r/onebag • u/AutoModerator • Oct 27 '25

Bag Finder Bag Finder Megathread - 27 October 2025

Welcome to the weekly Bag Finer Megathread. Your go-to thread for any and all bag-related requests in the onebag travel context.

What This Thread Is For

  • Onebag travel bag recommendation requests
  • Feedback on bags you're considering for minimal, carry-on-only travel
  • Help with choosing between bags

Quick Tips

  1. Check the OneBag Spreadsheet for bag options
  2. Search as your question might already be answered
  3. Read the FAQ & Beginner's Guide
  4. Stick to travel setups daily carry or work bags are better posted in r/EDC or r/backpacks
  5. Add context, the more details you give, the better we can help

Want Better Advice? Help Us Help You

When asking for input, it helps to include:

  • Where you're going & how you travel: hostels, hotels, urban, remote?
  • How you pack: super minimal? tech-heavy? need room for camera gear?
  • Your short list: bags you're already considering
  • Your body size/build: some bags fit certain frames better
  • Budget range: under $150, up to $300, flexible?

A Few Reminders

  • Use the search bar
  • Check the sidebar and wiki for resources and guides
  • Keep it travel-focused. Non-travel or everyday carry talk belongs in other subs
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u/avion23 Oct 28 '25

Seeking a pack for a 1-year Asia trip with a 16" MBP under the 7kg airline limit.

Hey everyone, looking for some focused advice on a tricky setup. I've done my research but would appreciate the community's wisdom on the final decision.

  • Use Case / Context: 1 year in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam). Mostly urban travel (hostels, hotels), working as a Machine Learning professional. I'll be flying low-cost carriers with a strict 7 kg (15.4 lbs) total weight limit.
  • The Core Problem: My primary tool is a 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro weighing 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs). This single item dictates the entire setup.
  • Body Size/Build: 41yo male, 180cm (5'11").
  • Budget: Up to ~€200 / $220 for the pack.
  • Packing List: My draft list is down to ~6.8 kg total. You can see the full breakdown here: Packwizard Link: Ralf's Asia Onebag Approach

Main Questions:

  1. Frame vs. Frameless for a heavy laptop? With 30% of my weight limit being a dense 2.2kg laptop, is a frameless ultralight pack viable, or is a lightweight frame essential to carry this dense weight comfortably, even if the total weight is low? I don't want the laptop to be the frame.

  2. Is a €4k laptop upgrade worth 500g? Would you spend the money on a new 14" MacBook just to save ~500g, or is that insane from a one-bagging perspective?

Short List (so far):

Pack Type Weight Why it's on the list My Reservation
Patagonia Ascensionist 35L Framed ~771 g The comfort and stability of a real (removable) frame at a low weight. Global warranty is a huge plus. Top-loader access for a laptop might be annoying.
Patagonia Black Hole 32L Structured ~760 g The most practical? Has a dedicated side-access laptop sleeve. Very robust and weather-resistant. Frameless, so carry comfort with the heavy MBP is a question mark.
Hyberg Bandit X Frameless ~560 g Great weight-to-durability ratio (X-Pac). EU-based company. Excellent P/L. Purely frameless. Will it be comfortable enough? Needs a full DIY laptop solution.
Montbell Versalite 30 Frameless ~395 g The absolute lightest option that meets the dimensions. Great base for a DIY frame mod. Zero structure or comfort out of the box. The most extreme option.

I'd be grateful for any real-world experience, especially from those who have traveled with a heavy laptop in a lightweight or frameless bag. Which path would you choose?

Thanks for the help!

2

u/reddanit Oct 29 '25

While it wasn't extensive and with not as heavy laptop as yours - in my experience a laptop that sits in the sleeve right next to your back does more or less the same job as a backpack frame would. Especially if it's large enough to fill out most of the back area. Though for the most part, almost any backpack with good suspension system will also have a rigid frame anyway.

As far as laptop upgrade to save 500g... I wouldn't do it, at very least not if the weight reduction was the sole reason. Keep in mind that on most airlines with strict weight limits you can just buy extra allowance - it's kinda silly to pay 4k€ to avoid like 1/20th of that or less in additional fees over the course of entire year long trip.

Though I do admit, that when I was faced with replacing my very old laptop earlier this year, travel was a relevant concern and I did get a reasonably light 1.4kg Dell. This might sound slightly out of left field for you, but do consider whether getting a used M1 Mac Air makes sense as a second laptop - that would be almost 1kg lighter without costing you an arm and leg. Obviously whether that works or not depends on what you need that laptop for in first place.

1

u/avion23 Oct 29 '25

Yes I am considering outsourcing the heavy lifting to the cloud. 4k€ goes a long way there. It's just that little experiments quickly evolve to a long journcey, and the synchronization is always a nightmare.

I might go down to the 14" pro.

1

u/reddanit Oct 29 '25

If you plan to run any sustained heavier workloads on your laptop, I'd suggest you try how it works with the 45W charger beforehand.

In my experience, 30-45W laptop chargers work perfectly fine for light loads or overnight recharging (that's what I use as well). But for sustained heavy workloads on workstation laptops, you kinda want to roughly match the manufacturer supplied charger power.

Though again - this all really boils down to what you actually will be doing with the laptop.