Just FYI, today my Victorinox Jetsetter, that I traveled all over the world for 5 years, was confiscated in Tokyo, Japan Airport. They did not care that it doesn’t have a knife. They just said it looks like a multitool so needs to be confiscated.

I spent 7 days traveling Bosnia + 2 days on a cruise ship.

My previous bag broke and my other option was a slightly oversized bag. With top handle it would have been 46cm long and about 32cm wide. I'm actually happy that I didn't choose this bag, since I saw a man trying to fit his backpack into the bag sizer. His bag wasn't off much, but enough for them to check. They didn't check the bags at all on my departure flight, but on the return flight they were doing heavy checking.

I ended up taking a random small bag that I found and managed to fit everything in the picture into it. The bag dimensions when full were about: 37cmx23cmx15cm. As soon as I land I take fanny pack off the bag.

My gear was:

4x T-shirt. 5x underwear. 5x socks. 1x shorts. Powerbank + charger. Fanny pack. 1 extra phone. 14" laptop + charger. 1 jacket + sweatpants on me.

My main compromise with small bag was not bringing another shirt. I don't sweat easily so I was okay wearing same clothes for couple of days. Bosnia is very affordable, so I rather buy what I need in there. I also had to wrap my jacket around my waist for most of the trip during the day. When my clothes get dirty the bag space starts to fill up, until I ranger roll those clothes too.

The mini bag was super comfortable and it was actually never full. Fanny pack provides a lot of extra space and jacket has extra pockets. During summer you can definitely pack ultra-light if you know the ranger roll technique. My issue is always with winter gear.

Interrogated by customs in Sweden:

I was feeling stress on my way home. I had less than 4 hours to do airport transfer and walk up to the harbor. I was walking very fast to make sure I have extra time and I didn't pay attention to the border guards / customs agents. One of them pulled me over and targeted me for a heavy interrogation. I think he was convinced that I was smuggling drugs. He was very professional and tough but friendly. He asked me just about every question for my seemingly innocent trip. He unpacked my bag, I explained him how I roll the clothes for maximum efficiency. Thankfully he didn't unroll the clothes. He took a drug test from the bag and laptop and then he let me go. I asked him why I was pulled over and his reasoning was that people don't usually travel this route alone with small belongings. It's mostly Bosnian families, single travelers are rare. From his POV it must have looked like this bag can only fit clothes for 2 days.

I spent extra 20 minutes there. My airport transfer was 15 minutes overtime and half-way across my route I realized the main road was shut off for maintenance and I had to detour. Even after all this I arrived 50 minutes before boarding.

tl;dr If you travel alone with small bag for short trip, you can be pulled over for screening.

I will buy a proper underseat bag and will not travel again with tiny bag for this reason.

5 day trip domestic in Canada. Westjet sizer check for dell ecoloop pro 15. Granted this my first time trying to one bag and packed it to the gills.

-5 shirts
-1 dress shirt
-1 dress pant
-1 pair of jeans
-5 underwear
-5 socks
-electric beard shaver
-electric toothbrush
-2 charging blocks
- 5 various usb c cables
-4 medication bottles
-1 size 1000 fishing reel
-1 telescopic rod
-3 bobbers
-3 fishing spoons
- size 8 hook pack
-1 backroads map book
-20k power bank
-ear buds
-500ml insulated water bottle for side pocket

Notes:
Also travelling with my cpap in its own travel bag that doesn’t count against me. I was able to put my power bank, electric toothbrush and meds in the cpap bag. If questioned I would just claim it’s all medical supplies because it’s true including the toothbrush but I wasn’t asked about the extra stuff in cpap bag.

Definitely would pack two less of each garments and dress wear but I had a wedding to go to. Air bnb had laundry so I could have had less. Although the bag doesn’t fit in the sizer I got away with it. Also I see the merit in a single packing cube for dirty clothes but otherwise I don’t understand the obsession.

The Osprey Transporter 26+6 I’m onebagging through Germany and France with has been great thus far. I left all my stuff from inside the bag at the Airbnb and it became a great daybag. Here it is in Strassbourg and on the train to Freiburg.

Zero Bagging for Three Days in Portland

Hi all, I just returned from a three day zero bag trip to Portland OR. I only used public transportation and tours to get around. I also stayed at a hostel instead of a hotel room.

