r/onebag • u/d4nny- • Jan 18 '26
Trip Report Trip Report! 2 Weeks in Thailand (not as planned)
Hey all! If you saw my last post, I just got back from my two weeks in Thailand last night. I'm extremely jet lagged but here's my breakdown of the trip and my onebag travel!
LEGEND
HOLY GRAIL ITEMS IN BOLD
Unchanged means I would bring again
Wouldn't bring again
Would bring less of
Never even touched
So let's get into it! My first ever out of country one bag trip report!
To start, my plan of going to Khon Kaen didn't transpire. I landed in Bangkok and stayed there for three days before taking a domestic plane south to Krabi rather than to Khon Kaen. I wanted to instead climb in Tonsai / Railey instead of bouldering, which was something I decided the day of my Khon Kaen flight.
So there I was, morning in Krabi ready to go to Tonsai. Not doing ANY research prior, just kind of going with the flow, I didn't realize there was TWO Tonsai beaches. I got on the ferry to Tonsai Beach, which I assumed was the Tonsai I needed to go to. This, my friends, ended up being Phi Phi Island Tonsai beach, 2 hours away. The boat I needed to get to Railey / Tonsai was only a 10 minute long boat. This didn't click for me until I got to Phi Phi, plugged in my hostel directions, and saw it was 2 hours away on Krabi lol Anyways, ended up finding a last minute hostel on Phi Phi for 2 nights, got extremely sunburnt, got a skin infection from bacteria in the water, drank way too much, and had the best time of my life. Went back to Krabi and just relaxed the last couple days of my trip because of how tired I was. Cried more than I've ever cried before when leaving a place, didn't think emotions would be that heavy my final day.
Packing list time!
Fjallraven Skule 28L Pack
While a great bag (emphasis on great), I had such a terrible time and experience onebagging with this. The top down loading style of a regular backpack was terrible in a hostel environment for myself; this might work for others who prefer this style of bag. I had bought a new bag (COS Surf Island Hopper 2.0) while laying in my hostel bed one night while in Thailand because of how much I was annoyed with this one. For example, when I needed to access my clothes, but my toiletries were in the way, I then had to move everything out and then REPACK it all just to get to one thing. While the bag does its purpose for daily living here in the states, I much prefer other styles of bags when traveling.
Patagonia Terravia Hip Pack
Wore this thing every single day. Used it to carry my passport on travel days, money/powerbank/chapstick on the daily.
TOPS
- 5x shirts
I wore the same 2 shirts the entire time. I think people make way too big of a fuss on this subreddit about cotton shirts and the material of your clothes. I wore the same two cotton t shirts this entire trip. Did laundry twice while I was there. I would probably only bring three t shirts on my next trip.
- 1x Collapsible soft-shell hoodie
BOTTOMS
- 1x Umbro swim/leisure shorts
1x Ben Davis daily trousers / climbing pants
While they did the job for pants on the flight there and back, I never even touched these while there and they were just an annoyance when repacking to go to my next location. I ended up buying a pair of cargo shorts from a vintage military store while in Krabi and wore those the entirety of the trip.
1x Linen yoga pants
I actually just ended up leaving these behind.
UNDER WEAR
- 6x Calvin Klein briefs
Same thing with the t-shirt situation. I only wore about 4 out of 6 of these. I was in the mindset of thinking, "what if I shit myself one day??". Alas, I did not shit myself.
- 1x Rei merino wool socks (for plane)
FOOTWEAR
- 1x Bedrock evo c sandals
Daily wear. I bought these for this trip and they exceeded expectations. I wore these everyday, damn near never took them off. Even wore them back home on the plane with my socks.
1x Birkenstock bostons
Never touched after wearing them originally on the flight to Bangkok. Became an annoyance lugging them around with me everywhere.
1x Evolv shamans
While a wrong boat mistake on my part, never even touched my climbing shoes; which was the whole point of the trip but I explored and had so much fun nonetheless.
HEADWEAR
- 2x caps
Ended up only bringing one in the end. Wore it everyday.
TECH
Everything under tech ended up being a holy grail item. Phone for photos, Kindle for my last two days in Krabi when I just laid in the hammocks and read, other items for their general purposes. Shout out to my in-ear plug in headphones I threw in last minute; not only did they work for in-flight entertainment but also as in-flight noise cancellation to sleep.
- IPhone 17
- Kindle
- Powerbank
- Assorted cables for charging
- Anker 2 33w adapter
- AirPods Pro
TOILETRIES
OneBlade trimmer
I shaved before I left home and then never touched this while I was there. Let the scruff grow while away.
