Everything I recommend I personally own/use or tried

Checked bags – Carry-ons – Backpacks – Personal items

During my trips, from my first trip, to my last trip (3 1/2 months abroad). I have grown a lot in terms of packing. I think it’s fairly safe to say we have all over packed, like really over packed. Especially on your first trip or 2, well at least I know I have. We want to be as prepared as possible and have all this stuff that we really don’t need. And if you have or have yet to experience this, let me tell you there is nothing worse than lugging around a big heavy ass suitcase, going up and down stairs, through crowds, metros and buses. So let me give you some of the advice and tips I have learned.

• Good luggage – No matter what type of traveler you are ( big suitcase, roller carry-on or backpacker) get something that is going to last. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen luggage failure, burst open bags with their stuff everywhere, broken handles and broken wheels. Last thing you want to happen at the very beginning or any point of your trip. Plus good quality will last and you will have it forever.
• Smaller is better – I promise you don’t need over half the stuff you’re planning on bringing. So you don’t need to bring that big suitcase, don’t even bring that roller carry-on. Get yourself a carry on backpack and a good personal item and save yourself the hassle of lugging those larger pieces around, it really sucks believe me, I’ve done it.
• Pack light! – One of the best things you can do for yourself is be as light as possible. My trips are generally 2 weeks to a month, with my longest being 3 1/2 months. I like to have about 5 days worth of clothes with an additional “going out outfit” or two. Underwear and socks are the only things you should bring extra of. You can always do laundry or buy something there, which you will probably do anyways. Look at what you’re bringing and asked yourself ” Do I really need that? Like really need it?”I promise you don’t need 3 pairs of shoes. Pack outfits that are interchangeable, guys amphibian shorts are great and versatile.
• Packing/Organizing  – Everyone has their own way of packing, but find what works best for you. Me personally I own and use the ziploc dual use roll out / vacuum  space bags for my clothes, make sure you get the roll out ones that you can use without a vacuum. They work great and really free up some space. They come in medium and large. The medium is great for shorts and t-shirts, warmer weather clothing and the large are better for long pants, long sleeve shirts, colder weather. They really work great in compressing everything and keep you clothes dry in the event of any accidental leaks of liquids in your back. Be sure not to over pack them and look for the line at the bottom or sometimes they lose the vacuum like seal. Again make sure you get the dual use, vac or rollout bags. You don’t want to have to bring a vac with you. Link below is for a combo 2 large, 2 medium dual use bags.

• Some people like packing cubes. Whatever works for you do, but try some different things. Little organizer bags for your electronic cords, batteries, chargers, etc. Anything that will help you be as light, compact and as organized as possible. Pack and be organized in a way that things you will need are easy to get to when you need them.
• PACK PACK AND RE-PACK – Ever played Tetris? Well packing is like that. Try packing different ways with things packed differently. I can’t tell you how many times by just putting something a different way in my bag has changed the amount of spaced taken up. Try 3 different ways, you’ll be amazed at the difference.
• Make a list Make a list and check things off as you pack. We have all done it and it’s the worst feeling forgetting something when it’s too late or wondering if you remembered to bring that certain item.

Luggage

• Backpacks (carry-on/personal item) – This to me is the best way to travel. A backpack is a travelers best friend. I believe this the most important item/items on your trip. Depending on size, you can have a big enough backpack to be your carry on and a little smaller one be your personal item. Avoiding that big suitcase should be your goal. This will save you money and keep you from dragging around a heavy, bulky piece of luggage.
• Carry on backpack – For me this is the best option luggage wise. There are so many great packs out there that you can pack a weeks worth of stuff inside of and everything else you will need for your trip. Coming soon a youtube channel with a review/ comparison of a few bags I bought off Amazon. I tested 3 out to see what would be best for me (Osprey porter 46, Kelty Redwing 44, Kaka 40).

Osprey Porter 46

     Kelty Reding 44
Kaka

All made to be carry on friendly, I did read a rare review of the Osprey having to be checked due to overpacking. I packed each with the same materials, and re-packed them in all different ways.

1. The Kelty Red Wing 44 for me was the best out of the 3. I highly recommend this bag. This is the bag I took around for 3 1/2 months. Even though it is supposed to be smaller than the Osprey, I was actually able to get more in it, in a more organized ease of use. It has a rigid frame, which makes it very comfortable and back form-fitting unlike the Osprey. It had comfortable straps, good quality and was less expensive than the Osprey. The U-shaped loading system was also the best out of the 3. For me this is the best bag and one you should check out. But find what works best for you and always check your airlines regulations.
2. The Osprey Porter 46 was a very solid bag and had many features I loved, such as tuck away straps, good padding, large capacity, optional shoulder strap you can purchase and better organizational pockets. This would also be a great bag but for me the Kelty worked better. This is a great option that might work great for you.
3. The Kaka for the money is actually a pretty great bag, I was able to fit a lot in it but it just wasn’t big enough. It has many great features like the tuck away straps and converts into a shoulder carry bag. Great bag for the money, good local weekend bag.

