TRAVEL GEARTRAVEL TIPS & ADVICEPOPULAR February 21, 2019

How to Pack in Just a Personal Item Sized Bag

Peter Thornton 
Sr. Content & Deal Strategist

personal item. What does this mean? Should you pony up and 

pay extra for a larger carry-on or checked bag? Is it possible 

to take a trip with only a small backpack or handbag?

Tips for Packing in Only a 

Personal Item

I’m here to tell you that yes, it is possible. Although not ideal, 

traveling with only a personal item can be a great way to take 

a super cheap getaway for a few days. And if you’re into 

the minimalist lifestyle, you can even stretch this out to 

week-long trips or longer. More and more airlines are 

selling super cheap flights that only include a personal 

item with the hope that most passengers will pay extra 

for bags and/or other ancillary fees. If you don’t want to 

pay any more than that low fare you were attracted to, 

use these tips to travel with only a personal item sized bag.

What is a Personal Item?

First of all, let’s be clear on what exactly a personal item 

is. The exact dimensions vary by airline, but are usually a 

maximum of around 18x14x8 inches and up to 22 lbs. 

Each airline and individual employees will vary on how

 strictly these limitations are adhered to. In general, 

think small backpacks, large purses, or small wheeled 

bags that will fit underneath the seat in front of you on 

an airplane.

The growing number of airlines that only include a small 

personal item in the lowest class base price include 

Allegiant, Flair Air, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, 

Swoop, and United. There's even an international 

carrier, WOW Air, that only includes a small personal 

item in the initial price you see. Read on to learn how 

to take advantage of these airlines’ cheap flights.

What to Bring When Packing in a 

Personal Item Only

You’ll have to be extremely picky about what goes in 

your bag if you’re going to travel with only a personal 

item. There is no room to bring any items on a “just in 

case” basis. A general rule of thumb is to bring along a 

total of about three outfits, including what you decide 

to wear while traveling. Of course, this varies depending 

on how long your trip is and what other items might be 

more important to you.

It’s usually best to leave your laptop behind on such trips 

as the added weight may tip you over the scale and many 

of your computing needs can be done with a smartphone 

these days. A tablet or an e-reader can be a good 

alternative if you prefer to have a larger screen. That 

being said, it’s not very common for airlines to actually 

weigh your personal item, though some will insist.

Below, I’ve included a list of what I usually bring with 

me when packing just a personal item. This list is 

obviously more geared towards male travelers, but 

I’ve tried to include a few similar examples for female 

travelers as well. The number of clothing items really 

depends on how lightweight your clothes are and how 

long you plan to travel. Remember to wear your bulkier 

items and a few layers on the plane. Check out these 

16 Perfect Garments to Wear on Your Next Flight.

What to Pack in Your Personal Item Bag

Clothing:

• 2 T-shirts
• 1 Pair of shorts
• 1-2 Pair of pants
• 1 Belt
• 1-2 dress shirt(s) or dress(es)
• 3-5 Pair of underwear / socks
• 1 Swimsuit
• 1 Hoodie
• 1 Lightweight waterproof jacket
• 1 hat
• 1 Pair of universal shoes
• 1 Pair of sandals or flip flops

Technology:

• Phone
• Tablet or Laptop (if necessary) with a protective sleeve
• Chargers for devices and portable USB charger
• Accessories (usb stick, cables, etc.)
• Universal power adapter
• Earbuds

Toiletries / Personal items:

Make sure your liquids are TSA compliant.

• Small reusable bottles filled with shampoo, 
• conditioner, body wash, and sunscreen
• Toothpaste
• Pocket laundry wash
• Toothbrush, shaver, comb, deodorant, medications, etc.

Travel Documents & Money:

• Passport / ID, itinerary, wallet, USD cash
• ATM card with no fees
• Credit card with no foreign transaction fees

Miscellaneous Items:

• Travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Eye mask
• Carabiners
• Water bottle
• Padlock
• TSA luggage locks
• Keys
• Pen
• Bungee(s)
• Ziploc bags
• Drawstring bag

The key to traveling with only a personal item is that 

you should only bring one pair of shoes. For this 

reason, you’ll have to choose wisely on which pair 

to bring and make sure it is a versatile and comfortable 

shoe that can be used for daily touring and also look 

nice enough to wear for a night out on the town.

Of course, if you’re traveling for more than just a few 

days, you’ll have to find somewhere to do laundry. 

