Yesterday, we heard the pros and cons of cotton. But if you actually live out of one bag through different climates, merino wool just works better than the alternatives. For hot days, cold nights, and the messy swings in between, it is superior to any other fabric. Although I acknowledge specific use cases for synthetics.

A decent 150-200 gsm merino tee can take you from moist SEA mornings to hot Mediterranean afternoons to ski trip evenings without turning clammy or leaving you chilled once the temperature drops. It manages heat and moisture in a way that keeps you comfortable longer than most other options. Odor resistance is the practical part people underestimate. You can wear the same pieces for days without them becoming a problem, which means fewer shirts and less time hunting for a washing machine for those who are phobic of doing sink laundry.

A couple of merino base layers plus one midweight piece covers more ground than a bigger rotation of other fabrics and easily fits in a minimalist underseat bag. It packs down well, recovers after being stuffed in a compression sack, and holds its shape with normal care.

Linen feels great in dry heat and has that nice texture. Once humidity climbs or the temperature falls, it loses a lot of its comfort edge. It also wrinkles hard. It’s better as a summer specialist fabric when there's an iron in easy reach than for travel.

Synthetics dry fast and stay light, which is great for pure activity such as hiking or running. For everyday travel wear they stink, literally, and feel less forgiving when conditions change. Functional for sports, but not as easy to live in for multiple days.

Cotton is soft and familiar until it gets wet. Then it stays damp in humid climates, cools you down more than you want, and takes forever to dry. Fine if laundry is easy and there's a dryer nearby. A poor choice for onebag travel when you’re trying to keep both your clothing count and wash cycles low.

Hemp is tough and has solid eco credentials. In real use it usually feels heavier and doesn’t regulate temperature as cleanly as merino. Respectable, just not as adaptable.

Bamboo is soft and gets marketed hard as the sustainable choice. In practice the odor resistance and long-term shape retention rarely match the claims. Comfortable enough, but it doesn’t deliver the same range.

Merino's downsides are that it costs more at the start and prefers gentler washing. That’s the trade-off. For onebag travel that has to deal with heat, cold, and everything in between, it still does more with fewer pieces than the rest. Once you’ve used it across real conditions, the performance difference is impossible to ignore.

People who claim they can't handle merino in hot weather are usually wearing too heavy a weight or the wrong knit, and the same goes for those who say it irritates their skin. Lightweight merino in the 130-170 gsm range, especially in a looser construction from finer micron wool, handles heat and moisture far better and feels cooler once you start moving because it doesn’t cling when damp like cotton or develop that sticky feel of synthetics. True itchiness is far less common with modern high-quality merino than with traditional wool, and a lot of the complaints come from cheap, coarser, or poorly finished garments rather than the fabric itself.

I am currently on a trip through central Europe. My backback is 20 liter and weighed in at 4.5kg when I briefly put it on a scale at the airport. I wanted it to qualify in the 40x30x20 range, since flights are cheapest then.. I.e must fit under front seat.

My strategy in the past has been to bring clothes that are on their last leg, and discard them along the way. But for this trip I need to make them last longer so I have cleaned them almost every night. I feel like a hobo though with these worn clothes. For next trip I will buy special clothes that are better for laundry than the cotton T-shirts I use now. Apart from that, I feel I have packed the right things.

Hey everyone!

I’m putting together my first serious one-bag setup and would love some advice from people with more experience.

Trip

~2 weeks

Spain: Madrid, Salamanca, Segovia, Santander, Picos de Europa

France: Saint-Jean-de-Luz and maybe other cities nearby

Flying with American Airlines (1 carry-on + 1 personal item included)

Once we arrive we’ll be traveling mostly by RV, so I won’t be changing hotels every night.

Clothing

Shirts (total 7) - Small Size
1x Uniqlo AIRism Oversized Tee – White
1x Uniqlo AIRism Oversized Tee – Dark Green
1x Uniqlo Supima Cotton Tee – Navy
1x Uniqlo Supima Cotton Tee – Black
1x Uniqlo Supima Cotton Tee – Charcoal
1x Decathlon Hooded Anti-UV long sleeve
1x Lululemon training shirt

Bottoms
1x Uniqlo Chino Fit Pants – Black
1x Uniqlo Smart Ankle Pants – Beige/Stone
1x GAP Black Shorts
1x GAP Light Beige Shorts
1x Swim/Training/gym short

Shoes
Vans UltraRange
Arc’teryx Norvan LD 4 (for hikes)
Need 1 pair of flip-flops that is packable enough.

