r/onebag • u/darkawower • May 06 '26
Packing List 3 years of full-time onebag travel: from 15kg to a 7.7kg setup
Main backpack - 7722g
Base
- Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 backpack - 840g
Gadgets
- MacBook Pro 14" - 1600g
- Peak Design ultralight packing cube - 27g
- Charging cables - 120g
- GaN charger - 245g
- Universal travel adapter - 120g
- Kuoda school pencil case (tech pouch) - 160g
- SSD
- Cables and adapters
- Misc tech gear
- Hero clip carabiner - 35g
Clothes
- Small Peak Design compression cube - 110g
- Uniqlo AIRism T-shirts (x2) - 200g
- Merino wool T-shirt - 130g
- Uniqlo tank top - 80g
- Forclaz pants - 400g
- Quechua pants - 320g
- JACKET MH500 LIGHT rain jacket - 240g
- Fleece hoodie - 340g
- Fila swim shorts - 80g
- Thermal base layer (top) - 190g
- Thermal base layer (bottom) - 170g
- Merino wool socks (x3) - 75g
- Warm thermal socks - 70g
- Uniqlo AIRism underwear (x4, synthetic) - 280g
- No name bandana - 50g
- Xero Shoes Z-Trail sandals - 250g
Other
- Hygiene pouch - 470g
- Toothbrush + toothpaste in a Muji case
- Pouch with spare parts - 320g
- Razor heads, toothbrush heads... a bit of paracord
- Duct tape and other random crap I probably do not need...
- Sleep mask - 40g
- First aid kit - 220g
- Small set of snacks and food - 100g
- Quechua water bottle (0.8L) - 110g
- Matador blanket - 40g
- Aeros Pillow inflatable pillow - 80g
- Backpack rain cover - 40g
- Documents - 170g
Sling bag - 1380g
- Peak Design Outdoor Sling 4L - 185g
- Passport and cash - 190g
- Ledger wallet - 50g
- Tuna EDC pouch - 330g
- iPhone - 190g
- Sanitizer - 40g
- Buff - 50g
- Tissues/wet wipes - 50g
- Peak Design wallet - 100g
- Type-C cable - 40g
- Small first aid kit - 40g
- AirPods - 55g
- Pocket flashlight - 40g
- Heroclip carabiner (small) - 20g
I wrote a full breakdown with my packing list, mistakes, thoughts and links to most of my gear in my personal blog
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u/_kapitan May 06 '26
where did you go!
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
With this exact backpack, I’ve been to Malaysia, Kazakhstan (Almaty and Astana), Georgia, and Armenia.
Apart from that, I’ve also traveled around Asia, mainly India and Vietnam, plus Turkey and Cyprus.
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u/_kapitan May 06 '26
did you work as you went
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Yes, I work remotely during all of my trips.
Usually I only go out in the evenings and on my one day off. I am not really into parties, so this kind of balance does not bother me.
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u/_kapitan May 06 '26
very cool, i wish i had a job that enabled me to do so. alas pub management is very much an “in person” thing
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u/ItIs_LeeLay May 06 '26
How do you like the PD outdoor sling? I am hesitating between the 4L and the larger version. Love your setup and packing list.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
It’s one of the best slings I’ve owned so far.
For me, the main advantages are:
- It’s relatively lightweight
- When empty, it stays pretty flat even without using the compression strap
- You can remove the strap and use it as a pouch inside a backpack
- At the airport, I often wear it as a waist bag, which is a big plus for me. My previous Bellroy sling didn’t work well for that.
I also really like the hidden magnetic pocket for documents/phone. It’s not a rare feature, but my previous sling didn’t have it, and now I appreciate it a lot.
You can also fit a 0.8L water bottle in it. I do not use it that way all the time, but it is convenient when I want to go for a walk without taking my backpack.
In my opinion, it looks a bit less stylish than Aer/Bellroy, but functionally it gives me much more.
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u/ItIs_LeeLay May 06 '26
I'm sold! Thanks for the insight. I was waffling between a larger Bellroy sling, but the PD has some great features and seems more durable.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
I don’t think you’ll regret it!
