Updated 2026
Managing dirty clothes in a backpack is genuinely challenging. Wet, smelly clothes contaminate everything. Simple solution: plastic bags.
The Smell Reality
Dirty clothes develop smell quickly in warm, humid climates. That smell transfers to your entire pack.
Clothes that have been worn become saturated with sweat and humidity. In Southeast Asia and tropical climates, they smell within a day or two.
The Plastic Bag Solution
Use plastic shopping bags (see above article - bring your own bags). Store dirty clothes in these bags inside your pack.
Multiple bags can separate items: one for underwear, one for socks, one for outer clothes.
This completely contains the smell. Your clean clothes stay separate and unaffected.
The Laundry Advantage
Bags organize the laundry process. When you reach a laundry location, pull out the bags and process everything.
You know exactly what needs washing. You're not dumping laundry everywhere.
Additional Benefits
Plastic bags protect wet clothes. After laundry, damp clothes go in bags before returning to your pack.
Damp clothes dry faster when separated than when compressed in your pack.
The Solution's Simplicity
This is trivial. Plastic bags cost almost nothing. They weigh nothing.
The benefit is enormous - you keep your clean clothes clean and your pack from smelling putrid.
That's Worth
For RTW travelers constantly on the move, keeping smell under control matters for shared accommodation and social situations.
This simple solution solves a real problem.