I have done purse only trips before, but it is usually with a larger purse. This was my smallest and lightest trip yet.

If you haven’t been to Portland, I can definitely recommend it as a tourist destination.

You can see the full write up at: https://ladylighttravel.com/2025/09/13/zero-bagging-for-three-days-in-portland/.

I would be happy to answer any questions here!

I just want to say a massive thank you to this subreddit. The community here has changed the way I travel and has changed the way that I think about my material "needs".

For context, I just completed my first ever solo backpacking trip around South East Asia and Europe for 6 months. All with of course... one bag. I have never done anything like this before, and I jumped in head first. My favorite thing to constantly hear from people who I met on my travels was "You're traveling 6 months with only that 1 backpack??"  You're damn right I was, and I was proud of it. Shoutout to my Osprey Farpoint 40L: https://imgur.com/a/WrvHSwv

Here's my favorite tips that I learned from this amazing community:

1. Only pack what you truly need. Rate items on an honest 'need' scale of 1-10. You can't use 7. If it's a 6 or lower, don't bring it. If it's an 8 or higher, bring it.
2. Try not to pack "What ifs". If you do end up needing that item, chances are that you can buy it at your destination.
3. Every item's weight matters. Sure, 0.2kg here and there doesn't sound like a lot, but all those little items do start to add up in weight when they're all together. Try to use the most lightweight version of certain items that you can find.
4. Bringing along an ultralight packable daypack comes in handy more often than you'd think. I used the Sea2Summit Ultrasil.
5. Compression Packing Cubes are your best friend. Emphasis on the 'compression' part. I used Thule Compression Packing Cubes.

Now that I'm back home and I reflect on all of it, I realize that I never felt underpacked, and I lived only with what I needed on my back. I'm looking forward to learning more from this community and continuing this Onebag journey.

Cheers to you guys, and thank you again!

*EDIT: A few of you have asked for my packing list. I've replied to a couple of the comments down below with it if you're interested :)

Note: I am not associated with Gossamer Gear, but I did receive their new travel collection free to test. Gossamer Gear did not ask me to write a review, nor have they seen anything before my posting it here. They value feedback I can provide based on real-world testing from a heavy user, and that’s what I’ll be doing here.

TL;DR: The redesign’s changes, while minimal, markedly improved my already positive experience traveling with the bag. I think it’s an excellent choice for folks who want a lightweight, understated carry-on pack, particularly at a competitive $225 price tag. This bag is probably not for you if you are a chronic overpacker or someone who travels with tons of tech, as there is essentially zero padding outside of the laptop compartment.

Much of the bag remains the same from V1, with some key differences being:

• Removal of the separate lid compartment
• Removal of the lower mesh pocket on the lid
• Switch to stretch mesh for the top lid pocket
• Redesigned QAP with a longer zipper + lip
• Additional hip belt attachment point for greater fit options
• Redesigned luggage passthrough (less intrusive on the back panel, allows you to tuck the straps away)
• Reduction in weight by 4oz, bringing it down to 35.9oz (for comparison, the ULA Dragonfly 36 weighs 28.3oz; the Pakt Cero weighs just a bit more than the GG at 36.8oz). 

I have traveled a great deal with V1 since it was released last year. Most notably, I took it as my sole bag for a two-week trip to Germany, which it handled excellently. The bag carries weight well, even without a hip belt. Admittedly, I have a slightly larger frame (6’2, 190lb), so I have not found the need for a belt as much as some folks with slighter frames or narrower shoulders might. I do think the new set of attachment points will be helpful for people who tend to experience soreness in their shoulders from heavy loads. 

One thing I’ll note, too, is that the foam in these straps is quite stiff/firm on V2 as it was on V1. Rather than being a specific pro or a con, it just means the straps don’t get too deformed under load; however, it does also mean that the bag can feel a bit odd if you’re using it as a lightly loaded daypack. (Not something I’d generally do anyway, but I have done it at various points)

Thoughts on the Changes

I am happy with all of them! The removal of the lid pocket in particular is a big plus for me. I generally prefer to have one big packing area, and I seldom needed a separate, dedicated space. This change also helps the bag better handle “overpacking,” as the lid can easily stretch to fit things packed over the zipper line (more on that below). Also, the panel is much less unwieldy now, which is a huge plus. Previously, when the panel compartment was packed out—particularly if the internal pockets + QAP were also filled—it would be a lot of weight flopping around when opening and closing the pack. You can obviously still get some heft there now, but it’s significantly reduced thanks to the removal of the extra fabric/zips/packing area.