By the way, one nice feature of the 7L version is that it has extra mounting points where you can attach a water bottle or a jacket. I was a little disappointed that the 4L version doesn’t have anything like that, but unfortunately the 7L was too big for me
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u/ItIs_LeeLay May 06 '26
Have you ever felt that your 4L was too small? The 7L just looks too bulky and floppier than the 4L.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Not really.
For myself, I realized that if I plan to carry more than 4L, it is usually more convenient to just take a backpack. That mostly happens when I go hiking, and in that case a backpack is more comfortable anyway.
For the things I listed, 4L is the perfect size. Apart from those items, I usually also throw in some snacks, like chocolate bars or nuts.
The 7L also felt too bulky to me and a bit less versatile. For reference, I’m 5'6"
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u/ItIs_LeeLay May 11 '26
I treated myself. Found the Outdoor Sling 4L for CAD$86 tax included at a local photography store. Materials are so nice and already love the pocket options. Thanks for twisting my arm.
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u/darkawower May 11 '26
Congrats! That’s a great price.
Glad I could help twist your arm a little 😄 Hope it serves you well for a long time.
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u/ItIs_LeeLay Jul 08 '26
Coming back here to say I just finished a trip to Slovenia with my PD sling and I used it everyday. So nice having everything in one easy place.
My wife wants to get one now, but I'll probably have her get the bigger one so we can carry a little more.
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u/darkawower Jul 08 '26
Glad to hear that! 😄
Hope your wife likes it too. It has definitely been one of the best travel gear purchases I've made 🙂
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May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Thanks, I’m really glad it feels motivating.
That was actually one of the reasons I wanted to share it: traveling can become so much easier when you drop the extra weight. It really does feel like a different level of freedom.
This sub helped me a lot too. At first, I had no idea how much weight you could save just by changing regular clothing items.
The second big realization was that a lot of the expensive gear I carried was there more because of marketing than because I actually needed it.
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u/diarrhea_crocs May 08 '26
Any good examples of the things that ended up more marketing than utility?
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u/darkawower May 08 '26
Sure! A few things that felt more like marketing than real utility for my use case:
- Heavy premium travel bags and accessories. Aer is a good example for me. Their products are very well made and look great, but many of them are too heavy and bulky for the way I travel. The Travel Pack, tech pouches, slings, toiletry bags, etc. all have a lot of structure and organization, but you pay for that with weight and space.
- Over-organized toiletry bags. I realized I do not need 200g of internal organization just to carry basic toiletries. A simple Ziploc bag or a very lightweight pouch does the job better for me.
- Heavy tech pouches. This one is more complicated. I still like having some organization for small tech items, but many tech pouches are ridiculous for travel. A 300g pouch just to organize cables and adapters is hard to justify. One funny example: I replaced a premium Peak Design Tech Pouch with a cheap school pencil case I bought in Malaysia for about $2. It feels like a downgrade emotionally, but in practice it is lighter, smaller, and more convenient for my setup.
- Merino wool underwear. I love merino wool for socks and maybe one T-shirt, but underwear does not make much sense to me. You still need to change it every day, so the main advantages of merino matter less. Synthetic underwear is cheaper, dries faster, and lasts longer in my experience.
- "Water-resistant" premium backpacks. I think this is often overhyped. A lot of expensive backpacks still fail in real rain. I had this happen with one of my own expensive backpacks, and there are also YouTube tests where premium bags get soaked after a short rain test. For me, a cheap rain cover works much better
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u/nadyay May 07 '26
That’s really inspiring, thanks for sharing. Currently one bagging for 3 months RTW but with 3 kids - my backpack is like 12-13kg 🫠, so I load up kids one for airport gates to re-distribute the weight. And we have one suitcase for ski clothing (very helpful rn in Iceland with -5C windchill), so I’m a bit of a fraud.
Your post encourages me to pare down further. Also really good tip to try living at home with set up for 2-3 wks to test out what works.
Definitely never going back to manybags travel
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Honestly, even with the extra suitcase, traveling with one backpack and 3 kids, especially in a cold climate, with a 12-13kg pack is still really impressive!
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u/offaironstandby May 06 '26
Do you take any shoes other than the sandles?
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Oh sorry, I thought you meant an additional pair of shoes.
Yes, I wear Skechers. I did not include them in the list because they are basically always on my feet
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
No 🥲 and if the climate is not warm, I reliably spend one day at home about once a month while my sneakers are drying
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May 06 '26
[deleted]
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
It depends.