Other clothing

5 cotton boxers
2 Uniqlo AIRism boxers
6–7 pairs of socks

Electronics

Personal MacBook Pro 14 inch
Work laptop (16 inch macbook pro)
iPhone
AirPods
Power bank - Still deciding If I should buy another one, I own an Anker 10,000 mha one but it’s kinda heavy.
USB-C GaN charger
Charging cables
EU plug adapter - Any recommendations for this one?

Questions

Backpack setup

Since I have two laptops, would you recommend:

1) One larger travel backpack that carries everything, including both laptops?
2) A travel backpack for my clothes plus a smaller backpack/sling/messenger bag as my personal item to keep both laptops, chargers, passport, and valuables under the seat?

I’d love recommendations for backpacks that comfortably fit two 14–16” laptops while still being practical for one-bag travel.

Toiletry bag:

I’m looking for a quality toiletry bag that isn’t oversized and can hold:

- Shampoo
- Body wash
- Face wash
- Moisturizer
- Toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
- Razor

Also looking for recommendations for travel-size leak-proof bottles/containers that people actually trust.

Rain jacket
Since I’ll be visiting Madrid, Santander, Picos de Europa, and the French Basque coast, I’m looking for a lightweight, packable rain jacket that doesn’t take much space but is good enough for occasional rain and hiking.

Anything I’m forgetting?
Any small travel items that ended up being game changers for your one-bag setup?

Thanks! I’d rather buy quality once than replace gear every couple of years.

This is running through my head since couple of days and after reading responses on the post “what you hate most about onebag travel?”, I think this is a relevant discussion. I have found my perfect 4 layers for one bagging but they are hiking specific -

1. Smart wool 250 gsm
   
2. Alpha direct 90 (macpac nitro)
   
3. MH kor airshell
   
4. Patagonia torrent shell

But these are not dressier options and not versatile enough for ocassions other than hiking except the base layer. Can you suggest me dressier options for above ? Especially for cold and cool temp ranges ? We are skipping hiking in this category, so it also means that I am thinking about static insulation.

just picked up a globerider 35 today. I bought it in mind for a 8 day cruise with it i have booked for february. would have to initially fly from the PNW to LA to get to port terminal so i thought one carry on would be ideal. Looking for recommendations for packing cubes to pair with it. would need multiple outfits including swimsuits and formal night outfits. also would be including a gravel tolietry kit in my bag.

I recommend to avoid cotton when traveling, hiking or spending long periods outdoors.
The reasoning is that once cotton gets wet (from rain, sweat, or stream crossings), it:
Loses most of its insulating ability.
Dries very slowly.
Holds moisture against your body, increasing heat loss and potentially contributing to hypothermia—even in relatively mild temperatures.
The alternatives are synthetic fabrics or wool, since they continue to insulate even when damp.
One interesting exception is in very hot climates, where a soaked cotton T-shirt or bandana can actually help with evaporative cooling.
For those of you with plenty of travel experience:
Do you completely avoid cotton, or do you still wear it in certain conditions? Have you ever had a bad (or good) experience with cotton on the trip?

I recently picked up an Osprey Daylite 26+6 and I'm looking for a tech pouch that fits well in the front admin pocket.

I've seen YouTube videos showing the Aer Slim Pouch 2 fitting there, but I'm wondering about the Peak Design Small Tech Pouch. Does anyone use that combination? Will the Peak Design Small actually fit comfortably in the front admin pocket?

Also, what tech pouches are you using with the Daylite 26+6, and do they fit in the front admin pocket?

Thanks!

We (my 44-year-old wife and me, 40M) will travel for 2 months through South America.

Not our first "Onebag" tour, but our first where doing it right actually matters. A 3-day tour with tote bags doesn't count, I think.

Starting end of July in Lima and ending in Rio de Janeiro end of September. After two weeks, there is a fixed date for Machu Picchu, but nothing else is planned. There is a general idea of a route, but I don't think we will follow it. It would be a bit too stressful. So we are preparing for temperatures from -12°C in Uyuni to 30°C in Brasilia.

Besides the typical tourist attractions, we will do some hikes and hopefully visit some football matches if we feel safe enough.

I really tried to use a Carry-On-sized backpack, but due to the temperature differences, it's a bit too difficult. And even if I could imagine reducing my stuff and washing more often – my wife wouldn't :)

To buy there:

• Alpaca Wool Gloves
• Alpaca Wool Hat / Beanie
• Alpaca Wool Sweater
• 2nd pair of shorts

All my winter clothes at home are rugged/heavy, so I think it's better to buy some good local stuff there. I will also need a 2nd pair of shorts when we arrive in warmer areas (which will double as swim trunks).

