Maybe you're planning a trip, or a job loss has forced you to hit the road in search of another. Or maybe you're about to become homeless.

Jacob at Early Retirement Extreme explains how you can fit the things you need into one large suitcase. Yes, one. His list includes essential cooking gear.

Jacob, you may recall, is an expert at simplified living. The 30-something and his wife call a 34-foot recreational vehicle their home.

Actually, this suitcase approach has broader implications. Our partner blogger Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar imagines how much time and money he could have saved at college if he had taken only what could fit in one suitcase.

Trent even suggests you use the "suitcase test" when you're de-cluttering your house or thinking about making a purchase. He says, "If it's not something that will fit in your suitcase -- basic clothing, basic toiletries, cooking supplies, and a small number of splurge items -- don't buy it, or at least strongly consider not buying it." Jacob adds that the suitcase approach "puts a very hard limit on the amount of things you can own."

Back to that list of essential things: In Jacob's case, it includes, among other things, one rolled towel (rolled items take less room than folded), basic toiletries, three pairs of shoes, 13 pairs of socks, 12 sets of underwear and 12 shirts, and two pairs of pants. (Read his post to see the rest of the list.)

He packs a one-gallon pressure cooker, plate and utensils, sheets, small pillow and a light sleeping bag. He carries a small laptop and headphones in a backpack.

Jacob's plan is based on going to a coin-operated laundry. We and some of his readers think you can pack far fewer clothes if you go the hand-washing route, drying clothes on a nylon cord strung in your room. Before you hang them, reader "Debbie M" says, put your wet clothes inside your towel and wring it to remove excess moisture.