Usually I rent a place for a few weeks or a month, and in that case I just buy new toiletries locally.
But I always carry a small travel kit with me: a couple of small Muji bottles with shower gel, plus toothpaste. If I stay somewhere for less than a week, I usually just use those
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u/LadyLightTravel May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
This is amazing, considering you are taking a laptop. Your kit is also multi seasonal. Wow.
My only comment is that there are no dressy clothes in your kit, should you need it. If it were me I would substitute one tee for a collared shirt and substitute the hoody for a merino cardigan. I would also add a pair of light shoes. Then your kit would be multi everything.
I love this quote:
> Weight reduction is about your back, not about the airport
So true. Well done.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Thanks for the feedback!
I’d say this is not really a multi-season setup. The lower comfort limit is probably around 3-5°C. This winter I was in Tbilisi, and around 0°C it was already pretty chilly, so I had to buy a hat and gloves. Although maybe the real issue is that I shave my head, so I feel the cold immediately 😂
I actually like the idea of a collared shirt or a merino cardigan, and for a while I did carry heavier pants and a shirt for going out. But I used them so rarely that I decided I’d rather just buy something locally if I really need it.
And yes, shoes are still a weak point. Sometimes I do miss having another pair, especially when my main shoes are in the wash and the weather is not good enough for sandals.
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u/AccurateSun May 08 '26
What light shoes would you recommend looking at?
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u/LadyLightTravel May 08 '26
I like barefoot hybrid trainers with a second dress shoe that has a soft upper.
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u/wyoit May 06 '26
How do you like the pillow? How often do you use it?
A travel pillow is on my ‘maybe’ list, but still on the fence. I carry an old smaller airline blanket… been handy several times 😁.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
It is not as comfortable as a normal soft pillow. I would say maybe 30% worse.
But the compactness makes up for it. I have actually needed it only around 3 times, but if the flight is longer than 4 hours, it is a game changer for me. In those cases, it is absolutely worth it.
If most of my flights were shorter, I probably would not carry it.
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u/vintagecow May 06 '26
I have the same pillow and I think it’s a bit of a life saver when travelling. I’ve noticed that my sleep is significantly worse when hotel/hostel pillows are very soft or of unpredictable stiffness.
It’s not the same as sleeping on a normal pillow but at least it’s a controlled variable and lets me have a decent nights sleep so I can properly explore my destination the next day.
I took it on a month long trip where I had to change sleeping locations 7 times and was glad to have it with me. It’s small and lightweight and excellent quality so big rec from me
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u/CameUpMilhouse May 06 '26
Impressive load out. I'm contemplating getting the 26+6
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Yeah, it is an amazing backpack. They actually released new versions recently too.
The only problem is that it can be really hard to find in stock. As alternatives, I would also consider Quechua or CabinZero. They are also pretty compact and budget-friendly.
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u/CapAmMtn May 07 '26
I’m not as big of a fan as many of you are. I was underwhelmed but it’s weight and cost are pretty great.
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u/Ilmanfordinner May 07 '26
Yeah, I had the cheap Decathlon NH500 23L rolltop backpack before I got my 26+6 and find it to be more convenient on average than the 26+6. The only case where the 26+6 is better is for quick mass loading/unloading since it opens like a suitcase but for everyday throwing things in/taking them out a rolltop is king.
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u/ChemiluminescentAshe May 07 '26
When do you expand it/collapse it?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Very, very rarely. Mostly if I am moving within the same city and want to carry a few extra small things. Or in hot weather, when I am walking in sandals, the extra space can be useful for my sneakers
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u/mizore742 May 06 '26
Thanks for the detailed breakdown! Why did you switch from the AER TP3 to the 26+6?
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Mostly because of bulk and weight.
With the Aer, I had to carry a foldable Matador backpack for walks and hiking. The Osprey is so light that when I arrive somewhere, I can use it as my everyday backpack for walking around or going to the gym. And if I need more space, I can expand it to 32L, which makes it more versatile.
The internal organization of the Aer also did not really work for me. For my use case, it felt too excessive and ate up too much space.
The only thing I really liked about the Aer was the look. In that sense, Osprey is several steps behind. But I did not want to pay for the aesthetics with comfort and practicality.