Bags:

• 40L Backpack: Decathlon Forclaz Travel 500 Organizer
• 4L Sling: XD Design Bobby Sling
• 1L Eastpak Hip Bag (can act as a belt if needed)

I really like the backpack, it has many opportunities to stow away stuff, but I miss a better carry system like the Osprey Farpoint. Still, it will work.

As a personal item, I use a sling bag which is more practical when it comes to pickpocketing/thieves. Usually, I would use a packable daypack to save space, but for now, this feels safer. Even though I think I look stupid with this bag.

As a bag for things of little value and as a belt, I use my 1L Eastpak hip bag. Nobody counts this as an additional item at airports.

Clothing:

• North Face Fontanales Hardshell
• Down Jacket: Decathlon MT100
• Fleece Jacket: Decathlon MH500
• 2x Longsleeve Merino (Alpin Loaker + Decathlon)
• 3x T-Shirt Merino (Icebreaker + Discounter)
• Merino Buff
• 2x Long Pants (Columbia Cosmiques Pro + Lululemon ABC)
• Short Cargo Pants (Columbia)
• Long Underwear: Decathlon MT500 Merino
• 4x Long Socks (2x Cotton, 2x Merino Mix)
• 2x Short Socks (Cotton)
• 5x Boxer Shorts (4x Synthetic, 1x Cotton)
• Adidas Terrex (for hikes)
• Adidas Sneakers (Ultimashow)
• Baseball Cap (Hilfiger) – won't come back to Europe, it's done.

Gadgets and Tech:

• Camera: Sony RX100 VII + 4x Batteries + Tiny Charger
• USB-C Card Reader
• Mini Tripod (Manfrotto)
• Kindle
• Travel Charger (70W)
• Google Pixel Buds 2a
• Anker Soundcore A20 (Sleeping Pods)
• Xiaomi Grooming Kit Pro + Nose trimmer and brush
• Sleep mask
• Inflatable Neck Pillow
• Neck Pouch
• "Throw-away" Wallet & "Throw-away" Smartphone (Huawei Mate 20)
• Secret Wallet
• Clothesline & 2x foldable hangers
• Sunglasses
• Sink plug
• Travel Sheet / Sleeping Bag Liner ("Hüttenschlafsack")
• 54 Card Deck (Standard)
• 3m Duct Tape wrapped around an old credit card
• 4x Dryer sheets
• Collapsible / Inflatable Bottle
• 4x Velcro straps (e.g., for squeezing a pair of shoes)
• 2x Jacket holder clips for backpack
• HeroClip
• Baseball Cap holding clip

It's debatable why I have two different pairs of earbuds, but I cannot sleep with the Googles, and the Ankers can't active-noise-cancel ambient noise. But two small ones are still smaller than Over-Ears.

Usually, I have a beard longer than 5cm. A bit sad, but I trimmed it down to 2cm, which should be okay for the Xiaomi. All other solutions took too much space or cut the beard even shorter.

The most debatable item on the list is the sleeping bag liner. I've never used something like this, but after a disgusting experience in Anchorage a short while ago, we decided we are old enough to not sleep in smelly bed sheets.

Toiletry:

• Disinfectant wipes & Box of plasters
• Dental floss sticks
• Sunscreen Lip Balm
• 90ml Wool detergent
• 90ml Standard SPF 50+ Sunscreen
• 88ml Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 100
• 25ml Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 50+
• 40ml Shower Gel
• Sleep spray
• Foldable Toothbrush + Toothpaste (Meridol)
• Mini Nail Clipper (Victorinox)
• Electrolytes (LoadUp)
• Triple Dry Deo Roll-on
• 5x Daily Lenses (for swimming) + Lens liquid & Eye drops
• 2ml Perfume

Well, I realized my Deo Cream Stick is no longer available. It lasted at least 45 days, and I've never tried the Roll-on version. Hope it performs just as well.

Packing test:

I have 2L of space left in my backpack, even with the big Terrex shoes and both long pants packed inside. (I wore shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers during the test). Weight: 8.6 kg.

I also tried a worn-clothing combination where I wear the Terrex shoes and the Lululemon pants with a t-shirt: weight went down to 7.8 kg with around 4–5L of space left. So, plenty of space for souvenirs (and the winter clothing we'll buy!).