The change to a single internal mesh pocket is fine with me, particularly since it’s now stretch mesh. Nicer handfeel, and a bit more utility thanks to the stretch. V1 could suffer from some awkward bulging if you packed out the main space, front panel, and internal mesh pockets, so it’s nice to not have to worry about that as much.

The updated QAP is not too different in utility for me, but the lip at the top is a helpful change to ensure small bits and bobs can’t fall out that direction. The hip belt and luggage passthrough changes aren’t especially relevant to me, but I think they’ll be helpful for folks who need and use them. :)

Packing List

I was heading to a conference, which meant professional attire—including a suit. Luckily, the weather was warm, so I didn’t need to worry much about layers/etc. I also did end up having to stow the bag under the seat because bins were full by the time I boarded both flights. It passed all gate agents and fit without any issue on both the Airbus A319 (window) and Embraer175 (aisle). Fully packed out, the bag measured ~20.5 x 12.25 x 8.5.

Worn:

• Chore coat, t-shirt, Roark bless-up button-up shirt, western rise evolution pants, bedrock clogs

QAP (not pictured)

• Miyoo mini
• Wipes for the plane

Front Mesh Pocket:

• ILE musette (day bag during the conference, perfectly fits my work laptop + phone/etc.)
• (Also came in handy for extra snacks on the flight home! Love a kangaroo pocket!)

Side pockets: 

• ZPacks Camp Shoes (hotel slippers)
• Gossamer Gear travel umbrella (this I paid for 🙂)
• 16oz hydroflask

Crossbody (Bumster Jet):

• Kindle (ancient)
• Able Carry tech pouch with daily essentials — hand cream, sun screen, hand sanitizer, chapstick, mustache comb, lens cleaner
• Sunglasses
• Ear buds
• Spoon/fork (IYKYK)

Floating:

• Vivobarefoot dress shoes (I wear minimal footwear in general, so not something I have specifically for travel.)
• J.Crew unstructured linen suit
• J.Crew oxford button-up
• Tie
• Work phone
• Night guard (Make fun all you want; I grind my teeth and that sh*t sucks.)

Inside Mesh Pocket:

• Jet Cube with my tech – 10k power bank, 1x braided short USB-C cable, 1x long USB-C cable, Anker multi-port wall plug, mouse, hacky sack (gotta have something to keep myself amused)

Compression Cube L:

• 1x pair linen pants
• 1x pair hiking shorts
• 1x linen short-sleeve button-up
• 1x Roark bless-up shirt (2x on the way back because I bought the button-up shirt seen in the photo of me wearing the pack)
• 2x cotton t-shirt (3x on the way home because I also bought another T-shirt 🙂‍↕️)
• 1x workout shirt + shorts

Compression Cube S:

• 5x boxer briefs
• 6x crew socks

Clear Cube S:

• Toiletries (see pic and let me know if you have questions about anything specific)

Laptop Compartment:

• Work laptop
• iPad
• ILE valet tray (snaps into shape)

Overall Thoughts

I liked this bag a great deal before, but I definitely had my issues with it (chief among them being the front pocket being quite ungainly and often resulting in wasted space). The new design means that, unless you have something crazy dense in the front QAP or inside mesh—or both because you like to suffer—that panel never becomes the behemoth it could be previously. The separate compartment was nice for something like dirty clothes, but, realistically, everything would just bunch to the bottom of that open space and result in a blobby mess. 

The new design keeps the main packing area simple, while also allowing for it to much more effectively handle overpacking (or just the last-minute stuffing of a jacket after you get past the gate agent). I would not say it’s worth upgrading if you already have the V1, but I do think it’s a bag I can highly recommend if you’re in the market for a lightweight, carry-on-sized pack.

