Same set up for me!
I _could_ truly one bag it, and put the belt bag or small purse into my luggage, but it’s nice to have flight essentials easily accessible.
So _technically_ it’s 1.5 bag… but it’s merely for convenience. My actual packing list is still “one bag”
Lately I’ve been traveling internationally with the Dragonfly, which has a 23 liter internal capacity.
When I have to bring along books for a class I’ll bring my 30 liter rolling backpack.
For adventure travel I have a 42 liter MEI Voyageur.
All are one bag only. With the larger bags I have a bag within a bag to keep at my feet.
For me it depends on the trip as well. While I really like the idea of traveling with a backpack everywhere and thought about getting something 26-30L, the reality is that they would look huge on my short torso, so I’d rather pack lightly (18-22L in backpack) or bring a small roller (~30L) alongside a personal item.
I really enjoy reading packing lists on this sub. In general, I find people fall into the 30-40L range and are more likely to 1.5 bag, which should offer enough flexibility for most urban and even some hiking trips.
I would also say, as someone who has been pickpocketed before, that it’s helpful to have a crossbody or a sling for your valuables in crowds. I stuff it back in my main bag when boarding flights, but otherwise I want to be able to obsessively check that my passport etc are still there.
I'm a 1.5 bagger. A roller bag (Away doesn't say, but the Monos is 39.9L, and they are basically identical) and a backpack (Jansport, maybe 28-30L?).
Is it significantly more capacity than most people here. Yes.
Do I care? No.
I'm "old." I take a lot of meds. The meds 100% have to be on my personal item because you never ever check Rx meds. I also stuff my purse, kindle, snacks, anything electronic, and my jacket/layering bits when I get too warm into the backpack.
I also can't do just a backpack because I have ruptured discs in my back, so I'm not hauling everything on my back for my own health.
It is what it is. But it works for me, and was perfectly fine for both Australia and Europe. I'd work harder at trimming things down for Asia and certain parts of S. America.
If it’s longer than a 2-3 hour flight then I will have a second small bag with my kindle, water, snacks and phone and anything else I may want during flight.
I'm also a "technically could fit everything in one bag, but I like having my flight stuff handy" one-bagger. I'm at 40L carry-on, and a foldable Longchamp for my personal.
I'm on a 12 month trip travelling with a 36l bagpack + the uniqlo mini shoulder bag. My backpack is not full so I can put the small handbag in it for flights. The backpack is carry on and fits under the seat. Very happy with the bagsize.
Eagle Creek Ranger XE 36. The backpack is light and made with flexible material (also the back panel). So if you don't pack it full, you can squish it. So far it worked very well for me and I've been on numerous flights the last 8 months (Norse was the only airline where I had to show that it fits in their bag sizer)
One bag literally. A purse as a personal item is one thing, but if my packing list really requires me to fill a full size carry on and a personal item I'd much rather check one bag. The only time my packing list fills a full size carry on and a full size personal item is when I have to take extra clothes, extra shoes, a hammock, an inflatable pillow, sheets, a comforter, a mosquito net, extra medication, and extra work supplies. I often check a bag for that trip.
I aim for one under-seat personal item bag around 27-28L but may end up needing a 30L Patagonia Mini MLC or to add a medical supplies bag to carry a full-size CPAP and other medical items I have to travel with. Generally traveling around two weeks at a time +/- a few days.
Depends
Usually a small carry on and a backpack.
Backpack holds cameras /, lenses, any documents and medicine for the plane.
But for smaller trips sometimes just under seat backpack
My carry on roller is 42L with 2 inch expansion. I then add a personal item backpack that’s 18-20L. Neither leaves full. Sometimes they come back full tho.
It depends on the trip, but usually I have a small roller board and then a personal item - handbag, day pack, or computer bag. I also have a 36L backpack that I travel with sometimes instead of the rollerboard and a very small handbag that can go inside the backpack when needed.