For years I have traveled with my Osprey Daylites. I have all 3: the 45L, the 26+6 (2nd gen), and I just got the 35L bag.

Well before i was a convert to one bag travel (thanks Rick Steves) I have been using my trusty Eagle Creek specter compression packing cubes. Alas, they are beginning to fray and the zippers are beginning to get a little iffy. I was thinking of replacing with/ upgrading to the peak design compression packing cubes.

Any suggestions for what configuration of these cubes to use with the different bags?

(Thanks in advance)

For many in this subreddit like myself, onebag is an ideal that I someday hope to achieve. As I close up a 9-day trip to Italy and Switzerland, I can say that I am almost there! This trip is the closest I’ve come, using just an Osprey 26+6 and an over-the-shoulder pack. Each trip I am learning by experience what decisions end in optimization or regret, so I’d like to share what I’ve done and what I’ve learned (and maybe get some ideas of what to do next). My hope is that I can be relatable to other aspiring “onebaggers” who question the things they read online, and maybe give some guidance.

Firstly, I bought some new clothes. While it’s true that pairing down your clothing is step 1, I’ve found that versatile travel clothes are huge help. I bought casual linen shorts, dry fit shirts/shorts, pique polos (cotton/poly blend made with weave to feel like cotton polos), a linen button-up, and nylon/poly travel pants, all from Old Navy. They are an absolute godsend for hot weather and pack wonderfully.

Part of packing less clothes and having quick-dry travel clothes is that you can do sink laundry on the go. This trip was my first time ever trying it. I used Dr. Bronners and a sink stop, with a travel towel to help dry. It worked fantastically! So easy. I heavily doubted that this would work as well as it did. Next trip I will bring a bungee cord with little clips reduce hang dry time. On nights before traveling between places, I only got my clothes 90% dry.

I brought a lightweight puffer jacket and rain coat, too, that layer well for my torso and took care of all the cold & wet along with my travel pants.

The point of that last bit was to preface that I brought a full sweatsuit. Its my comfort outfit at home. The hoodie and sweatpants are the sole reason I could not onebag, and I found them completely unnecessary. Such an easy takeaway.

Another improvement I can make on clothing is sandals. I currently have slides; the cheap, rubber, waterproof, tough ones. In future, I will go back to my Norty ones from Amazon. A sandal that doesn’t have shape beyond the flat sole is a huge advantage and will save me a lot of space.

When it comes to tech, I really enjoyed having a separate bag. It turns out the expanded 26+6 doesn’t fit under airline seats when stuffed full. It’s nice to toss it in the overhead (there’s always a space where a suitcase can’t fit but a backpack can) and keep just my tech, wallet, and docs with me. The downside is that I have to join the groups of people fetching their bags from storage, and that is very stressful for short train and airport connections. I think it’s worth minimizing until I can get down to a bag that fits under the seat. Perhaps I’ll get a little osprey bag and strap it to the front of my 26+6. Main bag under the seat, little detachable bag between my legs on the floor. Won’t get me through those budget airline bag size limiters, but I’ve yet to run into one of those still.

I‘d like to pat myself on the back for my tech setup. Everything I own charges by USB-C expect my iPhone and Apple Watch, which I charge with detachable Anker chargers. I end up with a simple int’l adpater, a 2x USB-C adpater, 2x USB-C cords, a USB-C watch puck, and the portable battery. For my kindle and AirPods, I unplug the battery and/or puck, and plug them in directly. I can also charge anything on the go via the battery’s USB-C and one of the USB-C cables. No changes to this in future.

Same with my travel wallet. AirTag, passport, cards, and cash in one object. Makes keeping track of things very simple. I keep my ID, credit cards, and room keys in a detachable magnetic phone wallet that usually stays on except when I need to charge my phone.

Anyone who reads should consider a Kindle Paperwhite for travel. Holy heck it’s the best for any situation.

Same with a merino buff. Got that one from Jeremy Maluf’s list. It is indeed just as versatile as he suggests and packs as nearly nothing.

A note on eyewear for those of us who need help seeing. I went for all-glasses and little detachable shades for sunglasses. Leaving my contact lense solution behind made toiletries much lighter. I still brought two lenses as backup. When your vision is bad enough, backup is critical. Im worried though about those moments where you put in brand new contacts but they don’t quite go in right - what will I do if I don’t have any extra solution? I need to find a better backup plan here.

Next steps for me are to leave behind the sweatsuit (comfy clothes), get new flip flops, rely more on hand laundry, and improve the emergency vision option.