Personal item / backpack – The airline lets you bring a personal item on the plane, take advantage of that. If you can get away with 2 backpacks or a roller carry-on and a smaller backpack and not pay to check a big bag that can be lost, damaged or rummaged through, doesn’t that make sense? Go through your closet and pull out “old faithful” from high school or get yourself a good backpack that has a large amount of space with good compartments. I personally have used an old backpack from school that holds a lot and has many useful compartments. This has been a life saver  on countless occasions. I’ve used it for overflow, because we always come back heavier with more stuff than we left with (souvenirs, cloths, etc) or shifting weight around due to different airline weight restrictions.

I just purchased the Osprey Porter 30 to test out as a  “personal item” to go along with my Kelty Redwing. I packed it out with my extra gear and checked a few airlines measurements for personal items and it will compress down to the correct size. I will update this on my next trip to confirm how it worked out.

• Osprey Porter 30 – So far I’m loving this bag. I haven’t got to actually travel with it yet but it has great pockets, large storage capacity, tuck away straps, nice padding and clips to add a shoulder harness for shoulder carry which will work great with the Kelty on my back. This will keep me from front carrying it and looking pretty awkward. I will update after I have used this on a trip.
• Personal item / Daily bag – This can also be a small bag that folds up inside your main luggage (whatever that may be) and pulled out in case of overflow or weight restrictions. I Always keep my daily pull string bag inside my main bag handy in the even I need it. I also found this foldable duffel bag that works great in case of need.
• Daily bag – This should be a nice, small, lightweight bag that you use daily once you’ve reached your destination. It should be able to fold up/lay flat in your main luggage. I personally love this Under Armour pull string. This is my every day bag that goes out on my daily activities/ adventures.  It also lays completely flat in my bag, takes up 0 space, weighs nothing and is always ready to go if I need to use it as my “personal item”.

The Under Amour pull string – is the bag I have used on almost all my trips. it’s a great bag with a main pocket, front pocket and a small side pocket. Really love this bag, it holds a lot, has multiple useful pockets and takes up almost zero room inside my luggage. And when I’m not traveling it serves as my gym bag.

Suitcases (checked/carry-on) – If you truly just can’t go without a suitcase, which I absolutely, highly suggest you do. Check out Briggs and Riley, they are an awesome quality brand. Great zippers (very important), ballistic nylon (also very important), a expandable/ratcheting compression system and lifetime warranty.

 

 

 

 

Large 4 wheel

I personally have the “Baseline large expandable spinner” shown above. It is a wonderful bag, has been on a bunch of my trips, through many airports, wheeled all throughout the cobblestone roads in Rome and has been amazing. This bag has enough space for anything you could imagine, but hopefully you avoid doing so. For a large suitcase definitely get a 4 wheeler, it eliminates the weight you feel in the 2 wheel style and is much, much easier to wheel around.

• Roller carry on suitcase – Great for domestic travel or downsizing from the larger suitcase.

2 wheel

4 wheel

• I also personally have the “Baseline domestic carry-on upright 2 wheel”. The 2 wheel gives you a little more space vs the 4 wheel and its small enough that weight shouldn’t be an issue with pulling the 2 wheel version. They also have the 4 wheel version which is nice, just a little less room. Either would be a great choice, I just opted for the 2 wheel. It has been a great domestic bag that I have taken around the states and no issues. Again whichever brand you go with I suggest getting something that will last you and not fail during a trip.

• Organizers – I really like the small Bagsmart bags. It Fits all my chords, batteries, chargers, plug converters and has slots for sd/sim cards, plus has a small zip pocket you can fit some papers in. I also always bring a little pouch bag to go inside my daily bag. I keep floss, tooth picks, Advil and little miscellaneous items in.

Small – I love this little organizer bag. I Personally have both small and large, I found the small to be much more useful and holds a lot, 2 battery pack/chargers ( 1 large and 1 small) travel adaptor, GoPro dual battery charger, all my cords and some. I highly recommend this bag to keep all your electronics well-organized.

Large – I got this to hold my laptop charger and experiment with it vs the smaller bag. It did serve its purpose due to the smaller bag not being able to hold the laptop cord, however I still liked the smaller one better, it kept everything more snug, was more compact and more handy. However like I said this served its purpose also and I will likely take both again on my next trip. I will have more electronic gear and keeping it all organized is a must.