FAQs, Q&As and a few As

A landing page for all the questions you may be asking yourself about traveling with less. The site covers three overlapping ideas (minimalist travel, long-term travel and one-bag travel), so the first section sorts that out, and the rest is grouped by topic. If your question isn't here, let me know and I'll add it.

The three types of travel on this site

What's the difference between minimalist travel, one-bag travel and long-term travel?

Minimalist travel is a mindset: travel with as little as you can get away with and question every "need." One-bag travel is a packing method: everything fits in a single carry-on, whatever the trip length. Long-term travel is a trip type: months (or an open-ended stretch) away, where preparation matters more than bag size. They overlap constantly, and most posts here are tagged with more than one. The Getting Started page explains each with three articles to begin with.

Which one should I start with?

If you're planning a long trip, start with Long-Term Travel and work through the prep series. If you just want to stop checking bags, start with One Bag Travel. If you're curious about the "why" and want to travel lighter in every sense, start with Minimalist Travel.

Minimalist travel

What IS minimalist travel?

There's the philosophical answer, What IS Minimalist Travel?, and a more practical, "real-life" answer, detailing how and what I pack.. aptly named How and What I Pack; you may also want to check out The Bare Essentials (Opinion Piece) for an opinion piece on the bare minimum required to travel (hint: it's not a lot).

Why minimalist travel? What's the point? What are the benefits?

Check out The Benefits of Minimalist Travel for the long-winded answer, and Why Minimalist Travel? for a shorter, story-filled version.

What are the drawbacks? How can I tell if minimalist travel is right for me?

Check out Is Minimalist Travel Right For You? and Laundry EVERY Day, arguably the biggest hurdle for would-be minimalist travelers. The Realities and Limitations of Minimalist Travel is the honest list of what you give up.

Is minimalist travel only for guys?

Excellent question... sadly, I can only speak to my experiences, and, nature or nurture, minimalist travel is much easier for men.. but I can only speak to the male perspective, because that's all I have.. I would LOVE to have a female contributor providing feedback and insight into how to make minimalist travel more applicable/accessible to women; if you have any ideas or are interested in helping in this area, please let me know!

Are you a minimalist in your "normal" life?

I would say... sort of.. but my friends who see me wearing the same five shirts all the time would say 100% yes.

Long-term travel

What counts as long-term travel?

Anything long enough that you can't just "pack for the trip": think months rather than weeks, or an open-ended stretch with no return ticket. The full answer is in What is Long-Term Travel?

What do I need to sort out before I leave the country?

Passports, visas and licenses first, then insurance and vaccinations, then documents, storage and mail, then your phone plan, then backup plans, and finally your own expectations. That's the order of the prep series, starting with The Basics (Passports, VISAs and IDPs); the whole series is listed on the Long-Term Travel page.

Do I need travel insurance?

For a long trip, yes, and "travel insurance" and "international health insurance" are not the same thing. Risk Mitigation (Travel Insurance and Shots) walks through the options and the vaccinations worth getting.

What about my phone?

eSIMs, local SIMs, burner phones and roaming plans each make sense for different trips; see International Coverage, Roaming Charges, eSIMs and Burner Phones.

What should I actually pack for a long trip?

Less than you think. Start with The 7 Things You MUST Pack for Long-Term Travel, then 8 Things You *Should* Pack, and The 6 Packing Rules You MUST Follow.

Should I buy expensive gear or cheap gear?

Both have a case, and I've written each one: The Case for Inexpensive Travel Gear and The Case for High-Quality Travel Gear. Short version: buy cheap for anything that gets lost, wet or worn out, and pay up only for the few things you use every single day.

One-bag travel

What size backpack do I need for one-bag travel?

A 40L bag is a relatively safe starting point for most airlines; over 40L you risk having to check it, under 40L you may find packing difficult at first. Most one-baggers settle somewhere between 20L and 40L. The One Bag Travel page covers sizing, and Airline Size and Weight Restrictions lists the actual limits by airline.

