It’s damn near impossible to travel with a foam roller if you’re committed to traveling light. And you should be committed to traveling light. Carry on luggage is a major key.

How to Travel With a Foam Roller

So how do you travel with a foam roller? How to you fit your foam roller into your backpack or carry on suitcase?

Well, let’s look at some dimensions. The size of a typical foam roller you might travel with is 13 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches. Carry-on luggage size varies from airline to airline. Let’s stick with one of the most common sizes for carry-on limits on major airlines: 22 x 14 x 9 inches.

With a little mental math, we can see that placing your foam roller inside your carry-on luggage would take up nearly 20% of the space in your bag. That’s a lot! I love my foam roller, but things like shoes, underwear, and socks take precedent over my Trigger Point.

Well, what about in your backpack? A large carry on backpack (I use my backpack as a “personal item”) typically holds between 22 to 45 liters of gear. An average foam roller takes up a minimum of 20% in one of these backpacks. In some packs, you’d lose over 40% of your space by carrying a Trigger Point inside your bag.

What to Do?

Luckily, I’ve traveled for almost two years with my foam roller. And I’ve figured out exactly how to bring your favorite gym toy without taking up much space in your bags and luggage. Actually, you won’t take up any of your packing space.

I found most backpacks made for long-term travel feature a strap around the waist. You can wrap and clip the strap around your waist to further secure your pack on your back – a great feature for hiking around or finding your hostel by climbing up and down cobblestone stairs in the middle of the night.

If you want to travel with a foam roller, then this strap becomes invaluable. Instead of putting your Trigger Point inside your bag, you can slide the straps through the middle of the foam roller and secure the roller with the straps. Now, your foam rolled will hang right below the bottom of your backpack securely.

Does TSA Allow This?

The first time I attempted to strap my foam roller below my bag instead of storing it inside I was a bit worried. I didn’t know if I’d be allowed to travel like this. After dozens of flights carrying my foam roller on like this, I’m confident you won’t have any issue traveling with your foam roller attached to the outside of your carry-on luggage.

The only airline that ever questioned me about the practice was Spirit Airlines, but even that garbage ass airline eventually let me through with my Trigger Point strapped in.

The Best Foam Roller For Travel

To travel with your foam roller like I do, you’ll have to grab one that has a hole in the middle. Traditional high-density foam rollers don’t have any way to slide the straps through them and clip. So you won’t be able to travel with a foam roller like that and save space in your luggage.

You’ll need one like the Trigger Point Roller. I’ve had my Trigger Point for over two years, and it’s still in fantastic shape. I religiously use the roller, and it’s held up to rigorous use and the test of time. I couldn’t recommend this bad boy enough and refuse to travel without it.

P.S.: Do not try to save space by grabbing the Trigger Point MINI. It’s terrible and way too small to get a good foam-rolling workout with. Stick with the regular Trigger Point and you’ll be happy.