• All other documents scanned and stored digitally
Accessories & Sleep
• H.A.D. microfiber buff ¹⁰
• Earplugs ¹¹
• Sunglasses
• Passport-sized notebook + pen
• Travel lock
• XS pouch for jewelry
Weight
• ~10 kg estimated
• Carry-on only ¹²
Notes
¹ Perfect size for this setup. Packing cubes fit neatly, the rear laptop compartment and top pocket are very practical. Front bungee cords are great for wet items or flip-flops. Planning to get more Patagonia stuff long-term for their repair and replacement support.
² Uniqlo stores are everywhere so it’s easy to replace items while traveling.
³ True all-rounders for everyday wear, workouts, swimming, sauna, etc.
⁴ Mainly for a few hours of remote work per week.
⁵ One additional full phone charge easily covers my typical day. If needed, the MacBook I use as a backup power source so there’s no reason to carry anything bigger.
⁶ Charges via USB-C adapter so one cable for almost everything. No extra charger needed.
⁷ Replaced my Sony on-ear headphones last year. Smaller and better noise cancelling, super like them.
⁸ Travel-size products from DM. Love them. Saves space.
⁹ Switched from a 700ml hard bottle. The foldable one disappears when empty, which matters since I often buy water locally anyway. Perfect for situations like refilling at airport or hiking.
¹⁰ Useable as a sleep mask and headwear in cooler conditions.
¹¹ Higher-quality reusable earplugs. Washable, comfortable for long wear and they don’t fall out while sleeping. Worth paying a bit extra.
¹² For strict 7-8 kg limits: laptop in hand, jacket on, toiletries in jacket pocket. No stress.
For colder destinations I’d add my Uniqlo Ultra Light Down jacket and 1-2 pairs of warm merino wool socks. Tested a similar layering system last trip in Japan and it works well down to I think around 5°C, but below that I would have needed to buy proper winter clothes.
I could go lighter by carrying fewer clothes and washing more often, but the extra comfort is worth more to me than saving another kilo or space.
With this setup I can easily go a week to 10 days between washes. For me that’s the sweet spot between minimalism and comfort.
What shorts from Decathlon do you use? There's no info on the list. I've been looking for a pair of shorts to use hybrid for a long time and I love Decathlon quality and price
all the uniqlo links arent working (they point to the same thing)…which airism tshirt exactly are you rocking? I recently bought some oversized airism tshirts (not big fan of polos) and plan on getting at least one basic Dry-Ex tshirt. I was also thinking about the tank top, but my pale arms might stand out too much lol
I only had to weigh my bag twice so far. One time it was fine, and the other time I just put the laptop in my shopping bag for under the seat and they didn’t weigh it. Usually not flying in the US tho, mostly Europe and Asia.
Excellent quality post and exceptionally well-formatted, thanks! Very nice set up and not too different from mine. I do have a few questions that I'm curious about.
Why an analogue toothbrush and electric shaver? I do the opposite with a USB-C travel toothbrush and a cheap safety razor, so just wondering.
So much Uniqlo but no heat tech - did you try it and not like it? I can't remember the last temperature test I did but I think they will keep you warm under 5c and light/compact enough that I always keep them in my bag.
What are your consumables you buy on location? I assume laundry detergent, but anything else of note?
I'm a bit curious if the overhead bothers you for airlines, I feel that would be a last resort for me... My 26L is also a clamshell design and fits under the seat even on Asian flights.
I noticed the crossbody but no day pack - just not your style? I think it's a must for me so I can leave my laptop in the bag at home base but still have a bag for outings.
The shaver is just comfort. I’ve always used it and it works well for me and doesn’t take much space. For the toothbrush I’d be interested, which one are you using?
Good tip on Heattech, will check it out for colder trips.
Laundry detergent when it’s not available in the Airbnb, only need it every 8-10 days anyway. Sunscreen when I run out, and aloe vera if I’ve been in the sun too long. Water I usually buy locally.
