lwildernorva

I resisted bundling for a long time, put off by some of the wild claims that clothes just wouldn't wrinkle using this method. This video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlLxQzR8axM, convinced me of the space savings to be gained. And practical experience has demonstrated to me that although bundling doesn't eliminate wrinkles, it doesn't create any more wrinkles than any other method and probably minimizes them. I do think bundling tends to work better on items like sweaters and polo/casual shirts but not as well on dress shirts and suit coats.

I've made two alterations based on my packing list and preferences: first, all shirts and tops are stacked facing in the same direction rather than one shirt/top aligned with the next at 180 degrees; second, instead of using a package of underwear and socks as the inner bundle that everything else goes around, I use the two pairs of pants that I generally take with me, again stacking them one over the other and then folding lengthwise along the sewed seam of each pant and then folding into thirds. I've found this a workable size for then wrapping the shirts/tops around. Underwear and socks either go in the shoes I pack or get placed into nooks and crannies around the bundle and other items I pack.

With the downsizing of my electronics (an Asus T100, QC20, an Anker five-port USB charger, a Kikkerand international adapter), I now can pack everything I need for a ten-day trip to Ireland in April into one B&R 22" roller bag, which I'm using because I'm also taking a golf bag in a rolling travel case, and I'll hook the two together for the times I'm in and around airports. Without the golf bag, I'd pack everything into a B&R Exchange Medium Duffle.

sfmom

Last summer and the summer before, husband and myself did three weeks of travel with one bag each. He had a Tom Bihn Ristretto and I had a purse, but both were able to fit in our main bags before boarding (we know this thanks to EasyJet).

BAG: Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45
Almost perfect, but actually too big for my needs and things slosh around. I may have to get the 30 at some point.

HOW WE DO IT:
* No jeans, no cotton (exception: my super-thin Vince t-shirts)
* Tablets only: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and an iPad Mini
* Three shoes max (including ones on feet)
* Reconfiguring my make-up kit with the help of Amazon/Container Store/eBay. Make up is way too heavy!
Small brushes from Eco-tools
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
shave oil
tooth powder
This brush (works great)
http://www.amazon.com/Ambassador-Hai...ave+wood+brush
Eyeshadow, powder and blush pried out of original overly heavy packaging and placed into these plastic pillboxes:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/t...10019592&N=253

Kamesav1775

Yes still 100% recommend. I'm down to bringing a single pair of pants for my trips < 5 days. Wear them on the plane, wear them with a blazer, wear them home. No wrinkles. Fewer things in the bag.

I have a pair of mid gray and tan. I tend to alternate.

ck777

I like mine and also have 2 pairs. I like them in the winter, especially on my short bike ride to work. I don't like them a 100% in the summer. Where I live it's hot a very humid. I still wear them in the summer, just not as often

cnceagles

I have and like the Ex Officio men's boxer shorts. What would be a similar men's t-shirt for wearing with a dress shirt? Something that could be washed and would dry quickly?

Also, many thanks for the responses re Bluffs!

NYTA

I like the Airism from Uniqlo. The ex officio shirts are too short and ride up/come untucked

techman41973

I read all 28 pages of this thread. Thank you for to all that contributed.
I still don't understand why business trip ninjas still pack so much clothes and multiple pairs of shoes (speaking for men only).
Why not wear one (Nylon/Polyester) outfit and pack another and just alternate, and wash the other outfit in the hotel sink each night.
Exofficio makes quick-drying undershirts, button down business casual shirts, slacks, underwear and socks that never wrinkle.
Do people you meet with on business trips really care that you switch between only 2 outfits?
How many even notice? And why pack any shoes? Can't one pair of shoes work for day and evening and why is it wrong to use those same shoes at the gym?
And one pair of quick dry shorts with an undershirt works great for workouts. I'd like to hear from ninjas who pack a minimal amount of clothing and bring just the shoes they wear. Please share what your bring on your trips. Also, for me weight is not an issue. It's space. The airlines don't charge me extra for a heavy carry-on.
So I pack things like my old smartphone as a backup (extremely slim), just in case my current one gets lost, stolen or malfunctions.

lwildernorva

That's a combination of personal preference and perceived/real business requirements. Not every business situation is amenable to an outfit that at best could be described as business casual. Don't be fooled--ExOfficio shirts may pass muster in certain circumstances as business casual but not in all. And sometimes a suit and tie are absolutely required. And if a suit and tie are required, then a pair of business shoes is required--generally black and generally leather, essentially unsuitable for workout purposes.

From the personal perspective, some folks don't want to wear a blue polo one day and a white polo the next and rotate those two across a week's trip.

You might as well ask, why do people feel the need to change clothes every day on a ten-day trip? Why not wear the same clothes every day? Yes, I could pull that off. But despite my general preference for one bag on trips, I wouldn't want to.