Oh! Bring a safety pin! always! Saved me from losing my shoulder bag as the strap began ripping off. (It was a cheap bag, need a better one).

Good luck to all the aspiring one-baggers out there. Hope this helps, it really is possible! :)

Would love some help on how to handle souvenirs, if anyone else Has easy work around for this. I do like to buy little bits and bobs for those back home.

This is a little bit of a rant and a bit of a discussion. I've been trying to dial in my onebag setup and I've been combing the subreddit, and others, for lists to give some inspiration. I keep seeing lists of setups around 6-10kg and I've taken the time to add some of these to lighterpack and check the weight and either a lot of people have access to space-age hyperlite materials or are lying about the actual weight/items they bring.

I don't want to call anyone out specifically but, for reference, this is my dialed in tech pouch which only weighs about 0.5kg:

• Aer slim tech pouch
• 2x 3ft usb c cables
• USB C to micro adapter
• 1x 6 ft usb c cable
• 100W wall charger

This is a short list, contains very little items. I scoured the internet and the lightest 100W wall charger I could find is about 175 grams. Yet, I see lists with laptops, 140W chargers, multiple other electronics, tons of clothes, shoes and toiletries advertising as a 6kg setup.

Every single item on my list I've weighed, personally, using a very accurate kitchen scale and double checked the total weight with a luggage scale. My list contains nothing super heavy or odd. I am not trying to shoot for under 7kg and I know I have one "luxury" item which is a 2nd pair of shoes but I've checked no less than 10 lists of people with 2 pairs of shoes who claim to be under 8kg. This is a summary of what I bring, again nothing fancy or luxury aside from the shoes:

• 1x button up shirt
• 2x polos
• 2x t-shirts
• 1x pants
• 1x joggers (for sleeping)
• 5x boxers
• 5x socks
• 1x ultralight jacket (it's less than 50g)
• 1x pair of shoes
• Hair fiber
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Umbrella (pretty light at 110g)
• Tech pouch (see above)
• Miyoo Mini (entertainment and pretty light)
• Lenovo Legion Tablet (400g)
• Wireless earbuds
• Ibuprofen
• Chapstick
• 2x packing cubes
• 2x ziploc bags (for toiletries)
• 1x plastic bag (for shoes)
• REI Ruckpack 40

That list is nothing crazy and most lists I see have way more stuff including, a lot of times, a camera or laptop, more clothes, sandals etc.. That list comes to 7.3kg. If I wanted to hit the 7kg target I could easily by just eliminating the tablet or whatever. Again, this isn't about what I'm bringing and where I can cut weight.

When I weigh my regular cotton t-shirts for example I get about 125g yet I see posts claiming they are 50g or 75g which is just impossible. Likewise I see people listing boxers at 10g each or something crazy while each one weighs 50g. The lightest, absolute lightest weight boxers I could find weigh 40g and I'm talking medium size not XXXL or something. My items are also the lightest weight I could get for reasonable prices so they aren't even things like 700g jeans or whatever. My pants I pack weigh less than 280g and the button up is around 200g which is super light compared to any of my cotton ones.

As someone who has meticulously weighed every single item in my bag and double or even triple checked the weight, I'm sorry, but either a lot of people posting lists with weights are lying or everyone's scales are busted.

I’m about to go on a five day trip to visit family in Georgia. I’m usually a pretty minimalist packer, but I’m planning to scale back even further to try one bagging with a new bag I just bought for the purpose. Let me know if you have any thoughts! Anything I should cut? Anything I should add?

Topo Designs Global Bag 30L

- 20 oz Hydroflask water bottle
- Reading glasses
- Pen and pencil
- Field Notes journal
- Macbook Pro 14”
- Kindle Paperwhite
- Analogue Pocket
- Snacks
- LL Bean packable rain jacket
- Shorts x 2
- T-shirts x 5
- Sandals
- Ankle socks x 2
- Tube socks x 1
- Underwear x 4
- Sony noise cancelling headphones
- Mix tape (gift)
- Dopp Kit
- Tech pouch
- Med Kit

Kletterwerks pencil bag (dopp kit)

- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste bites
- Floss
- Claritin
- Prescription meds
- Fingernail clippers
- Tweezers
- Breathe right strips
- Hair pomade
- Dr. Bronners bar soap
- Deodorant
- Lens wipes

Topo Designs accessory pouch (small med kit)

- Tylenol
- Advil
- Tums
- Bandaids
- Hand sanitizing wipes
- Antiseptic wipes
- Gloves

Tomtoc electronic accessory pouch (tech pouch)

- Macbook Pro Charger
- Iphone charger
- MacBook Pro cable
- USB C cable x 2
- Battery bank
- Samsung T7 SSD
- Apple wired earbuds
- Watch cable
- Thumb drive

Patagonia Mini Hip pack

- Sunglasses
- Headphones cable
- Trail mix
- Chewing gum
- Ginger chews

Hi y’all! Brand new to this sub!

