A chat with my neighbor about his trip to Lisbon made me reconsider my packing

He said he only brought a 28L backpack for a 10-day trip and saved over $150 on checked bag fees with two different budget airlines. I've always been a 'just in case' over-packer, but that number really stuck with me. Has anyone else made the switch to one-bag travel and found it actually saved a decent amount of cash?

4 comments

4 Comments

morgan_king361mo ago

Wait, he only used a 28 liter bag? That's the size of my gym backpack. I can't even fit my shoes in something that small, let alone clothes for ten days. The money saved sounds great, but I'm picturing wearing the same three shirts the whole trip and that's a hard sell for me. My brain just won't accept that it's possible to pack that light without major sacrifice.

karenb971mo ago

My friend did two weeks in Italy with just a small backpack, and she looked great every day.

the_christopher1mo ago

How many outfits do you really need on a trip though? I get it, the idea feels impossible at first. But you'd be shocked how little you actually wear when you're out doing stuff all day. I tried it once and ended up wearing my favorite shirt three times anyway because who cares.

amy_craig281mo ago

Oh man, that 28L thing gets me every time I think about it too! I did a 12-day trip to the UK with a 35L bag and still felt like a pack mule compared to that guy. @the_christopher is totally right though, I wore my same black jeans four times and nobody noticed because hey, I was walking around ruins and pubs, not a fashion show. Plus that $150 savings is basically two nice dinners out, so maybe I do need to squeeze my shoes in tighter next time.