Some people start crafting, take up bird-watching or sign up for a marathon – but no, I decide to get my kicks by seeing if I can pack for a 3 day trip in a tiny Uniqlo sling bag.
Here’s exactly how I packed light enough to succeed.
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I decided to give this extreme packing challenge a go whilst I was attempting to do a £100 holiday to Tirana in May 2024 – yep, one challenge wasn’t enough for me!
And so whilst I did have to take a backpack for my laptop and big camera, the only things I took to get ready, get by and charge my equipment came in this tiny Uniqlo bag.,
How To Pack Light for Your Next Holiday
Be you packing into a Uniqlo bag or not, there’s plenty of packing tips here that you can take into your next trip away.
1. Choose your travel outfit wisely
I knew that my travel outfit was going to be KEY and so opted for all my bigger bulkier items for the flight out. This included:
- A cap
- A shirt over a t-shirt
- A denim jacket with inside pockets
- Trousers
- Over-ear headphones
2. Plan your outfits to precision
I planned my next 2 days of outfits around what I was already wearing. So on day 2, I wore the shirt with a skirt I’d packed. And for day 3, I wore my trousers with a new vest top.
3. Decant your toiletries
For my toiletries, I gave myself a small pouch to fill, opted for minimum makeup and skincare, and decanted EVERYTHING. I also took a comb over a brush and used 2-in-1 products.
4. Minimise your electronics
Electronics can get BULKY and so I took a risk and just charged my power bank up to full so that I could charge my phone and watch directly from that. This also worked well as I was staying in a hostel so that I could have them in my bed alongside me.
The Items That Helped Me Pack Light in My Uniqlo Bag
Packing light is much easier when you have the right tools to help you along the way. I’ve collected these over the years, but these are all some great items to get you started on your packing light mission!
The Uniqlo bag
Often described as a ‘Mary Poppins’ bag, this Uniqlo sling bag holds a lot more than you’d first thing. I’ve even seen entire wine bottles disappear into one of these!
They’ve gone ‘viral’ so many times and thanks to this, they’re available in lots of colours and at a really reasonable price from Uniqlo. They also have a slightly larger version.
If you’re on a budget, you can also pick up a 2 pack of some very similar bags, or this bag will come the next day for freeif you have Amazon Prime membership.
A jacket with lots of pockets
I have a few jackets that tick this box, but my jacket of choice for this trip was a denim jacket by Moto which was a denim brand at the now defunct Topshop. I’m not even sure if the inside pockets are intentional, but I do know that perfectly fit a passport and a phone nice and snugly!
Why not try Vinted or eBay to nab one of your own, or just be on the lookout for good jackets and coats with multiple pockets.
My top tip is that men’s coats tend to have more inside pockets!
A small phone tripod
Whilst not everyone makes videos for a living, I know that more and more people are interested in getting some nice photos when they’re away on their trip.
I do this using my Smallrig Selfie Stick Tripod which not only holds my phone in place, but has a detatchable bluetooth control so that you can easily take photos when on your own too.
Roll by hand vac bags
One of the most common replies I got to my video about packing into my Uniqlo bag was ‘but how do you vacuum your bags on the way home?’ Ah, well it’s because I use Packmate Roll By Hand Vac Bags meaning you simply push the air out with your hands!
Super easy when you’re packing light.
Mini toiletries travel pots
Now, my travel mini pots come from all sorts of places including:
Some good sets to get you started are this budget 11 piece set, or this 12 piece set.
I’m also a big fan of a label maker to make sure you don’t forget what’s in each one – but that is a bit next level!
A comb
This one seems a bit rogue, I know, but just think how much space a brush can take up whilst this one can just tuck away! Now, I know I’m lucky to have hair that I can tame with this tiny thing but if you’re the same, it’s something worth thinking about.
A heavy duty powerbank
Those who have followed me for a while will know that I’m a big fan of this VRURC Power Bank thanks to its fast charging and the fact it can do several phone charges from full.
The older version came with a handle which doubled up as a USB-C cable, but even without it, it’s a great option for something not too big that holds a lot of power.
Would I Pack in My Uniqlo Sling Bag Again?
Well, as many people have pointed out, you can actually take away more than a Uniqlo bag for free, even when you’re travelling on a low cost airline!
However, I do think it was a really good exercise in reminding me that you do not need too much stuff to have a great time away.
What’s more, it was really lovely to have such a light bag meaning that it’s a great option when you’re doing a cheap trip where you’re likely to be carrying your things for most of the day.
Was there anything I wish I had packed?
Yes, I really wish I had enough space for a water bottle! Especially as I was trying to do a cheap trip, I ended up having to spend money on water which was a shame when I could have easily just brought one along with me.
I guess the compromise here would have been to bring a foldable water bottle, or a small bottle with a hook that I could have attached to the outside of my bag.
Well, you live and you learn!