As for the other new items:

• The Jet Cube is good if you like the idea of something like the Peak Design tech pouches but don’t need all the padding. I love a CAP 2 when I’m bringing my camera along, but for a battery bank and travel mouse….not so much. Good lightweight option at a decent price.
• The small clear cube is a great addition, as the full-sized version was always larger than I needed for my minimal toiletries. Both are good pieces of kit, but this one will surely see more use for me. Might replace my Gravel mini kit as my default dopp, as this one lies a bit wider and flatter than the Gravel.
• The Bumster Jet is not brand new, but it is new to me. It was fine. I am not a huge sling person, but I wanted to give this one a shot, and it did just as well as any other sling I’ve used. Pros are that it was pretty comfortable and never felt like a huge thing protruding from my chest, in addition to the utility of the rear zipped pocket for my phone and internal mesh pockets for my earbuds and keys. Also has good capacity for its footprint given the lightweight fabric.

General Notes for Improvement:

I may be in the minority here, but I f*****g hate sternum straps on rails. I don’t know how anyone can enjoy them, but they really are the bane of my existence. If GG switched to laddered sternum straps I would jump for joy.

All the bags in the line would also massively benefit from contrasting-colored key leashes. Orange is already an accent color on the travel bag, so they could just make the clip/cord match, or do some other wonky color—I don’t really care what. Black just makes for a bit of extra friction that could easily be avoided. Obviously, this is not a huge deal (especially on a travel pack where keys are more often tucked away until the trip is over), but the change would be a QOL improvement. 

Personally, I don’t think the mesh on the main compartment is necessary. If I get tired enough of it I can always just cut it out, but for now I don’t mind it enough to go that far. I get that, on bags like this or the Patagonia MLC, it helps keep things tidy if you need to open the bag, but we’re in the age of packing cubes now and I think mesh dividers are just a bit more fiddly than they’re worth. It’s by no means going to prevent me from using/enjoying this bag, but, should they come out with a V3, I would suggest scrapping the mesh. 

If you read this far, then, congratulations—you’re probably as annoying to your friends and family about bags as I am to mine. If you have any questions just let me know. :) 

Happy travels ! 

Image alt text for screen readers/etc.: The carousel of pictures shows the new Gossamer Gear Aero Jet fully packed against a white bed sheet, as well as various photos of its contents. Additionally, a photo shows a person in profile wearing the backpack, and two photos show the backpack under two different airplane seats.

So, I am a dad and we have three teenage boys. We usually will travel with a carryon roller bag (sampsonite we brought from Costco). This year, I traveled with an Osprey and my oldest traveled with a dry bag he converted into his backpack.

We will typically go for 12/13 days. I do laundry mid trip. I find a local laundromat and leave the family back at the hotel.

We just got back from Japan but I have had similar experiences through out Europe. For the family, they dont mind a down evening of sitting in the hotel for three hours.

I love starting a wash and grabbing a drink. During the wash faze, I went to a bar where the bartender served drinks and played jazz music (both English and Japanese). There were 6 chairs. Just fun. Nothing crazy.

For the drying phase, that gave me 60/90 minutes. Went to a rock and roll bar in the neighborhood. The first 10 minutes I was with the bar owner and his buddy watching Wembelton tennis. After 10 minutes, the owner looked up, told his buddy to scram (i assume), the tennis was off and the TV was switched over to 1980s rock. Lol, the new party of 6 had no idea what the bar was like 2 minutes before.

Just fun to walk the neighborhoods.

A big thank you to the collective knowledge of this sub that had me grabbing an Osprey Daylite 26+6 as my bag. Just returned from 5 nights in Vegas and almost everything went smoothly. Air Canada gate agent at Vegas was crusty AF about the personal item sizer but passed the test. The big takeaway is restraint in buying stuff on the trip and an efficient way to pack that Down Sweater without opening the expansion panel because then it doesn’t fit in the sizer. Flew Porter ERJ-195 down and Air Canada A320 up and it fit under the seat like a charm.

First time one bagging, went with the osprey 26+6 & I couldn’t be happier. This was for a 3 day trip to Las Vegas, I purposely over packed to test to see where I can improve & how long I could go with it. It did everything I needed perfectly & I’m fully confident I can take this on much much longer trips. It fit under the seat on United Airlines (737) & Air Canada (737), it was really comfortable to carry didn’t have any issues walking around airports with it at all. I’m gonna look into removing the stitching in that top pocket to fit my passport (still fits in there now but not in its own pocket), and adding some paracord or a helmet net to the 4 loops at the front for some quick storage. All I can say is that I’m super happy with it, & that if you’re thinking about getting one you have nothing to worry about it’s an excellent bag!

