|   If you aren’t familiar with one-bagging, it’s the practice of packing so light and minimalist that everything can be carried on your body in a single wheelless bag that meets most international size and weight rules, whether you’re gone for a weekend or a month.Use packing cubes, even if you’re already a tidy packer. They gently compress your clothes, keep your bag organized, and help hold everything in place. Some people like cubes that retain their shape when empty; I prefer Eagle Creek’s Specter Tech line. These silky cubes weigh half as much as the company's famed original cubes, are far less bulky, and sport long, brightly colored zipper pulls that are easy to find. Ikea’s Forfina travel bags are $7.99 for a set of six, making them great for those who want to try using cubes before committing to anything pricier.Shrink your deodorant. I’m not necessarily suggesting the lip balm method mentioned above, but at least buy a travel-sized stick. As blogger Snarky Nomad points out, deodorant is one of the biggest toiletry items and even when brand-new, the containers are about half empty space.Book at least one stop with laundry. You can pack half as many basics for a long trip when you book an Airbnb with a washing machine in the middle of your journey. (If clothes dryers aren’t the norm where you’re traveling, you’ll need enough time for your things to air dry. Fabrics like merino wool and synthetic underwear are a help.) It may also be cheaper to pay for hotel laundering than to check a suitcase round-trip.Use your Sephora rewards wisely all year. Use your Sephora rewards points or free sample picks to grab mini versions of products you already use. When it’s time to travel, you’ll have options that take up far less room and weigh practically nothing. Other websites and drugstores also sell travel versions or samples of cleansers, sunscreens and moisturizers. Plus, you can sometimes pick up samples in stores. Remember it’s usually cheaper to buy toiletries on arrival than to check a bag merely to carry them back and forth. (One exception: tampons. They aren’t available in some parts of the world.)
After spending so much time in one-bagging forums, I decided to give up my wheeled carry-on and see how it went. I was scared for my back, sure I'd wind up with sweat stains, and dreading the look. But thankfully, travel packs have finally evolved past top-loading hiking gear that screams “I’m spending my gap year in hostels!” Think structureless suitcases in a range of styles, many with padded laptop compartments and straps that detach or pack away.A good backpack or shoulder-carry pack maxes out space and has a supportive strap system (padding and a sternum strap at very least), locking YKK zippers, water- and rip-resistant fabric and thoughtful organization features. I ordered a few, then whittled them down in true one-bagger style.  There’s a few great things about this bag compared to other popular options. The soft heathered poly is noticeably more luxe than that of the Ebags Mother Lode Weekender Convertible, another good one-bag choice with truly helpful internal organization. In my opinion, the Setout also looks more stylish than the Amazon Basics Travel Backpack or the Osprey Farpoint 40, and it’s got more capacity than the slimmer but fashionable Minaal 2.0. The backpack straps can tuck neatly into a pocket so they won’t dangle or get caught on anything if you stow or check the bag, and the optional hip straps detach completely.Neither the handy front organizer pocket nor the laptop compartment takes up excess space, which leaves a relatively deep main compartment for clothes. The photo above doesn’t do the space justice, so I’ll share what I was able to pack in this thing for an 8-day trip: one medium cube with three pairs of jeans, leggings and my pajamas; three small cubes with five tops, a sweater, a dress, and a sweatshirt; two extra small cubes for socks, a sports bra and underwear; a wet pouch containing my swimsuit and caftan; toiletries kit; running shoes and sandals; loose jacket; poncho; a mini cube for electronics cords and chargers; a bag of travel liquids and medicine; a 15" laptop and Kindle; and a small cross-body purse for daily carry. This was decidedly more than I can fit in my wheeled carry-ons.  I do wish the main compartment had internal tie-downs, like the Weekender does, in addition to its external compression straps. If the bag isn’t completely full, items tend to sag down and away from your body, and you want everything held as close to your back as possible for weight distribution. Load lifter straps would be a great, too, but now I’m just being picky: The Setout was still easy and surprisingly comfortable to carry when fully packed and without the hip straps. The thick padding and air channels behind the straps kept my back far less sweaty than did other bags with smooth rear panels.In the end, it came down to capacity and aesthetics: I prefer the nicer materials and minimalist style of the Setout, which doesn’t force you to use a zillion pockets you don't want. And there are many clever details, like a carabiner in the organizer pocket to hold your keys, elastic bands on the compression straps that keep the ends from dangling off the bag, and the fact that you don’t have to undo those compression straps to access the main compartment. Those details make me happy. But the great thing is, there are a slew of well-designed bags out now, so it’s easy to figure out what works for your own needs and find it.And then never pay to check a bag again.  HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More.No moon dust. No B.S. Just a completely essential daily guide to achieving the good life. Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it.©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
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