Barks

I am in awe of you ninjas! I am a one-bag FAIL. I have spent my spare moments for the past three days' reading all 28 pages, and by now, I'm >this< close to an anxiety attack! Only TWO pairs of shoes? I think what concerns me the most is the lack of toiletries that you ninjas are packing. My travel is usually for pleasure, with a couple of business trips thrown in for fun, so my accommodations are usually better than, say, a Motel6. But I can't seem to rely on the hotel to provide me with acceptable shampoo and conditioner.

I happened upon FT because I am currently obsessing over an 18-day trip DH and I will be taking to Tahiti in December. It's my first (truly) international flight. I've been to Mexico several times, but I don't count that, because once we transfer in ATL, we're only in the air three hours max?

Anyway, congratulations to all of you - I am envious!

titaniumfemme

I'm not a true one bag traveler -- more like a bag and a half -- but that's considerably slimmed down from where I was a year or so ago. I just came back from 2 weeks in Europe with only a carry on (small enough to carry on European regional flights) and a personal item and I counted that as a great victory! FWIW, I took 3 pairs of shoes -- a pair of short boots for walking which I wore on the plane, a pair of flats that could either be day shoes or would work to go out in the evening since we weren't planning on anything formal, and a pair of Nike Frees to work out in. I never needed anything more. Try it and you may find the same thing!

On the shampoo and conditioner, you might consider a solid version of both, which will be easier to travel with. If your hair isn't colored, Lush makes a number of options. If it is, see my post in the Women's Travel Forum for a suggestion for solid shampoo with no sulfates (so color safe) that worked well for me.

Good luck -- I think you'll enjoy the freedom that traveling light(er) brings!

lwildernorva

Men have it easier than women when it comes to toiletries, but there is a mindset change that can help all travelers. Since I've pared down my travels, I find myself looking at most toiletry bags and remembering how I felt it almost necessary to pack my old toiletry bag full of stuff I hardly ever used.

No matter whatever other faults the TSA may have, they helped me pare down my toiletries with their mandated 3-1-1 bags. I started wondering if I could carry everything I needed, not wanted, in a quart-sized plastic bag. I could. I switched to an airline amenity bag after that for a little more style and then switched again to one of those mesh pencil bags that you see elementary school kids putting in their notebooks--the major advantage being that I could see the bag's contents from both outside and inside.

Simply changing the size of my toiletry bag started me down the path of downsizing. I've stayed with two pairs of shoes, one worn, one packed, by making sure at least one pair is comfortable and waterproof so that I can wear them in any weather and can get a lot of my exercise from walking (I do a standard calisthenics workout in my hotel room rather than going to the hotel gym, generally limiting my need for workout clothes).

Packing less originally means carrying less weight but also less unpacking and repacking when I reach my destination. As a result, I save both time and effort--and I haven't lost a single thing in the past several years since I committed to a one bag philosophy. Maybe not for everyone, but I think the benefits are worthwhile.

freecia

I've also found small sizes of toiletries go a very long way. I don't pack 100ml sizes. More like < 1 oz/ ~ 30 ml sizes which allows me to include a few "nice to have" toiletries. One easy way to re-evaluate how much you need is to break out a fresh set of travel toiletries while you're at home. See how long it lasts with normal usage. I see no reason to bring enough shampoo for three weeks if I'm only gone for a few days or a week. Decant what you need into the right size container for your average trip duration. Bring two if you want to bring more for a longer trip.

I wish there were compression bag for softer shoes. I don't really pack things inside mine because the inside of shoes seems to be an weird place to store clean things. Occasionally I will put a plastic bag into a shoe, then items into the bag. Sometimes I mash empty flats/sandals in via placing them soles out on the top of the pile, so the lid will help compress it. I usually position shoes along the bottom of rolling bags or along the middle close to the body for backpacks (carrying the heavy things closer to my body).

mrgreen

The best tip is still to leave all your clothes in your bag after arrival and keep them there during the whole trip.
This way you can easily check which clothes you actually end up using and which you can leave home next time.

voodoogirl

This is what I do too. Once I got my brain to realize how little product I actually use for a week or 10 days, making it fit into the quart bag was not too bad. I don't lack for any of my usual products, just everything is re-potted into smaller jars. I do like the Lush shampoo bars for longer trips, but their solid conditioner is awful. Travel hairspray is the hardest for me, right now I like a Chi spray that's in a red long skinny can. I bring a pack of face wipes instead of liquid cleanser. In my 3-1-1 bag now I have hand sanitizer, eye drops, night cream, hair gel, body wash, mouthwash, toothpaste, eye makeup remover, hairspray, hand lotion, body spray and conditioner. It still has room.

shuigao

I noticed at the end my last 10-day business trip that I had a dozen (!!) clean, unworn clothing articles. I didn't use any of my pajamas (slept in the nude), and none of my "just in case" extra stuff.

My swimming trunks and exercise clothes were likewise untouched, because it turns out my usd250/night hotel had neither a gym nor a pool