Traveling with Nothing - Ultralight Packing Tips

Could travelling with less save you money and.......a TON OF STRESS??? We've all seen those super cheap budget airline flights that only allow you to bring the personal item on for free, and I've always wondered what it would be like to take a real, fairly lengthy international trip with only the little bag. What I learned along the way changed the way I view packing.

[@Maxime_K-G]

Best packing video ever. Shows you really don't need much!

[@generator6946]

At the risk of offending someone I travel with lightweight plastic shopping bags from Sprouts. Four cost 40 cents. “Double” them, one inside another. There. You now have two ultralight bags! A carry-on and a personal item. Use one for a full set of sturdy clothes. YOU ARE WEARING A SET! Use the other for Tech, Toiletries and any Meds you need. Hand wash one of your unders and socks. They dry overnight. Wear a simple “work” shirt and jeans. Wear your favorite shoes. If it’s cold wear a light down jacket [Uniqlo] and a beanie. See how long you can wear the jeans between washes. Wash a work shirt every few days. They dry fast! Not for everybody but if you want to play games with carriers here’s a place to start! And I practice what I preach! I have a work shirt and jeans drying on the back porch! Have a nice trip!

[@suzanneanderson582]

Love your video! I practiced packing my backpack for a 14 day trip - i had room to spare!! 😁🌴🎉

[@topshelfpals3140]

I really like this, not creepy at all!

[@raphaeldean579]

Dunno if anyone cares but if you guys are stoned like me during the covid times then you can watch all of the latest series on Instaflixxer. I've been streaming with my girlfriend for the last few months =)

[@alfonsobaker948]

@Raphael Dean Yup, I've been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :D

[@hoser7706]

So total success? Anything you would alter or wish you had brought? I love packing this way. It is total freedom. Not only for travel but this is the appeal of “minimalism”. And it is killer for ultralight backpacking. Post-trip clean-up is a breeze

[@user-jk2zm7uq5s]

I'd cut that toothbrush handle though. Won't save much weight/volume but helps to drive the point home that things get serious now! (I also weigh stuff on a scale and if I need to decide whether to take this OR that shirt/short/cable/charger I usually take whichever is lighter.) You'd be amazed, sometimes that's how you can easily shave a third of the weight of an item off without any real difference in function...

[@melminimalist8853]

Ok, this is like seriously one of my favorite packing videos, have watched it a bunch of times, thanks!

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Aw that's so kind of you, thank you Mel!

[@melminimalist8853]

@@TrueTravelswithBrad have y’all done any small backpack trips since this one?

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

@@melminimalist8853 I have not, actually! But a big part of that has been the trainwreck that is 2020, haha! I usually travel light, but not quite this light, and I would DEFINITELY be open to doing it again. It's so FREEING!

[@Maxime_K-G]

Same, very inspiring to pack light 😅

[@melminimalist8853]

love your video

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Thank you so much!

[@RenaRulesRain]

damn this was great! I also pack super light to get cheaper flights and increase my chances of getting picked up when hitchhiking. For two months in central Europe I'll usually bring only two outfits. A dress for great weather and a pair of pants, a t-shirt, a pullover, a rain jacket and a scarf for shitty weater. So packing light is definitely possible in colder climates too! I loved your personality and the video quality! but I almost didn't click on the video because of the thumbnail. If I was you, I'd really work on my thumbnails and maybe get a bit of inspiration from bigger youtubers. It would be a shame for great content to be missed out on just because of that :-))

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Heyoo! I'm glad you liked the video! That's a really good point about the thumbnail. I've always had a little trouble with the more nuanced things, I think that's why my videos take on this fun manic energy. But you're right, the devil's in the details! Thanks again for watching!

[@360ewan6]

Now if you can show me how to do a Car Trip in the US for two weeks with one little bag, I think I'd be in business! Still, really appreciate the tips (and the humor) :-)

[@user-jk2zm7uq5s]

I travelled to Bulgaria in December with only the free personal item on wizzair... actually it was a 12 liter pack because that was the only one I had (so. much. wasted. space. I. didn't. use). As long as the climate you are in doesn't change much it's definitely also possible in a colder climate (because you'll wear everything anyway since it's cold) One challenge is "going to the airport by public transport" if you leave from winter and are going to summer. Another challenge is air conditioning on the plane and in hot countries because if your overnight bus is cooled all the way to "near freezing" but outside it's "tropical" that's where thermal ski underwear saves the day ;)

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Oh yeah definitely, this all makes total sense. It's always funny to be walking around in 35° C weather with a huge coat because it's freezing back home haha

[@ToraUma2]

Loved this video. Watched it several times. I am new to the one bag travel lifestyle and had a few questions: What backpack did you use? (North face something I think). Did you have a list of what you packed? Packing cubes? I have a 35L Arcido Akra (2 Vegas trips with it so far) but think the lowest I may go for international travel may be 28L.

[@bradstuart6740]

Oh Thank you! Yeah, it was a north face bag, but it actually wore out on me a while back and I had to throw it away! Unfortunately I don't have a list of what I packed, but I can tell you I did not use packing cubes. Packing light really did simplify the whole trip for me, and I'd highly recommend it!

