Yes, it’s true, Marty and I only travel with hand luggage, and more specifically, only with our backpacks. I know some of the ladies out there are gasping right now, but it’s true! We’ve even spent as long as a month in Europe and only taken our backpacks.
With our packing tips and an open mind, you too can travel with only a backpack!
This is part 2 of our minimalist travel series. If you haven’t yet read the first post in this series, The Best Travel Backpack for Europe…and Beyond, please start there as having a good bag is step number one in this process.
Then after finishing this post, be sure and get our Ultimate Carry On Only Packing List.
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Travel With Only a Backpack: Our First Experience
I remember the first time that Marty suggested that I travel with only a backpack.
We were headed to San Francisco for a 5-day trip and he wanted me to pack with just one bag, well actually just one backpack?? Was he crazy?
Did he not know who he married at all? I was not having this. I needed my shoes and my makeup!
You see, we had a trip to Europe scheduled to take place about 3 months after our San Francisco trip and Marty did not want us lugging around bags as we transferred between Rome, Capri, and Paris, just to name a few towns.
Showing me our Europe itinerary convinced me to give this backpacking thing a try. I mean, I didn’t want to be the one slowing us down with luggage. LOL!
Not being fully convinced, I bought a cheap backpack from the local department store and began packing it up for San Francisco. I packed up my bag shoving it full of as many clothes, shoes, makeup, and hair accessories as I could.
In my mind I pretended that I was packing for a last minute weekend getaway.
Funny thing though, I wound up not using about 1/2 of these items and the cheap backpack that I bought was really uncomfortable.
This really put this minimalist travel into perspective for me. I decided that I could travel with only a backpack if I had the right tools and did the appropriate planning for our trip.
One of the tools to consider, especially when flying overseas, is to consider your long-haul flight essentials.
At this point in our travels, Marty and I have taken 50 or more trips traveling only with our backpacks, so I consider us pros. That’s where the rest of this post comes in.
Let us teach you how to embrace traveling with only a backpack so you can experience this great freedom and save some money!
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Find the Best Travel Backpack
One of the most critical parts of traveling with only a backpack is to find a great bag!
Marty and I both tried numerous backpacks and learned the hard way that spending a little extra money goes a long way. In our post, The Best Travel Backpacks for Europe…and Beyond, we tell you all about our favorite bags.
It’s extremely important that you find a bag that suits your traveling needs. We prefer a front open bag with plenty of pockets to help organize our stuff.
I mean, you don’t want to have to empty your bag to find a phone charger while waiting at the airport.
Pack Light and Pack Right
Choose Your Outfits Wisely
Like I said before, I usually wind up taking twice the amount of clothing that I truly need with me on vacation. Carefully choosing my outfits has helped me tremendously to pack lighter.
I tend to go with a color palette and continue that throughout my clothing decisions. I have found that dark-colored bottoms do well as they are easy to mix and match with several tops and they show dirt less. Bonus!
I also try to choose items that I can wear multiple ways. For example, I can take a scarf to dress up my outfit for dinner but to also use as a cover if we are visiting churches that require a more modest dress.
A cute cotton dress can be dressed up to wear to dinner, but can also easily serve as a cover-up for my swimsuit. Get creative to see how versatile you can make your pieces.
5-7 days seems to be the key for us. We tend to pack 5-7 days worth of clothes, and no more.
At that point, we are either staying in an accommodation with a washer and dryer, or we are doing laundry ourselves.
Know Which Items You Need More Of
Obviously, there are certain items, like socks and underwear, that need to be washed more often than other items, like jackets and pants.
Because of this, you need to pack more socks and underwear than you do jackets and pants, which is a good thing as the pants take up more room. LOL!
Granted, you will be doing laundry along the way, but having extra socks and underwear will help to stretch out the laundry needs.
Wear Your Bulky Items
Now, you don’t want to look like Joey in the Friends episode where he comes out wearing all of Chandler’s clothes, but it definitely pays off to wear your bulky items onto the plane. This will free up so much space in your backpack!
Choose the Right Clothes to Bring
We go for easy, wash and wear clothes while traveling with only a backpack. Being able to quickly wash items along the way is so helpful. So pack items that dry quickly and don’t require a bunch of care.
Choose the Right Toiletries
When it comes to toiletries, you have to pack travel-size items, or better yet, consider buying items when you arrive. I always bring my favorite hair gel in travel-size containers as it is often hard to find.
To make up for this, I tend to buy shampoo, conditioner, and lotion once we arrive at our travel destination, or better yet use the free stuff provided by the hotel.
Roll Your Clothes
Rolling your clothes is essential for minimalist travel. Folding or balling up your clothes actually makes them take up more room in your bag. The process of rolling your clothes also allows you to easily dig through your backpack as needed.
To take your organization even further, invest in a good set of packing cubes. Packing cubes are truly lifesavers regardless of if you are traveling with only a backpack or a suitcase. Packing cubes make organizing easy!!
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Plan Your Accommodations Carefully
When traveling with only a backpack for an extended trip like our trip to Italy, Germany, and London, we carefully plan our accommodations to ensure that we have access to wash our clothes.
Now granted, you can visit a laundromat if absolutely necessary, but I don’t like to spend precious vacation hours sitting waiting for my clothes to wash and dry.