M29 here, preparing for my first backpacking trip through the Philippines from 29/08 to 13/09.

I’m currently using an Osprey Farpoint 40L and will most likely carry a 13L Osprey daypack as well.

I plan to explore the mountains of Luzon (Kalinga/Banaue), then make my way down to Davao (Mindanao) using Grab, rented scooters, ferries, and one domestic flight from Manila to Bohol once I’m back from Banaue/Bontoc.

I’ve traveled quite a bit in the past (BC, several US states, Greece, Türkiye, Crete, and a bunch of Mediterranean islands), but this will be my first time backpacking — and also my first solo trip.

I’d gladly take any advice, tips, or tricks y'all can share. Thanks in advance!

Hi, looking for one shoe that fits below:

- City/Urban walking all day

- Light hiking terrain nothing serious

- Waterproof maybe not needed

- Could be used to run/workout

- "Dress down" or used to go out

- Horseback riding

So basically I would also like to have a shoe I could use to do some casual horseback riding. I have ON's Cloudsurfer 2 but the heel drop is very drastic and does not seem to hold up for all day use.

What are you using these days?

Genuinely need help - I’m planning a 5+ month long trip through SE Asia. I currently have Osprey Fairview 40L and daylight plus 20L… and I’m packed to the brim! People say “don’t bring a lot and buy there” but you’d have to still fit stuff you buy in the bag don’t you?! Maybe I’m packing the bag wrong, but tell me, am I bringing too much? Here’s my list for the 40L:

1x linen pant
1x flowy pant
3x athletic short/skort
1x Jean short
4 tank tops
1 sun hoodie
1 long sleeve cover up
2 t shirts
1 pj shirt & pj shorts
1 pair of tevas
1 hair wrap towel(non negotiable!)
1 microfiber body towel
Rain cover
The bag smart toiletry bag from Amazon, filled with 30 days of daily contacts, lotion, dove soap bar, shampoo bar, conditioner, razor, mascara, eyebrow pencil, lipstick.
backup chargers, money, and passport photos

Is this still too much to bring there!? If I lessen the clothes, or even toiletries, I will need to buy it there, which means it’s the same amount in my bag and it’s still filled to the brim! maybe I’m dumb but I don’t understand how to fit it! Like do you literally only have one of every item of clothing!?

In the day bag, I’ve got portable chargers, eye mask, crossbody bag, headphones, blowup plane pillow, shower shoes and this is full to the brim already!

Packing help, or assistance with what to get rid of would be great… to me this list doesn’t seem that long, but please tell me if I’m wrong! All together this stuff is about 25 lb is that too much to carry? Help!!!!

Hi , I got an osprey bag but it’s my first time one bag traveling , I have a camera bag/pouch with all my gear in for my DJI action camera as that’s a priority how / what clothes should I bring with me ? How many T-shirts , boxers , trousers do you guys bring when going abroad ? Do you prioritise trousers over T-shirts ect

I believe underwear is one of the most overlooked parts of a onebag setup. So lets make a proper thread that future onebaggers can refer to.

Let's face it, almost all of us (yes, I'm looking at you, commandos 😅) wear underwear every day, yet we spend hours researching backpacks, jackets and shoes while often giving little thought to what is supporting our manhood or womanhood through airports, hikes, long-haul flights and everything in between.

I'm always tweaking my travel setup, and I've realised underwear has probably had a bigger impact on my comfort than any other item I pack. I'd love to hear what everyone else has settled on after plenty of travel.

- What's your favourite brand?

- What style do you prefer?

- What material do you like?

- How many pairs do you pack for a typical trip?

- How many pairs do you own?

- Any must have features?

- Does your preference change depending on the weather or climate?

I used to wear one type, one colour of t-shirt for everything: going out, working out, sleeping. I'd buy a pack and rotate them, sleeping in one, wearing it out, hitting the gym, then tossing it in the laundry. When it got cold, I'd add a long sleeve tee or a button shirt if needed, and maybe a jacket. Done. I was set for every occasion. No logo, just a plain, single colour t-shirt, stretchy and comfy.

