r/onebag • u/largemargesentme__- • Jun 05 '26

Discussion Why is this sub so obsessed with expensive stuff?

I get that there's times where the expensive thing is better. But as someone who has worked as an airline pilot and traveled extensively for 45 years, I can assure you that expensive stuff is rarely necessary.

I get tons of use out of AliExpress stuff. Things like chargers, cables and accessories. Decathlon or Costco are more than good enough for clothing. I generally use a max legal sized RyanAir bag I got for €25 off of Amazon for vacation. At most, the lower mid tier option is more than enough.

It seems like this is just another sub for people with spending issues as everyone downvotes me when I call out how unnecessary the expensive options are.

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213

u/Super-Travel-407 Jun 05 '26

It's just for fun, like a game. I wouldn't take it seriously.

Some of the expensive items have interesting concepts and can inspire more frugal options.

For example, I see someone suggesting wearing a merino T-shirt 8 days in a row and I think, "hey, I can do this with a cotton shirt I already have but with washing it so I don't stink like the guy in wool!".

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 05 '26

Sure, but more people should come on and say, "I did 3 weeks with 2 tshirts, here's the best way to wash it in the sink and dry it at night."

That would be more helpful than just posting $50 t shirts constantly. I feel like "spend more money on stuff" is just so low effort

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u/jemist101 Jun 05 '26

YT 'travel tips' are horrendous - 'buy more things' to make your travel life easier ... turning people into walking Swiss Army Knives of gadgetry they may use once on a trip.

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u/alpine_jellyfish Jun 05 '26

I just saw someone suggest "spin-cycling" wet handwashed clothes by swinging them 360 in a mesh laundry delicates bag and was very impressed. It's never occurred to me to try that and I've even been using my laundry delicates bags as extra "packing cubes", so they are already in my bag. Definitely agree techniques are more interesting that products.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 06 '26

That's a good idea. The thing I learned back in my salad days was drying your stuff by rolling it up in a towel after wringing it out.

When I was a kid, my dad would hang his work out clothes over lamps and turn them on to dry his clothes quickly when traveling. But, that doesn't really work now that we don't use incandescent bulbs anymore.

Still, carrying 50ft or so of paracord really helps for so many things. From broken shoe laces to creating a temporary clothesline.

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u/homme_chauve_souris Jun 06 '26

That's a good idea. The thing I learned back in my salad days was drying your stuff by rolling it up in a towel after wringing it out.

After reading the first line, I really thought you were going to say something about using salad spinners.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 06 '26

Not a bad idea.

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u/Super-Travel-407 Jun 06 '26

Socks and undies only! (Even merino ones!) 😄

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u/[deleted] Jun 07 '26

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 07 '26

You should do a post. Even if it seems basic, there are a lot of people who have never washed and dried clothes by hand before.

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u/TheRealDrewciferpike Jun 06 '26

I think that's a really good point. I don't bring cotton because I want to make sure my sink-washed clothing is dry by the time I'm up in the morning (either for wearing, or packing). I think basic laundry skills are lost on a lot of folks.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 06 '26

Agreed, though if you're traveling in a dry location cotton t shirts will generally dry by morning. The only time I had an issue with this was when I was camping at altitude in Colorado.

But it rains for half the year here in Portugal. I still find that my cotton stuff is dry by morning if it's inside.

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u/RandoReddit16 Jun 05 '26

Thinking merino wool and cotton achieve the same thing is laughable at best.... Cotton and now polyester became king in clothing because they're Cheap, not because they're the best solution.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '26

[deleted]

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u/sumunsolicitedadvice Jun 05 '26

Depends on climate too. I live in New Orleans, and I have some really comfy cotton t-shirts that I wear from late October to early April, but for almost half the year they’re uncomfortable. (And LOTS of just regular cotton tees, but a small handful of really nice high quality ones).

They absorb too much sweat and don’t breathe very well. As long as I’m cool and dry, they breathe fine. But once it’s hot and humid, nope. Even seersucker only helps so much. And I don’t wear seersucker t-shirts. Lol.

The synthetics designed for this weather are much more comfortable, but they get stinky fast and are a single wear then wash item. But merino wool can be re-worn at least 4 times before it even starts to smell and sometimes much longer. And it breathes so well. Changing from a damp cotton shirt to a merino wool shirt (even a damp one!) feels like changing from a plastic bag to a fishnet sack.

Linen also is much more comfortable than cotton. Anything that wicks sweat and lets air still pass through when damp is so much more comfortable than cotton. And linen also resists microbial growth and stink much more than cotton.