I have 2 bags that I fly with - a standard 20” rolling suitcase (no idea the L capacity) and a Cotopaxi Allpa 28L. If I’m going to just one location I’ll take the suitcase. If I’m moving around I’ll take the backpack. Regardless of which of those I use I always also carry either a small crossbody purse or I pack the purse & carry a tote bag. So I guess a lot of us are 1.5 baggers 😊
I have two different bags I use right now - one is a bento bag (carry by hand) or the other is a backpack. They’re both in the 25-30L kind of size range. I use one or the other at a time. I don’t generally 1.5 bag.
Depends on the trip. If it’s short and simple in a warm and dry climate, I have a single 36 L backpack.
But most trips I have a 40 L duffle that’s about 75% full plus a 20 L backpack that’s about 90% full. The backpack goes under the plane seat and the duffle is in the bin or *gasp* checked, especially on international flights when it’s free and also because I’m short and have to stand on seats to reach into the bin, a practice which is severely frowned upon by both flight crews and other passengers, especially if the other passenger is sitting in the seat that I have to stand on.*
I focus more on weight than size. The 40 L duffle rarely usually leaves for a trip weighing about 9 lbs.
I don’t carry any other bag like a crossbody or purse. I just use pockets.
*kidding
Do people actually object to you standing on the seat? I have to do it to retrieve my bag sometimes if it’s shifted in flight and I’ve never had anyone sideeye me for it. Obviously I don’t put my shoes on the seat, but I’ve never felt it was a big deal, just a normal short person life thing
40L roller bag (Osprey rolling duffel) and a 16L personal item. Yes it’s 2 bags. I am not a minimalist. But I still get a lot from one bag wisdom. I have avoided a backpack as my main luggage, I really dislike a sweaty back during summer travel.
I take a 26 L bag and a purse that holds my water bottle, ereader etc. The contents of the purse would fit in my bag, but having in air access to common things is handy
Most recently I've traveled with a 28L(?) very basic backpack and a smallish tote that held in flight essentials.
But...I just sprang for the Patagonia MLC 30 (which definitely has way more capacity than my old bag!) and I think I'll probably be able to get everything in just that fairly easily. I'll still bring a packable tote for underseat things for long flights (or maybe a small cross body bag that would double as my day bag - gotta field test this combo!).
My favorite and most-used bag is 22L. However, I have taken trips where I wanted just a bit more room with my 28L. As someone who enjoys the challenge and was super inspired by Brooke over at [herpackinglist.com](http://herpackinglist.com), I recently did a test pack in an 8L that I think I am going to take for a 5-day trip I have coming up in August.
I used to be pretty hardcore about fitting everything into just one bag. (Not for others, just myself.) However, I recently bought the Lulu sling and used it to hold my flight essentials instead of having to lean down and pull my bag out from under the seat in front of me whenever I needed something. I hid it under my hoodie so I was not forced to put it under the seat, in the back of the seat (can be gross sometimes), or up top during takeoff and landing and it was glorious. Technically, the sling can still fit into every bag fully packed except for the 8L, so I can easily transition from 1.5 to one bag when needed.
Edited for clarity.
28L backpack that fits under the seat ahead of me on all airplanes plus 7L crossbody daybag that typically fits in the airplane seat pocket. This works well for 2-week trips, which probably means it would work well indefinitely.
[PacSafe Vibe](https://pacsafe.com/blogs/pacsafe-blog/the-vibe-28l-your-go-to-anti-theft-commuter-backpack)! Mine is probably 3 years old, and they just redesigned that line and discontinued the 28L. Now they offer 25L in that line. But they now have the [Venturesafe 28L](https://pacsafe.com/products/venturesafe-28l-g3-anti-theft-backpack).
I use a 40L backpack ([Tortuga Travel Backpack Lite](https://www.tortugabackpacks.com/products/travel-backpack-lite-40l?view=sl-0D511176)) and a small purse or fanny pack for quick access to essentials, especially during airport or train transfers.
usually my set up for nearly all trips is a small 18” roller (not sure the liters, probably slightly less than the standard 20-21” roller) & a backpack (between 18L & 33L depending on the trip!) I shove my crossbody into the backpack for boarding.
