under a nice, long sleeve dress shirt that’s made from natural fabric (a little protection from fire). Over that I might wear a hoodie without a zipper if it’s really cold and another hoodie over that with a zipper. My final protection is the rain jacket if it’s windy, cold or raining and I mix and match to be comfortable. With this I have ridden more than 5 km’s at -28*C on a rail car with really strong winds so this works great. I know this is extreme but I like layers rather than a parka and all of this can fit in a small Adidas day pack (18$), the one that you load from the top and draw the strings together to close.
I would like to add that when I travel with my wife we have a small case that we put cards, dice (with a small anti-slip, anti-noise mat), pens, writing pads, Yahtzee pads, skip-bo and a few other games. This fits into a small bag that is tucked in our luggage last so it’s easy to retrieve. If we are delayed or stranded then we pull out the bag and have a game, and sometimes it’s the best part of the trip.

[chrissaunders]

If you like to use packing cubes, I’ve found that using the plastic zipper bags that come with pillowcases, comforters and other things. They work great and are see through. Other products use these bags so I have them in all different sizes.

[theminimalistnomadbee]

Packing cubes! Definitely.
They are a game-changer. They keep all of your clothes well organised and make the packing and unpacking so much easier. I used to roll my clothes too, but with packing cubes and the konmari method of folding I find that I need even less space.

[rcole]

To add a great idea to this, especially if you like to shop on your trips is to mail your dirty laundry back home. It’s fairly reasonable to do so. Then bring back the new good stuff with you! We’ve done it and it worked great—-

[k_c_chen]

Don't forget the wheels when measuring the dimensions of the carry-on.

Packing cubes help keep things organized and efficient. Pull them out, put them in the drawers at your destination and unzip the top... its like a filing system for clothes. eBag's ultralite slim cubes fit perfectly width wise in a typical carry-on furthering the filing system concept.

Solid soap bars... no liquid restrictions. Use a miter saw and cut favorite / specialty soap bars into "travel" size (ie. the laundry bar in the video).

[drunkvegangal]

Thermometer (digital or plastic w/alcohol), ibuprofen <--even if you don't need them - someone else might; reusable (washable) pads for the ladies (etsy has lots of creative ones!), stretchy (ace) bandage to wrap injured knee/ankle/wrist/elbow, etc., cotton sarong (multiple use; skirt/beach cover for gals (and guys in S.E.A), towel, picnic blanket, bed sheet, cover for window in cheap hostel, etc., finally - I travel with an immersion coil and a 1 liter stainless steel 'mug' which has a lid...I pack it with tea bags, freeze dried coffee and a few local cookies. So luxurious to linger in your quiet room for a hot beverage and a quick biscuit before venturing out somewhere new...also...ensures potable water no matter what time you get to your room; just boil and voila! Even when the local shops are all closed! Finally, the 'mug' takes the place of a portable food holder (like tupperware or the steel tiffan container you showed).

[AlbaderBohamad]

The military roll to fold clothes is the best way to save space, and it also looks super neat and adventurous.

[Dashzap]

Some good ideas. I suspect a basic soap bar will work for your body and your clothes...no need to carry two.

I also like the Ultralight Bag Unpack video by Sarah Murdoch (who is a Rick Steves Tour guide). She talks about the weight of the bag empty, and the weight of each item she packs. It was a Eureka! moment for me when I compared the weight of a bulky sweater and a thin merino wool sweater. Similar warmth with drastically different weights and space taken up in your bag.

I had fun weighing my entire wardrobe including shoes and purses once, and came up with the perfect set to pack.

[AnneMB]

After lots of travel I’m an expert at packing light.
A few ideas - layer for cooler weather, wear bulky item/s on plane, 3 only of socks, undies, bras, scarves (cool weather), 2 pairs of shoes, mix and match clothing - some casual, some more dressy. Love seeking out laundromats for clothes washing and to chat with locals.