Capsule wardrobes and packing cubes: How to travel with hand-luggage only

27.09.2024 - 01:37 / euronews.com / Angela Symons

Airline luggage allowances seem to shrink further every year, forcing passengers to choose between travelling with a tiny backpack or forking out astronomical baggage fees.

Budget savvy travellers are meeting this challenge head on with innovative ways to avoid additional charges - skipping queues and becoming more nimble in the process.

If you’re considering living out of hand luggage on your next trip, don’t pack before reading these tips for travelling with one small bag - compiled from Reddit’s Travel community.

Careful planning is the key to packing light, according to many seasoned travellers. 

“I started having ‘uniforms’,” explains one Reddit user. “If you look at my photos from hiking trips the last two years, it would look like one long trip - I have no shame in my game.”

If you’re likely to experience different climates on your travels, versatile, layerable clothing is your friend.

“I have a VERY well thought out wardrobe with pieces that layer for climate control and for varied looks… The same wardrobe can take me from over 100F [38C] all the way down to freezing,” says another Reddit user. 

The same applies to diverse dress codes.

“I manage to travel this light by curating multi-use items, designing a capsule wardrobe where all items mix and match and can take me from the office to the beach on a single trip,” says another member of Reddit’s Travel community. 

“I also do not expect everything to be perfect. I have scaled the rigging of an old sail boat in dress pants, I have worn a plain t-shirt and ‘yoga pants’ to a Michelin star restaurant dressed up with statement jewellery,” they caveat.

And sometimes, it’s just a matter of sacrifice.

“I’m team carry on only… I used to travel with way too much,” says one Reddit user. “I’ve become ok with just going without. I’ve never once looked back at a vacation and thought ‘man I wish I had brought that shirt with me’.”

As important as careful selection of clothing is the way you pack it.

We’ve all heard of rolling items to ensure they take up less space, but some travellers take it one step further.

“I use compression packing cubes, tuck socks and underwear into shoes or gaps created by shoes, use workout clothes and undershirts to fill larger gaps and the bottom where things don't fit flush, and generally pack only what I'll actually wear in a trip,” says one Reddit user.

Wearing your bulkiest items on the flight can help save space in your bag - as does making use of deep jacket pockets for carrying bulkier items like toiletries.

Another sneaky trick is to pick up a duty-free bag at the airport to store extra items. Most airlines will allow one duty-free bag on top of your set luggage allowance, but some may check that it is sealed with duty-free goods inside