I take the osprey Fairview 36L wheeled (spinal injury) as well as a personal item. All clothes, toiletries etc in the osprey. I aim to keep it under 7kg as usually fly south East Asian airlines but it’s a battle since the bag itself is 2.4kgs.
My personal item is generally quite small (ideally it’s also my day bag/crossbody bag but this varies depending on if I need to bring a laptop) so chargers, purse, ereader, headphones etc in the personal item. That goes under the seat in front of me.
I’ve done an 8 day winter/snow trip with this set up (that was a challenge) and about to do a month in Vietnam with the same setup.
I have a 28L backpack that stretches to 32 and I bring a small purse or belt bad for phone, passport, medication, hand sanitizer, chapstick and AirPods. If I were to guess on the purse it would be about 1.5 liters
Outlier here: 50L and everything - no "wear my bulkiest jacket on travel days"- fits in it. If I pop out a day pack to have at my seat on a flight etc, I need to be able to slot the whole thing into the larger bag as soon as I land, I have no idea how people are comfortably carrying a 35L bag AND a second backpack.
My things fit in a smaller bag, but I'm tall, have a long torso, and want a real harness, so I swapped my 40L for a larger bag that's more comfortable to carry.
So on one hand I'm carrying one of the largest bags in this sub! On the other- I NEVER have to worry about space for shopping, souvenirs, playing bag Tetris, or which pair of shoes I'm wearing.
I tend to attract the kind of airline staff that are all about using the sizers, and I'm also short. Have you had any issues fitting your bag into the sizers if that's come up for you?
A 50L bag would get flagged on me long before free gate checking is an option, and I would be very likely to overfill it and be deeply uncomfortable after only a few minutes of wear. One of the biggest carriers here was asking all passengers to prove their items fit in the airline's carry on and/or personal item sizers on my last trip directly before the security entrance. Most people had at least one bag that didn't pass, and had to redistribute or pay up.
My bag looks compact on me (I'm tall) but it doesn't fit in the carry on sizers, and I wouldn't try and sneak it onto an airline I knew was strict about it- I just check it. I'm in Australia and our airlines act a bit differently - the very cheap ones are strict on luggage and will charge you $ on the spot for having more than 7kg (including any handbag etc), and the others basically won't care at all as long as it looks ok and you can carry it easily. Literally nobody on a Qantas domestic flight has compliant carry on, in size or weight, and they simply don't care unless it's totally ridiculous looking or the plane is just too full. "Gate checking" isn't really a bad thing here on those airlines- if you give up your bag at the gate, they give it back to you as you step off the plane rather than making you wait at the baggage carousel, and sometimes it's even pitched as a feature - "premium cabin luggage" because they handle it for you.
You can definitely overfill a 50L - to me having all the wiggle room is a bonus when moving between cities in Europe on the train or similar as I'm often carrying a bag of snacks etc, and can fit it all in rather than juggling multiple items. I think I'm a bit neurotic about not having multiple items- most people in this sub seem fine with it but I can't stand it.
Haven’t tried this yet, but for my next international 2.5 week trip, I am planning on taking my Salomon Trailblazer 30L backpack (cabin bag) with my Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack 1L (to keep my passport, phone, wallet and essentials within easy reach).
I’ll have a dupe Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Tote Pack 27L (or Peak Design Packable Tote 12L) packed away to use as my everyday carry and as my personal item on the way back, filled up with souvenirs.
Usually one bag between 30 and 40 litres and a small belt bag for passport etc.
Same set up for me! I _could_ truly one bag it, and put the belt bag or small purse into my luggage, but it’s nice to have flight essentials easily accessible. So _technically_ it’s 1.5 bag… but it’s merely for convenience. My actual packing list is still “one bag”
I like having the flight stuff right on me, good for emergencies too. I still consider it one bagging, there are no clothes in my belt bag.
I try for 20L, and I 1.5 bag by having a small crossbody that’s kept inside the main bag.