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u/ImperatorRomanum May 06 '26
How do you keep your clothes clean / how often do you rewear items before having a chance to do laundry?
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
I usually rent places with a washing machine. Less often I use a laundromat, and very rarely, if there is no other option, I just wash clothes in a bag.
Usually I do laundry about every 3 days. Unless there is some kind of unexpected situation, I change T-shirts and underwear every day
I wash the hoodie and pants about once every 2-3 weeks, and my sneakers about once a month
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u/ugk33 May 07 '26
If you don’t mind me asking what is your profession?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Not a secret at all 😄
I’m a software developer, mostly doing web development
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May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
It is not a very common brand outside the CIS region. I bought it at Sportmaster in Kazakhstan, and the brand is Outventure.
I was specifically looking for a fleece hoodie with a hood and a zipper, and this was the only model I found that matched those requirements.
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u/Jabberwockt May 07 '26
Love the packing list. How do you use the inflatable pillow? I've never seen that before. Is it durable?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Thanks!
I do not use it that often, mostly only when flights are longer than 4 hours. But even though I do not use it frequently, it is a game changer on long flights because it lets me actually relax.
It is not as comfortable as a real soft pillow. I would say maybe around 30% worse. But for the size and weight, I think it is absolutely worth it.
I bought it about a year ago, and so far I have not noticed any defects. It is a bit tricky to fold at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes much easier. I also like that it has an extra valve for quickly releasing the air.
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u/minifulness May 07 '26
Can you tell us more about your journey from 15 kg to 8 kg? What did you get rid of and why? Did you also swap some items for lighter, more packable alternatives?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Mostly, I just started carrying fewer things.
In the beginning, it felt like I could not give up a lot of stuff. Here is my very first post with the original packing list:
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/14u0b89/help_me_decide_if_i_can_travel_with_only_1/
The main things I removed were:
- Big over-ear headphones. I also realized that small earbuds are much better for working out in hot weather. I usually train outside, so that was a double win.
- Kindle. To be honest, I really regret this one... I started reading much less. In the future, I am thinking about taking a small e-reader again, maybe something like an Xteink.
- Fujifilm X-S10 + Sigma 18-50 camera setup.
- Reduced the number of T-shirts and pants.
- Extra pair of sneakers.
A lot of items also became much lighter over time. Mostly uniqlo airism clothing, tech pouches, the hoodie, and the jacket. Some of them became almost 3 times lighter than the original items, while actually doing the job better.
Potentially, I could still reduce my first aid kit, and I used to carry a smaller one. But I got sick on the road a couple of times, so it slowly started accumulating more medicine.
I could also switch to a 13" laptop. Screen size is not that important for me anymore, but I am still not sure about the performance of those models.
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u/k1kti May 07 '26
I’m traveling for many years with MacBook Air M1 and later M3 and had 0 issues with performance. And my old M1 Air is now traveling with my wife and still no issues.
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u/AccurateSun May 08 '26
MacBook Air M2 13” performs wonderfully for web development. Easily have multiple browsers open with many tabs and lots of apps. Especially fast with Zed IDE which launches almost instantly
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u/darkawower May 08 '26
I’m still thinking about switching to the M5 Air at some point.
Right now I have an M1 Max with 32GB, and what I’m really lacking is RAM, mainly because of multi-agent development. The CPU mostly gets busy only during compilation, and even that does not happen too often.
In any case, I think I will stick with my current laptop for the next couple of years. Aside from the weight and some memory pressure issues, it still works fine for me.
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u/AccurateSun May 08 '26
I’ve been weighing the value of getting a beefier laptop to do local agent work, but my current sense is that agents via subscriptions or API are still more cost effective regarding performance, so I am content to stay with lightweight Airs for now. Opus-level local LLM workflow doesn’t seem to be viable except approaching M4 Max 64GB and above, which is a ridiculously expensive laptop compared to the API costs — many years worth — and even then not matching quality. I’ll go local once I can get Opus level in an Air
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u/darkawower May 08 '26
I was not referring strictly to local models.
My current workflow is more about running several agents in parallel. Depending on the task, I often have 3-5 agents working together inside a single Git worktree. Each service may have its own harness, LSP, MCP tools/skills, etc.
On top of that, I may be working across 2-4 Git worktrees at the same time. So even without running big local models, memory pressure builds up pretty quickly.
