Last year, my 3 day trip in a Uniqlo sling bag went viral and brought on a ‘Uniqlo Packing Challenge’. So when they brought out a new ultra mini Uniqlo bag, I knew I had to try and turn my light packing up a notch by using it for another short getaway.
Here’s how I got on.
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What is a Uniqlo sling bag?
The Uniqlo sling bag – officially called the Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag first came out in 2020.
It really blew up in 2022 thanks to TikTok, and is popular for being super affordable – only around £14.90 – whilst also being the ultimate ‘Mary Poppins’ bag. i.e. it just fits so much in. I’ve managed to fit a whole wine bottle in this bag before! And that’s what made it the perfect bag to challenge myself to pack light.
Then a newer, smaller bag called the Uniqlo Round Ultra Mini Bag came out in 2025 priced at £12.90. The ultra mini Uniqlo bag is only 21.5cm x 11.5cm x 9.5cm, with a teeny 2L capacity – half that of the original – and so, a new Uniqlo packing challenge was born!
What is the ‘Uniqlo Packing Challenge?’
In 2024, I went on a 3 day trip to Albania and managed to pack everything I needed in a standard sized Uniqlo sling bag.
I called this a ‘Uniqlo Packing Challenge’ and asked people to give it a go, to highlight that perhaps we don’t need as much as we think when packing for our next holiday.
I’m now attempting it again, but perhaps this one should be called the ‘Ultra Mini Uniqlo Packing Challenge’!
What I Packed for a 2-Day Trip in the Ultra Mini Uniqlo Bag
My top tips for packing light
I had a 2 day trip to Paris booked to test out Eurostar Snap, and so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity. The hilarious thing is that on the train, you’re actually allowed to take 3 bags with you for free…
But this was never about baggage allowance, but more trying to work out what is and is not necessary when packing for your next trip away.
1. Travel in your heaviest items
Now I travelled in warm weather so I knew I couldn’t bear too many layers. I decided to wear my denim jacket on top of my outfit that has a couple of internal pockets, where I put my tripod and mics.
2. Be ruthless with your outfits
I just took a spare T-shirt and a change of underwear, as I knew this was the bare minimum I could manage with for a couple of nights. I was staying in a hotel, so I knew if something unexpected happened (spilt coffee anyone?!) I could handwash things with some hotel soap.
3. Decant your toiletries
Now I mentioned this hack in my last Uniqlo bag challenge, but this one really is a game changer.
Even if you have plenty of space, toiletries get so bulky and heavy. I know it seems like a faff to decant everything when you can just chuck it in and go, but I promise it’s so freeing when you feel the difference in the weight of your luggage!
For my toiletries, I just put the basics – moisturiser and foundation – into tiny 5ml and 10ml pots. And I took a teeny tiny toothpaste freebie I’d been given on a flight.
4. Reduce your electronics
I had such little space for this Paris trip that I just took a USB cable and EU plug.
So here’s what I took in a nutshell…
What I packed in my ultra mini Uniqlo bag
In my ultra mini Uniqlo bag:
- 1 x T-shirt
- 1 x Underwear
- Makeup
- Skincare
- EU USB plug
- USB cable
- Passport
- Phone
- Bank card
- Keys
- Airtag
In my jacket pockets:
- Tripod
- Mic
Extra items:
- Water bottle (clipped on the outside of my bag)
- Sunglasses (on my head)
Watch me pack my ultra mini Uniqlo bag
Naturally, I decided to capture this light packing challenge and turn it into a video! So here’s how I managed to get all of the above into one teeny tiny bag.
The Things That Helped Me Pack Light in My Ultra Mini Uniqlo Bag
Here are some items you can use to get started with packing super light!
1. The ultra mini Uniqlo bag
This ultra mini sling bag from Uniqlo fits a decent amount if you like travelling light. And I mean light!
It’s a new addition to Uniqlo’s range, following the success of the original mini sling bag that comes in loads of colours and various fabrics. It’s been a hit with thousands of people thanks to its generous capacity, even though it looks small – it’s often described as a ‘Mary Poppins’ bag.
The ultra mini bag comes in one fabric style in five colours currently – it will be interesting to see if they open up the range as much as the OG style!
2. A jacket with pockets
There are plenty of jacket styles that have lots of pockets, and this is what I’d recommend wearing when you’re travelling light, as you can bung lots of things in there.
Try browsing Vinted or eBay to get one second-hand. My top tip is that men’s coats usually have more pockets.
3. A phone tripod
Even if you don’t take a lot of photos or content, it’s a great way to get nice photos when you’re away on a trip. Especially if your travelling partner can’t be trusted to take good shots, or you have a few kids to manhandle into the frame.
I use my Smallrig Selfie Stick Tripod which has a detachable bluetooth control, so I can take photos when I’m by myself.
4. Mini toiletries travel pots
You can get little travel pots from lots of places – on the high street in shops like Primark or MUJI or online from Amazon. Or just reuse something you have already! I like to add a label to know what’s in each one.
Would I Recommend Travelling with the Ultra Mini Uniqlo Bag?
I won’t lie, there were definitely a couple of drawbacks to travelling so light which mostly revolved around not having enough space for a powerbank. Due to this, I had to be really conscious of my phone battery and even ended up spending extra money from having to go into cafes to charge up halfway through the day.
I was also aware of if I had a sudden headache come on, I would have to pay more for things that I would otherwise normally pack.
However, on the flip side, I did like how it forced me to not be on my phone as much. In addition, I loved how quick it was to get ready and to pack up, and how light it was to take around with me.
Overall, I’m really glad I did it and actually if I just had space for a powerbank, I think it would have been a total win. So perhaps I just need to do the trip in the bigger ‘mini Uniqlo bag’ and then it would work like a dream?!
It really did prove to me that packing less is much better!
