Many thanks to Brian, K2BRZ, who recently reached out via email with a few questions about doing one-bag travel with a field radio.

This is a deep rabbit hole for me because it combines two things I absolutely love geeking out over: packing and radio.

I’ve been traveling with radios on flights since around the year 2000, about three years after I was first licensed. Back then, I traveled extensively throughout Europe for the corporation I worked for, and I almost always carried my Yaesu FT-817 (non-ND version!) with me. At the time, it was one of the smallest and most compact QRP radios on the market, and it made a perfect travel companion.

These days, we have so many more options—smaller radios, better battery solutions, and far better travel bags designed specifically around one-bag travel.

So let’s dig into it.

A little about my travel philosophy

When I’m traveling alone by air, I almost always travel with one bag unless I absolutely have to transport gear to a destination or bring gear back. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I checked baggage.

I also genuinely enjoy the challenge of using the smallest bag possible for longer trips. I’ve even done week-long trips using only a personal carry-on—the smallest size many low-cost airlines allow.

This is how I packed for a conference and one week in Philadelphia. All of this fit in my Tom Bihn Stowaway personal; carry-on.

There are definitely compromises when you do this, but there’s also something really satisfying about using the minimal amount of gear for the maximum amount of travel. It feels liberating.

All of my “luggage” for one week of travel.

Especially for business travel, I dislike checked luggage. In the past, I’ve had checked bags miss connections, disappear temporarily, or require delivery after I arrived at my destination. That creates unnecessary friction and adds stress I simply don’t want.

With one-bag travel, everything stays with me. I move faster, travel lighter, and worry less.  No waiting for bags to appear (or not!) at a luggage carousel. That’s been my approach for the better part of the last 26 years.

Now, when you add radio gear into the mix, there are a few more considerations, but honestly, don’t overthink it too much. As long as your radio fits in your bag, your battery is compliant, and you make things easy for airport security, you’re probably going to be just fine.

That said, I do think there are some best practices worth discussing.

First: Radio selection

If you’re doing true one-bag travel, you’re carrying a backpack, duffel, or small carry-on case, and your radio is going inside it. By definition, this usually means you’re not taking a full-size 100-watt radio.

Even if you do choose a higher-power radio, it needs to be very compact, because it’s sharing space with your clothing, toiletries, laptop, etc. And if your trip involves a lot of walking—trains, airports, city travel, or hiking—the extra weight of a 100W radio matters.

My advice is simple: take the smallest radio you own that still gives you the operating experience you want.

These days, I try to limit myself to radios no larger than my Elecraft KX2. The KX2 isn’t the smallest radio I own, but it’s an excellent travel-sized portable rig, it’s easy to protect in a bag, and it gives me a tremendous amount of flexibility.

I also travel with my Elecraft KH1, Elecraft KX1, Mountain Topper radios, the QMX, my TR-35, and several other compact field radios, so there’s certainly no shortage of choices.

But your destination matters a lot, because that determines your antenna strategy just as much as your radio choice.

Your destination determines your antenna Plaines d’Abraham, Quebec City, Québec

If I’m traveling to Europe, for example, I worry much less about bringing a complicated antenna system because I know I’ll probably be activating urban parks, and I know the density of amateur radio operators within my propagation footprint—from 40 meters up through 20 meters—is going to be very high.

That means I don’t need an ultra-efficient antenna to make contacts.

TR-35 packed for travel.

In that case, I might take something like my QMX, TR-35, MTR-4B, or MTR-3B—a simple compact radio without an antenna tuner—and pair it with a 49:1 EFHW built around 30 meters with a 40-meter extension. That setup gives me excellent coverage from 40 meters through 10 meters (save 12m) in a very compact package.

My KM4CFT 30M EFHW kit with 40M link is super compact and travel-friendly.

A typical 40-meter end-fed half-wave built around a 49:1 transformer is usually around 66 feet long, depending on trimming and design, so compared to a short random wire, it’s a substantial antenna.

What I’m actually more likely to do these days, though, is take something like my Elecraft KX2 with its built-in tuner, because that changes everything.

Why I love a built-in ATU for travel

If your radio has a wide-range built-in tuner, or if you have a compact external ATU, you can get away with much smaller, more flexible antennas.

Instead of carrying a full-length EFHW, I might take a compact random wire antenna—something 31 feet or less—and that’s a huge difference in terms of deployment and convenience.