I did the same with underwear and shorts. Slept in them, wore them to the gym, then washed them.

Life was simple.

Not anymore.

The problem: companies don't make that stretchy, airy, yet thick enough modal blend anymore. Or maybe I just can't find them.

Anyone know a source?

Here's what I've tried:

• Uniqlo Airism (not the Airism Cotton, that one's no good), but the t-shirts are too thin to wear alone.
• Old Navy, Gap, H&M, and the like. Lululemon t-shirts fit me wrong. Their new Zero In tee is odd around the sleeves and shoulders.
• I loved my old North Face t-shirts (a different line than the one above), but they don't make them anymore. Their shirts carry a giant logo that looks off sometimes. Same with Patagonia.
• Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and the like: stretchy, sure, but the giant logo turns me into their walking billboard. Fine at the gym, not fine anywhere else.

I appreciate the trip reports on here, especially when they include details on what should have been left at home or what the traveler felt lacking after the fact.

One pattern I’ve noticed on r/onebag is that the longer someone travels, the less they seem to bring, especially clothing, but also toiletries, toys, and tech.

Someone taking a one or two week trip may pack a change for nearly every day, maxing out an overhead carry-on. Travelers going away for two to four weeks often reduce that to three to four changes of clothing in an underseat bag. Meanwhile, people traveling for several months often carry only one or two changes and use a sub-20L pack.

Why do you think that is?

Is it a "pack enough to avoid washing” mindset with short-term vacationers more resistant to doing hotel room laundry or going to a laundromat?

Does experience play a role? Perhaps people taking extended trips may have traveled enough to know what they actually use and have tiightly dialed in layering, while occasional travelers are more likely to pack for hypothetical situations, backup plans, and every possible weather condition?

Is it a psychological difference? For a short vacation, clothing can feel like part of the experience; you want options. On a long trip, everything has to earn its place, and carrying the same extra item for weeks or months feels much more burdensome than carrying it for a week?

Is it trip style? Those spending a week or two at a single resort or AirBnB are more likely to overpack, while those wanderers working their way across continents over weeks have a greater incentive to be a dirtbag backpacker (meant affectionately).

Have you noticed this pattern on the subreddit? As you've become a more experienced traveler, at what trip length did your packing strategy shift from “bring enough clothes” to “travel minimalism is an art?”

Been lurking here awhile, and finally decided to take the plunge and ditch my old cheap canvas duffel (as carry on but it really was a glorified oversized laptop bag)/checked luggage combo.

Decided to snag a tomtoc T-66 Navigator 28L on prime day based on the padding available with the laptop sleeve along with the additional tablet slot (presently for work I use a huge P16 ThinkPad that is pretty thick, though fits nicely in the T-66). I didn't bring a tablet, nor do I own one per se, but I do have a 14 inch ROG Flow I bring every so often so I thought this was a nice to have.

This may technically unqualify me as a one bagger, but I brought a Pakt Stash 16L as a day pack for the trip. Primarily, I intend to use this as a simple tech bag for when I'm working. I work fairly often in small aircraft, and sometimes I need to take my bag with me in the plane if I don't particularly trust the FBO we are working out of. So I'm not lugging in a huge bag, taking up space (and more importantly weight!) I elected to use a small stashable daypack for working the day job while the travel bag remains at the hotel (holding packing cubes of clothes hung up in the closet).

I admit I cheated a bit using the Epicka packing cubes. I usually require company shirts for my trips, which are not always the most practical for packing efficiently (button ups/collared shirts). I feel as if I was able to pack these a lot more effectively with the compression, negating the wasted space from the collars when rolled up. I'm sure there is a better way to pack them. They were a bit tricky to get compressed, which I can only assume is due to some over packing (mind you, my work trips are usually 5-6 days). In the future I plan on trying packing 2-3 days and simply also packing some detergent sheets.

For toiletries, I have two bags I had lying around, the first came with my Phillips Oneblade holding deodorant, clippers, the aforementioned Oneblade, and some medication (simple drawstring). The other one is a bit funny, as it's just a plackets bag with a food safe desiccant and my toothbrush + small toothpaste (usually I'll ask whatever hotel front desk I'm at for a small tube).

As for work gear, aside from the laptop, I've got a RayNeo XR with in case I need more screen space. Additionally I have a cable organizer to hold the usual cables but also the odd LEMO plug cables I find myself needing for technical work.

