More and more people are exploring the benefits of packing light and re-evaluating how to economically pack for a trip. Whether you will be taking an outdoor adventure, a business trip, a pleasure cruise, or a family vacation, fitting all of your travel gear into one bag will save you time and money and make traveling a lot less hectic.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need to bring 2 or 3 bags with you, but with some research and planning you can learn how to pack less when travelling and easily whittle what you need down to one bag to better enjoy your trip. 

OneBag travel is a growing movement, and it will not be difficult to find suggestions on the web to help you whittle down your list of essentials. A good place to start is Reddit’s OneBag community. OneBag travelers post product suggestions and pack lists, and you can post questions and sample lists to get feedback from other travelers.

If you Google OneBag travel, along with finding Reddit’s OneBag community, you will see several websites and articles devoted to the benefits of packing light. Some articles, like this one on huffpost, provide tip lists, giving insights into the use of Merino wool clothing, packing cubes, and strategic planning. Other articles will detail the reasons to pack light, which include rising baggage fees, property loss and being inconspicuous as a tourist (and a target) when visiting unfamiliar places.

You will be amazed at what you find and how easy it will be to attain the simplicity of carrying one bag with you in your travels. Here is a sneak peek at some subjects that you should explore further:

• Limit your travel wardrobe to 1 or 2 outfits made of soft Merino wool, which you can wear multiple times without needing to put through the laundry.
• Downsize your hygiene products and research items that can be used for more than one purpose, like washes that can be used for both hair and body.
• Use your mobile device in place of bringing things to do on a plane, like books to read and drawing pads and utensils, and things that you’ll need to bring with you, like travel guides, maps, boarding passes, and reservation confirmations.
• Invest in a bag that allows for good organization and a safe spot for electronics, and pack so that items you’ll need often are easy to access.

With these simple tips, you can turn a large suitcase into a manageable backpack, leaving yourself room to even bring a few souvenirs back from your travels. You’ll save money, save time and save your back from a whole lot of pain.

You will quickly find that the benefits of packing light and strategically far outweigh those of carrying everything “just in case” when you travel. Try it, become immersed in the OneBag community, and focus on what really matters – your trip!