For this reason, Marty and I try to strategically book an Airbnb with a washer and dryer about a week into the trip. This allows us to do laundry overnight or in the evening when we are unwinding from the day.
Could You Travel With Only a Backpack?
So what do you think, could you travel with only a backpack? I have to be honest, I didn’t think that I could do it at first, but now that I have experienced minimalist travel, I am addicted.
I love the freedom that I have found traveling with only a backpack. Give it a try on a short trip and see what you think.
Don’t forget to read the next post in this series, the Ultimate Carry On Only Packing List.
We would love to hear from you. Comment below and let us know you’re thoughts on our series and about your minimalist travels.
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Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight:
We love using CheapOAir, Kayak, and Kiwi to search for the best flight prices. We love using these search engines because they search the web for airlines worldwide to ensure you get the best deal! In addition to flights, you can also find great hotel prices on Kayak and Kiwi.
Book Your Vacation Package:
If you want to book an entire vacation package, we suggest using Expedia. We love how easy Expedia is to use, and we always find good deals on entire vacation packages on their site.
Another great site for vacation packages is BookVIP. BookVIP offers super cheap vacation packages to incredible destinations. You are sure to save money using their site!
For full guided vacations, including hotels, some meals, transportation, and guides, then we book with Trafalgar. Trafalgar is a trusted tour company that will meet all your needs while ensuring a great experience.
Trip.com allows you to book flights, hotels, train tickets, rental cars, airport transfers, tours, and more all on one site. Owned by the parent company that also owns Skyscanner, this is a trusted resource for travel booking and a great “one-stop shop.”
Book Your Accommodations:
We always begin our search by checking out honest reviews on TripAdvisor hotels. This allows us to narrow our search for specific properties once we are ready to book. Of course, you can also book directly on the TripAdvisor site!
There are several accommodation sites that we like to use. One of our favorites is Booking.com because it offers a wide variety of hotels and guesthouses at a good price.
Another “go-to” hotel booking site for us is Hotels.com. We love their loyalty program that allows you to earn free nights, and their “secret prices” for members are fabulous deals!
HotelsCombined is another cool site. They allow you to compare all the top travel sites with one search to ensure you find the best deal out there. Kayak works in this way as well.
If you want a luxurious all-inclusive vacation, consider checking out the Sandals/Beaches properties. Sandals properties are for couples only and Beaches are for families. We have visited Sandals in the past and absolutely love the attention to detail and the service they provide.
Tour Companies We Trust:
We love taking guided tours when visiting new places. Our go-to tour companies are Viator.com and Get Your Guide. Both of these companies have been in business for years and provide excellent customer service. You can trust booking tours from their sites for sure!
For a guided city tour, check out City Sightseeing and BigBus Tours. These bus tours are so much fun and easy to hop on and hop off at top attractions in cities around the world.
CityPass is a great way to save money when visiting large cities. CityPass allows you to get free admission to major attractions once you buy their pass. The savings add up quickly with this pass, often saving 50% with combined admissions.
Another great pass to save money in larger cities is the Sightseeing Pass. This pass allows you to save valuable time and money by combining admissions to major attractions. They also have a handy app that keeps everything you need at your fingertips.
Looking to Save Time and Money?
Check out our resource page for all of our favorite vendors. These companies help us to save time and money on our travels!
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About The Author
Michelle Snell is a travel writer, history buff, wine lover, and enthusiast of different cultures. Michelle enjoys bringing places to life through her informative writing style on her blogs, That Texas Couple and Totally Texas Travel. Her practical tips and suggestions help make travel dreams a reality while immersing her readers in the history, culture, and food of a region. She is happiest sipping wine in Italy or chilling on a beach with her husband, Marty.
Backpack Joe
Saturday 18th of July 2020
It's so important to learn how we travel with only a backpack. Before reading this article, I always think I will take two or three backpacks when I was travel somewhere. But now I guess I can always go with one backpack. Thanks for your great tips.
thattexascouple
Sunday 19th of July 2020
Thank you so much!! We love simplifying our packing and therefor our travels.
Sarah Higgins
Friday 10th of April 2020
Wow, it's an interesting bog. I also want to know how we travel with only a backpack. I am a professional traveler so I think it's helping me a lot. Many many thanks for sharing with us the informative article.
thattexascouple
Friday 10th of April 2020
Thank you for reading, Sarah!
Shawna
Thursday 20th of February 2020
I only travel with a backpack now. I was convinced of this after catching ferries in Greece and watching people stumble around with their luggage and I had a backpack and free hands. Never going back to a suitcase. It’s also way less stress having fewer clothes to chose from while travelling.
thattexascouple
Thursday 20th of February 2020
Your story sounds similar to ours. My friends think I am crazy. I just keep telling them how freeing it is :)
Bonita
Saturday 6th of October 2018
I have read and reread this post with too much hope but the number of times I tried to have only one hand luggage it wasva major struggle, I had left almost everything and was barely surviving 😫. Will keep trying though.
thattexascouple
Thursday 11th of October 2018
Oh no, Bonita. I hate to hear this. Traveling this light isn't for everyone, and I think that's ok. :)
Madhu
Thursday 4th of October 2018
Wow i never imagined packing in only one backpack. Thanks for sharing great tips..very useful tips will follow them
thattexascouple
Thursday 11th of October 2018
It's really freeing, Madhu. Give it a try on a short trip and see what you think :)