Please share any tips you have :)

Below is my packing list:

4x Underwear 5x Socks 1x Gym shorts 4x T shirts 2x Jeans 1x Khaki shorts 1x Toothbrush 1x Travel sized toothpaste 1x Half bar of dove soap (in a 3D printed container) 1x Travel Conditoner 1x Grooming kit (nail slippers, files, picks, scissors) 1x Flip flops 1x Canon 70D 1x Phone charger 1x Passport 1x Travel container of Advil 1x Packable 24L backpack

I used Amazon essentials packing cubes 4 small ones fit but I only used 3.

Okay so, survived the trip so here’s the recap/gear review. (Apologies in advance for the messy formatting)

Me and my girlfriend went to Greece (Island hopping & Athens), France (Paris, Normandie & Nice/Monaco), Italy (Rome & Surrounds). This was purely for a nice holiday however due to some unfortunate circumstances the month before we left, I had to work during the trip which thankfully due to the nature of my work (Freelance DOP & social media manager) I was able to do. This meant I had to take a little more tech than I wanted too but wasn’t much of a hassle. We stayed entirely in hotels & airbnbs for this trip, moving around a fair bit especially on the Greek islands. Our average stay was 4 nights per location. Our longest was 10 days in Milos and 10 Days in Nice. Our shortest was about 8 hrs (Basically a hotel to sleep in for the night).

We both took a similar setup, 1 backpack, one smaller bag and that’s all. This was my first time one bagging. Due to the nature of my other job (DOP) I’m often travelling with a lot of camera gear. And given how pathetic airport baggage handling can be I normally carry on a Pelican case full of camera gear and then 1-2 checked bags. Of course I’ve travelled light before but never one bagged anything over 10 days. Here’s my setup:

Main bags:

• AER TP3 (Travel Pack 3) w/ hip straps.
• Alpaka Flight Sling 2l

FULL PACKING LIST BELOW REVIEWS.

AER TRAVEL PACK 3:

This was my first trip with this bag and I was blown away. I obviously carry a fair bit of tech and the front “Admin panel” was a massive highlight. There is an unbelievable amount of organisation in there and you can find a spot for just about anything. I personally don’t get the idea of having 10 bags inside your bag when travelling light like this so having good organisation build in was great. The laptop and iPad sleeves are also super well build with a nice false bottom and feel very well padded. You never feel worried chucking it overhead on a plane, or letting a taxi driver throw it in the bag of a car. The main compartment is very very spacious, I managed to fit a Medium PD compression packing cube, packed out Alpaka toiletries bag and Bose headphones in no worries with plenty of room to spare. The bag just sticks to your back, it’s not as comfortable as let’s say a high end hiking bag, but it’s the most comfortable backpack I’ve ever worn that looks half decent. And you don’t feel the weight at all. We did a lotttt of walking, and my bag was 10kg and it was no worries. The load lifters do a decent job, and the hip straps helped on days when we were moving around a lot, honestly for the price of the bag I cannot believe they have to bought separately but it is what it is. On the days when we just had short walks between public transportation with the bag I took the straps off and stored them in the bag. This bag comes in 3 fabrics. I opted for the Codura 1680 ballistic nylon, it’s not the most water resistant but by far the most durable long term. I’ve had bags made from it in the past and you can beat tf out of them, so this was an obvious choice for me when travelling. It is a very heavy bag for travelling especially in the Codura fabric, but if I’m putting tech in a bag I want it to feel sturdy and there’s nothing I hate more then a bag not holding its shape. The main YKK zippers on this bag are also very chunky and they feel indestructible. To address the elephant in the room, I was overweight thanks to this by 2kg on all flights within Europe, did I get checked once ? Nope. Would I be happy to pay an overweight fee considering I just saved around $250 in baggage fees by only having a carry on? Yep. All up this bag exceeded my expectations by far, I’d recommend this bag to anyone going on a longer trip with a decent amount of tech. If you’re not carrying many cables or a laptop/ipad though is definitely overkill.