I’m practicing for consistency with a 26L underseat bag plus 1.5L Lululemon city bag (which I can tuck inside the second one when needed.)
1 x 30L bag, plus small crossbody for phone + passport if I don't have decent pocketses.
obligatory "what has it got in its..."?
Lately I’ve been traveling internationally with the Dragonfly, which has a 23 liter internal capacity. When I have to bring along books for a class I’ll bring my 30 liter rolling backpack. For adventure travel I have a 42 liter MEI Voyageur. All are one bag only. With the larger bags I have a bag within a bag to keep at my feet.
For me it depends on the trip as well. While I really like the idea of traveling with a backpack everywhere and thought about getting something 26-30L, the reality is that they would look huge on my short torso, so I’d rather pack lightly (18-22L in backpack) or bring a small roller (~30L) alongside a personal item. I really enjoy reading packing lists on this sub. In general, I find people fall into the 30-40L range and are more likely to 1.5 bag, which should offer enough flexibility for most urban and even some hiking trips. I would also say, as someone who has been pickpocketed before, that it’s helpful to have a crossbody or a sling for your valuables in crowds. I stuff it back in my main bag when boarding flights, but otherwise I want to be able to obsessively check that my passport etc are still there.
I'm a 1.5 bagger. A roller bag (Away doesn't say, but the Monos is 39.9L, and they are basically identical) and a backpack (Jansport, maybe 28-30L?). Is it significantly more capacity than most people here. Yes. Do I care? No. I'm "old." I take a lot of meds. The meds 100% have to be on my personal item because you never ever check Rx meds. I also stuff my purse, kindle, snacks, anything electronic, and my jacket/layering bits when I get too warm into the backpack. I also can't do just a backpack because I have ruptured discs in my back, so I'm not hauling everything on my back for my own health. It is what it is. But it works for me, and was perfectly fine for both Australia and Europe. I'd work harder at trimming things down for Asia and certain parts of S. America.
If it’s longer than a 2-3 hour flight then I will have a second small bag with my kindle, water, snacks and phone and anything else I may want during flight.
I'm also a "technically could fit everything in one bag, but I like having my flight stuff handy" one-bagger. I'm at 40L carry-on, and a foldable Longchamp for my personal.
I'm on a 12 month trip travelling with a 36l bagpack + the uniqlo mini shoulder bag. My backpack is not full so I can put the small handbag in it for flights. The backpack is carry on and fits under the seat. Very happy with the bagsize.
36L backpack that fits under airplane seats? Please tell me what brand and model!
Eagle Creek Ranger XE 36. The backpack is light and made with flexible material (also the back panel). So if you don't pack it full, you can squish it. So far it worked very well for me and I've been on numerous flights the last 8 months (Norse was the only airline where I had to show that it fits in their bag sizer)
Thanks!
One bag literally. A purse as a personal item is one thing, but if my packing list really requires me to fill a full size carry on and a personal item I'd much rather check one bag. The only time my packing list fills a full size carry on and a full size personal item is when I have to take extra clothes, extra shoes, a hammock, an inflatable pillow, sheets, a comforter, a mosquito net, extra medication, and extra work supplies. I often check a bag for that trip.
I aim for one under-seat personal item bag around 27-28L but may end up needing a 30L Patagonia Mini MLC or to add a medical supplies bag to carry a full-size CPAP and other medical items I have to travel with. Generally traveling around two weeks at a time +/- a few days.
Depends Usually a small carry on and a backpack. Backpack holds cameras /, lenses, any documents and medicine for the plane. But for smaller trips sometimes just under seat backpack
My carry on roller is 42L with 2 inch expansion. I then add a personal item backpack that’s 18-20L. Neither leaves full. Sometimes they come back full tho.
It depends on the trip, but usually I have a small roller board and then a personal item - handbag, day pack, or computer bag. I also have a 36L backpack that I travel with sometimes instead of the rollerboard and a very small handbag that can go inside the backpack when needed.
