New Aeronaut 45-first impressions vs. Patagonia MLC

[TimS]

All packed for the trip. I reduced my load by a few items, so A45 is full and heavy, but not bulging at the seams.

To tell you the truth, I'm a bit nervous as I've never done 1-bag for an extended, international trip. But I hope I have all bases covered. Will report back on how things went in a couple of weeks.


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[Kaz]

My hat's off to you for trying, TimS! I've been working on carry-only travel for a while and agree that it can be much more challenging in some contexts than in others, and probably hardest of all for men needing a range of business clothes.

When you return from this trip to Italy, you might want to think about whether hand washing of undergarments in your hotel room each night would work for you. If so, packing fewer undergarments that are quick-drying (synthetic or merino), plus a braided latex hanging line, would probably reduce your packed load while retaining the complement of clothing that makes you comfortable in your professional environment.

Also, I heartily recommend the multiple threads on this forum about packing light--relating to clothing, toiletries, other gear, and strategies. I've learned much from them. Have you seen the discussions of men's travel trousers? I wonder if some of those suggested might possibly work for your casual needs, reducing the bulk and weight of cotton chinos, for instance.

[TimS]

I'm back from my trip; my first one-bag trip was a success! I did modify my original packing list somewhat (more about that in a minute), but it was so nice to skip the crowd at the various baggage claim areas, not have to worry about bag re-check, etc.

As the trip got closer, I got a little more granularity on what I'd need, when I could do laundry, etc. So, basic assumptions were that I'd need 5 fresh shirts for the 'business' portion of the trip, plus 3 pairs of trousers and one jacket. I also found two nights during the trip that I'd be able to do laundry, so my updated packing list for the 12 days (6 days of working in casual clothes, one day off, and 5 days of business casual with evening events) looked like this:

end pocket #1:
1 pr. dress shoes stuffed with 4 pr. dress socks
hair brush

end pocket #2:
4 white t-shirts
4 pr. casual socks
5 u/w
Sports shorts
1 dress belt

main compartment:
5 dress shirts
1 blazer
3 dress pants
3 casual trousers
4 casual short-sleeved collared shirts

Toiletries in main compartment mesh pocket. Liquids in plastic bag in Pilot.

Lessons learned:
-Though I've been to Italy around this time of the year before, I underestimated how badly I would have liked shorts for some evenings--it was quite warm there. Next time, I would've left behind a pair of casual trousers and brought a couple pairs of shorts.
-The A45 was heavy. I didn't mind carrying it, but I thought it might get weighed at some point and forced to check it. But it didn't get a second glance. Worked great in backpack mode. Shoulder strap probably would've been uncomfortable.
-There was only one time I wasn't sure the bag would fit in the overhead on the plane--Chicago to Providence. When I first boarded (free upgrade to 1st class ), it wouldn't fit in the regular overhead space of the small (don't know what type of) plane. But the stewardess pointed me to a bin at the very front where it slid in nicely. If I was riding coach, probably would have had to check it.
-the grab handles on the ends of the A45 are awesome! So easy to pull the bag from the overhead and just keep moving to disembark.
-there were lost luggage issues with some people on the same assignment as me. So nice not to have to worry.

One bag plus Global Entry made for a very nice and hassle-free return to the U.S.

Looking forward to my next trip in a few weeks.

[agland]

Not really, when you consider the mix of business and casual events.

Throw in at least one FORMAL event and gym clothes -- AND wild temperature fluctuations if you're travelling during the early spring or late fall necessitating jackets and sweaters -- and it can be a real packing challenge.

The fact is, one-bag travel really only works if you're female (sorry ladies, but dresses/gowns take up far less space than suits/tuxedos -- in fact, most of the "gowns" I've seen on the red carpet at Cannes this week can easily slip into a Q-Kit), you're going on vacation and only need to pack casual clothes, or your trip will be 3 days or less.

Suits/blazers are always going to be the issue for me - when I'm on the road I generally need to wear a suit every day. I've taken to travelling while wearing a blazer, plus packing a second one and a navy or grey suit in a lightweight trifold garment bag from suitsupply. I then carry an A45 with a folder for dress shirts, plus a few more pairs of jeans and chinos for business casual after-hours wear. It works, barely, but always winds up being super annoying to carry.

I get tumi luggage through work and may start trying to use the built-in garment folder + my A30 in backpack mode. That should allow me to carry a solid two week's worth of stuff, with the A30 under the seat.