Minimalist packing has completely changed how I travel.

I’ve been on a kick again recently when it comes to simple living and minimalism. Granted, I’ve been living like this for two years now, and never thought about how it could extend into how I travel. I say this, but when I traveled to South Korea as a high schooler back in 2018, I had packed like a minimalist.

I didn’t have the words that could describe that kind of travel back then, but I had basically packed everything into a carry-on suitcase and brought a full size one that was empty to bring souvenirs back home in. I thought I was going to buy so many things when I was there, but I didn’t. The full size suitcase ended up being half empty.

Nowadays I’ve been very into one bag travel. I think this could take on many different definitions depending on the person: some see it as a single backpack, but I interpret it as a single bag. Whether it’s a backpack or a suitcase, I’ve been thinking that it was a loose definition that could adapt to fit into individual’s need.

For me, I personally use this as an Amazon backpack I bought. It opens up like a duffel bag and probably is about 30L, but it has a lot of compartments. Without my laptop, I can easily go around with the backpack. With a laptop, I bring my Patagonia duffel bag that’s 40L. I bought it on Worn Wear for $60, and it’s often more than enough.

Here’s how I pack for a one bag trip for the summer.

Bring clothes that easily mix and match.

I have a very specific way of buying clothing when I go out shopping. I look for essentials that can be easily mixed with the attire I already own, and I only buy certain colors that are dark or beige.

The rule of thumb I’ve had since high school is that I think people should be able to make at least three outfits with a piece they’re considering, and that’s the bare minimum. If it’s coming into my wardrobe, it has to serve multiple purposes. That extends into my packing philosophy.

For example, if I’m traveling somewhere that isn’t conservative, I would probably bring a black tank top because of how versatile it is. I have pairs of pants that go with almost every top I own—those are the ones I roll up and bring with me when I come on vacation.

I also try to invest in shoes that are fairly simple as well, so I only bring a sneaker and a sandal I already wear with everything at home. The sneakers I wear on the plane, and the sandals are for when I’m at the destination.

Invest in a Kindle.

I have to read on flights. It’s a non-negotiable. Even if I’m going on a flight where I know I’ll have a movie screen in front of me, I always end up reading while watching a movie. Come on, I run a blog that’s partially dedicated to books—you know I’m going to be reading in such a long stretch of time.

My mother bought me my Kindle back in high school, and for so many years I wasn’t using it. I was letting it collect dust under my bed even though I was buying and reading books constantly.

In 2022 I had a renaissance with that Kindle when I realized I could get books through my library for free. Suddenly, I was bringing my Kindle with me everywhere on trips because I could get all the new books downloaded on it for free.

Then I started getting advanced copies for publishers onto my Kindle, and that sealed the deal. It lightened my luggage and backpack load a lot, and it replaced all the books I was hauling around in my backpack.

I have the oldest Kindle that’s kind of ancient. It’s the original one and it’s truly built like a brick. I’ve dropped it so many times and there isn’t a single scrape on it. It’s lightweight and small enough that it takes up a tiny amount of room in my backpack, and I can pull it out whenever with a good battery life.

If you can afford, pick one up when you can. See if your library offers Libby or OverDrive lends, too, and get books through that way as well for Kindle versus buying the book outright.

Take advantage of free shampoo and conditioner.

This is not going to be for everyone, as I know some people require certain products for their hair each evening or morning. My hair, although it is technically “ethnic,” doesn’t need too much and I’m not into styling it.

So when I went to Seattle, for example, I skipped on bringing hair products with me because I knew my AirBnB was going to have the products on hand.

And that’s what I ended up using and I was fine. Hotels also always have products domestically, and I’ve personally never had a problem with my hair type.

But you know yourself best—don’t listen to this if you that you need certain things. Or take the advice that’s further down about buying the products when you arrive if you know there’s a convenient store nearby.

Use a tote bag as a packing cube, and plastic bags for the smaller objects.

I use packing cubes sometimes when I want to one bag, but sometimes I find that the packing cubes are actually kind of bulky and take up more space than if I just rolled the clothes up originally. I don’t like carrying a backpack around when I’m at my destination, so what I do is use a tote bag as a packing cube that I’ll empty and use later as my everyday bag when I’ve arrived.

I typically put underwear and socks in this tote bag, so if I need them I just dump them into the regular backpack I packed everything into originally.

If packing cubes are too bulky or you as well, plastic bags are another lightweight solution I’ve used too. This is typically when I pack shampoo/conditioner (if I know I’m going somewhere that I don’t have immediate access to it), my toothpaste, and other various things like hair ties.

The smaller things can be packed into these plastic bags, and they’re not too expensive to get rid of after the fact. I like to be sustainable, so I tend to reuse these and wash them out if something spilled.

Consider buying certain items at your destination if you have time.

This is the other solution if you can’t bring shampoo and need to get it. When I went to South Korea, I brought a limited number of shirts because I knew I could buy new ones when I arrived.

I was expecting it to be really hot in Korea when I went and knew I could get a linen shirt in Korea for cheaper that would be better for this climate, so this is a scenario you might want to think about if you’re heading somewhere.

Do your research beforehand if you’re heading to certain countries about what is and isn’t available—for example, finding heavier pads was impossible when I was in Korea. Tampons were available in certain areas and convenience stores, but not all.

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