Convinced that you need to consider packing lighter? Here are some of the tips for packing in a small backpack to lighten your load.

1. Roll Your Clothes

Rolling your clothes saves a TON of space. I already do this in the duffle bag I normally carry and I've found that you can carry about 2-3x rather than just folding your clothes. The drawback to this method is that your clothes can become wrinkled quite easily if you don't roll the well or they become unrolled. I normally only carry t-shirts, a long sleeve, and some bottoms (jeans or shorts) so this normally isn't too big of a concern. If you have to travel for business, you will likely be traveling with a garment bag that your nicer clothes will go into.

When packing my back I normally follow these 4 steps to maximize my space:

Roll the bulkier items (jeans, sweatshirts, etc.) and put them at the bottom Roll my t-shirts and fill in between the bulky items Stuff my socks and underwear towards the edges Place items that need to be folded at the top

Like I previously said, don't expect your clothes to be wrinkle-free coming out of the bag, but it should be pretty good. If you are concerned with wrinkles, use the shower trick at your hotel room to steam your clothes.

2. Wear the Bulk

Sweatshirts, jackets, and bulky items are very difficult to pack. These items take up a lot of room in your bag and can make you feel like you should be taking more bags. Don't give in to this and try to wear as much of the bulky items as you can onto the plane. Planes are often cold anyways and I try to wear layers as much as possible. You can stuff your jacket in the overhead compartment and it can act as a blanket in dire times.













3. Get Rid of Redundancies

Do you often bring 4 pairs of jeans, only to wear one the entire trip? I think this happens to a lot of us and getting rid of these redundancies will free up a ton of space in your bag. Be ruthless with what you carry. Ask yourself if you will absolutely wear/use that item while on your trip. If there is any level of hesitation, don't bring it. The only exception to this rule is a small first aid kit, which I try to bring on most of my trips.

Some of the items that we tend to carry a lot of are bottoms (pants and shorts), jackets, and sweatshirts. You often only need one solid long sleeve to fit 95% of situations, yet I see many travelers bringing 3-4 of these bulky items.

4. Limit the Tech

Quite often one of the things that takes up the most room in a carry on is the amount of tech you bring. I always think I need to carry my full mirror-less camera, iPhone, two extra batteries, Nintendo Switch, etc. when in reality I use my iPhone for the majority of the time and use the battery once. Take inventory of what you really use to ensure that you are only bringing the essentials.

It can definitely feel like you are going to be missing something or that you won't get the perfect shot without your full camera. In ultra light packing like this, you might not always have the gear that would be optimal for every specific situation on the road. Instead, it's important to remember the rule of "almost perfect" and come to terms with the idea that you might not have everything perfect for your trip, but it will likely be just fine!