3 Tips for Packing Lighter Every Single Time, According to Tortuga Backpacks' Co-founder

Courtesy of Tortuga

To put it modestly, Fred Perrotta, the co-founder and CEO of Tortuga Backpacks, knows a thing or two about packing. 

Back in 2009, Perrotta took a two-week trip to Eastern Europe with his then-friend, now co-founder Jeremy Cohen. “We were kind of nerdy, obsessive researchers trying to find the right pack. I hadn’t really done much international travel and didn’t have a bag and didn’t know what to bring. We couldn’t really find anything perfect,” he told me over the phone. So, he ended up with one of those giant hiking packs that were typical for backpackers, which fell short in a few big ways. The two spent quite a lot of their train ride downtime talking about ideas for how their packs could serve them better, and they’d both just read Tim Ferris' remote worker manifesto, "The 4-Hour Workweek."

"Part of that book outlines how the author started a business, so we followed that blueprint," he said. "We’ve got the product idea, and the problem, and we’ll put these together and, you know, fortune, fame, and all that will come. It was not quite as easy as the book makes it sound, but it gave us the confidence to start."

Now, a decade later, Tortuga has a fully remote team of travel lovers and a line of incredibly popular backpacks. We checked in to get Perrotta's best packing tips. 

T+L: Travelers love Tortuga's bags. Tell me a little about the thought that goes into your designs.

Fred Perrotta: "The big idea we had when we started was that those big hiking bags that most people who are backpacking use carry really nicely; they’re very comfortable; they’re great in many ways. But there were two main ways they came up short. One was that they’re huge, so you can’t really carry them onto a flight. So you’ll have to pay extra to check the bag and also waste time at the baggage carousel, hoping it shows up and isn’t ripped to shreds. And the other thing was: Packing from the top is a problem for travel. When you’re traveling, you might need a T-shirt but it’s halfway down so you’ve gotta dump the whole bag to find it. 

The idea was to combine the comfort, durability, and quality of a hiking bag with the accessibility and the organization of a suitcase. Suitcases open from the front so you can see everything, organize it how you like and take stuff out as you want, but they don’t really work as well for city travel."

Now, let’s talk about packing those bags. What are your best tips for how to become a one-bag traveler?

"There are a couple of rules. The first one is that you want to pack around the must-haves — the stuff you’re going to wear every day or frequently on your trip — rather than the just-in-case kind of items. If you find yourself saying, 'I’ll bring this in case something comes up,' you should probably leave it at home because either the situation won’t come up 90 percent of the time or you can usually get those items locally.

Another one I always tell people, especially for longer trips, is to pack for one week. If you’re gone for longer than that you can always do laundry. In a lot of countries I’ve been able to do a whole load of laundry for dollar and they had it ready the next day. I think a lot of people tend to overlook that, but you can do it pretty easily and cheaply.

Another place where people run into problems is bringing too many bulky things, especially with cold weather. So I tell people to pack and dress in layers, not in bulk. So that may mean instead of that big chunky sweater, maybe bring a thin long sleeve shirt and a cardigan over it. One, that stuff should take up less space in your bag, and two, it lets you mix and match a little bit more, so that even if you’re re-wearing something, it can feel different. If you do have to bring something bulky, try to make sure you can wear it on the flight. Even if that’s a little bit annoying, it’ll save space. And you can almost always throw it in the overhead bin."

Are there any other particular items you think travelers should be leaving behind to save space and weight?

"The most challenging one is usually a second or third pair of shoes. Ideally, I just have the ones on my feet and I don’t put any in my bag. That’s kind of a dream scenario, but that’s not always possible. Definitely leave behind the third pair. My current favorite travel shoes are by Vivobarefoot, they make the barefoot shoes with the very thin sole. The ones I have are kind of low, lightweight boots and they’re leather so you can wear them wherever and they don’t look too dressed down. They’re really light and comfy; it’s almost like I’m wearing slippers or something. I’ve been walking a lot in these and feel pretty good about them. 

I would also encourage people to think about what electronics you’re bringing. That one might not seem like a big deal — a lot of bags have a computer or tablet sleeve, but those are also relatively heavy things and, you know, you have to bring your laptop and also your charger and maybe some other accessories. That weight can add up quickly, so if possible I’d try to trade down to tablet or Kindle. Or maybe you can trade down to just your phone."

As for clothes, how do you go about curating your travel wardrobe?

"I think clothes are a little bit easier — this is maybe more true for men’s clothes than women’s right now — but you’re starting to see more of the technical fabrics that used to be used by outdoor brands coming into normal-looking clothes so you don’t have to have that all-khaki, safari dad kind of look. But you can still get clothes that dry quickly or repel stains and stuff like that. One of my favorite brands is called Outlier; they do a lot of technical stuff that’s kind of a mix or synthetic clothes which are good for drying or stretch and then natural fabrics that also have their benefits. There are a lot of brands doing things in Merino wool right now — natural fabric repels smells, which is nice if you need to re-wear something."

Are there any must-have items that you pack for absolutely every trip?

