When you’re living out of a small bag, it’s the little things that go walkabout. Cables, battery pack, passport – they’re all easy to forget or misplace, especially when repacking in a rush. As a regular traveller, I’ve learned having a system is essential. Not because I’m naturally tidy, I’m absolutely not! But because it’s one way I can stay organised and stop forgetting things!
Set of four lightweight travel pouches arranged left to right: toiletries (floral pouch), tech (green), just-in-case items like first aid (beige), and international travel accessories (pink).
This four-pouch packing system keeps everything in its place, regardless of which travel bag is used. The pouches are pre-packed and ready to go. It’s easy to throw them in the bag on top of everything else. I can go straight from idea to out-the-door in under 10 minutes – and if you know me, you’ll know I’m not joking!
If you’re naturally disorganised, easily distracted, or just have a lot going on in your brain at once, this system could be a lifesaver! It’s calm reassurance, especially if you’re traveling on your own.
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4 Pouch Packing System
So here’s the four pouches I use:
- Toiletries Pouch
- Tech Pouch
- Just-in-Case Pouch (misc/emergency)
- International Travel Pouch (just for trips outside my home – UK)
This post is part of my minimalist packing series, where I show you exactly what fits in my small travel bag – no hypotheticals. Everything I need and nothing I don’t!
Pouch 1: Toiletries Pouch
This minimalist toiletry kit is tiny but complete and it’s enough for around a month. It avoids fiddly refill bottles or overpriced airport minis through use of solid products, multi-use items and fewer products generally.
I guess for short trips, it could be reduced further with some more decanting. But honestly, if you travel often, it’s just more things to do before leaving the house. It’s small and light enough as it is!
Pictured: Comb and Nail File Set. Soap dry bag with sucker, Shampoo bar, Dry Oil for hair, face and body oil, Toothpaste tablets, Mini floss, Folding toothbrush, Deodorant Balm (decanted). Tinted SPF face cream, Mirror, Mascara, Lipstick, Eye pencil, Pouch from Søstrene Grene
Cleansing & moisturising
- Shampoo Bar in a Soap Dry Bag (to stop things going soggy)
- Nuxe dry oil (face, body, hair – one product, many uses)
- Deodorant Balm (decanted into a clear pot, because the big tin lasts months)
- Toothbrush & fluoride toothpaste tablets (holds around 70 tablets – plenty for a month)
- Small Floss
Skincare & extras
- Tinted BB cream with SPF
- Lipstick, eye pencil and small mascara
- Mini mirror
- Comb and Nailfile Set
- Pouch from Søstrene Grene
If you’ve noticed things like tweezers, razor or first aid and medicine are missing, there’s a few more personal care items in Pouch 3 – Just-in-case items.
I go into full detail in my minimalist toiletries post – including solid swaps, sensitive skin tips, and how to keep the whole kit well under 500g.
Pouch 2: Tech Pouch
This compact tech pouch supports my blog, travel admin, and day-to-day connectivity, without taking over the bag. I’ve tested and refined every item to keep the weight low and function high.
Pictured: INIU 10,000mAh 45W with USB-C Cable , Beats Flex wired Bluetooth earbuds, Anker USBc to USBc 100W cable (1.8m), UGreen 65W PD Gan Wall Charger – UK/US/Europe, Basesailor USB-C to USB-A Adapter Pouch from Søstrene Grene
Power & charging
- INIU 10,000mAh power bank with USB-C to USB-C cable (bright yellow, easy to spot!)
- Plug with interchangeable UK/EU ends and foldable US pins – compact and modular
- USB-C Fast Charge Cable (Anker)
- USB-C to A adapter – so I can make use of USB-A power points with my fast-charge USB-C to USB-C cable
Audio & accessories
- Beats Flex wired Bluetooth earbuds (I prefer these to wireless earbuds – less likely to fall out of my ears, and if they do, I’m unlikely to lose them!)
- Pouch from Søstrene Grene
Note: The EU plug head moves between this pouch and my international one depending on where I’m travelling. I don’t carry a bulky universal adapter because this setup (Europe 2 pin, UK 3 pin and US 2 pin) covers nearly everywhere I go and if it doesn’t I’ll buy or borrow the relevant adaptor locally.