This is usually pretty cheap and the pocket laundry 

wash works well if you need to wash something quickly. 

If you need to travel for a formal event, wear your 

formal attire on the flight to save space in your bag 

and also so it does not wrinkle. You may even get 

noticed for an upgraded seat if you’re looking spiffy 

and the airline needs to upgrade any passengers in 

order to open up oversold Economy seats.

How to Pack Your Personal Item

After setting aside a few layers of your bulkier items 

to wear on the plane, it’s time to cram all other items 

in your small personal item bag. To save as much 

space as possible, roll your clothing and you can keep 

things more organized by placing your clothes in a 

drawstring bag or a reusable shopping bag before 

placing in your personal item sized bag. Do the same

 for your pair of sandals or flip flops so other items 

don’t get dirty or if space is of the essence, you can 

easily attach a pair of sandals to the outside of your 

bag with carabiners. A bungee cord can also be 

useful to strap bulkier items to your bag that you 

don’t want to wear if it’s too hot while traveling.

Some items such as heavy coats won’t fit in a 

personal item sized bag, so if you’re going to a 

colder climate, you’ll need to wear or carry these 

items on the plane outside of your bag. I also like 

to bring a small plastic shopping bag with snacks 

or purchase a to-go meal at the airport to bring 

onboard. If space in your personal item is tight, 

you can always place a few items in your snack 

bag and you’ll likely never have any issue boarding 

a plane this way.

Personal Item Bags to Fit 

Everything You Need

Choosing the right personal item bag is paramount 

to fit what you need for your trip. It’s a good idea to 

check the airline’s size requirements for specific 

limitations, though unless the bag looks overly large,

 I don’t think many gate agents actually size up these 

bags. There are plenty of options to choose from for 

personal item bags. A small backpack is ideal for 

organization as they usually include many different 

compartments and also allow you to be hands-free 

when traveling. If you prefer wheeled bags, there 

are even a few small enough to fit underneath an 

airplane seat. Another option is to go with a large 

tote bag, which can usually fit the most items. Here 

are a few bags I recommend.

Travelpro Maxlite 5 15” Lightweight 

Carry-on Rolling Under Seat Bag

Swiss Gear Travel Gear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack

ECOSUI Duffel Bag Weekender Overnight Bag Large Travel Tote

Samsonite Large Wheeled Underseater

Leather Carry On Bag - Airplane Underseat Travel Duffel By RusticTown

Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Backpack

For more bags that fit the personal item dimensions, 

check out these 7 Smart Backpacks for Your Next 

Weekend Trip.

The added bonus of not lugging around extra bags 

will also allow you to save once you arrive at your 

destination. Public transportation options suddenly 

don’t seem too bad when you’re only carrying one 

small bag and you can put your extra money towards 

tasting the local food or enjoying the attractions during 

your trip.

Related Article: How to Pack for an Extended 

Trip in Just a Carry-On Bag

Header image by diy13 via Shutterstock. 

Product images courtesy of Amazon.

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It is a beautiful house, very well located in the center of Zipolite, as reference is in front of the People's Chapel, climbing the hill 20 meters from the road, practically in front of the beach, with a great view. It is a very quiet and comfortable space, where you can enjoy as a family or with a group of friends. It has all the amenities, air conditioning, fans, kitchen with dishes and utensils, refrigerator, satellite TV, wifi, hammocks, etc. If you like the contact with nature, it is an ideal place.

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'Roma' star's unlikely road from mountains of Mexico to Hollywood 22 February 2019 - 14:18 BY AFP RELAXNEWS

LIFESTYLE

'Roma' star's unlikely road from mountains of Mexico to Hollywood

22 February 2019 - 14:18BY AFP RELAXNEWS

Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio. 
Image: Robyn Beck / AFP

Yalitza Aparicio once was a newly qualified pre-school teacher living in a dusty mountain town in Mexico.

Now, the 25-year-old is the star of Alfonso Cuaron's Roma and an Oscar nominee - a fairy tale marred by racist barbs the indigenous actress has encountered along the way.

Aparicio - who is part Mixtec and part Triqui - grew up in Tlaxiaco in the southern state of Oaxaca, home to about 40,000 people.

She had never even seen a movie on the big screen until she was 15 and went on a school trip to Puebla, a city some 350 kilometers away.

Tlaxiaco closed its only movie heater years ago, explains Miguel Angel Martinez, who runs the small city's tiny cultural centre. Even then, it had only shown films that had screened everywhere else years before.

