If you’re a frequent traveler then one of your biggest concerns is obviously packing. For many, packing is always a downside to traveling. I recently found a new Kickstarter-funded product that is making minimalist travel a breeze – the Rolo Travel Bag.
One of the more popular minimalist packing solutions today are space bags, which are designed to save you a lot of space so you can travel light. However, space bags aren’t the most practical since they require that you have a vacuum. (You may have one at home, but you most likely won’t have one during your trip).
But one really cool packing solution is the Rolo Travel Bag. It’s a product designed to make packing an easier and more organized experience. The Rolo Travel Bag looks like a flat bag with several zippered mesh pockets to fit anything you want. Its design allows you to easily roll it up and keep your belongings sealed and safe.
In my use of the Rolo Travel Bag I have found three key benefits:
Pro #1: It forces you to pack only essentials
One thing you may want to know is that the Rolo bag is not meant to replace your normal travel bag if you *need* to bring a lot of stuff. The Rolo bag only fits so many things – it really just fits 2 – 4 day’s worth of clothes and some toiletries. But that’s just it! If your trip is only going to last a weekend, then you really only need the Rolo Travel Bag.
How many times have you had a weekend trip that only required a max of two or three changes, but you end up packing as if you’re embarking on a 2-week trip to Europe? This common pitfall of overpacking is partly attributed to the fact that you’re looking at a suitcase that fits more than what you’ll actually need. It’s only obvious you’ll want to fill up your bag.
But the Rolo alleviates this problem. It only fits so many things, so it’ll force you to pack only the bare essentials.
If you’re travelling for a wedding, for example, and need to bring dress shoes, a suit, etc, the Rolo won’t work.
Pro #2: It helps your packing stay organized
Rolo Travel Bags have different zippered compartments. These are meshed sections that allow you to see inside. So when you unroll your Rolo bag, you can see before you even unzip the compartments where you packed your toiletries, your underwear, your tops, and your bottoms. Not only do you take out only what you need but you also put it back wherever it goes. You don’t mix things around. You don’t have to pull everything out just to find that pair of red socks you want to wear on Day 1.
I am easily able to put in two pairs of paints, 1 pair of shorts, two shirts, two pairs of socks and underwear, and feel like there is plenty of space for extras.
Just put everything you need inside, then roll it up and everything will compress.
Pro #3: It’s super portable
When unpacked and rolled up the Rolo Bag is 17 inches long x 4 inches tall x 1.25 inches wide and weighs 1.25 lbs.
When you roll up your Rolo bag, it becomes the similar size to a rolled-up sleeping mat (or just a little thinner but longer). It comes with an attachable shoulder strap so you can easily carry it with you. Or, if you’re going to be backcountry camping, it becomes a separate carrier for your clothes, and an addition to your backpack. Just attach it to the bottom of the backpack like you would a sleeping mat and you’re ready to go. This leaves space for other things inside your main backpack. When you get to your campsite, you simple hang the Rolo on a tree and all your clothes are accessible with no fumbling through your backpack!
And hanging is easy, because the Rolo has a hanger built into it that allow you to hang the Rolo when you unfold it. This means that when you get your campsite/hostel/wherever you don’t need to unpack everything, you just unroll the bag and hang it up.
The Rolo Travel Bag is a must-have for any type of traveler concerned with saving space and weight. It simplifies packing, and everyone knows that simpler packing makes for a happier trip.
They are currently selling for $50 on the Rolo website.
