How to Pack With a Backpacker’s Ticket

“Backpacker’s tickets” have honestly saved my life. If you don’t already know, they are the cheapest of the cheap when it comes to airline tickets. Yes, you will load the plane last. Yes, you will probably be in the middle. And finally, yes you will not have access to overhead bins. When I first read this while booking a ticket for my first solo trip my over-packing mind thought “how will I bring every thing I need without at least a carry on?” But after extensively going through each item I thought I needed, I found ways to minimize my packing list but still bring my must-have’s.

One of the most important things in this journey is making sure that your one personal item is a spacious backpack. Now, I’m not talking packed to the ceiling type deal but you can pack your typical day hiking bag to the brim and it will still fit under your seat. Some of my favorite backpacks are High Sierra, and Teton. They are usually light weight, have a water bladder, and built to last. You don’t have to drop tons of money to get a nice bag though. TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Ebay, and even Facebook market place usually have some great deals on usually very expensive backpacks.

Next is learning how to pack in a more *minimalist* manner. I know at the time it really feels like you do need all 5 sandals, 12 sundresses, 8 bikinis, and 7 pairs of leggings but I promise you will survive (beautifully.) You can still have all of your essentials, while still managing to get away with not paying the ridiculous fee’s to check a bag. Sort out all the items you want to take, immediately get rid of any of those items you are packing in case you “might need them.” 90% of the time those items sit in the bottom of my bag and never get worn, so why even pack them.

From there, try to bring pieces that you can wear multiple times, and know what you can sacrifice. So maybe instead of bringing three pairs of black hiking leggings, just bring one. Or bring a skirt that you can wear with multiple tops, things like that! This saves you a lot of room if you can get multiple outfits out of one piece. Lastly, with shoes make sure you are wearing your bulkiest shoes (ex; hiking boots) on the plane so you can save room in your bag. My personal rule for shoes is to bring 1 pair for comfort and 1 or 2 pairs for fashion.

If you are a blogger like myself, most of us are also packing a camera and a laptop for editing. These things can take up HUGE amounts of space. Try to narrow down what kind of shots you are going to take, and from there decide what lenses you need. I try to bring just one if I’m only bringing my backpack because as I said, lenses can get pretty bulky. Lastly, REMEMBER WHAT YOU CAN BUY. Travel size items are sold nearly every where, why take up space bringing your own travel size items when you could purchase the same ones there?

Thanks so much for reading everyone if you want to check out how I travel on a budget, click here!