The PackTenna 9:1 UNUN is a perfect multi-band antenna for travel.

A short random wire is easier to deploy, easier to hide in urban parks, and doesn’t require a massive tree or tall mast to make it work. It’s simply more forgiving when you’re traveling.

Many excellent portable radios offer an internal ATU or option, including the Elecraft KX2, KX3, KX1, KH1, and radios like the Xiegu X5105, X6100, and X6200. These are just a few.

I “built” this speaker wire antenna in the field. Simply cut 28.5′ of speaker wire, split it into two, and use one as a radiator, the other as a counterpoise. Use a BNC Binding Post adapter to pair with the radio. The internal ATU sorts out the SWR match!

Having that tuner also gives you a kind of insurance policy. If your antenna gets damaged—or if you simply decide not to bring one—you can pick up inexpensive wire at a hardware store, charity shop, or local retailer, pair it with a BNC binding post adapter, and build a simple “speaker wire antenna” on the spot.

“Speaker wire” antennas are cheap and practical. Any wire will work, by the way! Source some from the parts bin!

Almost any wire works. The gauge doesn’t matter much. Cheap and flexible is usually just fine.

That kind of flexibility is incredibly valuable when you’re traveling.

When I’d bring a higher-gain antenna When I travel to Perth, I’ll put a lot of thought into the type of antennas I take or build there. It’s very geographically isolated.

If I’m flying somewhere like Alaska, Hawaii, a remote island, or anywhere that could be considered DXpedition-worthy, my strategy changes.

In geographically isolated places, I want performance first.

That means more strategic wire antennas, better-performing antennas, and sometimes even a compact dipole that I can deploy as a sloper or inverted V.

A portable 20M delta loop antenna is also a great choice if DX contacts are important.

In those cases, I also want strong 20-meter performance and solid higher-band coverage so I can push my propagation footprint toward the areas where operators are likely to hear me.

If you’re planning travel like this, it’s worth spending a little time reading about propagation and talking to local operators in the destination region. That information can save you a lot of frustration later.

Make your radio accessible I travel extensively with this Tom Bihn Synik 30.

Back to packing…

When you go through airport security—especially TSA here in the States—you want your radio to be easy to find.

I strongly recommend keeping your radio self-contained in its own pouch, case, or small pack. Don’t bury it deep inside your bag under clothes, inside a packing cube, or wrapped in a jacket. Plan to pull it out of your pack as a separate item unless airport security tells you otherwise.

If you do bury your radio in your clothes, there’s a decent chance TSA will ask you to unpack your entire bag in the middle of a crowded security line, and that’s never fun. Murphy’s Law, you know!

Make it accessible. Make it obvious. Make it easy for them.

That makes life better for everyone.

Modular packing

I’m a big believer in modular packing, which simply means that inside my main bag, everything lives in its own dedicated pouch.

Clothing has its place. Toiletries have their place. Electronics have their place. Radio gear has its place.

Everything has a home.

This makes it significantly easier if security asks you to unpack your bag, and it makes repacking much faster. It also makes it obvious when something is missing, which is surprisingly important when you’re moving quickly through airports and hotels!

With proper modular packing, you can easily spot missing items in your pack!

For radios, I usually use either a padded canvas or nylon pouch, or a hard waterproof case like a Pelican Case.

For example, my Elecraft KH1 lives in a Pelican M40 Micro Case, and I absolutely love it. It protects the radio from drops, pressure, spills, and general abuse. If a water bottle leaks in my bag, I’m not worried. It’s in my EDC bag (a Hidden Woodsmen Haversack) 100% of the time, when not flying.

For one-bag travel, I especially like cases with clear lids because security can instantly see what’s inside. It avoids that “what exactly is this?” moment and makes inspection much smoother.

I also keep a copy of my amateur radio license in card form somewhere easily accessible in my bag. Not because I expect trouble, but because it’s simple and useful.

And for my international readers, that means whatever licensing authority applies in your country—FCC in the United States, Ofcom in the UK, Industry Canada, ACMA in Australia, CEPT documentation where applicable, and so on. Just carry proof that you are a licensed amateur radio operator and that the equipment is legitimate radio gear.

That said, you’re probably not the first ham radio operator that TSA—or any airport security officer—has seen, so most of the time it’s no big deal.

Batteries: do your homework

This part matters.

