I decided my recent trip from Australia to New Zealand was a great time to test the trend. I was only going for a week – what could go wrong?

I wore my bulkiest clothes onto the plane. A jumper layered over a jacket. Jeans instead of lighter pants. Trainers instead of shoes I’d normally pack.

My pockets were doing most of the work. Phone, passport, wallet, charger — all crammed wherever they’d fit. I carried a small tote for the things that wouldn’t.

After that trip, it was obvious the trend itself wasn’t the problem.

The goal makes sense. Travelling without checked luggage is faster, cheaper and far less stressful. What doesn’t make sense is wearing half your belongings onto the plane to achieve it.

The more realistic option is what I call ‘Bare-Bones’ flying – travelling with one personal item and one carry-on, without forcing everything onto your body.

Vacuum packing removes the air trapped inside clothes, which is what causes bulk.

Once compressed, items lie flat, stack neatly and stay compact. Nothing expands again when the bag moves, and packing becomes far easier.

It’s the same principle used to ship bulky products efficiently — travellers are just applying it to carry-on luggage.

After that trip, I switched to a vacuum travel bag kit from Simplify Living.

Now, I can pack everything I need for 2 weeks into a single carry-on, without overpacking or leaving outfits behind.

At the time of writing, the kit is available with 40% off, free shipping, a 2-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bare-bones flying isn’t about travelling with nothing. It’s about skipping the checked-bag fees while still taking all your favourite outfits.