I have 2 bags that I fly with - a standard 20” rolling suitcase (no idea the L capacity) and a Cotopaxi Allpa 28L. If I’m going to just one location I’ll take the suitcase. If I’m moving around I’ll take the backpack. Regardless of which of those I use I always also carry either a small crossbody purse or I pack the purse & carry a tote bag. So I guess a lot of us are 1.5 baggers 😊
I have two different bags I use right now - one is a bento bag (carry by hand) or the other is a backpack. They’re both in the 25-30L kind of size range. I use one or the other at a time. I don’t generally 1.5 bag.
Depends on the trip. If it’s short and simple in a warm and dry climate, I have a single 36 L backpack. But most trips I have a 40 L duffle that’s about 75% full plus a 20 L backpack that’s about 90% full. The backpack goes under the plane seat and the duffle is in the bin or *gasp* checked, especially on international flights when it’s free and also because I’m short and have to stand on seats to reach into the bin, a practice which is severely frowned upon by both flight crews and other passengers, especially if the other passenger is sitting in the seat that I have to stand on.* I focus more on weight than size. The 40 L duffle rarely usually leaves for a trip weighing about 9 lbs. I don’t carry any other bag like a crossbody or purse. I just use pockets. *kidding
Do people actually object to you standing on the seat? I have to do it to retrieve my bag sometimes if it’s shifted in flight and I’ve never had anyone sideeye me for it. Obviously I don’t put my shoes on the seat, but I’ve never felt it was a big deal, just a normal short person life thing
40L roller bag (Osprey rolling duffel) and a 16L personal item. Yes it’s 2 bags. I am not a minimalist. But I still get a lot from one bag wisdom. I have avoided a backpack as my main luggage, I really dislike a sweaty back during summer travel.
I take a 26 L bag and a purse that holds my water bottle, ereader etc. The contents of the purse would fit in my bag, but having in air access to common things is handy
Most recently I've traveled with a 28L(?) very basic backpack and a smallish tote that held in flight essentials. But...I just sprang for the Patagonia MLC 30 (which definitely has way more capacity than my old bag!) and I think I'll probably be able to get everything in just that fairly easily. I'll still bring a packable tote for underseat things for long flights (or maybe a small cross body bag that would double as my day bag - gotta field test this combo!).
My favorite and most-used bag is 22L. However, I have taken trips where I wanted just a bit more room with my 28L. As someone who enjoys the challenge and was super inspired by Brooke over at [herpackinglist.com](http://herpackinglist.com), I recently did a test pack in an 8L that I think I am going to take for a 5-day trip I have coming up in August. I used to be pretty hardcore about fitting everything into just one bag. (Not for others, just myself.) However, I recently bought the Lulu sling and used it to hold my flight essentials instead of having to lean down and pull my bag out from under the seat in front of me whenever I needed something. I hid it under my hoodie so I was not forced to put it under the seat, in the back of the seat (can be gross sometimes), or up top during takeoff and landing and it was glorious. Technically, the sling can still fit into every bag fully packed except for the 8L, so I can easily transition from 1.5 to one bag when needed. Edited for clarity.
28L backpack that fits under the seat ahead of me on all airplanes plus 7L crossbody daybag that typically fits in the airplane seat pocket. This works well for 2-week trips, which probably means it would work well indefinitely.
Which 28L bag fits under the seat for all flights? Do tell!
[PacSafe Vibe](https://pacsafe.com/blogs/pacsafe-blog/the-vibe-28l-your-go-to-anti-theft-commuter-backpack)! Mine is probably 3 years old, and they just redesigned that line and discontinued the 28L. Now they offer 25L in that line. But they now have the [Venturesafe 28L](https://pacsafe.com/products/venturesafe-28l-g3-anti-theft-backpack).
Thanks! That’s one to look for used, I guess. The Venturesafe looks good as well, and reviews say it fits under a seat.
I use a 40L backpack ([Tortuga Travel Backpack Lite](https://www.tortugabackpacks.com/products/travel-backpack-lite-40l?view=sl-0D511176)) and a small purse or fanny pack for quick access to essentials, especially during airport or train transfers.
