Travel packing is an exercise in creativity and selectivity. I’ve often said that anything worthy of a place in my luggage needs to be multifunctional. Like, a dress that also makes coffee. (I haven’t found one of those yet, but I’m still looking).
This article and video were originally created in 2016. But the principles still apply, and I regularly keep this resource fully updated.
There are many secrets to the art of travel packing, which, to be honest, I couldn’t possibly cover in one go. I realized I was in over my head as soon as I started shooting this month’s vlog episode on the topic. Where do I start? Item choice? Colour matching? Ultralight travel packing techniques? Footwear hacks? The best gear? How to carry electronics? What goes into carry-on luggage?
The list goes on.
So, in this video, I started at the beginning. My travel packing techniques have changed and evolved 10 times over since I began my full-time travels in 2007. When I recently had to pack my stuff up to change locations, I took the opportunity to turn the camera on and bear all, to show you how – and what – I pack.
These days, I travel with a lot more stuff than I used to, when everything I owned fit seductively into a carry-on bag. Now, I’m back to using checked luggage, but in some ways it’s not so bad. Because carry-on travel is all the rage these days, airlines are getting more and more strict about size and weight, and finding space in the overhead bins can be a challenge. So for the moment, I don’t mind checking a bag, since I’m still managing to fit everything I own into said bag.
(See also: Checked vs. Carry-On Luggage, and Why Checked is Best)
So in this month’s vlog episode, you can learn my travel packing techniques, including what to look for in luggage, some ingenious packing tools, and more. Then, you can watch me cram all of my crap into the bag.
Check it out below!
Travel Packing 101
Click here to watch on YouTube.
Do you love packing tools as much as I do? They can help you save space, or organize your stuff, or (if you’re really lucky) BOTH.
Here are the best Pro Packing Hacks and Travel Tools.
To see what goes into my bag and why, check out
The Ultimate Packing List for Full-Time Travel.
Are you a Travel Gear head like me? Then check out my gear archives to learn about the best (and worst) travel gear out there.
Interesting! Makes me wonder now about when you first started traveling–how much did you pack then, and what things you pared down as the years went by to get at those essentials. How did you make those decisions?
Hey John,
When I first started traveling, it was alongside a partner with whom I enjoyed rock climbing, mountaineering, and other outdoorsy pursuits. So we actually started traveling with things like climbing harnesses and other bulky heavy forms of gear. That was probably our biggest folly!