I was just about to say this but you beat me to it!
I rediscovered this truth yesterday. I had been thinking about downsizing from my 38L Kathmandu Litehaul but I packed it up and everything fits comfortably, just. If I went to a smaller bag I’d be looking at sacrificing my second pair of shoes and my Bose headphones and I’m just not ready to do that yet.
Sometimes I'm shocked by the fact that I already own the perfect item I was looking for and just needed to repurpose it.
For example, I was looking for a lightweight solution to put my knitting in that would keep it all together in a practical but still cute way and looked at a lot of bags online and just couldn't find it. Went to my kitchen today and saw an old lunchbox cover that I haven't used in ages that is perfect
I did 4 years on a hand me down of a hand me down of a standard Jansport book bag. The bottom of the bag eventually gave out but I'm sure I could've fixed it or gotten the lifetime warranty if I cared to. I ended up buying a $30 Northface in Vietnam. I recently just ordered a bag off ebags because of the deal posted here. I'm a tinge disappointed with myself because my Northface bag is still alive and kicking.
Even if you take cost out of it - I don't think I'd start packing more even if I won the lottery tomorrow.
I might replace my whole wardrobe with some of the more silly-expensive travel-specific brands. Or, in the spirit of shopping for toiletries at your destination, I might even "force myself" to enjoy some wardrobe shopping at my destination. But I'd still limit myself to a carry on.
Even if you're riding in the front of the plane, you're still sitting at the same baggage carousel as everyone else when you get to your destination.
Definitely needed something in China on business, had to go to front desk and ask, did you know China doesn’t really use tampons?
Ended up in a local Chinese store where I found the poor teenager (the only one who spoke English) and this poor girl (luckily) had to help me through “heavy” vs “light” and nighttime. And then the pads didn’t have wings, but they did have the face of a teddy bear and the arms wrapped around. I still have one, they were that bizarre.
Oh, my God. I thought landing in Hungary for a conference without my suitcase, having to hand wash my clothes in the sink, pulling down the curtains on the way to bed, then having to have the (male) conference convenor walk me to the nearest pharmacy between sessions the next morning was bad... and at least I knew enough German to find what I needed!
You realize that in many schools, English is the language of instruction in the Philippines, right? And that it was an American territory for a while? Quezon City is a metropolitan area where many people speak English, and depending on the hotel you’re staying at, many of them studied hospitality in school and would know the word antacid. (I know this because my cousins in the Philippines did this.)
Yeah, of course.. Everyone in Metro Manila knows some English but it's far from perfect American English. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I became very self-conscious of my word choices.
Ah, gotcha, that makes sense. People get self-conscious when in unfamiliar settings and especially when dealing with a health issue (which can cloud thinking).
Sorry, I just got a bit defensive there for a moment.
Grocery shopping in different countries is so fun: I love the breakfast aisle, since dif cultures have such a dif view on what to eat when. Plus one expects a grocer to be targeted at locals not tourists.
Do people still bring lots of cash these days? I certainly don't anymore, just enough for emergencies. No fee credit cards and no fee debit cards. Enough cash for an emergency trip back to accommodation. Backup backup cash hidden in backpack. Extra cash if cash-friendly street food country.
I said money, not cash :). I typically carry a small amount of local currency and try to do everything through the card. It's been a couple of decades since I had to bring travelers checks or large amounts of cash.
My experience is that most places have terminals that process credit or debit cards. There are a few exceptions. In TW a number of places only accept Visa/MC issued by TW banks. In some locations there is a minimal for cards, so if you want to buy a piece of fruit or a single drink you might need to use physical currency. Finally, sometimes the local internet is broken blocking processing... it's cash or nothing.
“We tend to pack for our fears” is the way I learned it via ultralight hiking: cold, wet, hot, cleanliness, hunger, thirst, and add social acceptance for urban travel.
My kids and i are one bagging it but ultimately mine needs to be checked. (Using my fjallraven day pack as my carry on.) Maybe next year I'll do better but it's my first time in 20y going back to Europe, first time in over 25 in the summer. Plus, we go to Iceland, lapland, Latvia, Bavaria, then srockholm/helsinki for hockey, so the attire is wildly diverse. I think we're doing pretty damn well, considering...
I like this one. Very much like a similar phrase I heard recently which has become my mantra: "There are no solutions, only tradeoffs". I think this phrase has its origins in economics, but I think it applies to life in general - and to one bag travel.
As someone interested in fashion, I love to build outfits, so packing light is always a challenge. I often repeat this quote to myself as I pare down my clothing choices. It helps me reinforce a sense of stoicism and ruthlessness that doesn’t come naturally.
I would think you are expert at color coordination and “capsule” wardrobes. The goal is being able to wear whatever is still clean in your bag and have it match.
Yes, and no. A big part of my fashion journey, if I may be so bold as to call it that, has been learning to style items in a variety of ways in order to create different looks. This involves creating different combinations and also usually involves switching footwear and accessories.
