The first time I went to Greenland, I hauled more than 100 pounds of gear in a giant North Face duffle. Today, the baggage fee would cost more than the ticket. And traveling heavy stinks compared to traveling light. Now, whenever possible, I stick to one small carry-on bag. My new favorite: Timbuk 2’s Doctor bag, which totes enough for a long weekend or streamlined week, even with laptop.

The bag is modeled after the vintage physician’s satchel–it stands upright without support and has springs to keep the zippered access open. It’s about foot high, 18 inches long, and 9 inches wide–line the bottom with a pair of shoes, a quart-sized ziplock with socks and underwear, a couple of layers of clothes, and you’re good to go. There’s one large zipper compartment on one size–I use it for magazines and folders–and a smaller organizer on the other where you can shove pens and wallet. The bag is lightly padded, but if you’re packing laptop you’re going to want a sleeve for it.

Traveling with a simple duffle-style bag can be a bit of a junk show, of course, so you also might want something to keep entropy at bay, like Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Protech Cubes. The small version fits ideally in the Doctor bag

Timbuk 2’s Doctor bag costs $120.