A Week from One Carry-On

Travelling with one bag is not a stunt; it is a discipline that improves every trip. No waiting at the belt, no lost luggage, no dragging a case over cobbles, and, most usefully, no decisions in the morning because there is only one version of each thing. Seven days in one 40-litre bag is entirely possible for a man who is willing to wear the same jacket twice.

The rule of three

Three of anything worn against the skin, one worn and two in the bag: shirts, T-shirts, socks, underwear. Everything is washed in the sink on day three and day six and dries overnight in a hotel bathroom. Two pairs of trousers, one worn. Two pairs of shoes, one worn. One jacket, worn on the plane. One jumper. That is the wardrobe, and it dresses you for a client dinner and a coastal walk in the same week.

The list

• Navy unstructured jacket in high-twist wool or travel cotton, worn
• Grey or navy trousers, worn, and one pair of chinos or dark jeans
• Three shirts: two oxford cloth, one poplin
• Three T-shirts in white and navy, one cashmere or merino jumper
• Three sets of socks and underwear in merino, which dries fastest and smells least
• Brown suede loafers, worn, and white leather sneakers
• Swim shorts, which double as gym shorts
• A dopp kit with duplicates of everything, permanently packed
• Charger, adapter, one book, sunglasses

The man who checks a bag has given his week to an airline. The man with one bag walks out of the terminal while the others watch a belt.

The bag

A 40-litre soft bag in leather or heavy canvas, or a hard case at 55 × 40 × 20 cm, the strictest common European limit. Soft bags squeeze into overhead lockers on regional aircraft; hard cases protect the jacket. Packing cubes for the small things, a folder for the shirts, shoes at the bottom in cloth bags, the jacket folded once inside out on top or worn. Roll the T-shirts and knitwear, fold the shirts and trousers.

The three things that make it work

Merino base layers and socks, because they can be worn three times and washed in a sink. A jacket that travels, meaning a soft shoulder, no padding and a cloth that recovers from a suitcase overnight. And a colour palette of navy, grey, white and brown, in which every item goes with every other, so that seven days of outfits come from a dozen pieces. The rest is confidence: nobody at the dinner will remember that you wore the jacket on Tuesday.