The theatre's demise was hastened by the advent of pirated DVDs, a flourishing black market that at least brought more up-to-date movies to Tlaxiaco.

Now, in an open-air market next to the church and clock tower, a stall advertises Romaon sale for 20 pesos, or one dollar.

In the film, Aparicio plays an indigenous nanny living with a family in Mexico City - a tale drawn from Cuaron's own childhood in the 1970s.

In real life, Aparicio grew up in a tiny house among flowers, chickens and cows, before becoming Cuaron's unlikely on-screen muse.

RACIST INSULTS

Since bursting onto the big screen, her performance has been lauded from Europe to the United States, and her face has appeared on the covers of prestigious magazines.

She is the first indigenous woman to be nominated for a best actress Oscar.

But with her newfound fame has come a wave of racist comments on social media, and even some from fellow actors.

WATCH | The movie trailer for Roma

Sergio Goyri, a 60-year-old Mexican soap opera star, was caught on camera criticising the Academy for nominating an "Indian" - using a vile profanity.

Other actors have questioned her talent, sparking indignation from Cuaron.

"Yalitza is one of the best actors I have worked with. It is wrong and racist to think that she is only playing herself," he said.

"It sets such huge limitations on a woman, just because of her indigenous background."

MIXED RESPONSE AT HOME

But even in her hometown, Aparicio's work has often received a lukewarm response.

"I don't like the movie, and I like her performance even less. It's all very trite," said Rogelio Lopez, a seller of costume jewellery.

Others in Tlaxiaco are more supportive.

"I really want her to win an Oscar," said Catalina Chavez, a 39-year-old artisan.

"I'm very proud that she is representing us - as women, as indigenous people, as Mexicans, as country people and as domestic workers, as so many things!"

Gladys Morales, a 24-year-old who went to school with Aparicio, says she admires the down-to-earth way her former classmate has coped with the international limelight.

I personally always thought I could never be a part of this [showbiz]. It all seems like a fairy tale

Yalitza Aparicio

"I was here in December [for New Year's festivities]. I saw her just walking with her mom. They were doing some shopping," Morales said. "Everything here is as simple as ever."

Aparicio has defended herself against "offensive comments," saying she hopes "we are done with this idea."

"I personally always thought I could never be a part of this [showbiz]. It all seems like a fairy tale because all my life, I have been seeing women who didn't look like me on the screen," she told reporters.

'NOT HERE FOR THE CASTING CALL'

So how did this humble young woman reach the peaks of cinematic glory?

That in itself is a fairy tale of improbable casting.

In April 2016, Cuaron put out a casting call in Tlaxiaco and other towns to find the lead actress for Roma.

Martinez, the cultural centre head, said he thought the role would go to Aparicio's older sister Edith, explaining that she has a "magnificent singing voice" and is "very talented, outgoing, with a lot of charm and charisma."

The two sisters went to the casting call together, and Edith threw herself enthusiastically into the session, which consisted of a photo shoot and questions about her personal life.

But the casting official insisted that Yalitza also take part.

"I didn't come for the casting call. I only came to keep Edith company," Yalitza said, according to Martinez.

But Edith "took her by the hand" into the test.

She quickly found herself cast in Roma without even knowing who Cuaron was, said Martinez.

"She was a 'virgin' for these sorts of things - that's what allowed her to act so naturally," he said.

'Roma' Actress Brings Attention To Indigenous Roots In Hometown By CARRIE KAHN • FEB 22, 2019

Originally published on February 22, 2019 5:02 am

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The movie "Roma," with its 10 Academy Award nominations, could walk away this Sunday a big winner, especially the movie's breakout star and best actress nominee, Yalitza Aparicio, who was discovered in a small town in southern Mexico. Her new stardom has brought a spotlight to that region's Indigenous roots, as NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.

CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: In Tlaxiaco's main plaza on the steps of the town's colonial-era church, dozens of elementary school kids await their teacher's musical cue.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Playing trumpet).

KAHN: Dressed in traditional costumes, most of the area's approximately 50,000 residents are Indigenous. The kids rehearse for a performance this Sunday.

(SOUNDBITE OF BAND MUSIC)

KAHN: Sunday will be a crowded day in the town's main square. After the band finishes, a big-screen TV will be set up to watch the Oscar telecast and their hometown hero, Yalitza Aparicio, mingling among Hollywood stars. Miguel Angel Martinez, who runs the cultural center across the street, can't wait.