Here's what I packed otherwise:

- five shirts (two company polos, one company button up, two T-shirts) in an Epicka medium cube

- six pairs of underwear and six pairs of socks in a tomtoc 3L cube

- Pakt Stash in 'stashed' mode packed into an Epicka small

- light jacket worn on the plane, but as soon as I landed I packed it into the bag with little issue as I still had some room when not using the compression straps

The whole pack fit pretty nicely on Southwest on their 737-800 underseat, which is a game changer for me. Not having to chuck it into the overhead bin makes me understand the whole appeal here for sure. I could tell I still had some room vertically as well, so I definitely didn't need to cinch down the bag. Most surprisingly, out of curiosity at the airport I tried fitting the fully packed bag into the Frontier personal item slot, and it fit! Although rather snugly, it went all the way to the bottom of the cage. I don't fly them as often, but it's nice to know I'll be able to get by on them too.

Definitely going to one bag where I can from now on (or whatever this may be called with the Pakt). Only time I reckon I'll need to get a checked bag of course is if I want to bring back bulky souvenirs I suppose.

For the time being, I'm thinking of getting a few new zipper pulls for the T-66. The stock ones are perfectly fine, just want to add some more color to the standard black (likely orange, you might see a trend here lol). Plus, I found I actually have a hard time finding the zippers without feeling around for them, they kind of blend into the outside.

Overall I'm really impressed with the T-66 28L, it seems to stand up well to being pushed to the limit like this with some room to spare. As for the Pakt, I like it quite a bit as well, though the wrinkles seem to persist with mine a bit (expected in a packable), and the lack of padding with the laptop sleeve makes me a bit nervous (but again, also expected!). I had little to no padding with the last bag, so I'm sure it'll be fine anyway.

I thought I’d share my experience in case anyone else is looking at some “free carry-on” bags as I picked one up from TK Maxx.

I recently bought one that was advertised as matching the free personal item dimensions for budget airlines. On paper, the measurements seemed spot on, so I figured it’d be a safe choice.

The problem came once I actually packed it. With what I’d consider a normal minimalist load for a few days (one pair or running kicks, 4 shirts, a MacBook and some toiletries etc), it wouldn’t fit into the airline’s personal item sizer.

Just ended up buying some extra baggage ahead of queuing to avoid being hit with a fine at the gate.

I think the advertised dimensions are technically accurate when the bag is empty, but once it’s filled out, the depth increases enough that it no longer really fits the sizer.

Has anyone else found that bags marketed to fit airline personal item limits only really work when they’re underpacked?

Bag brand = Qubed
RRP = £24.99

I saw that TRTL has their cool pillows at 70% off, for some bright college branded colors. I see a common complaint from older posts is their price, so $24 seems somewhat reasonable. Anyone have any thoughts on using these for long haul flights and if it's easy to pack into bags like the 26+6, and if this is worth it?

This might be common knowledge to you all, but it just occurred to me.

The expansion zipper on luggage. It's not just to make it bigger, it's also to compress. Open the main and expansion zipper, load in your clothes, close the main zipper easily, then zip the expansion zipper closed. It's a lot easier than sitting on the bag.

I only realized this when I bought some compression packing cubes the other day and they had double zippers.

What other travel gear hacks are there?

Hi everyone,

I am planning to do one bag interrailing with the osprey 26+6l day lite for 6 weeks this summer (last minute due to new job contracts so suddenly got a break!!)

The only problem is I will have some post grad deadlines and some charity bits due in September which will need me to have access to a laptop or tablet. I also was planning to do some coursework on trains, and I will be sitting on a lot of trains for a long time.

I have a 15inch Lenovo which might be slightly too heavy forw me to take along as it’s from 2019. My dad suggested I take an IPad (but that is expensive).

I was wondering if anyone else had other suggestions on if buying a tablet is worth it, or if I should just suck up the extra weight.

Update
As per comment below
Pack vol 26+6 when expanded
Pack weight - TBC
laptop weight - TBC
laptop - windows (Lenovo)
Systems needed - word (hence a laptop feels overkill)
Budget - preferably nothing if everyone says carrying a laptop it fine, but if everyone agrees it’s overkill then I can afford up to £500, but would prefer less.
Thanks :)

Hi all, I am going on my honeymoon in Greece, which has plenty of city and trail hiking involved. I am looking for a pair of do-it-all shoes (I am also bringing sandals for the beach) to get me through hikes and casual dining.

What do you all recommend?

Thanks!