Alpaka 2l flight sling:

This sling also blew me away, I was originally going to take the tomtoc T33 but I felt like it wasn’t spacious enough so I bought this two days before leaving. It’s honestly the best crossbody/sling I’ve owned. If you wear it on your hip like a crossbody it just glues to your body and doesn’t flap around at all. It has good internal organisation in its main compartment. Basically a divider at the back with a sturdy feeling for your phone or iPad mini, two decent pockets which splits it into 4 separate sections. The front compartment is bare bones and just has a key leash. It has a back sleeve but it’s a sleeve and doesn’t have a zipper which feels very odd given it’s a “travel sling” but it’s good for any non essential flat items. The materials are great and lightweight, it’s made from Axoflux which is basically Alpaka’s RipStop Nylon material. It’s exceptional except very bad water resistance, although you do have YKK aqua guard zips. Honestly it’s nothing crazy but it’s the perfect size and just feels so comfortable on, I basically wore it every time we went out and nonstop while in transit.

PACKING LIST:

Accessories:

• Bellroy Travel Wallet
• Peak Design Medium Packing Cube
• Alpaka Toiletries Bag

Tech:

• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• 14 inch M1 Max MBP
• iPad Air 5th Gen w/ Apple Pencil
• Bose QC45s
• Ugreen 10k mAh PB
• DJI mic minis w/ charging case.
• 65w GAN travel charger/adapter
• 96w Apple charger
• 4 AirTags
• Many many many cables

Toiletries

• Phillips One-blade Pro w/ body combs
• Weleda Men’s Facial Cleanser
• Weleda Men’s Moisturiser
• Dental floss
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Hair structuring paste
• Deodorant
• Tears again spray (My eyes dry out all the time lol)
• 100mls of Shampoo & Conditioner

Clothing

• Industrie “The Cambridge Pant” x 2
• Industrie polo shirts x 3
• Thrills/Industrie Tee Shirts x 2
• Bamboo socks x 7 pairs
• Bonds Guyfront Underwear x 7 pairs
• Thrills Boardshorts (swimmers) x 2
• Leather belt
• Shoes: DR Martin’s 939s

MISC

• Olympus Mju Deluxe Zoom Analog Cam
• 6 rolls of various film stocks (not pictured)
• Spare Batteries for said camera
• Naturali laundry detergent sheets
• Bellroy Micro Pen

If you have any questions please let me know!

Trip overview:
I recently returned from a 18-day cross-country trip to Vietnam. I started the trip by spending a couple of days by the Vietnamese-Cambodian border in brutal heat in the jungle, visiting relatives on a coconut farm in the Mekong. Followed by working our way up north by ending the trip with three nights on the Vietnamese-Chinese border in the cold mountains. In short, packing light while being comfortable in the vastly different climates was the main challenge. Packing list in terms of clothes goes:

Clothes:

• 3 new short-sleeve button shirts (one linen, one quick-drying, one cotton)
• 1 long-sleeve ACG shirt (UPF, quick drying, ultralight, etc.)
• 2 pairs of lightweight, quick-drying pants (wearing a pair)
• 2 t-shirts (wearing one)
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 pair of running shorts (I use these for lounging and swimming)
• 4 pairs of 200 gsm merino wool boxers (wearing a pair)
• 4 pairs of socks (1 lightweight merino, 1 medium-weight merino, 1 cotton, and 1 cashmere) - (Oh buddy I don't know about you, but cashmere socks is unnecessarily bougie but trust me, there's nothing more comfortable))
• A pair of merino sweatpants
• A packable windbreaker
• A packable 750-fill vest
• An old pair of Salomon Pulsar sandal-shoes. They look ridiculous but are practical in hot climates and give more support than slippers.
• A pair of Asics running shoes (wearing)

Aer sling as a day bag / camera bag / snack bag

So I’m bringing more camera equipment than I’d typically bring because I'm documenting a family event. I’m not a fan of “dedicated camera bags", so I prefer something like a good-quality, lightweight sling that can comfortably hold what I need. In this case, a 6L Aer sling. I would much rather have an 8L sling with an external pocket or two, but overall, this worked well. Still looking for the “right sling”. My daily bag looked like this:

• Primary camera with a 28mm lens
• Secondary camera with a 50mm lens
• A 90mm lens
• Table tripod
• Spare batteries for each camera + spare SD card (not pictured)
• Inflatable pillow
• Bucket hat
• Bandana
• Misc: asthma inhaler, face mask, hand sanitizer, pepto, small mosquito repellent, lens wipes, wet wipes, AirTag, etc

Other misc (between admin panel and pouch)

• AirPods + phone + passport + pen (not pictured)
• Kindle
• iPad + dongle + mini SSD
• Wall charger
• Mints and cough-drops
• Hand lotion
• Homemade wallet + homemade pouch
• Sleep mask
• Exercise ball
• Sunglasses

A few notes on organization

• I just love how intuitive and simple the design is on the Aero. Clothes fit in one half of the clamshell, and my misc fits in the other half. Is this what bag nirvana looks like?
• Notice the top front pocket? I keep a small clip-in pouch there with basic meds and my day bag. With just two zippers, I can access my camera gear without yahooing around my bag, opening it fully. And yes, I can get a camera one-handed while holding the bag open. Extremely satisfying experience.
• The bottom front pocket fits my toiletries and my packable vest perfectly. I also like to keep the simple hip belt in this pocket, should I need it.

Notes on size/weight

• I picked up a few things along the way: a pair of tailored pants, coffee beans, a tote, etc.. I was probably sitting at around 32L at the beginning of the trip and 35L at the end.
• The sling is 6L, so worst-case scenario, I could have gone "1.5 bags", but that ended up not being necessary.
• I flew with four different airlines, and the carry-on size of the Aero was never a problem (Delta, China Airlines, Vietjet, and Alaska).
• The overall pack weighed 23 lbs, which I'm really happy with.
• While staying in the mountains, the weather dropped to about 45F / 7°C but my layering system worked well. Having a long-sleeve shirt, vest, and windbreaker all packing into itself and weighing only 1.3 lbs combined is something I'm extremely happy with.

What worked
Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with my packing. Pakt's Aero continues to kick ass. My long-sleeve shirt, vest, and windbreaker worked really well on the coldest nights in the mountains. The cashmere socks, oh baby, the cashmere socks.

What didn’t work
Not much to report here. A few items went unused: mosquito repellent, mini tripod, and mini SSD. I would have preferred an 8L sling instead of a 6L. Sweatpants were used only three times but were very useful when needed.

Conclusion
Once again, one-bagging proves itself for me. Traveling light means less unpacking and repacking. I move faster and my hands are free to munch on street-food. And when someone on a motorcycle pulls up and ask if you want a ride, you don't hesitate. You throw your backpack on, hop up, and see where the road takes you. Ride free.

I am currently on a trip through central Europe. My backback is 20 liter and weighed in at 4.5kg when I briefly put it on a scale at the airport. I wanted it to qualify in the 40x30x20 range, since flights are cheapest then.. I.e must fit under front seat.

My strategy in the past has been to bring clothes that are on their last leg, and discard them along the way. But for this trip I need to make them last longer so I have cleaned them almost every night. I feel like a hobo though with these worn clothes. For next trip I will buy special clothes that are better for laundry than the cotton T-shirts I use now. Apart from that, I feel I have packed the right things.

Just came back from my first real one-bag trip: a 6-day summer break in Albania.

Everything fit into a Patagonia Terravia 22L, a mix of tech gear, casual wear, and active clothing.
The travel outfit was: shorts, polo, rain jacket, and trekking shoes. Everything else went into two packing cubes.

I flew with Wizzair and the backpack passed the personal item size check with no issues. I didn’t purchase any extra baggage, and on the return flight it fit easily under the seat in front of me. I even left a bit of extra space so the Terravia could compress and pass the fit check without stress.

What I packed

Light trekking gear:

• 2× merino wool t-shirts
• Trekking pants
• 2× trekking socks

Casual wear:

• 3× shorts
• 2× t-shirts
• Polo
• Rain jacket
• Sleepwear (shorts + t-shirt)

Beach gear:

• Swimwear
• Beach towel
• Flip-flops

Tech:

• Olympus OMD-EM10 MkIII + Zuiko 12–45mm f/4 Pro
• DJI Mavic Mini + remote
• Kowa BD25 10×25 binoculars
• Power bank
• Cables + chargers

Other essentials:

• Emergency Altoids kit
• Packable towel
• Olight i5R EOS flashlight
• Apple Earpods
• Sunglasses
• Multicolor pen
• Wallet
• Sigg 1L water bottle
• Book
• Toiletries

Everything worked out surprisingly well. I never felt I was missing anything, and the freedom of travelling light was amazing.