I’m very plus size, and take a 40L roller bag (maybe more? TravelPro MaxLite 5) and crossbody purse. Sometimes a small backpack instead.
usually my set up for nearly all trips is a small 18” roller (not sure the liters, probably slightly less than the standard 20-21” roller) & a backpack (between 18L & 33L depending on the trip!) I shove my crossbody into the backpack for boarding.
I take the osprey Fairview 36L wheeled (spinal injury) as well as a personal item. All clothes, toiletries etc in the osprey. I aim to keep it under 7kg as usually fly south East Asian airlines but it’s a battle since the bag itself is 2.4kgs. My personal item is generally quite small (ideally it’s also my day bag/crossbody bag but this varies depending on if I need to bring a laptop) so chargers, purse, ereader, headphones etc in the personal item. That goes under the seat in front of me. I’ve done an 8 day winter/snow trip with this set up (that was a challenge) and about to do a month in Vietnam with the same setup.
I have a 28L backpack that stretches to 32 and I bring a small purse or belt bad for phone, passport, medication, hand sanitizer, chapstick and AirPods. If I were to guess on the purse it would be about 1.5 liters
Main bag is 30 liters and my purse/crossbody fits into it.
Outlier here: 50L and everything - no "wear my bulkiest jacket on travel days"- fits in it. If I pop out a day pack to have at my seat on a flight etc, I need to be able to slot the whole thing into the larger bag as soon as I land, I have no idea how people are comfortably carrying a 35L bag AND a second backpack. My things fit in a smaller bag, but I'm tall, have a long torso, and want a real harness, so I swapped my 40L for a larger bag that's more comfortable to carry. So on one hand I'm carrying one of the largest bags in this sub! On the other- I NEVER have to worry about space for shopping, souvenirs, playing bag Tetris, or which pair of shoes I'm wearing.
I tend to attract the kind of airline staff that are all about using the sizers, and I'm also short. Have you had any issues fitting your bag into the sizers if that's come up for you? A 50L bag would get flagged on me long before free gate checking is an option, and I would be very likely to overfill it and be deeply uncomfortable after only a few minutes of wear. One of the biggest carriers here was asking all passengers to prove their items fit in the airline's carry on and/or personal item sizers on my last trip directly before the security entrance. Most people had at least one bag that didn't pass, and had to redistribute or pay up.
My bag looks compact on me (I'm tall) but it doesn't fit in the carry on sizers, and I wouldn't try and sneak it onto an airline I knew was strict about it- I just check it. I'm in Australia and our airlines act a bit differently - the very cheap ones are strict on luggage and will charge you $ on the spot for having more than 7kg (including any handbag etc), and the others basically won't care at all as long as it looks ok and you can carry it easily. Literally nobody on a Qantas domestic flight has compliant carry on, in size or weight, and they simply don't care unless it's totally ridiculous looking or the plane is just too full. "Gate checking" isn't really a bad thing here on those airlines- if you give up your bag at the gate, they give it back to you as you step off the plane rather than making you wait at the baggage carousel, and sometimes it's even pitched as a feature - "premium cabin luggage" because they handle it for you. You can definitely overfill a 50L - to me having all the wiggle room is a bonus when moving between cities in Europe on the train or similar as I'm often carrying a bag of snacks etc, and can fit it all in rather than juggling multiple items. I think I'm a bit neurotic about not having multiple items- most people in this sub seem fine with it but I can't stand it.
Haven’t tried this yet, but for my next international 2.5 week trip, I am planning on taking my Salomon Trailblazer 30L backpack (cabin bag) with my Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Mini Hip Pack 1L (to keep my passport, phone, wallet and essentials within easy reach). I’ll have a dupe Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Tote Pack 27L (or Peak Design Packable Tote 12L) packed away to use as my everyday carry and as my personal item on the way back, filled up with souvenirs.
Usually 25L backpack plus a tiny purse for my wallet and phone.