Make sure your battery complies with airline cabin regulations, especially if you’re carrying lithium-ion batteries.

Fortunately, for most QRP radios, this is pretty easy because they’re low-power radios with modest battery needs, so most commonly used battery packs fall well within airline limits.

This 3Ah Bioenno LiFePO4 is well within allowable battery size.

All of my Elecraft batteries and most of the small field batteries I use are comfortably within those limits.

Still, check before you fly.

Battery regulations can change, and the last thing you want is having your battery confiscated at security because you assumed instead of verifying.

Let your battery do double duty This Nitecore NB Air is super lightweight and thin. Not only will it charge your phone, but with the appropriate PD cable, you can power your radio.

This is one of my favorite travel optimizations.

If possible, let your battery bank power both your radio and your everyday electronics.

Modern USB-C Power Delivery battery packs (like the Nitecore above and Werewolf below) make this much easier than it used to be.

I’m currently testing the Werewolf VFLEX system—full disclosure, they recently sent it to me free for evaluation—that uses a small programmable PD trigger dongle.

The VLEX dongle is programmed with an app on your phone to any voltage your PD supply supports.

You can set the output voltage to match your radio—12V, 9V, and so on—and it includes barrel connector options for different rigs, even reverse polarity option if needed (unlikely).

Their barrel connector packs covers many of the sizes we use with field radios.

That means one battery can charge my phone, power my radio, and recharge accessories, which reduces both weight and redundancy.

And in one-bag travel, reducing redundancy is everything.

Throw lines, throw weights, and trees

If you’re bringing a wire antenna and plan to use trees, do your homework and make sure your destination actually has trees.

That sounds obvious, but it matters.

I always recommend bringing a throw line. The line itself is easy—it’s just lightweight nylon cord and no big deal for air travel.

The issue is usually the throw weight.

Traditional arborist throw weights often use lead shot inside a leather pouch covered in nylon. They work beautifully, but they can absolutely trigger questions during airport security because they look unusual on a scanner.

I’ve heard enough stories about this that I switched to using a solid throw weight called a Meteor throw weight. It still looks a little odd, but from what I understand, it tends to be a bit more security-friendly.

You can also skip bringing a weight entirely and improvise something once you arrive—a small pouch filled with rocks, a water bottle, or something temporary.

That said, water bottles aren’t my favorite because they get stuck in trees far more often than a proper throw weight.

Don’t forget portable masts The Explorer easily fits in all of my travel backpacks.

UPDATE (25 April 2026): Two readers have reached out (one in the comments–thanks, John), noting that airport security declared their portable masts potential weapons and that they were not allowed to take them on a flight unless in checked luggage. I took my Explorer carbon-fiber mast as a carry-on on a round-trip flight last year with no problems. It could be that restrictions have tightened since then, so you might wish to avoid any hassle and use an alternative to a mast.

If you’re unsure about antenna supports, a compact mast can be a fantastic option.

There are excellent fiberglass and carbon fiber options now—like the Explorer 20 (see above) and others—that are easy to travel with and work beautifully for portable operating.

This removes the “do I have trees?” problem entirely, which can be worth its weight in gold when you arrive somewhere unfamiliar.

Super compact antenna options This AD8HK 4:1 random wire antenna is super compact, covers 40-10 meters, and pairs with all of my field radios that sport an internal ATU.

There are so many options for compact wire antennas (to build and buy), but if you’re traveling somewhere with lots of nearby operators, you may not even need a wire antenna.

The AX3 is super compact, travel-friendly, low-impact and effective!

Sometimes a very compact antenna makes more sense, like the Elecraft AX1, AX2, AX3, the QRPGuys antennas, the TinyGawant antenna, the JustOK Mini, or something similar.

These can be ideal for urban travel, park activations, or situations where stealth and speed matter more than maximum efficiency.

Let’s talk about the main carry bag

This matters more than most people think.

I have two golden rules.

Golden rule number one: no wheels! My GoRuck GR1 witht he Hound holding my radio and in-flight kit. The GR1 is a 21L backpack that meets “personal carry-on” standards.

Do not use a rigid wheeled carry-on. In fact, I would strongly encourage you to avoid wheels entirely–for one-bag travel, at least.

The reason is simple: on smaller regional aircraft, gate agents often see wheels and immediately decide the bag must be gate-checked, even if the bag itself is physically tiny.