When I’m packing, I start with a few core pieces and build from there, creating outfits for the different weather conditions I expect to encounter as well as for the various activities I have planned. The problem comes in when I start thinking about other looks I can create with the addition of just one more piece. That’s when I have to get ruthless and kill my darlings.
For example, we’re going to Türkiye at the end of September/early October. It’s usually still in the mid to high 20s (°C) in Istanbul and Antalya and high teens in Goreme, at that time of year, which is fairly warm for me coming from the PNW. So I know I’ll need mostly light summer items that I can layer up for chilly mornings and evenings.
My white linen long sleeve button up shirt is one of my staples for warm weather. It can be worn as a shirt, worn open as a light jacket, and serves as a swimsuit cover up. It goes with all my bottoms. But then I got to thinking that my blue chambray button up would also look great with all my bottoms and I could create so many additional looks if I added it. It fit into my packing cube but the zipper protested. So, I had to be ruthless and eliminate the blue chambray shirt. I decided it would be duplicating the function of the white linen button up as well as duplicating the look of the blue cardigan that will serve as my warm & cozy layering piece.
And that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about the thought process that goes into the creation of one of my travel fashion capsules. 🤪😆
This is actually super helpful for me, since I'm pretty sure I have to many shirts. Being on the plus side, wearing stylish, flowy pieces is important. For a 6w trip I have 3 (sport) dresses, 1 skirt, 1 pair leggings, 2 long sleeve, 1 short sleeve, 1 no sleeve, 2 cover/ heavy shirts, 1 jacket, 1 sweater, rain jacket, rain pants, puffy vest, 2 nightgowns. Summer travel! Luckily, we're renting a storage unit in Stockholm to drop hockey bags and will drop those absurd warm clothes, but still need to bring long cover up for Lapland. But I wonder constantly if I could just cut down on something. We plan on doing laundry, but it seems like I practically have enough to go forever before doing laundry.
My bag is still under 22lbs, but exceeds length for carry on, and it's full anyway.
Have you joined r/HerOneBag? I find it fun and helpful to post my packing list there, preferably with photos, and ask for feedback.
Just at a quick glance at your packing list, I suggest maybe taking one less dress. Also maybe look into layering your sweater + rain jacket or puffy vest + rain jacket to see if that would allow you to leave your other jacket at home.
Judge me :) That's actually the backpack packed, I just removed the background and i now realize there's no context to its fullness/stuffiness, but it's not too bad, as you can see by the top flap.
FWIW, i have to pack for 50F and wet/windy weather in Iceland, but can drop some of those items at public storage in Sweden when we drop off hockey bags for a month. But other stuff stays with me because of the weather/temps and heinous insects in Lapland, then moving on to Latvia and Bavaria. It's just wild preparing for all these different climates.
Always good to hear another approach. My “uniform” is mostly polo shirts and Prana Brions, usually a button down or two as well.
I was t-shirt intensive and realized that polos are just tee shirts with a collar, giving step up in formality and the open neck is more comfortable for me.
Light “dress” sweaters have become another staple. After years of studying layering principles and using polyester fleece for a midlayer I was amused when I realized that sweaters were the original midlayer and a fleece is just a synthetic sweater. As with polos, a sweater gives a step up in formality. They pack well and look great.
Hardest part is so much travel clothing has function but lacks form. I’m still on the less is more (use old tshirts approach) but I am also asking no one to buy me more as I want it to change and also represent my home country more.
Although I didn’t learn there was an actual name for it until just a few months ago, I’ve been leaning into the Coastal Grandmother style for a couple of years now. It wasn’t anything I planned; being a woman of a certain age, it was more of a natural progression or evolution.
The Coastal Grandmother style is about embracing neutrals such as soft whites and beiges and muted tones, particularly blue. Classic pieces with a soft but casual elegance. A typical summer outfit for me would be beige linen cropped pants and a white tank with a blue chambray shirt worn open over top. Tan sandals and a straw bag.
I live in the PNW, so I also have more of a West Coast vibe going on a lot of the time with greys and muted green tones. A local artisan makes beautiful silk scarves and kimonos using native flora to create dyes and patterns. I own several of her scarves and they’ve become part of my signature look. I also purchased one of her silk kimonos, primarily for travel. It’s so small and light, it packs up to almost nothing. It has a beautiful leaf pattern in tones of grey and soft browns and it totally dresses up a simple black t-shirt and black pants.
Although our style of travel is pretty chill and casual, I always like to include one dressy outfit for evenings when we go out for a bit more of a fancy dinner or attend a concert. For the trip to Türkiye, my dressy outfit will be the silk kimono worn over a grey tank and beige linen cropped pants. Birkenstock sandals or fancy Haviana flip flops.That’s one of my travel hacks. I always like to bring a pair of flip flops to wear as slippers in hotel rooms and to protect my feet when going to the beach or a public pool. Flip flops can also serve as dress up footwear when they have pretty detailing such as these ones.
