Last year, I traveled to California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Florida, and Georgia. That’s seven states in one year and the most I have ever traveled before. That’s also the most I have ever traveled within the United States.
When you travel that much, you have to have a system. My system is simple: pack light. So, for each of those trips, I traveled with only a backpack that I bought for $50. Yes, many of those trips were weekend trips. I even spent five days in California for my wedding anniversary and still, I only traveled with my backpack.
Here’s how I travel with just a backpack:
Roll don’t Fold
I know, we are all conditioned to fold, but when you roll, you condense your clothes. They’re like swiss rolls neatly piled into your carry on making it easy to pick your outfit of the day. I always roll my outfits together filling out the width of my backpack.
Stuff Your Shoes
Do not, I repeat, do not allow that space to go unused. Personally, I stuff them with undies so that I don’t have to worry about them popping out during check-in. Eek! I also stuff them with socks if there’s room.
You should know that my shoes are always the first thing I pack in my backpack. That way, the soles are at the bottom of my backpack, so they don’t dirty my clothes. Depending on the shoes, I make them face opposite directions. Though, when I traveled to Atlanta, I packed boots and that didn’t work. So, I let them stand tall and packed my rolled clothes vertically.
Pack by Weight
Though I do pack my outfits together, I like to pack heavier outfits at the bottom. So, if I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt one day, that’s going to be one of the first items I pack. Dresses and extra T-shirts tend to be at the top as I often bring more of those items because they are lightweight.
Don’t Toil Over Toiletries
I don’t know about you, but I find the toiletry process at airports to be such a pain. It’s not even the bottle size. If I’m going to a hotel, I’ll use their soap. But the fact that I have to take out my toiletries at some airports and not all is so confusing, and I don’t have time.
As such, my toiletries are not stored in the same compartment as my clothes. I squish them into the front zip-pocket of my backpack. That way, I can pull them easily at airports that require you to place your toiletries in a bin. Again, because I travel so much, I have designated toiletries and a freezer bag for them. When I’m not traveling, the entire freezer bag is stored in the bottom drawer in my bathroom until my next trip. I should note that for the most part, I only pack travel size toiletries.
The best part about traveling with a backpack is I don’t have to wait for luggage like everyone else. I use that extra time to quickly make my way to the nearest restroom and then the rideshare location with ease.