What's the best bag or backpack?

Any bag will do.. sort of! There's no single best bag; capacity, comfort, opening style and organization all matter, and they trade off against each other. Choosing a Backpack goes through the features worth caring about.

Do I need packing cubes or compression bags?

Some people swear by packing cubes and/or compression bags; they are not required, but they are useful for organization. True minimalist travelers opt for simple 1L plastic bags, or you can use your wash bag / dry bag for compressing your clothes. See Essential One-Bag Travel Accessories for the short list of tools that earn their space.

How do I get everything into one bag?

Mindset first, then methods, then materials, in that order. How to Pack for One Bag Travel is the overview, How to Minimize Your Pack is the tactical list, and Top 10 Ways to Minimize Your Pack is the older, broader version.

Clothes and comfort

How do you minimize what you pack for clothes?

There are three key ingredients to minimizing the clothes you pack.. 1) You need to accept the concept of doing laundry every one or two days; check out Laundry EVERY Day for the routine and the honest downsides, 2) You need to be careful with the clothes you pack and, if possible, stick to quick-dry clothing for everything; check out Travel Clothes (What To Look For) for recommendations in this department, 3) You have to be okay with looking like a tourist and wearing the same one or two sets of clothes every day; check out No One Cares (Except Maybe You) for my take on why it doesn't matter, and lastly.. 4) In a perfect world, you stick to warm/moderate climates, which instantly and massively reduces your pack; check out The Case for Fair Weather Travel for my arguments for warm-weather travel.

Okay, clothes I could handle, but HOW do I pack all the SHOES I need?

Check out Oh My God, Shoes! for suggestions and answers to this age-old question, and Choosing the Right Shoes for One Bag Travel for the one-bag version.

You pack so little, how do you deal with cold weather?

Aside from the obvious answer of sticking to warm climates (see The Case for Fair Weather Travel).. there are a few things to consider for keeping your pack small..

1. If it's truly cold, you won't be sweating the way you would normally, so yes, you could easily get away with one pair of thermal long-johns and wear them for 3-4 days before washing, especially if you're wearing underwear and/or an undershirt under the long johns.
2. If you can fit it, pack a puffer jacket.. see Jackets, Coats and Ponchos, Oh My!
3. Buy your accessories while traveling (long socks, scarves, hats, gloves, balaclava, etc.), then donate them at a hostel when you're leaving for warmer climates. Mail them home when you're done if you love them.. (good time to wrap and send gifts as well).
4. Consider hand warmers and feet warmers for extended outdoor activities.
5. Layer! This should maybe be number 2, and I think of it as obvious coming from a cold state; in many ways, cold minimalist travel is easier than warm-weather minimalist travel, because you simply don't get sweaty.

The long version is Cold Weather Travel.

How do you look professional for work calls?

IF I'm working (I try not to), I wear the same button-down dress shirt for every work call... no one seems to notice or care.. or it becomes a running joke.. but in any case, I throw it on for video calls and take it off immediately after, so it rarely needs to be washed.

Washing clothes / laundry

What's the best method for doing laundry on the road?

It depends on where you're staying and how long you're there. I go into lots of detail on the options in The 7 Methods for Doing Laundry While Traveling, and on my own routine in Washing Clothes in the Shower (don't judge until you read it).

How often do I need to wash my clothes? Do I need to do laundry every day?

Yes and no. For the stuff touching your skin.. i.e. absorbing sweat.. you'll likely want a freshly cleaned pair of socks/underwear every day (depending on weather, how much you move/sweat, etc.).. but for the bigger items (shirts, shorts, pants, etc.), I've found that I can easily go 3-4 days without washing (shorts may be a bit obvious, but yes, even shirts don't need to be washed every day).

