I finally got the point of that 'one bag' thing after a month in Lisbon

Last month, I was in Lisbon for four weeks and my big checked bag's wheel broke on the cobblestones. I had to drag it everywhere for three days before I could find a store that sold a new one. That whole time, I saw other nomads with just a backpack, hopping on trams and walking up hills like it was nothing. I spent about 50 euros on the new suitcase and a whole afternoon fixing my stuff. Now I'm looking at 35-liter packs and wondering if I can really fit my life into one. Has anyone made the switch after years of overpacking?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jenny4d ago

Actually, it's more about fitting your trip into one bag, not your whole life. That mindset shift makes it way less scary. You just pack for the next few weeks, not forever.

emmar754d ago

Wait, isn't the whole life part the point though? @the_jenny I get what you're saying about just packing for the trip, but for me the switch clicked when I stopped seeing it as a trip and started seeing it as how I live now. It forces you to really own only what you actually use, not what you might maybe need someday. My 40 liter bag has everything I own, not just travel stuff, and that freedom from all that extra stuff is way better than I thought. Dragging that broken bag must have been awful, but getting down to one bag is more about that feeling of being light and ready for anything, not just the size.