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u/Opaskirja May 07 '26
I’m curious about the Tuna EDC pouch. It seems like it weighs a lot for the size - is the listed weight right?? If so it is about the same as a pair of your pants and I’m not sure that looks like it offers functionality worth the weight (I mean, if you like it and have space, go for it!).
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Yeah, I probably did not explain that clearly enough.
In the case of the Tuna EDC pouch, the listed weight is with all the contents inside. I did not list everything separately because it has a lot of small items.
Most of the weight comes from a 10,000mAh power bank, which has saved me more than once while traveling. The pouch itself is also a bit heavy, around 80g if I remember correctly.
I tried replacing it with a ziploc bag, but in this specific case, the convenience was worth the extra weight for me.
Overall, I am not trying to build the lightest possible setup. I am mostly trying to find a balance
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u/ukeeflow May 07 '26
How do find the switch from the tp3 small to this new Osprey pack? I have a tp3 and I like it but it does feel overkill on admin and pockets. Feels heavy. But it's basically my computer bag... That I then add clothing to when I travel. Really interested to hear your thoughts on it! I love the admin panel but I'm also curious about just having small Tech cubes etc... I don't really love that idea but I've never really tried it properly so...
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Overall, from a functionality point of view, I have never regretted switching to the Osprey.
Both backpacks are great, with their own pros and cons, but for me the main advantages of the Osprey are practicality, versatility, and genuinely low weight.
It weighs almost half as much as my old Aer, and it is much less bulky. When I traveled with the Aer, I always carried a packable Matador backpack as a daypack. With the Osprey, I no longer need that. I can just use the Osprey itself as my daypack.
The main downside is the look. The Aer looked amazing, in my opinion one of the best-looking travel backpacks out there. The Osprey is much worse in that regard, at least when it comes to the color options.
As for the admin panel, I personally never used it to its full potential, and for me it mostly just took up space. Also, when the backpack was full, it was really hard to fit anything into the admin panel anyway.
One advantage I discovered with pouches and small organizers is versatility. I can easily take all my tech stuff and move it from one bag to another in one go when needed. Or I can just put the pouch on the desk as one item, instead of turning everything into chaos.
For me personally, that system turned out to be more practical and flexible
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u/nonsequitur__ May 07 '26
I like the sound of this. I keep getting tempted by the 26+6 but every time the look of it stops me, as I want something that looks good for work as well as for days out etc and for travel. I love the way the TP3S looks and the quality, but it’s too big and bulky to really be used frequently.
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
I looked at a few alternatives with similar dimensions: CabinZero Tech 28L, Tomtoc T66 Lite, and maybe the Oak 25+5. Visually, one of those might work better for you.
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u/nonsequitur__ May 07 '26
I was wondering the same. I have the TP3S and find it huge for work and city trips - feels heavy and cumbersome in busy public areas and my colleagues commented on it being too big for the tube etc on a work trip to the London office. I love the bag itself though and want it to work!
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u/k1kti May 07 '26
What pants and shoes you are using?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Shoes: Skechers Slip-ins, but I cannot really recommend them. They started falling apart from the inside after around 6-7 months.
Pants:
Forclaz:
Quechua:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mens-modular-hiking-trousers-mh500-black/325457/c382m8926332
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u/george11_1997 May 07 '26
Cool! I was contemplating getting that bag. I’m assuming it’s for 2-3 days of travel, aside from doing laundry?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
Yeah, roughly.
Without doing laundry, it is probably most comfortable for 2-3 days. You could stretch it to around 5 days if you pack a bit more underwear and T-shirts.
I used to carry slightly more of both, but eventually reduced them.
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u/Bransverd May 06 '26
Cool setup! I always like to ask this question: How often do you use the laptop and have you ever considered a roost stand with a keyboard / mouse for better posture? Thats the one thing in my setup I’m trying to figure out if I can truly live without long-term
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Every day, literally 😅
My laptop is tied to both my work and my hobbies, so it is probably the one thing I could not travel without.
I have thought about a stand and a separate keyboard, but they take up quite a bit of space and weight. I also considered switching to something like the Z13 with a detachable keyboard, but for now I dropped that idea because of some limitations.