MIGUEL ANGEL MARTINEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

KAHN: "The wonderful thing is Yalitza has her feet on the ground. She remains proud of where she comes from, her values and her ethnicity," says Martinez, though he admits he almost sabotaged Aparicio's big break.

MARTINEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

KAHN: The casting company searching for "Roma's" lead actress, an Indigenous domestic servant, sent him an email requesting his help. He said he deleted it, thinking it was a scam. But after the rep from the company personally assured him all was legit, he helped. Aparicio, who was on track to be a teacher, came reluctantly to the casting call and was the last to audition. The rest is local lore.

ALMA RAMIREZ: (Speaking Spanish).

KAHN: Alma Ramirez snacks on spicy and sweet snow cones with her two daughters in the square. She says everyone is thrilled for Aparicio, but she admits she's also a little jealous.

RAMIREZ: (Speaking Spanish).

KAHN: "I'm envious," she laughs. "All those clothes, red carpet appearances," says Ramirez. "There aren't that many people in life that have such success," she says. Especially not many indigenous Mexicans. They are seldom seen in movies, on the cover of magazines or photographed in Prada and Gucci, as Aparicio has in recent months. That realm is limited to white, light-skinned Mexicans. Her sudden fame, as well as the movie's themes of Mexico's deep racial and class divides, has sparked much debate and backlash. One soap opera star was caught on video denigrating Aparicio with a vulgar slur. The governor of her home state of Oaxaca, Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, says Aparicio doesn't need anyone to come to her defense.

ALEJANDRO MURAT HINOJOSA: She clearly has opened all of these avenues. And this is a great step towards changing these conceptions of Mexico.

KAHN: The movie has definitely opened up discussion about the plight of domestic workers in Mexico, even aiding advocacy for labor protection laws. Unfortunately, other themes haven't gotten as much play, like the decades-long land disputes and violence persistent in Aparicio's Oaxaca. The mayor in her hometown was murdered in January, right after taking the oath of office. Local artist Jesus Gonzalez says the murders shook everyone, but Aparicio's success has given the town new hope.

JESUS GONZALEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

KAHN: "She is like an emblem for us," he says. "We recognize her strong spirit in breaking from Mexico's past into a better future." Gonzalez is painting a 16-foot-tall mural of her off the town's main square. He's hurrying. He's got to get it done before Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Tlaxiaco, Mexico. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

INAH to reopen exhibition of artifacts found in Oaxaca tomb The pieces were uncovered at the Monte Albán archaeological site in 1932

One of the items on display at an exhibition that is reopening in Oaxaca.

INAH to reopen exhibition of artifacts found in Oaxaca tomb

The pieces were uncovered at the Monte Albán archaeological site in 1932

Friday, February 22, 2019

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) will reopen an exhibition in Oaxaca today that features more than 400 valuable artifacts found in a tomb at the Monte Albán archaeological site in 1932.

The pieces discovered by archaeologist Alfonso Caso in tomb seven of the Zapotec site and dubbed “The Treasure of Monte Albán” include objects made of gold, jade, rock crystal and jaguar bones, among other materials.

The exhibition, made up of a total of more than 600 artifacts, is housed in Room 3 of the Oaxaca Museum of Cultures and will be inaugurated at a ceremony at 7:00pm. The general public can visit starting tomorrow.

Curators have updated the exhibition by including plaques offering new interpretations of the pieces, while the integration of modern technology will also contribute to providing an enhanced experience for visitors.

The name of the exhibition is Tomb Seven: The Place of the Ancestors.

An artifact from tomb seven.

INAH archaeologist and exhibition curator Nelly Robles told the newspaper El Economista that as a result of new research it is now known that “tomb seven was an ossuary and not a tomb for a specific dignitary.”

She said that both Zapotec and Mixtec people used the tomb, the latter leaving human remains, jewels and precious materials that were “the relics of their ancestors.”

Robles added that the Mixtec people also held ceremonies at the tomb at which they asked for favors from their deities.

The presiding gods of the tomb were Mictlantecuhtli, Mesoamerican god of death and the underworld, and Xipe Tótec, a life-death-rebirth deity.

Both are represented in the different objects found by Caso in 1932, Robles said.

The archaeologist explained that the Mixtec people first started carrying out rituals at the tomb around 1350 AD and continued to do so until the early days of the Spanish colonial era.

The reopening of “The Treasure of Monte Albán” to the public is part of celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the creation of INAH in 1939.

Source: El Economista (sp)