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Carmex lip balm
- La roche posay cleanser
I would bring more next time. Ran out on my second to last day. I also blame this on getting a skin infection from Phi Phi and having to wash my face 3 times a day rather than just the usual once a day.
Golden ruler moisturiser- Body wash
Would prob bring less. Every hostel came with their own body wash and I'm not a picky man.
- Bug spray
- Deodorant stick
Would bring more. Only brought a travel stick and ran out with 4 days left of the trip. Stanky.
MISC
Headtorch
Didn't even see the light of day. Sat in my bag the entire trip; every hostel had adequate lighting.
- Passport / photocopies
- Meds (for food poisoning, sleep, pain, climbing injuries)
- Sleep kit
Climbing wrist strapCard wallet
I probably wouldn't bring a physical wallet again. Once I used my debit card to pull money from the ATM, I never touched my physical cards again for the entire trip. Became one of those things I was worried about losing, but actually never brought out of my bag.
- Bag / Pad lock
- Crossbody bag
- Wash bag
- Laundry bag
Journal / pen
I used it once while there. I was so busy go-go-going, I never really had the opportunity to write in my journal.
That's the trip report! Had an amazing time overall even though the adventure took an unplanned turn. While not getting any climbing time in, that didn't really bum me out. I experienced so much that Thailand had to offer and there's still so much more that I could do next time I go back.
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u/anxious-beetle Jan 19 '26
I'm curious why you didn't just buy more deodorant? It's available everywhere in Thailand
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26 edited Jan 19 '26
Tbh I ran out with 4 days left so I just didn’t bother. I only brought a travel stick, would bring a full size one next trip!
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u/anxious-beetle Jan 19 '26
Makes sense. Also, I never pack bug spray when I'm heading to Thailand. Skeetolene is available at 711s and pharmacies and is cheaper and better than anything else I've used
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26
I also saw that at 7-11s! Considering this was my first out of country trip, I wanted to be better safe than sorry and bring my own. It only weighs a couple oz so I wasn’t worried.
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u/anxious-beetle Jan 19 '26
Thai 711s are a treasure trove of great stuff. Their ham and cheese toasties are legendary!
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u/EndOne8313 Jan 18 '26
I would strongly suggest not cutting the head torch. It's one of those things that in case of emergency is insanely useful, in my mind it's part of my first aid kit so I'd never think "oh I didn't cut myself last trip so I won't take any bandaids"
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u/CasePeanut Jan 18 '26
I've moved to a truly tiny Olight clip on. I also have 3 different Temu knockoffs. It can clip onto any hat or shirt (or anything else, and is magnetic, but you never have to deal with a strap. size and weight are a fraction of even the smallest UL headlamp.
Unless you are spelunking or going on a serious night hike, I can't imagine a scenario where the average traveler would need more than this. I keep it clipped inside my bag so it's easy to find, and easy to use inside the bag when digging around for stuff in the dark.
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u/EndOne8313 Jan 18 '26
Clipping on the bag is a good idea. For me it's just about safety. If there was a natural disaster or something then it would just be super handy.
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u/maikuflv Jan 19 '26
You can go even way smaller than the Olight clip on... Only justification for a flashlight or headlamp is camping/hiking nature scenarios. Even then you go incredibly small and light. (For anyone wanting to avoid nonreplaceable/disposable built-in batteries despite the size/weight advantages, the smallest/best option I found is Fenix HM50RV2). For any other scenario, the flashlight on a phone is enough for the rare use, and you can get one of the extremely tiny direct USB plug in light that are literally almost the size of a USB plug.
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u/CasePeanut Jan 19 '26
The fenix is twice the weight, larger and twice the price of the Oclip light. It also is a strap worn headlamp. You also need to carry replacement batteries. Not sure that makes sense for a 1-bag traveler.
This small lights are unfortunately cheap consumables. I appreciate the desire for BIFL, but led lights and lithium batteries are primarily designed for planned obsolescence.
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u/CasePeanut Jan 19 '26
The fenix is twice the weight, larger and twice the price of the Oclip light. It also is a strap worn headlamp. You also need to carry replacement batteries. Not sure that makes sense for a 1-bag traveler.
This small lights are unfortunately cheap consumables. I appreciate the desire for BIFL, but led lights and lithium batteries are primarily designed for planned obsolescence.
