Faced with airline personal item restrictions and carry-on fees, a self-described chronic overpacker pulled off something remarkable: a successful one-bag trip using a motorcycle saddle bag.
The creative solution, shared on r/onebag, demonstrates that minimalist travel doesn't require expensive travel-specific gear — sometimes unconventional equipment works just as well.
The Challenge
The traveler was flying on a budget airline that charged for carry-ons, with the only free baggage allowance being a personal item. As an admitted overpacker, this presented a serious challenge.
"I didn't have a proper backpack and definitely not one that had the right dimensions," they explained. "But I noticed that my motorcycle saddle bag did (perfectly), so I put a car safety cable on it and called it a handbag."
The motorcycle saddle bag fit the airline's personal item dimensions exactly, held everything needed for the trip, and cost nothing because they already owned it.
What They Packed
For a multi-day trip, the traveler fit: - Toiletries bag - Camera - Scrubba washbag - Jeans (worn on flight) - Shorts, leggings - 3 short-sleeve shirts (one worn) - Long-sleeve merino shirt - Fleece jacket (worn) - UV-shirt - Pretty dress - Raincoat and scarf - 2 bathing suits - Underwear - Trekking towel
Clipped to the outside: an Osprey packable daypack for use at destinations.
What Worked and What Didn't
The traveler was "really amazed on how well everything worked out and with how 'little' I could manage." Only two items were missing in retrospect: conditioner and a better jacket.
Interestingly, the Scrubba washbag — marketed specifically for travel laundry — turned out to be unnecessary. "Washing stuff in the sink worked just fine," they noted, though the bag was useful for transporting wet swimming clothes.
The Bigger Lesson
This story resonates because it challenges assumptions about travel gear. The industry pushes specialized products: travel backpacks with hidden pockets, compression packing cubes, wrinkle-free clothing. All useful, but not strictly necessary.
A motorcycle saddle bag — designed to be weatherproof, durable, and secure — handles travel demands perfectly well. It's even TSA-friendly once you add a cable lock.
For budget travelers facing airline fee structures designed to extract maximum revenue, creative solutions like this save significant money. A quality travel backpack costs €150-300. A saddle bag repurposed from existing gear costs nothing.
Practical Takeaways
If you're new to minimalist travel and intimidated by the gear requirements:
1. Measure first: Airlines specify personal item dimensions (typically 40x30x20cm). Any bag that fits these dimensions works.
2. Repurpose what you own: Camera bags, gym duffels, motorcycle saddle bags — if it fits and is durable, it works.
3. Layer clothing: Wear your bulkiest items (jacket, jeans, boots) on the flight to save packing space.
4. Test the Scrubba myth: Multiple onebagging veterans report that sink washing works fine. You don't need specialized gear.
5. Pack a daypack: A packable backpack weighs almost nothing and gives you a proper bag once you arrive.
Onebag Culture vs. Airline Reality
The growth of one-bag travel isn't entirely organic — it's partly a response to airline fee structures that punish normal luggage. Budget carriers like Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Spirit have made checking bags or even bringing carry-ons prohibitively expensive.
Travelers adapt by packing lighter, which often means buying specialized (expensive) travel gear. But this traveler's solution shows you can beat the system with creativity instead of cash.
The best travel isn't about the destination — it's about what you learn along the way. And sometimes the lesson is that a motorcycle saddle bag works better than a €250 travel backpack marketed to digital nomads.
