We turned to the expertise of super-light packer and editor of the popular travel blog ‘One Bag, One World’, Brad Isbell.

'One Bag, One World' Travel Blogger

What inspired you to start your blog?

I was a photojournalist for ten years so I had to spend a lot of time worrying about bags and what I carried. I began packing light without really knowing how. I did a trip to Honduras with military officials and lawmakers, and guess what - no one had less luggage than me. Now my travel is mostly for leisure or is family related. A few years ago my wife, a teacher, began leading trips to Europe for her students. I knew I'd better pack light so I'd be able to carry much of her load too, since keeping up with all those students is all the burden she needs.

Have you always been a light packer, or did you learn the hard way?

I always wanted to pack light but didn't understand the types of clothing choices necessary to really make it happen. Like many people, I learned a lot from Doug Dyment onebag.com and Rick Steves on the internet.

What would your advice be to people who consistently travel with everything but the kitchen sink? How can they get started?

Simply limiting yourself to one piece of carry-on luggage is the best way to start. You'll still pack it too heavy, but it's a start. You may be able to stuff seven days worth of underclothing and several changes of clothes in a carryon, but you'll soon tire of the weight. Clothing is where you cut the weight. Relying on hotel laundry or, better yet, laundering some of your clothes in a hotel sink is the way to go. To do this successfully you must choose the right type and mix of clothing.

What is the best thing about travelling light?

Time is the traveler's most precious quantity. Not checking luggage, never losing luggage, and not being tied to any one form of transportation saves time and gives a traveler freedom to make changes on the fly. My guess is that on a trip of several days, going one-bag can save you at least half a day. It can also be good deal cheaper. You can get off a plane in London and jump on a Tube train that runs every five minutes instead of waiting on a passenger train or hiring a taxi - both of which are more expensive. Not towing 50 pounds of luggage means you can shop for good walk-up hotel deals. You won't to always make reservations or take the first thing you find if you have the luxury of carrying your luggage with you for several hours.

Traveling light also gives you a sense of control. With all the stuff you can't control - like cancelled flights, weather, and booking problems - carefully preparing for light travel helps you avoid some of the more obvious disaster like lost luggage and gives you the flexibility to roll with the punches and deal with the problems that inevitably occur.

The hardest thing?

You have to plan carefully; you want just enough of everything but too much of nothing. Washing out clothing every other night or so probably takes only about 15 minutes, but you don't always feel like doing it. And if your clothing doesn't dry - because of poor choice or high humidity - you're in for a sticky morning.

Have you ever traveled so light you regret not having brought something?

Not yet. You can always buy necessities if you have to, and I enjoy visiting normal retail stores in other countries. It's one of the places you see real cultural differences. Sometimes when you go really light and take a smaller than normal bag you run out of room for stuff you may buy. Of course this means you buy less too, which saves money.

Is it easier or hard to travel with only carry-on baggage now that airport security has gotten so strict?

It's harder if you need to carry lots of cosmetics and liquids thanks to the 3-1-1 carry-on liquid rule. This is one area where planning is so important. You may need to search hard to find for your favorite products in less-than-three-ounce quantities or you may have too re-package some of them. Some people deal with this better than others. There are creative ways around it. I carry a half-ounce bottle of shaving oil instead of shaving cream.

What is your packing method (bundle wrapping/pack-its, etc)?

I test a lot of bags so it depends on the type of luggage. I've found that bundles in a bag with hold-down straps and bundles in a mesh packing cube yield about the same amount of wrinkles. My favorite bag uses cubes so my current method is one cube with a bundle of pants and shirts, and another cube stuffed with nearly everything else.

Any other advice?

Test your travel clothing before you go. Make sure it's going to be comfortable and that it will dry quickly enough if you plan to wash it out yourself. Simplify your color schemes to get maximum bang out of your limited wardrobe. A good travel blazer is a real boon for men. It will keep you warm on the airplane, gives you lots of pockets for all those travel necessities, and it gains instant respect. It's good to remember that many countries have higher standards of personal appearance than the casual USA.

Try to keep the weight of your carryon below 22 pounds - heavier will be a burden. I try to stay  under 15 pounds. An inexpensive luggage scale is a good investment. You'll soon learn your comfort level and a couple of pounds can make a big difference. A good way to save weight is to to go with only one pair of shoes - the ones on your feet.