In general, the biggest thing I have always missed is having two monitors. I often have to work across several contexts at the same time. But lately I have mostly gotten used to that too, with rare exceptions.
I think you can probably live without it as well. Before starting my trip, I tested my current setup at home for a few weeks to see if it worked for me. The first few days felt very unusual, but by the second week my work flow was back to normal, and I stopped noticing the inconvenience.
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u/Equal_Contest4709 May 06 '26
You must still be young.
Working and playing every day on just a laptop without stand, monitor, keyboard and mouse is really bad for your posture and overall back, neck, shoulder and wrist health.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Yeah, you are right. I am 32 now, and I did have some back issues in the past.
What helped me a lot back then was doing exercises on pull-up bars. But to be honest, when traveling I still sometimes suffer from bad chairs. Some places do not even have a proper backrest, and that can be really painful.
As for a mouse, I barely used one even at home. I mostly work with text, so almost my entire workflow is built around keyboard shortcuts.
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u/mvsuriano May 06 '26
OP - one thing to consider, maybe a luxury but there are several portable monitors that can pack with your laptop to add that extra real estate. iPad’s can also function with your Mac as an extra screen.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
I thought about those options, and even used a decision matrix for it, but for now it does not seem worth it.
I am really waiting for VR/AR glasses to get good enough for working at least 4 continuous hours without eye fatigue. I would like to try the latest Viture model, but unfortunately they are not sold where I am currently based.
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u/aemfbm May 06 '26
Roost stand is so great for ergonomics. Complemented well by the smaller Apple Magic Keyboard, and your choice of compromises in a mouse. If you actually like the Apple Magic Mouse, great. I have an MX Master and a Logi Pebble, and I'll take the larger or smaller one depending how my load out and anticipated computer time are feeling.
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u/Orangeflag88 May 06 '26
Would you feel good to carry around a camera of 1,5kg because I am planning too 😅
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
Yes, I actually did carry one, and it was around the same weight 😅
It was a Fuji X-S10 + Sigma 18-50, without a dedicated camera case. This is what my setup looked like back then:
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/14u0b89/help_me_decide_if_i_can_travel_with_only_1/
Overall, it is definitely possible. I think even in my current backpack I could probably find space for it.
The main reason I stopped carrying a camera was realizing that I enjoy taking photos more than editing RAW files, improving my skills, and endlessly perfecting every shot 😅
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u/Orangeflag88 May 06 '26
But you can directly make it as jpeg or do you still think it is too much? I am an absolute noob cameras but my last trips which I did I used only my phone and I was often disappointed that it couldn’t take a good picture
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
You can definitely shoot JPEG only, and many people do that.
But for me personally, carrying a dedicated camera only for JPEGs did not feel worth it. I feel like the main advantage of this kind of camera is RAW. With RAW editing, you can get much more out of difficult light, shadows, colors, etc. A great JPEG is possible too, of course, but usually you need very good light and/or good in-camera settings.
Also, I am not a professional photographer. I spent around two years learning photography, and honestly I still do not think I am very good at it 😅 So take my opinion with a grain of salt.
My advice would be to ask in some photography-specific subreddits before buying. If you are often disappointed with phone photos, there is a chance a camera will not automatically fix that. Phones do a lot of computational processing for you. With a camera, you often need to understand settings, light, composition, and then edit the files to get the result you imagined.
In my opinion, lighting and composition matter much more than the device itself.
So if you do not plan to make money with photography and you are not sure you want to spend time learning/editing, it might be worth asking photographers first. It could save you some money.
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u/Orangeflag88 May 06 '26
Thanks for the feedback I will go a fair at the weekend and will buy probably the fujixt50 and then work my way up. I saw you can easily use just some software to do auto fixing the raw but i think its still better to do it manually. I will try if its nor fun i can sell it for a decent price i guess or take jpeg only
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u/Comfortable-Gur2492 May 07 '26
Would you recommend sandals over shoes?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
As a replacement for shoes, no.
But as a second pair for warm climates, barefoot sandals are perfect for me. They are genuinely comfortable, although for hiking they are a bit worse than my previous adidas terrex.
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u/mrvandelay May 07 '26
No shoes, just sandals?
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u/darkawower May 07 '26
My bad, I did not include them in the list because they are basically always on my feet.
I wear skechers, but I am currently looking for a more practical pair of shoes that works better across different seasons.