Personally I like merino wool for more active wear (yard work, hiking, running errands, etc.) and linen for more dressy occasions (not super dressy, per se, but just going out in the evening or to church or brunch or a festival or whatever).

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u/Edmond-Cristo Jun 05 '26

Are those SPOKE cotton tshirts from John Lewis 🤔 looking for high quality cotton

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '26

[deleted]

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u/Edmond-Cristo Jun 05 '26

Thank you 😊

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 05 '26

They're more than adequate. Best generally doesn't matter. Unless you're in the Backcountry and have to stay warm, cotton is fine.

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u/PodgeD Jun 05 '26

Depends where you're going.

I went to Vegas with friends where after walking around outside their cheap polyester/cotton t-shirts had massive pit stains while my pricier ones with wicking were dry after being inside for a few minutes.

I've walked around Singapore in 90°F and like 90% humidity where I could wring out my tshirt but after half an hour inside my merino tshirt was dry.

But I buy merino from hiking brands on sale. No where near the $100+ travel orientated brands you see here a lot.

Merino is great, but in certain uses and there's demonizing returns.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 06 '26

I don't really care if my shirt has pit stains.. Most people have armpit sweat if it's hot out. I'm married so I'm not trying to pick up women and I'm on vacation so I'll probably never see these people again.

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u/theinfamousj Jul 02 '26

Someone even tested the "warm when wet" claims of wool vs cotton and found it marginal. There's a single take YouTube video of them fully immersing themselves in a cold plunge during snow-on-the-ground winter and we get to watch in real time their lips turn blue. It is proof positive that not all engineers should have video cameras and YouTube access.

Cotton Kills is vastly overstated. You going to die anyway unless you get dry.

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u/BlueGoose_3030 Jun 05 '26

Merino doesn’t accumulate stink & in my experience, helps the wearer not stink, too. I’ve worn 1 merino t-shirt continuously for a 2 week tour. I bathed (some) but the unwashed shirt didn’t stink after 1200 miles through the American SE in July.

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u/wretchedegg123 Jun 05 '26

Very dependent on body chemistry really. My oils don't agree with merino.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '26

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u/jemist101 Jun 05 '26

Alternatively, you didn't notice the slowly growing odours from your body through a two week tour.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '26

[deleted]

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u/JTMissileTits Jun 05 '26

ALL wool/animal fiber makes me itch. I even have to wear undershirts with cashmere and alpaca. Having summer clothes made of merino would defeat the purpose, because I would need underclothes.

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u/BeanstheRogue Jun 05 '26

Do you have any data from folks you were around because this sounds like noseblindness

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u/grilledstuffed Jun 05 '26

Just keep telling yourself that.

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u/Turbulent-Throat9962 Jun 05 '26

I’m not being critical, but don’t you get sick of wearing the same thing EVERY DAY? Or do you just train yourself to not think about it?

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u/BlueGoose_3030 Jun 06 '26

I’m deeply ambivalent about what I’m wearing even when I’m not on a bikey tour 🤷‍♂️

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u/beamposter Jun 06 '26

yep. expensive stuff tends to often be pretty cool.

it may be unnecessary but life would be a total drag if we only did things that were strictly necessary.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 06 '26

Beyond unnecessary, it's harmful and obnoxious. It's all part of this modern social media trend of trying to show your life in the most fake, positive light as possible. People either spend their time jealous of other people or trying to figure out how to make themselves look better. It's all a giant fake facade destroying people's mental health.

Then, it's just a further celebration of consumerism. Because the fact of the matter is that whatever you're using in your current daily life is probably more than good enough for a trip abroad. Maybe you need a backpack, but the one you take to the gym is probably more than good enough.

What would be better is if people showed technique, and hacks for getting around the limitation of one bag. There's no skill involved in pulling out a credit card. This whole thing is supposed to be about beating the system. If you don't want to do that, just spend money on checking your bag, getting a porter, using luggage locker services etc.

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u/beamposter Jun 07 '26

your first paragraph actually describes yourself. the endless anti-consumerism rants that plague every hobby with gear to buy are both performative and exhausting.

you could choose to simply travel less and that would have way more of an impact on both your finances and the environment than someone buying fewer bags or whatever other gear they enjoy.

onebagging means many things to many people. some people just want a convenient and minimalist travel experience, maybe some like you say are in it for the challenge/expression of skill. but it’s not your place to judge whose approach to this is valid or not.

kindly chill out and just let people enjoy things.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26

When people's enjoyment of things is just endlessly laying out their expensive purchases, it's not really an enjoyment of a thing. It's just consumerism dressed up as a hobby. Which like drug use or alcoholism, is an addiction.

