If going on a multi-week trip with one bag only seems impossible to you, don’t worry — I’ll show you how to pack for one month using only a carry on bag.
Get in the Zone
Start by grouping your stuff in zones: things for hiking, outfits for sightseeing and dining, essential toiletries & medicines, electronics. Try to pack items that can serve double duty such as tank tops & scarves, and choose colors that you can mix and match. Pack toiletries sparingly — unless you have very specific needs, you can buy more when you arrive.
Let’s Take a Closer Look …
I have 5 packing cubes, so I arranged my items roughly into 5 areas like this:
Packing Cubes for the Win
I was able to get everything into 5 packing cubes, without having to expand the cube (the cubes have zippers so it can expand larger). I made some minor adjustments as I packed. For example, I packed my walking sandals, journal, stretching gear and rain jacket together. And notice that I neither packed my light jacket nor my trail shoes because I plan to wear those.
Once you have established what fits, then you can start making swaps. Already I can see that I can get by with one pair of sandals (even though it hurts my heart). If I make this trade off, I could bring in another pair of pants or even better, I could have less to carry.
All Packed Up With Everywhere to Go
Everything fits in my Gregory Jade 38 bag. I have traveled with this bag as my carry on multiple times and it always fits the requirements. It measures roughly 23″ tall x 8″ deep. Cinching the top will bring it down to 21-22″ tall (the limit for my airline). Tip: it is a good idea to look at the bag size limits for all the airlines you’ll be traveling on.
One Bag Only
Carry On Bag. I like using a backpacking bag for my carry on because it is comfortable when I’m needing to walk the final leg to my destination. I purchased my Gregory Jade 38 many years ago, so I also show the Amber 44 as an alternate option.
Packing Cubes and Organizers. In the packing pictures above, I used these exact packing cubes. The solid bag in the middle is for dirty clothes, so I rolled that up and put it inside one of the other bags. This is also the electronics organizer I use — it is deep enough to store the universal adapter, my earpods, a 3-in-1 apple charger, battery pack, and all the cables and power cords. You might also want to pick up these gear ties too because it makes storing cables much simpler.
Prevention. Hiking is a repetitive action and I have recently started wearing these achilles tendon straps as a way to stay pain free when hiking. I also carry lambs wool and stuff bits into my shoes and socks at the first sign of discomfort.
Apres Hike. Stretching and rolling out sore muscles following a long day of hiking is a beautiful thing. These trigger point balls are small and easy to pack.
Around Town. Pack some versatile pieces for going out to dinner or doing the touristy thing in the towns.
