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I've Got the Whole World...In My Pack
The perfect bag for any trip: how to travel with a carry-on-sized backpack as your only piece of luggage, and still have room for souvenirs
Luggage like the Eagle Creek Voyage 65L travel backpack with zip-off daypack lets you travel the world out of a carry-on–sized bag.
Actually, if it really does feel as if you've got the whole world in your pack, you've done something wrong and really need to take a peek at my handy-dandy packing list.
The best all-around luggage choice is—brace yourself—a
carry-on-size backpack
with a zip-off or packable daypack. Hard-backed suitcases are cumbersome and heavy, huge frame packs are for hikers, and both need to be checked on airlines—a wholly unnecessary hassle.
With a carry-on-size pack, you can hop on and off the plane, sling your stuff on your back whenever you need to hoof it, and it’ll force you to pack light.
“Carry-on size” is determined by each airline individually, but is always measures by adding together all the dimensions (length plus witdth plus height). Note that for many lately it has been slipping from the old 60"
to around 42" total ,
so when shopping for a bag make sure it fits those smallest requirements. That way just about any airline will O.K. it.
The Traveling Closet: Keeping Clothing Wrinkles to A Minimum
How you choose to organize everything in there is up to personal preference. Keeping clothes from wrinkling, that's a bit of a challenge. I've tried 'em all, and currently use a carefully tweaked mix of the methods below (except I've replaced the stuff-sacks with the "high tech" mega-Ziploc system—well, O.K., I still use one small stuff-sack for sundries that would otherwise get lost down in my bag).
- Nylon stuff-sacks help keep your jumble of stuff neat and easily accessible inside your bag. Keep clean clothes in one sack, dirty ones in another, and sundries in a third. Roll your clothes to look like so many cotton sausages; they’ll wrinkle less, take up less room, and fit in the stuff-sacks better.
Soft-sided packing cubes. I use the sausage roll method of rolling clothes for this packing system as well. Interestingly, I find I like my own clothes in the resealable baggies mentioned below, but prefer putting my infant son's gear in these little cube-like bags. Maybe it's just that, since his togs are smaller (also, they have things like bears and ducks on them), it's easier to organize and see them all in these cubes. (I also use one for my sport sandals when I am on an active trip where I'll need them.) 
Massive Ziploc baggies. OK, so these aren't actually made by Ziploc, and Ziploc is a brand name, but darnit, that's what they look like. You fold your clothes and slip them inside the big clear plastic baggie in flat layers. The trick is, there's the regular end of the bag that you seal by squeezing together the two flaps (just like Ziploc), but the opposite end of the bag is lined by a series of one-way valves that let air out. So once you've sealed the top, you flatten the bag, roll it up tightly, and then sort of lie on top of the thing and wrestle it for a minute to force all the air out of the other end. The clothes really do compress to half their original total bulk, though this does mean a certain degree of creasing and wrinkling (but you didn't pack wrinkly clothes, now did you?). An alternative for those who need to keep pants creased and shirts neat(ish) is: 
The Eagle Creek Folding System (Ripped Off from The Gap). The best way to carry dressy duds if you don't go the garment bag route (though there is a stripped-down garment bag version of this available). These are giant cloth envelopes of sorts that fold over from all four sides. You use a sturdy plastic sheet as a guide to fold each shirt and pair of pants (just like a worker at The Gap!). Layer the crisply folded clothes on the flat bottom panel of the open cloth envelope, then put the plastic sheet on top, fold over the four sides (Velcro fasteners), and voila: you have a rectangular package of clothing. OK, so it's not totally wrinkle-free, but it is one of the least wrinkly alternatives.
Assorted Luggage Hints
- To keep the bulk of your bag down, layer your thick sweaters and coats and such to wear on the plane (you can strip down once seated).
- Some bags these days have zip-away straps and waist belts that convert the pack into a more respectable soft-sided suitcase for waltzing into your hotel lobby.
- Whatever sort of pack or suitcase you choose, be sure to put a slip of paper with your name, home address, and destination inside each piece of luggage as well as attaching a sturdy luggage tag with a concealed address window to the outside (some criminals peruse visible luggage tags at the airport, collecting the addresses of people leaving on vacation).
- Keep your valuables, not in your luggage, but in your moneybelt.
Get as many tiny travel locks as you have zippered compartments on your pack and daypack. I know that since Sept 11, you're not supposed to lock your bags when checking them in for a flight, but now there's a loophole. You can now buy special combination locks that have a red diamond-like symbol meaning they're TSA-friendly (baggage screeners carry a secret code and a special back-door key so they can open the lock if they feel the need to paw through your valuables and dirty undies). - If you're traveling with others and plan to check your luggage, distribute everybody's stuff throughout all the bags, so no one is left in the lurch should any one bag disappear.
- Many bags come with zip-off daypacks, which is an excellent idea (or buy an extra, packable daypack). Keep in it your first aid kit, sections of your guidebooks you stripped out for the day's use, tissue packs, water bottle, journal, pen, Swiss army knife, and umbrella.
- Let's see. Besides a waterproof bathroom bag for the toiletries I think that's it.
Where to buy the perfect piece of luggage or travel bag
Eagle Creek (www.eaglecreek.com) - The premier manufacturer of soft-side luggage, duffels, packs, and various sorts of daypacks designed for travelers, not tourists. It ain't fancy—this is durable woven nylon territory, not leather or kevlar —but the products are well designed, well made, long-lasting, and get the job done twice as well and at half the price of more pretentious luggage.
For several years, while on the road I lived out of one what they now call the
Voyage 65L pack,
with shoulder straps and a hip belt that tuck away (for respectability at certain hotels). and measuring in just under the maximum size requirement for airplane carry-ons—so I never have to check my luggage. I have since switched to their similar model (also carry-on sized) called the Switchback ES 22" (pictured at right), which is a rolling bag (you know, the kind with little wheels and a retractable handle) but also has backpack straps and a hip belt tucked away in case you need them.
Eagle Creek also makes some of the best moneybelts and those space-saving vacuum-sealed clothes packing devices. You can buy their products from the Magellan's catalog.
L.L. Bean (www.llbean.com) — This Maine camping clothier and catalogue legend was selling flannel shirts long before Seattle produced its first garage band, and decades before J. Crew and Banana Republic co-opted the outdoorsy look and made it Yuppie. Their travel specialty gear is, as with most of their stock, head and shoulders above anyone else for durability, quality, and utility (if not always style).
I used to go through about one travel bag per year from other companies before the straps would break, zippers need dentures, retractable handles bend, wheels went wobbly, or exterior feet and corner mouldings got ripped off by airport baggage systems. My L.L. Bean bag survived more than 22 Transatlantic flights, a dozen more within the US or Europe, been to Asia and back, and gone on countless weekend car trips—and it's still being used by my girlfriend whenever we travel. Best of all, L.L. Bean guarantees all merchandise for life.
REI (www.rei.com) - For 65 years, one of the best all-around outdoors, camping, and adventure travel outfitter, with just about everything you need, whether you're a novice or a hard-core enthusiast. Lots of high-tech clothing designed for heavy-duty wear, tear, travel, and sport, plus everything from packs to personal mosquito nets to biodegradable detergent and freeze-dried grub—and of course, all the basic gear for camping, hiking, moutaineering, mountain biking, skiing, canoeing and kayaking.
It's actually run as a co-op, so if you become a member ($15 to join for life), you get 8% cash back on your purchases at the store at the end of the year (10% back if you use the no-fee, free credit card they give you, which also generates 1% back on non-REI purchases). They also have a special clearance-sale section.
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This material was last updated June 2006. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998-2008 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved.
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