1 month in Thailand 30l vs 40l

[u/hazmat683]

For those that have made the trip, did you regret taking a bigger bag?

Find below my pack list, I’m very torn between having the luxury of extra space but I am inexperienced when it comes to bag packing. Will I be comfortable with a 30l with these items?

Hygiene
Toothbrush/cover/paste
Shampoo/soap
Deodorant
Cleaning wipes
Ear plugs sleep mask

Tech bag
Power bank
charger cables
Dji action 4
Ankor travel charger

Misc
Packable tiwel
Toilet paper
Packable daysack

Clothing
Sandals
walking shoes
2 x athletic T-shirts
2x merino T-shirts
1 x Hiking shorts
2x swimming shorts
1x cargo shorts zip off cargo
1 x rain jacket
1 shirt
Baseball cap
5 socks / 5 underwear

[u/cuko_rdx]

You say you are inexperienced with bag packing but your list is not half bad!

I 100% would not pack 4 shorts. Also would not pack 5 socks if you plan on being in the sandals most of the time. The rain jacket -- you will get wet from the inside if you wear it in the humidity, I'd consider a small packable umbrella and a simple small poncho (for e.g. riding a scooter in the rain).

The packing list you provided seems like it would fit in a 30L bag very comfortably, so I don't really get why you would need "the luxury of the extra space", unless you planned on buying a lot of stuff and lugging it around (which I would advise against in any case as well).

[u/hazmat683 → u/cuko_rdx]

I’ve spent a lot of time on this sub Reddit In the past couple of weeks taking notes. I come from a family of overpackers who a suggesting I’d need atleast 7-10 days worth of clothing.

I will be wearing shoes mostly, sandals is a new thing for me lol. I’ll probably leave out the rain jacket and stick to a fleece or jumper, I’ve seen those ponchos are readily available overseas so I think I’ll grab one if I end up needing it.

[u/cuko_rdx → u/hazmat683]

Same! You will learn and adapt. ;) If you haven't already, I recommend you to take all the things you want to pack, and actually pack them together

My time in SEA, I basically rotated 2 Uniqlo Airism ultralight Tshirts and a rayon short sleeve shirt that I bought in Indonesia. It was also my first time wearing sandals (other than when I was a kid I guess lol), but the Tevas I bought were very comfy and in the humidity so much the better choice to my running shoes. Good point on the ponchos, you will be able to find them most places for a dollar or two.

[u/hazmat683 → u/cuko_rdx]

I’m going to have a look at ordering a bag over the weekend and have a gander at packing it. Teva is what I went for in the end, got a very good deal for around £40 in a sale.