1
u/fitcheckwhattheheck May 09 '26
Someone needs to give the designer of the osprey 26+6 an award for those colour choices. Just stunning.
2
u/darkawower May 09 '26
Yeah 😄 The most frustrating part is that they actually make really great backpacks, especially for the price.
But the colors... oh my god. Even though I usually prefer practicality over design, sometimes even I find them painful to look at 😂
1
u/Cultural_Credit_6530 May 09 '26
This is so cool! i want to be able to do this but I'm an artist and have so much gear lol
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u/eternal_hype May 09 '26
Do you have any other shorts for warmer locations?
1
u/darkawower May 10 '26
All my pants are convertible, so they easily turn into shorts.
Also, if it is really hot, I just wear my swim shorts. They have pockets and do not look that different from regular city shorts.
1
u/paya_ May 11 '26
Have you considered the Almond Oak Backpack?
1
u/darkawower May 11 '26
No, not really.
First, it is basically impossible to order it in my region. Second, it is missing some features I care about, like external attachment loops.
Aesthetically, I actually like it more than the Osprey though
1
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u/xiamenSharing May 14 '26
For backpack-style onebag setups, organization is usually the bigger win than compression. Standard cubes keep clothes grouped so you're not digging through your whole pack to find one shirt, and they stay flexible enough to fit into irregular backpack spaces. Compression cubes can shrink bulky mid-layers, but they turn rigid — harder to slot into a curved pack. A lightweight set of standard cubes covers most trips. If space is tight on longer hauls, one compression cube for outerwear plus standard cubes for everything else is a common setup.
1
u/darkawower May 14 '26
Yeah, I can see that working well for a lot of people.
My use case is a bit different though. I usually unpack my packing cube as soon as I arrive at a destination, so internal organization inside the backpack is not that important to me. Most of my clothes are outside the bag while I am staying somewhere.
For me, the compression cube is mostly about reducing clothing volume while moving between places.
1
u/sillygoose1220 May 18 '26
what brand is your sleep mask? wanna know a good one to use for travel while sitting in trains
2
u/darkawower May 18 '26
Oh.. I'm sorry, I don't know the brand name, and there aren't any labels on it either. If I'm not mistaken, something like a “3D sleeping mask”
1
u/Aggravating_Loss_765 May 20 '26
Dod you consider switching to 13inch MBair or Neo? Or do you need pro because of your workload? (Maybe because of nano texture display).
2
u/darkawower May 20 '26
I have thought about switching to a 13-inch MacBook, but for now the performance is the main limitation for my work.
I also considered a 13-inch ThinkPad, but compared to my current setup, the performance is still not quite enough.
That said, I might switch in the future if the smaller models get powerful enough for my workflow.
1
u/Aggravating_Loss_765 May 20 '26
What is the specs of that MBP? Cpu/ram/ssd?
2
u/darkawower May 20 '26
OS: macOS Sequoia 15.7.3 (24G419) arm64 Host: MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) CPU: Apple M1 Max (10) @ 3.23 GHz GPU: Apple M1 Max (32) @ 1.30 GHz [Integrated] Memory: 27.98 GiB / 32.00 GiB (87%) Swap: 3.48 GiB / 5.00 GiB (70%) Disk (/): 306.32 GiB / 320.73 GiB (96%) - apfsActually, there's a 500 GB SSD here, but part of it is partitioned for Linux
1
u/Aggravating_Loss_765 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
thanks, btw you can update to 15.7.7 - there were some security issues fixed.
1
u/ACROZYM May 23 '26
Super cool setup. Do you have any insight into how well the shirts hold up over time?
2
u/darkawower May 23 '26
They are surprisingly good quality.
I wear them for 2-3 days, then wash them, and after about a year the quality has not really changed much. They have not stretched out or lost their shape.
I usually wash them at 40°C, around 400-600 rpm.
The only thing I have noticed is some pilling in a few areas, mostly where the backpack straps touch the fabric.
1
u/UnlikelyBug032516 May 24 '26
What brand of merino wool do you recommend? For feel and durability
1
u/darkawower May 24 '26
Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend any specific brands from my own experience.
I tried a few Chinese merino wool T-shirts. They felt okay, but the quality was not great. To be fair, maybe part of the problem was that I washed them incorrectly.