[@earthventuring]

Great video…love the creepy underwear bit…priceless

[@lovebefree8460]

Do you still traveling with this packing? Miss you videos

[@TravelClast]

Heck yeah brother! Everyone, you can head over to TravelClast to see even more of Brad and Rob's videos!

[@christravelflo]

This a cool vid

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Thank ya Thank ya! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@RamonLBarrosIII]

9.1 lbs of gear in my Tom Bihn medium cafe bag to backup clothes in a Scottevest RFID travel jacket. 👍

[@marianescillaempiretennisa6235]

I am still watching this right now where it is already Ok to travel in the Philippines

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Oooh! I want to travel in the Philippines really badly! It's very high on my list.

[@xxxxxx-tr4mh]

how much kg

[@patriciabetker6747]

I am a reformed overpacker. For 8 days will be taking just a backpack and a disposable wardrobe. Doubt my son who is travelling with me can do the same. I love the freedom travelling without a suitcase. Breeze through security and not have to worry about my luggage. Also it makes me aware of what I am buying in the way of souvenirs do that they are small enough to fit my pack.

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Oh totally! I find that it sometimes frees me up to enjoy the trip mark! Can I ask, what is it disposable wardrobe?

[@patriciabetker6747]

@@TrueTravelswithBrad I have learned the art of this in 2017 and live by it when travelling light. I take a bunch of old socks, undies, hit the thrift stores for clothes I dont want to keep after 1 to 2 uses. Then as I travel I throw out clothes out as the trip progresses. It has a double benefit. It frees up room in my backpack. Which leaves more room for souvenirs especially since I am careful in what I buy these days. I travel for the experience not usless crap that I will never use at home.

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

@@patriciabetker6747 I'm not gonna lie....this is amazing and might be a total game changer. I've never considered throwing out some cheap stuff, but that you're so right that at the end of the trip is when you might need extra room to bring new things home. Imma noodle on this for sure, haha!

[@patriciabetker6747]

@@TrueTravelswithBrad i am thinking about taking 2 prs of shoes on this trip as I am cruisin and other things. Am going to wait till my work sneakers are almost gone, put them aside for the trip then purchase a new pair for work. This way I can toss out the sneakers once the part where I'm doing a ton of walking is over and can use my usual short dress boots I live in when I'm not at work for the rest ofvtge trip. May be taking more shoes than I typically usr due to the nature of the trip which sucks.

[@bradstuart6740]

@@patriciabetker6747 Yeah that sounds definitely like a solid plan. The one thing is that I usually want to wear shoes that have good support for when I travel. But if these work sneakers still have miles to give, then this plan is bulletproof, and I'll totally consider doing something like it next time.

[@maurice2014]

I'm 5'10" 210 10%BF 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿

[@sdnalyam]

Let's see you do that with l/s shirts and long pants. And hot/humid weather and cold weather, 12 months round the world , Not staying at friends house etc and by yourself.

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Oh yeah, I DEFINITELY concede that there are people way more hardcore than me. I heard of a guy that travelled for months on just a fanny pack!

[@spacecaptain9188]

But if you didn't bring undies, that means you have to change your shorts more often. Shorts take up more space than underwear, so....

[@traiii]

I am not homeless but I decided to do homeless challenge on purpose. Guess what inside my student bag. 2 polyester short sleeves shirt, 1 uniqlo light cotton black jean, 1 active short, 2 underwears, and 1 light polyester hoodie. Right now is winter so no sweat at all. For every third day, I will go to gym, change long pants to active short and wear same shirt, do some exercises just not to be noticed as homeless guy, go back to bathroom. Get a shower, and just the same shampoo to do real quick laundry under running water from shower-hose. Since there is no sweat and dirty at all so a quick handwash will be fine. Then wear fresh underwear with fresh t-shirt. Put washed hoodie, active short, underwear, long pants, and shirt into a clean plastic bag and walk out the gym. Go to nearby laundromat to use dryer. Since I squeeze all water out of them and those are polyester, only 15 mins in dryer will be completely dried. So travel like him or being homeless like the way I do will make people not notice at all. He went to tropical countries like asia and not wearing underwear, his groin will be wet and greasy because I tried 😂 He just did not confess 😂

[@conbizsol5554]

You are almost as crazy as Artis Guru - that guy has only 3 items in his bag(!)...

[@bradstuart6740]

Oh yeah, there are people way crazier than me! I once heard of a guy that travels around with only a fanny pack. He washes his clothes in the sink at night and sleeps naked. He only has like his passport, wallet, toothbrush, and medicine. It's insane, haha!

[@TC-yx1qt]

You clearly have a moderately sized backpack.. definitely not nothing.

[@bradstuart6740]

Taken literally, no, it's not actually "nothing". But it was a pretty small backpack!

[@lovebefree8460]

Can women do this? Where did you buy this backpack much liter?

[@bradstuart6740]

I have definitely heard of women travelling light and ultralight before! I got my packable backpack off of Amazon, but mine was cheap and I don't think it was high quality. I'd buy a better one if I were doing it again. But yes, you can definitely do this!

[@lovebefree8460]

@@bradstuart6740 thanks 👍😀

[@bradstuart6740]

Anytime!!

[@willhustle2022]

hilarious

[@TrueTravelswithBrad]

Life is SILLYYY!