While I’m not a carry-on-only traveler 100% of the time, I do tend to lean that way for the sheer convenience of knowing that my bags will arrive with me when I’m flying somewhere. If your one-bag itinerary spans more than a few days, you’ll need to deal with the necessity of washing some of your clothes.
Sure, it’s easy to stay in hotels with laundry service, but that can get expensive when you’re traveling on a budget. I’ve done some form of sink laundry on many of my trips, and one of the essential items I bring along is a Flexo-Line Traveler’s Clothesline.
The Flexo-Line is made of braided surgical latex and has looped ends that you can attach to a door handle, towel hook, faucet, or bath spigot. The braided natural latex is better than a twisted line because it grips garments securely, meaning you don’t need to pack clothes pins.
The clothesline weighs about 1 ounce, stretches up to 7 feet, and can cold up to 12 pounds of wet clothing. I’ve used mine not only for drying laundry, but also for drying a wetsuit, beach towels, swimsuits, and even bath towels when the hotel bathroom had only a single hook for three people to share.
The latex is smooth, so it won’t snag delicate fabrics. I have a habit of washing underwear and socks at night before I go to bed, and when I wake—clean clothes! Traveling with a clothesline makes it much easier to go carry-on only.
If you’re allergic to latex, consider using paracord and lightweight clothes pins instead.
The Flexo-Line Traveler’s Clothesline is available on Amazon, and lists for between $19.95 and $21.95, depending on what color options you choose (black, red, blue, white, or green).