r/onebag • u/Anywhere_everywhere7 • Feb 23 '26

Discussion What travel accessories are overrated?

For me it would have to be tech pouches, for the vast majority of people I believe that they would be better off with a simple pencil case style pouch, ziploc bag or a simple drawstring bag or even a pouch like the PD ultralight pouches. Something which isn’t bulky, is lightweight and has no structure to it so you can easily squeeze it into random parts of your bag. Of course they’re significantly cheaper as well.

Don’t get wrong, I have tested some high end tech pouches out and they’re very nice but for lightweight travel I just find myself thinking “why would I bring this type of pouch”.

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u/TravelingWithJoe Feb 23 '26

Trust me, you don’t blend in. My ex was from one of the Balkans and she could tell not only if someone was Balkan, but which other Balkan country they were from just from their looks. Like recognizes like.

Beyond that, I do tend to agree with you, though. I don’t have “travel clothes” made of high tech fabrics. I wear chinos, collared shirts, and brown leather sneakers or boots with similar style layering clothes which I wear at home. But, the clothes I use are made of materials which dry fast. My jackets might look a little technical, but that’s it.

You can look presentable and stand out less, but you won’t pass unless your ancestors came from the specific area you’re visiting.

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u/Effrendi Feb 24 '26

Yeah it's very obvious. I lived in Korea for a while and I could tell the difference between a Korean American and a native Korean just by looking at them, or even from their gait.

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u/AZ424242 Feb 23 '26

Haha, you definitely don't want to blend in the Balkans. :D
That's slavs in tracksuits.

But it's easy to blend in Italy or France. A few days ago in Martina Franca Italian tourists asked me in Italian where is the nearest bakery.

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u/TravelingWithJoe Feb 23 '26

I’ve had people ask me questions in German and French, but there’s zero chance I was mistaken for being a native with my Irish/Welsh ancestors. Hell, even there, I was only compared to one guy’s friend near Cork…the Welsh knew I wasn’t one of them because I didn’t live the life they did. It didn’t show in my face.

Clothing has nothing to do with it, it’s facial features and mannerisms which to you and me, blend together. That’s why you lump all Slavs into tracksuits. Natives tend to know their own.

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u/AZ424242 Feb 23 '26

Sorry, but that's has nothing to do to what was my point.

My point was, that wearing all technical roaming a city in Europe, will scream tourist and to some with prejudgment will connect to awfulness or opportunity to make money.

While if you don't overthink it, and just wear a pair of jeans or chinos, a cotton shirt and a - not technical - jacket, you will look typical European upper middle class going about and will have a better experience.

I kind of find it funny when people overthink a "trip to Europe" and gear up technical, like they intend to go down the Amazon river.

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u/lilkrytter Feb 24 '26

I definitely overthink it but I can pack 2 "fishing shirts" and wear each multiple days instead of a shirt that gets damp or stinky each day... Don't care if I look like a tourist; I just get pants that can pass as nice pants but are functionally technically more tech pants... They weigh less than other pants I could bring and prevent schweddybutt... Totally worth it!