"I’ve got a few that are always stashed in my bag so that I don’t forget them. I always bring a water bottle. On flights, I can’t get by with just that tiny, little cup. And I’m also a big reader, so I always bring my Kindle, which I can load up with books. It’s tiny and lightweight and a joy to read on. And the benefit I didn’t really see until I actually had it was that it’s nice to be able to read on your flight without turning on that overhead spotlight. I feel like a better neighbor when someone’s trying to sleep next to me."

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

My Big Fat Greek Festival: The St. John's Festival on Ios

Posted: 07/05/2011 | July 5th, 2011

“Eat, it’s like deer,” Francesco said to me.

I was surrounded by little Greek ladies in black shawls with wooden canes, people doing traditional dances, kids running around, lots of wine, and cooked wild goat being shoved in my face.

Francesco, the owner of my hostel, had invited me to this festival of all things Greek. Francesco’s hostel is an institution on Ios. Everyone knows it. He and his wife remembered me from last year, and over the weeks, I’d become more and more integrated into the hostel family. It was like I worked there but didn’t have to do anything.

One night as I was turning up at the bar, Francesco asked me if I had any plans.

“You have any meetings now? What are you doing?” (It was 10 at night.)

“None, I’m just going to talk to people on the patio.”

“OK, I’m going to take you to the festival of St. John at the monastery in the mountains.”

“Uhh, sure.”

If there’s one thing people learn quickly on Ios, it’s that you never say no to Francesco. He has an imposing personality and is quite a big figure in the community. It may sound like he is asking, but he isn’t. Francesco has the great ability to phrase a command as a question.

Not that I would ever say no anyway. How could I skip an opportunity to have a truly Greek evening just to hang out with more tourists? I can do that any day. But the chance to be shown something like this? Wouldn’t dream of skipping it. This is the kind of stuff I travel for.

We headed up the mountain, me keeping my eyes shut as we veered along the tiny, winding mountain track in the dark. Francesco assured me we were fine, but I winced at every bump in the road. I don’t like heights, and I’m always afraid I’m going to tumble off the edge.

“You a city boy, huh? Don’t worry. I’ve been on these roads all my life!” he assured me.

Arriving at the festival at last, Francesco ushered me past the dancers and into the back garden of the tiny monastery. In front of me were Greek women cleaning large food bowls, as well as huge cooking pots heating soup and goat meat. Francesco grabbed me a bowl, poured some soup into it, and threw in some chunks of goat. I was merely a passive observer in this whole scene, following orders and doing what I was told.

I sat down at a table full of Greek men who looked at me inquisitively. Francesco said a few things in Greek, and the men smiled, making an eating gesture. They stared as I ate as I ate every bit of food, looking at me like I was an alien. Here I was, a stranger in their world, and these old, cigarette-smoking Greek men were enjoying it as much as I was.

I’d never had wild goat before. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever had any kind of goat before. It was delicious. Tender, falling off the bone, it tasted a lot like lamb. I don’t know what the soup was made of, but that too was good. It had a thick, rice-porridge consistency. The bread was thick and obviously homemade, soaking up the hot soup well.

After the soup came wine and bread, and then different cheeses — “from Ios.” The soft goat cheese I was given by an old Greek man was some of the milkiest and smoothest goat cheese I’ve ever had. I cleaned the whole plate as a small Greek grandmother with a wooden cane and black shawl stopped and watched.

I’d come to watch their festival, but in some ways, their festival was watching me. They didn’t speak much English and I speak no Greek, but I think they got the idea that I liked it.

After the meal and another glass of wine, I left the old patriarchs to go watch the dancing. Sadly, it was mostly over by the time I got there, but I did manage to watch a few traditional dances, as well as a few drunk Greeks making up some moves on the dance floor. I simply sat there watching it and enjoying the music. I noticed a few Greeks looking at me, unable to decide if I was a local (when tan, I look very Greek) or a foreigner.

As the band played on and the night got later, the crowd began to thin out. In the old days, they would have taken donkeys up to the monastery to stay the night. Now people stay until around midnight before driving back into town.

Francesco came and got me a little while later. It was time to go. “It’s good. You like it?”

“Yeah, it was the most cultural Greek thing I’ve done in my three trips to Greece.”

“Good. Write about it. It will make a better story than about you getting drunk with other backpackers. This is real Greece. Not that other bullshit.”

And you know what? He was right.

So I did.

Book Your Trip to Greece: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight to Greece by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines. Start with Momondo.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel in Greece with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates. (Here’s the proof.)

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I never ever go on a trip without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. You should too.

Need Some Gear?
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!

Want More Information on Greece?
Be sure to visit our robust destination tips on Greece for even more planning tips!

25 Destinations Where You Can Save Big by Traveling After the Summer Crowds Leave

Summer may be winding down, but that doesn't mean it's too late to plan your dream vacation.

Late September through early November is considered “shoulder season” in many travelers' favorite destinations, as it sits after the peak of the summer but before holiday tourists arrive.

Travelers can look forward to shorter lines at the Louvre in Paris, and less crowded beaches in Fiji or Tahiti. Fewer visitors also means it's often find easier to find great deals on flights, hotels, and more.

And U.S. residents don’t need to travel far to score an awesome vacation at a tempting price. Whether you prefer beaches or museums, city or country, here are several ideas for taking advantage of shoulder season.