It's worth noting that nature's way of cleaning is via sunlight and air.. yes.. it's that simple.. the UV light from sunshine can kill germs in a few hours just by being outside.. so the "shadow" parts of your clothes (underwear, armpits of shirts, socks, etc.) are what really need to be cleaned.. but if you remove your shirt at night (as I'd imagine most do) and hang it in a window, you'll be amazed at how much it doesn't smell the next day.

How annoying is it to do laundry every day?

It sounds like a burden... but in reality.. it's only slightly annoying.. in fact, it's somewhat therapeutic.. like brushing your teeth or shaving. Every time I go to the shower (usually/hopefully, daily), I'll bring my "dirty" socks, underwear and t-shirt, and wash them in the sink or shower.. then hang them up to dry.. and every 2-3 weeks, when it's convenient, I'll take all my clothes to a typical laundromat and give them a "deep" clean. The full routine is in Laundry EVERY Day.

Do I need to wash my clothes with soap, or could I just rinse them with water?

Again, the answer is nuanced, and can depend on the material/stains/dirt, etc. If you just wore your clothes and had a normal day, i.e. not a lot of sweating, no coffee/beer stains, etc.. then washing them with water is okay for a couple of times, but after 2-3 water-only washes, you'll likely find yourself wanting that "freshly washed" result that can only come from using soap, soaking your clothes and scrubbing the parts that get the most... "use."

If I'm using a wash bin, wash bag or sink, how long do I need to soak my clothes?

The answer here is interesting: the soaking process is what allows water molecules to slowly break/dislodge dirt, grime and, yes, germs from your clothes.. this happens over time.. but after 10-15 minutes, any additional time can actually be bad for cleaning clothes, especially if the country you're in doesn't have the cleanest water. I've had a number of experiences where I let my clothes soak, with soap, for a full day.. and they came out musky and gross.. immediately prompting me to re-wash them. Your best bet is to soak your clothes for 15-20 minutes in soapy water, then scrub/shake/rub each item, rinse and hang them to dry.. the abrasion is what actually removes dirt/oil/grime from your clothes, so it's an important part of the process.

It may be worth noting that if you're hand-washing your clothes with soap and running water, you likely don't need to soak your clothes AT ALL... the abrasion from your soapy hands and the running water from the sink or shower will effectively loosen/remove any dirt, germs, bacteria, etc. in the moment. Your clothes will likely be MORE clean than in a modern washing machine (assuming you're targeting the "problem" areas). And if you're skeptical.. compare it to hand-washing dishes in the sink.. are those dishes less clean than washing them in a dishwasher?

Are there ways to wash less often?

I've been testing "stain-proofing" sprays (namely Nanoman) and "stain-proof" clothes (namely Ably).. along with anti-sweat, sweat-proof, anti-bacterial, quick-dry, <insert your favorite marketing tag-line here> products for a while now, and they DO help with minimizing stains and sweat, which can reduce how often you need to wash your clothes, but I feel the need to do a deeper dive and more testing to say yay or nay to any particular product.

It's worth noting that on one six-week trip, I sprayed all my clothes with Nanoman Fabric Protector and legitimately noticed when a wayward beer from an extremely drunk patron just rolled off my shirt.. and I found I could wear my shirts 2-3 days easily before washing them.. what I don't know is if that was because they're anti-sweat/anti-bacterial, or if that's from the Nanoman protective coating.. I hope to have a better answer to this soon.

Drying clothes

What's the best method for drying clothes on the road?

Wring, roll in a towel, then hang somewhere air moves. The tools and tricks are in Tips for Drying Clothes While Traveling.

How fast can I expect my clothes to dry?

This depends on a million factors.. material, thickness, size of garment, air temperature, humidity, sunlight exposure, heat exposure, air exposure, air speed, elevation (yes, even elevation) and level of wetness at the start of the dry cycle... it's incredibly difficult to predict "how fast" something will dry without a super computer.. (and now you know why it's so hard to predict the weather).. BUT..