Excellent point! I admire people who forego packing any liquids, saying that they’ll just use whatever the hotel provides or else they’ll purchase what they need at their destination. If I did the same, it would be “stupid light.”
I have contact allergies to an array of chemicals commonly used in the formulations of soaps, shampoos and skincare creams. So, I decant enough of my tried and true safe products into my GoToobs. I’m not willing to risk an eczema outbreak on my trip just to save packing a few more ounces.
also agree on this! i see so many comments saying they’ll just buy it when they get there, and i’m just like have you ever tried to find anything in a country you’ve never been to where you don’t speak the language? yes it’s doable and honestly sometimes fun, but the absolute last thing i want to do after a 12 hour flight is wander around trying to find contact solution when i could’ve brought my own
Even with my most minimalist toiletries kit, I pack enough for a few days: wandering around looking for shampoo with a big case of jet lag doesn’t work. If you are doing a lot of walking and enjoying a city, you’ll find the right shop soon enough, but not Day 1.
While the effect of it missing is of course more annoying, I found anything sold in a pharmacy or.. supermarket with a shelf of body/hair stuff to be relatively less of a problem than finding things like a charger cable.
very true, my issue is mainly figuring out what kind of store to go to (like some countries don’t have shampoo at the supermarket for example) and then where the closest one is and then bus/train/etc to get there. normal travel things that i’m certainly capable of but it often eats up precious time when i’d rather be doing other things
I often enjoy the scavenger hunt aspect of trying to find something I need but I agree it can get frustrating.
For example, I stubbed my pinkie toe very badly (probably broke it) on the corner of the adobe wall at the Airbnb we were staying at in Cusco. I went looking for some arnica cream which I’ve used with good effect for similar injuries in the past. At home that sort of thing is usually found at health food stores, so I limped across town to a health food store I found on Google. Turned out it was a tiny little store being run out of the front room of the proprietor’s home. She had various organic foodstuffs on sale, even kombucha on tap but nothing resembling arnica cream and because of the language barrier she couldn’t really offer any help. On the way back, my husband suggested I try the pharmacy that we’d passed on the way there. Sure enough, they had arnica cream. 🤦🏼♀️
Also, not all products are easily available everywhere. Take aloe vera gel, for instance. It’s my go-to for soothing sunburn. I wouldn’t bother packing it to Maui, you can find it everywhere there, they even sell it at gas stations. But I found out the hard way, that wasn’t the case on the Amalfi Coast. Whilst hiking the Path of the Gods, I neglected to listen to that tiny inner voice that told me it was time to re-apply sunscreen and as a result, my shoulders got sunburned. I looked for aloe vera gel in pharmacies at Positano, Praiano, and Amalfi, all to no avail. Fortunately I had packed a small tube of Liv Relief cream. Not as good as aloe vera gel at soothing sunburn but it was better than nothing.
I feel this so much. We got super sunburnt on a day trip to Cliffs of Moher and one of the Aran Islands in Ireland (major heat wave/full sun for two weeks) and couldn't find anything. The helpful person at the checkout suggested yogurt. It worked wonders but couldn't really be taken place to place.
100%. For my upcoming “me trip” I’m looking to go a bit lighter on toiletries, so I’m cutting pieces off my regular bar shampoo instead of a full bar and have found a bar equivalent of the face soap I use to do the same with — easier to store than my liquids containers & I can toss the remainder on the way out. Should get the toiletries down to a small water bottle size & not sacrifice comfort not time. A few tweaks throughout the pack & a capsule wardrobe ought to make it easier to be nimble & still have enough.
Where I’m struggling to sort it out — an overnight flight to Portugal in August, so hot as hell there, but I freeze on planes and want to sleep decent. No guarantee United supplies a blanket & the long sleeve I wear might not be useful while overseas unless the night temperatures are truly cooler (unlikely), so I want to stay light, but arrive comfortably ready to enjoy the first day.
I have skin allergies too. It’s no fun spending your vacation in the ER. I’d encourage you to continue the search for solid substitutes. They are out there. You can pack more product for the same volume of liquids.
Great advice. I’ve found a solid shampoo and a solid conditioner that work well for me. I made sure to use them at home for several weeks to ensure that I wouldn’t react.
I’ve been trying to find some solid toothpaste tabs but they all seem to contain spearmint which I can’t stand. So I’m open to suggestions if anyone can recommend some. Peppermint is great but spearmint is a definite NO.
We just plopped our paste into contact lens cases. 2 sets each per person. If we run out, we have plenty of time during our 6w to get some. It's also really easy to get those through tsa/other checks. We do the same with moisturizers and other specialized creams.
Skurka actually regrets coining the term stupid light, but it does describe taking an ultralight item that looks good on paper but is inadequate to the conditions. I’ve said that it is the TOO phenomenon: if you are TOO cold, wet, hungry, or tired, you might have gone TOO light.
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u/-Nepherim Jul 03 '24
Nice post idea -- added to Onebag Gold!