I’ve also traveled extensively with this Timbuk2 Wingman convertible pack. My radio gear is all contained in the black pouch on the left side of the interior of the pack.

I learned this the hard way years ago with a very compact Eagle Creek rolling bag. It absolutely met carry-on requirements, but because it had wheels, the gate agent made me gate-check it anyway.

That caused a delay retrieving it, and I nearly missed my connection in Detroit because I had to wait for the bag to be brought back to the jet bridge.

After that, I stopped using wheeled bags entirely for one-bag travel.

No wheels. Ever.

Golden rule number two: it should fit under the seat My circa 1999 Eagle Creek convertible laptop bag served me well for many years. I used to travel for a week or more easily with this pack and–unless super packed-out–easily fit underneath the seat in front of me.

Your bag should ideally be small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you.

That is the gold standard.

If it fits there, you never worry about overhead bin space, boarding group priority, or forced gate-checking, and your gear stays with you at all times.

That’s real freedom, my friends!

Sometimes I’ll intentionally board late when flights are crowded because I know I don’t need overhead space. I can simply walk on, sit down, and slide the bag underneath the seat in front of me. Not forced into the jumble of frustrated passengers finding their seats and overhead bin space!

Zero stress.

My preference: backpacks

There are lots of excellent one-bag travel options—duffels, backpacks, and hybrid convertible packs—and all of them can work.

I tend to prefer backpacks because they’re easier to carry, easier to move through airports with, and they look modest. No one really questions a backpack. It simply looks like a personal item.

I also love clamshell-opening backpacks—bags that open fully like a suitcase—because they make airport security much easier. Everything is visible, accessible, and easy to inspect.

Some brands I’ve had excellent experiences with include Tom Bihn, Red Oxx, Osprey, Pacsafe, Timbuk2, and Eagle Creek, though there are many others.

I’m willing to spend real money on a truly excellent travel bag because I use them constantly, and good companies stand behind their products.

For me, Tom Bihn and Red Oxx have been especially good.

My in-flight pack I often use my my Red Oxx Hound pack as an in-flight pack.

One last small tip.

Inside my main bag, I keep a small removable pouch I call my “in-flight pack.”

Before boarding, I pull it out, and inside are things like my battery bank, Kobo e-reader, notepad and pencil, snack bar, chargers, earbuds, and anything else I want easy access to during the flight.

This is especially useful on longer flights because it saves you from digging through your entire bag while wedged into an airline seat.

It’s one of those small things that makes travel noticeably smoother.

In summary

As I warned you, I was going to geek out on this topic because honestly, I love this stuff!

I enjoy optimizing gear, refining travel systems, and figuring out how to stay lightweight, flexible, and efficient while still having everything I need.

At the end of the day, though, the principles are simple: keep your radio kit small, keep your battery compliant, keep your radio accessible, use modular packing, protect your gear sensibly, and choose a bag that stays with you.

That’s really it.

You absolutely do not need an expensive travel bag to make this work. Use what you have.

I’ve traveled with plenty of ordinary bags over the years. I simply gravitated toward higher-end bags later because I use them constantly and appreciate the build quality and warranties. Their zippers, for example, won’t fail me.

But the most important thing above all is to enjoy the process.

For me, packing is actually one of the most fun parts of the trip. Thinking through what I need, how to carry it, and how to do it efficiently—that’s part of the adventure.

The rabbit hole is even deeper! Tom Bihn Travel Trays are a staple of both my travel and field radio packs.

Honestly, I could probably write three more articles this size and still not cover this topic comprehensively.

One-bag travel with field radio is one of those deep rabbit holes where every operator develops their own system, preferences, and little tricks over time. What works perfectly for me might not be ideal for your style of travel, operating goals, or destination.

This article is really just my own practical approach after many years of traveling with radios—not the final word on the subject. I’m certain I’ve left things out, and I’m equally certain many of you have even better ideas.

That’s one of the best parts of this hobby: we’re always learning from each other.

How do you travel with field radio?

I’d love to read your comments.

What gear do you take? How do you pack? What bag do you use? What principles do you follow?

I’m certain I’ve left things out, and I know many of you do far more business travel with radios than I ever have.

Please share your tips!

I’m especially interested in the pack makes/models/designs you use for one-bag travel.

And, again, thank you for indulging me in answering one person’s question with what amounted to an extensive magazine article!