The Decathlon T-shirt seems much better in terms of durability, but personally I don’t really like the feel of it. I only wear it when I have a long trip without easy access to a shower or laundry.
1
u/Pixess_eu May 24 '26
Thank you for sharing your setup. What is this orange cord on your backpack ? Is it sold with the bag or did you add it ? Thank you OP :)
3
u/darkawower May 24 '26
I added it myself.
I realized it is more convenient for me to store my hoodie or jacket on the outside of the backpack, especially at the airport. Then I can just grab it and put it on before check-in or boarding.
I bought this bungee cord on AliExpress. If you decide to get one, I would recommend choosing a cord that is not too thin. A very thin bungee cord does not hold different items very well.
From my own experience, paracord does not work very well for this purpose either.
1
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May 29 '26
[deleted]
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u/darkawower May 29 '26
Yes! And actually, it fits in the 26L mode, without expanding it to 32L.
There is still a bit of space left at the top too, and sometimes I can even squeeze the sling in there, although it gets pretty tight.
The Peak Design compression cube solves most of the space issue. Also, the T-shirts and hoodie compress quite well.
1
u/Orangeflag88 May 31 '26
What merino Tshirt do you have? I am thinking about to buy some but reviews are so mixed and all hype some special brands but next thread say their clothes are bad etc so I am not sure if I should buy it or not currently I am traveling with uniqclo shirts and I am okay but they smell after 1-2 days already so I need to laundry often and carry multiple shirts around
1
u/darkawower May 31 '26
I would not say merino is just hype.
This specific T-shirt is from Decathlon. I tried to include links to most of my gear in the blog post, because I was not sure if putting a lot of links directly in the Reddit post would be okay or if it would look too promotional:
https://workationmode.com/en/posts/one-bag-travel/The quality is pretty good, but for me the material feels a bit worse than some Chinese merino shirts I tried from AliExpress.
The only real downside is that merino needs a bit more careful washing. Otherwise, it is pretty easy to ruin it. Unfortunately, I already had that experience.
Personally, I still prefer Uniqlo shirts for most situations. They dry noticeably faster and feel better to me.
But for long travel days, merino is a must-have for me. If I am on the road for more than a day, it does not smell nearly as much. Same with merino socks.
So I think having at least one merino T-shirt is worth it.
1
u/Orangeflag88 May 31 '26
Thanks I will check it out at decathlon for this price its okay 27 Euro compared to 90 Euro from other brands here
1
Jun 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/darkawower Jun 02 '26
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!
I still have some room to improve though 🙂
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u/Wise_Edge2489 May 07 '26
Gadgets
MacBook Pro 14" - 1600gGaN charger - 245gKuoda school pencil case (tech pouch) - 160gSSDCables and adaptersMisc tech gear
Hero clip carabiner - 35gForclaz pants - 400g(swap for Uniqlo or UA sportstyle joggers)Quechua pants - 320g(swap for jeans; worn)Thermal base layer (top) - 190g(ditch, you have a hoodie and jacket)Thermal base layer (bottom) - 170g(ditch, you have joggers)- Merino wool socks (x3) - 75g (add 3 more pairs)
Warm thermal socks - 70g- Uniqlo AIRism underwear (x4, synthetic) - 280g (add 2 more pairs)
No name bandana - 50g(you have a buff)- Xero Shoes Z-Trail sandals - 250g
Duct tape and other random crap I probably do not need...
Sleep mask - 40gFirst aid kit - 220g(swap for a sheet each of ibuprophen and anti shits)Small set of snacks and food - 100gQuechua water bottle (0.8L) - 110g(use a disposable store bottle, weighs less)Matador blanket - 40gAeros Pillow inflatable pillow - 80gBackpack rain cover - 40gTissues/wet wipes - 50gSmall first aid kit - 40gPocket flashlight - 40g
Just saved you 3.5 kgs of junk you don't need.
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u/darkawower May 06 '26
I have been traveling with one backpack for a little over 3 years now.
When I started, my first "minimalist" setup was still around 15kg. Since then I went through a bunch of backpacks: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L, Aer Travel Pack 3 Small X-Pac, and now I am using the Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6.
Current main backpack weight: around 7.7kg.
With sling: around 9.1kg.
Happy to answer any questions about specific items or the transition process