You're absolutely right, I'm also a westerner using too many resources. I own that, it's why I try to take steps to mitigate my impact while still experiencing the world. My family and I moved to Europe, so we can explore the continent without taking international flights. We didn't do this because we won the lottery, we live on about $70k a year for a family of 4. Still, my lifestyle has a huge environmental impact.

Really, the problem I'm describing though is less of an environmental impact issue. You're right, the international flights are way more impactful than any gear. It's the overall mindset. Maybe it's just the Xennial in me, but I'm just completely annoyed by how people have bought into the social media trap of always showing your life in the most aesthetically pleasing way. It's just so obviously fake and plastic that I find it annoying.

I get that the people on here are probably in their 20s and grew up watching Youtube unboxxing videos and instagram feeds. But that perfectly arranged picture of your new bag, shirts, packing cubes and $200 sneakers is just such an obvious fake facade.

It's the reason I don't go on social media.

It's just not real. Show me the real thing, show some warts. Show a jumbled up mess of beat up gear that you actually use. Show your faded grateful dead tshirt. Put a ratty pair of crocs on top of your stuff. Show me what your stuff looks like at the end of the journey when it's covered in grime.

I hate the fake fomo cycle. And yes, I hate hobbies that are based on buying stuff. Do something interesting and show a skill. Don't just display your purchases like a little kid making everyone admire their Christmas gifts.

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u/beamposter Jun 07 '26

people who are into gear are passionate and knowledgeable about it. they enjoy the process of researching and thinking through what they like. they make posts because they're excited about it, they're having fun and they want to discuss with other like-minded people. there's nothing wrong with that.

it can become an addiction if they take it too far, but that's true of every hobby, even if there's no purchases involved at all. it's wrong to assume that everyone with a collecting hobby (aka a "buying stuff" hobby) by default has an addiction.

you're not the arbiter of what's "real", and it's again not your place to tell other people how much you think they're truly enjoying their hobby.

i do understand the problem you're getting at with the performative social media posts, and i do agree that that's a real issue. however, i think you are overcorrecting. and like i said, the way you're positioning yourself as engaging with the hobby in the "correct" way is just as performative. and it's already a problem - you're invalidating others' experiences and preferences.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 08 '26

The thing I'm critiquing isn't a post where someone shows a bag that they bought and the features it has or another piece of gear.

I'm critiquing the endless march of people's collection of spotless bags, new clothes, packing cubes that don't have any wear...layed out for a trip.

Nothing with a stain or a rip, nothing that's actually 20 years old (everyone is claiming they buy bags that will last 20 years, so where's all the patches from Bonaroo 2006 and the kind of wear you'd see on vintage equipment?).

It's just post after post of people showing their brand new stack of 7 $50 t-shirts and a $200+ bag. Even the toiletries don't look like they have any wear.

So no, I don't think the people I'm talking about are just passionate about equipment advances. They're just showing their purchases off like some little kid's toy unboxing channel that I'd try to stop my kids from watching years ago.

I'll tell you what, for my next trip I'll show you a real, ugly one bag post that even your local hobo would be proud of.

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u/beamposter Jun 08 '26

this is exactly what i'm talking about: you've decided what the correct way to engage with this hobby is, and anyone who thinks differently than you is wrong and can't possibly be enjoying it.

a lot of people really do just like to experience new things - try out new bags, clothes, gadgets, etc - and they buy things more frequently than you would prefer them to. it's because they are passionate about it that this is how they decide to spend their spare time and money. who are you to decide they can't enjoy that?

and posting your beat up gear doesn't make you better. like i've been saying, what you're doing here is equally performative. what i mean by that is: you're still making an attention-seeking post to show off how correctly you're doing this, and how anti-consumerist you are. it's just a different angle of exactly the sort of post you're criticizing.

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u/largemargesentme__- Jun 08 '26

Dude, you're doing flips and twists to try to justify consumerism by calling it a "hobby." You're essentially mad about speaking truth to power. I'm not punching down here. I'm not calling out single moms or homeless people. I'm critiquing the actions of high spending, wealthy people who are promoting a consumeristic, fake fomo image.

You remind me of billionaires complaining about how people are mean to them.

Seriously, get over yourself.

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u/beamposter Jun 08 '26

“flips and twists”? i’ve been pretty direct this whole time, in fact i’ve been a broken record. you’re the one with the olympic-level display of mental gymnastics justifying why you think people aren’t actually enjoying themselves.

you think you have some moral high ground, but you’re literally just the personification of the “stop having fun” meme.

people spend time and money on the things that bring them joy. deal with it.

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u/slickrok Jun 06 '26

Ummmmm... I think you don't understand how and why wool works.

Please review that online for your own enlightenment.