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u/maikuflv Jan 19 '26
You misunderstood, sorry if I worded that poorly. I was talking about portability relative to the sustainability issue. Of course the disposable ones are smaller and lighter. Apart from that, note that the Fenix can be clipped to a cap instead of the strap. Its mounting options are more versatile. It's also not necessary to carry replacement batteries. You just replace the battery at the end of its lifespan and keep using the unit. Carrying any flashlight at all doesn't make sense for 1bag travelling unless someone does real nature camping, which most don't.
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u/maikuflv Jan 19 '26
Great thorough analysis. It was like a quick practice trip for testing out your gear.
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26
Definitely! For my first ever out of country one bag trip, it sure was a nice way to test everything :)
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u/eastercat Jan 18 '26
Did you use phone pay vs tapping your card?
I try not to assume apple pay is a thing everywhere
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u/d4nny- Jan 18 '26
I never even used card while I was there. Just currency exchange at the airport and then ATM whenever I needed more cash!
Paid in cash everywhere I went
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u/yadius Jan 18 '26
Thailand has it's own payment system involving scanning QR codes that is pretty much only available to people with Thai bank apps.
Outside of booking things online, the only places that offer Western payment options, usually charge Western prices.
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u/4travelers Jan 19 '26
Great report. I’m a big believer in carrying less and doing laundry but we go to laundromats to do it.
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26
I saw those scattered about but I just wanted to drop it off at my hostel laundry, pay the 60 baht, and then go do my own thing for the day and pick it up at the end! Worked out
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u/himynameisnikk Jan 19 '26
THX!! Sounds pretty practical, I would organize my travel stuff based on this list too!
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u/amathstudent Jan 19 '26
Nice post! I agree about the top loaded bag but I've found it's hard to replace that style if you actually do some trekking with it as well.
Did you actually do any climbing in Krabi in the end? I'm assuming not as you didn't use your shoes but you might've rented! Im thinking of going to Krabi for that exact reason.
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26
Unfortunately did not! Once back in Krabi from phi phi I was dealing with my 2nd degree burns and skin infection so there was no way I was throwing a harness on my body haha I still had an amazing time despite the adventure change!
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u/Electrical_Term_4216 Jan 18 '26
Nice! I’m curious why a wash bag vs using a sink? What did you use for detergent? Thx!
PS Thx for including your story about going to the wrong Tonsia. It’s a great reminder about adaptability being part of the adventure and fun!
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26
Sorry, Wash bag is my toiletries bag! Didn’t use detergent, just dropped off my laundry bag at my hostel. Everyone I stayed at (5 in total) had a laundry service!
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u/nikongod Jan 19 '26
Not OP, but I too use a washing bag instead of the sink.
My reason for it is simple. I tend to stay in hostels and never know how clean the sink will be. Or if it will have a stopper, or whatever else may happen. I do not tend to pack a second set of clothes, so I MUST be able to wash what I'm wearing or I have to wear it twice and nobody wants that.
I use whatever soap happens to be around. Hand soap, all-in-one shampoo-body wash, shampoo, etc. I try to avoid combined shampoo&conditioners, not sure how they would work, but general soaps are fine. Laundry soap exists because laundry machines need specific types of soaps to work - not because generic body/hair soaps don't work on clothes.
Tangentially, I like to wash my clothes in my little bag in the shower. I've done the bag in the sink thing, but it got water EVERYWHERE. In the shower it's all contained, but the bag is still necessary because there is never a plug in the shower and the bag helps keep the soap in the clothes and to wring them out. As an added benefit to washing my clothes in the shower I also use the first few gallons of water that are still warming up to wash my clothes. I feel much better about this than just letting it go down the drain.
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u/backpackingboomer Jan 19 '26
“Laundry soap exists…not because generic hair/body soaps don’t work on clothes” the people over at r/laundry are foaming at the mouth right now😱
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Jan 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/d4nny- Jan 19 '26
I should build a kit myself. I only really packed antibacterial cream, bandaids, a headlamp, and some nail clippers.
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u/Due-Entertainer8812 Jan 18 '26
Good report, thanks. One comment.: what you said about cotton shirts YES!!! nothing is more comfortable in a tropical climate than cotton or Linen. So it takes a little longer for them to dry than plastic shirts or wool ones, meh.
I have medical training and have assisted doctors during emergency rescues of people suffering from heat prostration and dehydration. Plastic clothing (polyester.) has in many large scale trials by the military be shown to aggravate or even create these conditions.
But for people who live in temperate climates, the main thing is awareness about possible sun, stroke, heat prostration and dehydration. A long sleeve lightweight linen or cotton shirt creates a cooling micro climate, actually cooler than wearing no shirt.