DanckTravel

There are a wide variety of reasons to travel with just a backpack. Perhaps, you are booking a discount airline or traveling to various destinations and looking to minimize the number of bags. If you are looking to only take a backpack on your next trip, consider our tips below:

Key Takeaways

• Traveling with only a backpack can be a great way to save money. However, you won’t save anything if you don’t read airline restrictions first. We’ve found European airlines are much stricter about the weight of carry-ons and backpacks.
• Packing cubes and rolling clothes can be a great way to save space and pack more into your backpack.
• You can consider staying in an Airbnb or hostel with a washing machine while in the planning stages of your trip. This allows you to pack less, since you can reuse your clothes.

1. Check Airline Restrictions

Airlines vary in terms of the sizes and weights of what they consider an acceptable size for a carry-on. Many US airlines will allow any backpack, as long as it fits under the seat in front. However, airlines such as Frontier are much stricter, often measuring bags at the gate.

If you are planning international travel, consider the rules and regulations airlines must or tend to follow. European airlines may be even stricter in terms of their allowance, often even weighing carry-ons and backpacks (which is important to consider when crafting your European packing list). However, this can vary by airline and you could be responsible for fees if you exceed their weight limits. While traveling with only a backpack is a great way to travel around Europe cheaply, you won’t save any money if subjected to large fees.

2. Use Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are one of the greatest inventions when it comes to consolidating space. Plus, it makes it easy to organize your belongings. If you are traveling with just a backpack, you won’t need to rummage through it to find a sock. Instead, you can use packing cubes to organize outfits or items to make life easier once you land.

3. Roll Clothes (Instead of Folding)

Rolling clothes (instead of folding) will generally allow you to fit more clothes in less space. Check out this experiment to see how different ways of packing can allow you to fit more into your backpack. I usually roll clothes and put them into packing cubes to maximize room.

4. Stay in Hostels/ Airbnbs with a Washing Machine

Many hostels and Airbnbs will have washing machines and dryers. You will just need to check the listing before booking. If staying in a major city, you may also be able to visit a local laundromat. 

However, if you are traveling in Europe, dryers are less common, so you will generally need to hang-dry your clothes. As a result, you’ll want to save laundry days for locations where you will be spending multiple days.

5. Avoid Packing What You Can Get For Free

Toiletries in hotels are often included for free. This includes shampoo, soap, and often even toothpaste (if you ask at the front desk). If limited on space, this is a great option. Generally, I also avoid packing shampoo and conditioner even if I am not staying at a hotel. These can usually be picked up relatively inexpensively at a local grocery store (plus, the little bottles are not usually enough for me anyway). I only pack the toiletries I can’t easily buy (skin care or specific hair products).

You may also be able to avoid packing a towel, since these are often included through Airbnb, hostels, and hotels. However, if you need to pack one, consider a microfiber towel, which is easier to fit in tight spaces.

You may not be able to avoid packing all of these items (for example, on hiking trips across the mountains of Europe), in which case you will want to ensure you have what you need in small containers. You may also be able to work together with your friends, so one person packs the big bottle of shampoo and another packs the soap and toothpaste.

6. Wear Layers and Heaviest Clothes on the Plane

I remember when I was s student studying in Heidelberg and I would need to think of clever ways to travel with a backpack, so I didn’t have to pay the high fees related to baggage on Ryanair (which sometimes were higher than my tickets).

The easiest way to do this is to wear the biggest pieces of clothing from your packing checklist on the plane. This includes jackets, jeans, sweatpants, sneakers, and hiking boots. Anything that is smaller can easily be placed inside your backpack. I would also try to limit myself to one pair of bulky shoes (which would be worn on the plane) and perhaps one pair of sandals (weather dependent). Shoes, especially, can take up a lot of space in bags, so I tried to be careful with the number of pairs packed.

Final Thoughts

Traveling with only a backpack is definitely doable and is one of the many ways people make their trips more affordable. The key is packing light and strategically. Any other packing tips? Leave them in the comments below.