The short answer is that most standard cotton clothes WILL dry even in the coolest of temperatures in under 2 days (assuming they're not hanging in the rain); in wet/humid climates, it will likely take a full 24 hours, in hot/dry climates, it can take as little as 30 minutes. Your best bet is to 1) pack ALL quick-dry clothing, 2) use a rope-based hanger to hang your clothes in a window (if possible), and 3) stick to warm climates. :)

What's the fastest way to dry your clothes? What's the fastest-drying material?

Use quick-dry clothing, and lay claim to the sunniest real estate. Quick-dry synthetic fabrics (polyester and nylon blends) are 100% worth it; merino is close behind; cotton is the slowest by a wide margin. More in Travel Clothes (What To Look For).

Are there alternatives to air drying?

Hostel and laundromat dryers, when you can get them, and a towel roll for everything else. Portable dryers exist but rarely earn the space in a small bag; see Tips for Drying Clothes While Traveling for what actually helps.

Body odor (it shouldn't be a concern, but just in case..)

What causes body odor? Do my clothes smell, or do I smell?

Odor is the result of bacteria feeding off the (mostly) scentless sweat coming from your body.. interacting with it (i.e. eating it) and effectively pooping out the gases that we then inhale/smell.. (ewww).. that bacteria can live on both your body and your clothes, which is why we wash both with (hopefully) some regularity... MOST of the bacteria actually lives on YOUR skin, which is why you can wear the same clothes for multiple days in a row, IF YOU'RE SHOWERING, before it starts to stink.. the bacteria on your clothes, once removed from their food source (i.e. your body), actually just start to die by themselves.. no food, no smell.. fascinating right? So you can wear the same clothes multiple days in a row before the sweat and bacteria build up enough to smell.

Can I smell my own body odor? Can I tell if my clothes stink?

I'd imagine we've all experienced this at some point.. yes, you can smell your own BO up to a certain point, however, other people may smell it sooner and/or be more attuned to it (good or bad, actually).. so even if your shirt doesn't smell after 10 days of continuous wear, you may want to give it a wash just to be safe.

What is the fastest/easiest method of cleaning? Is water actually required?

Water actually is NOT required to clean your clothes; as mentioned above, the main goal of cleaning clothes is to remove stains (dirt, grime, beer, wine, etc.) to make them LOOK clean, and to remove germs (bacteria/viruses) so that they ARE clean, i.e. don't smell. We've all worn a favorite shirt that had a tiny stain that you hope no one notices.. did it ever feel "unclean"? No.. because stains by themselves are not "dirty" (although they look dirty). So it's not hard to imagine that your socks (assuming you're wearing shoes) don't actually get stains.. and in that case, you can completely clean them just by a simple rinse (with or without soap) and then letting them air dry (ideally in the sun).

Do UV-light cleaners work?

UV-light cleaners are all the rage these days, and yes, they can work, although many consumer versions test poorly.. but depending on where you're staying and what your living situation is, you can ideally rely on good old-fashioned sunlight to do the same work for free.

How quickly can odor-causing germs be killed?

You're actually better off just removing them, versus killing them.. which is what a rinse and a scrub do.

Everything else

Are waterproof bags really waterproof? Are they worth it?

YES.. a dry bag doubles as a laundry bag, a compression bag and a laptop sleeve; see Convenient Extras (Gear).

I'm in a hot climate with lots of bugs, what's the best way to keep bugs away?

Simple bug spray you can buy when you get there.. many hostels/AirBnbs have mosquito nets either available or already hanging around the bed.

Do ultrasonic insect repellents really work?

YES.

How do you pick a hostel?

9 Tips for Booking the Perfect Hostel covers everything I check before booking.

Can I work while traveling with such a small bag?

Yes; the laptop is usually the biggest thing in my bag. But I NEED My Laptop and Laptop Accessories and Alternatives cover the options.

IF you have other questions, please let me know!