Quick Tip – Laundry bag for traveling with gear

A common question many people have when traveling for backpacking, especially for longer hikes involving airports, is the hows, whys, and whats of traveling with gear.

It’s a topic I’ve discussed previously, and I think the older article answers quite well the issues people may face and the questions they typically have concerning traveling with gear.

However, one question that comes up frequently and deserves a quick answer –

I’m backpacking for an extended time, won’t have a car rental, and I don’t want to worry about leaving gear and a duffle bag behind. Any suggestions?

The easy answer?  An oversized laundry bag, be it nylon or cotton, for durability.

Excellent for quilt storage, too. Shown with my always partially packed ULA Circuit (left) and ULA CDT (right) for comparison. Gear ready to go always helps with the “gift of time.”

An inexpensive, easy-to-use, gear swallowing solution to travel with your gear that’s not allowed on carry-on.

You can even throw your entire pack, trail-ready with hiking poles, in there and not worry about the straps getting caught on a conveyor belt. And when you take off for Springer Mountain, Campo, Glacier, or other places, you easily give away the stuff sack for a minimal monetary loss.

When I did the PCT in the dark ages of the early 2000s, I bought a nylon laundry/extra large stuff at the Seattle REI, packed my gear, and flew to PVD to visit my family post-trail.

And when I flew back from Calgary after the GDT, I used a similar technique.

I still have both stuff sacks/laundry bags.

But, um, er, maybe I should get rid of the 20 yr old luggage tags???

Multiuse, practical, inexpensive, and quickly found in many stores. A simple solution for what sometimes appears as a vexing problem.

And I’ll take my kit bag for non-flying trips. One of my most used pieces of gear!