You’ll find full weights and details in my lightweight travel tech post. This also details my ultralight full Windows 11 laptop weighing just 791g plus folding mouse and Kobo colour E-reader
Pouch 3: The Just-in-Case Pouch
Here’s a compact “what if?” kit – not overpacking, just smart preparedness. If something needs fixing chances are the answer is in here. The phrase “don’t pack just in case” gets thrown around a lot, often by people with enormous suitcases! But the truth is, you do need to consider “just-in-case” scenarios — you just need to set limits.
Sometimes if I’m just going away for a night or two and ‘purse packing’ in a tiny handbag, I might leave this pouch behind. But in practice, something from it is used on almost every trip.
Pictured: Venus Razor, Victorinox Swisscard Multitool, Muji Sewing kit, Folding cutlery, Loop earplugs, Chipolo Pop Tracker, Laundry Sheets, first aid items, snack pouch, Loc top waterproof storage bags, Pouch from Søstrene Grene
Fix-it & health
- Mini first aid kit: painkillers, antihistamines, cold remedies, tummy trouble treatments, blister pads etc. Enough pills for a day or two, after that I’m off to a local chemist or doctor
- Sewing kit including safety pins
- Swisscard multitool (Swiss precision mini-tools – scissors, tweezers, toothpick, mini pen, ruler and screwdriver set)
Clean & calm
- Laundry detergent sheets (works with washing machines or hand washing)
- Compact razor
- Loop earplugs – way better than foam – reusable with a tiny case
Snacks
- Coffee, tea, and a soup sachets in a ziplock
- Folding fork and spoon – definitely useful
Track & secure
- Chipolo tracker – to track my travel bag. This stays in the pouch, which is always in my travel bag, when on the road. I’ve been using these for a while and found the tracking consistent and pretty accurate. Works with both Android and Apple, Particularly useful for android users looking for an alternative to Airtags.
Pouch 4: International Travel Pouch
Most of my trips are in the UK, and for those, this pouch gets left behind. But keeping the necessaries together for international travel, makes packing much less stressful. Before I kept these things in the same pouch, I would find myself rushing around last minute, trying to find the right plug end, money, documents and so on.
Pictured: Neck Pillow Case – shown stuffed with down jacket, Pouch from Søstrene Grene, cash, documents, card with zero foreign transaction fees, ghic card in Loc top waterproof storage bag, Chipolo Wallet Tracker, Passport
In case you’re wondering about the neck pillow, it’s shown here stuffed with my down puffy jacket. It’s an improvised feather pillow for flights or long bus rides! Just the casing is kept in the pouch, not the puffy jacket!
It started life as the covering to an inflatable neck pillow bought from Decathlon. I removed the blow up interior as it wasn’t particularly comfortable, but the outer sleeve is soft and nice to use, so I kept it. There’s no way I would make space for a regular neck pillow in my minimalist setup, but this compact DIY solution definitely earns its place!
Comfort
- Neck pillow case (Decathlon) with my puffy jacket stuffed inside — works well on overnight buses, flights, and long layovers
ID & admin
- UK passport
- Zip wallet with:
- GHIC card (for EU healthcare access)
- Printed emergency info
- Small amount of cash in multiple currencies
Power & tracking
- EU plug adapter (flat and lightweight)
- Chipolo card — discreetly tracks this pouch as I am paranoid about losing my passport
Why no bulky adapter? I don’t carry a heavy universal travel adapter. My plug has interchangeable heads (2 pin US/3 pin UK/2 pin Europe). I use local adapters if more are needed, It’s a lighter and more flexible solution.
Get My Smart Travel Toolkit
Baggage Freedom is transformational and once you’ve mastered it, there’s no going back! I’ll be honest I’d rather write about trips, than stuff, but my decision to travel with just a small bag, no matter the trip, raises eyebrows and questions! These posts fall into the category “Things people ask me so often I thought it would be easier to just write it all down“. So here we are!
- One Small Bag: Pack for Any Trip, Any Season in an Underseat Bag
- Packing Chaos? Try the 4-Pouch Method That Actually Works
- Carry-On Toiletries for a Month? Here’s What I Fit in a Tiny Pouch
- Lightweight Tech for Travel: What to Pack and What to Skip
- One Travel Capsule Wardrobe for All Seasons in One Tiny Bag
Want to pack light without sacrificing what you need? I’ve travelled across Europe and beyond with just a small 24L bag.
I’m sharing my exact packing list for a 4 season trip. This free downloadable PDF includes lists for clothing, toiletries, tech and everything else.
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