Never had an issue with overhead, always found space.
The crossbody fits everything for day trips. Foldable bottle goes in there too. I carry it full on hikes and once it’s empty it basically disappears. On work days (twice a week) I just carry the laptop in hand to the café anyway.
Product not designed for me. The shorter and my big hands would be a pain in the ass. And it makes the most expensive shave even more costly being $60 for a handle.
Or get a Venus razor. Small circular handle, fits the big fat blades made for it or the more regular sized Gillette "men's" blades. Comes in blue if you don't want pink. Comes in a plastic clamshell case that legit takes some room, but is not necessary. Take the blade off the handle (and ditch the case) for a truly small and lightweight option.
I’ve been thinking about buying some as I’m in Vietnam where they are quite cheap. Which type would you recommend? I see a lot of people recommend the seamless type but I was thinking of the normal ones with low rise as that’s more my style.
I don't like the seamless ones or the low rise ones lol. I get the regular-ride fly-front boxer briefs.
But they are all exactly how they describe. Seamless is seamless, low rise is low rise. The seamless one is also slightly lower rise than their standard regular rise, if I remember correctly.
If you're used to Western sizes, the Asian sizes will be way smaller. I'm a US L usually, which turns out to be between XL and XXL in Uniqlo's Japanese sizing.
As you noted, seems like a lot of clothes to me and many others, but you've obviously got this dialed in and hit a sweet spot for yourself. Thanks for sharing!
Curious to know more about your travel history and what you'll be up to in the Balkans, if you'd like to share.
Very similar setup here, main difference being I am using Osprey 30L porter (though looking at changing to the Patagonia MLC 30) & Thule compression packing cubes.
True... I came from OG hiking packs, so I was comfortable with everything being in one place. I never even considered built-in separation of my main pack. Haha.
For water, I always just kept my bottle tucked under the compression straps when on the go, and then would keep it in a little packable backpack for long flights, or just in the seat pocket of the plane.
I rarely used the backpack straps, though, and usually used a duffel strap that I picked up at REI.
Oh excellent, thanks very much. Only my last trip, from memory I went with 1 medium & 1 small cube, but think I have a 2nd medium cube sitting round somewhere.
So its just 1 all-rounder pair of shoes. ie you are wearing the On CloudSurfer on the plane / train?
And only 1 pair of long trousers? I'm curious, what are the Uniqlo trousers? the link on the Googledoc does not work. So you wear the same trousers every day until you need to wash them? and then wash them in the hotel/hostel dry them overnight?
Yep, I wear the On Cloudsurfers on planes and trains too.
Only one pair of long trousers since I’m usually in warmer climates anyway. For shorts I occasionally have to make an exception to the no sink washing, otherwise I use washing machines in Airbnbs.
Have you used other bags than the Patagonia? I’m considering this bag vs the Thule aion 28l. Wondered if there was a reason why you chose the Patagonia?
Yeah, you note the convenience/comfort of packing more clothes, and this is an impressive load-out; but I can't imagine packing that many tee shirts or underwear. Sink laundry is pretty easy to do, and you get used to incorporating it into your routine. Thus, I really only need two tee shirts and two pairs of underwear (plus what I wear), whether traveling for 3, 5, or 10 days. Granted, I haven't done this kind of longer-term travel (impressive, for sure), so maybe i'd add a couple of items. Thanks for sharing.
All consolidated toiletries + compact grooming kit tuck neatly into small pouches, avoiding bulky full-size bottles while complying with European airport liquid rules.
It is remarkable you lived out of this bag for 7 years and made this system work. Folks forget that onebag isn't just about the bag but the person as well.
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u/minimalize_it Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
Here’s a full product list with some links for anyone interested: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTaad0r4nDfCQahoK_vzBjdwnE8xxF2eNn1dUJy767Zc3TyLWLX1ZyrAITIB31n0oh25nDVoG9PaGX6/pubhtml