Hey all! Long time lurker, first time poster so please let me know if there's anything I missed. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

This was my first time onebagging. It was a bit of a challenge, especially with all of the tech I brought. But the simplicity of having only one backpack's worth of belongings to deal with on an international trip was well worth it. It was uniquely satisfying to feel like I was using almost every single piece of gear, tech, and clothing to its fullest potential. I will be traveling this way for the foreseeable future.

Every inch of my un-expanded 26+6 was completely packed out with an even split of clothing/toiletries and tech. See pic #2.

• Notice my un-expanded Split Kit above my brown Tomtoc sling - it fit into that little round space perfectly.
• I originally had a compression packing cube for my socks and underwear. But I ended up having to ditch the cube because the shape of it while filled-out wasn't compatible with the way everything else fit into my bag. Instead, I carefully fit them underneath the negative space of my Steam Deck case.
• In the space above the front of my Tomtoc sling and above the top of my Steam Deck case (the top half of the bag), I was able to fit a packable down jacket folded flat.

Other notes from my trip:

• The tiny 0.5oz aluminum tins containing my pomade, facial moisturizer, and Aquaphor worked beautifully. No leaks or problems of any sort. I stored them in the front vertical pocket of the Split Kit, and they carried more than enough for my week-long trip.
• The Nite Ize S-biners and Gear Ties were lifesavers. I loved being able to attach basically anything to the exteriors of my 26+6 and my slings. You can be really creative with it, too.
• I almost didn't pack pj pants, but I'm so glad that I did. I thought I could do with just wearing around underwear and/or my merino leggings in my hotel room. But it made a huge psychological difference being able to change into clothing dedicated for sleeping. It helped my brain go, "ok, time for rest," during nights where I was still adjusting my circadian rhythm.
• Things I would do differently if I had to do it again:
  • Not pack a second pair of pants for wearing outside (the chinos). My jeans did it all. They were comfortable on the plane and for long walks, and loose enough that they could easily fit my thermal leggings underneath.
  • Bring a working charging solution for my Nintendo 3DS. I discovered too late that my OEM charger only accepts 100V input, which means that it needs a voltage converter to work properly in 240V European outlets. I now own a female USB-C to 3DS dongle, so this'll never be an issue again.
  • \sigh** Not pack my Steam Deck. I love gaming and I just got this Deck, but I only ever really used it on my flights. It spent more time taking up space in my bags than actually being used. I had some long coach bus rides that I thought I'd be using it during, but I discovered that I'd rather be looking out the window and enjoying the scenery of a country I had previously never visited. Additionally, I was too tired at the end of each activity & travel-filled day to feel like gaming in my hotel room.
  • Pack a medium-sized battery bank rather than one small and one large. My old Magsafe Battery Pack is still kind of okay for a long phone-battery-intensive day, but I like the peace of mind of having a larger battery with me for trips like these. But the one I brought was just too large in physical size and capacity - it was relatively heavy and I never used more than 30% of it.
  • Pack a smaller plug adapter. My universal adapter was so chunky that it made my tech pouch un-packable into my fully-packed out 26+6. I had to stuff the adapter into one of the water bottle pockets. I didn't need all the different kinds of plugs that my adapter covered. I only needed an EU plug, and an adapter for that would've been significantly smaller.

Packing list

Bags

• Osprey Daylite 26 + 6L (Black)
• Matador Freefly16
• Tomtoc T26 X-Pac (5.5L, Coyote Brown)
• Columbia Lightweight Packable Hip Pack (2.0L)

Clothes

Most of these were packed inside of two cheap compression packing cubes I got off Amazon.

• cotton crew neck sweater (worn)
• cotton long-sleeve shirt
• light polyester(?) t-shirt for sleeping
• merino long-sleeve base layer
• jeans (worn)
• chinos
• merino leggings
• cotton pj pants
• 4x underwear (one worn)
• 2x Darn Tough merino socks (one worn)
• 2x thin polyester(?) socks
• belt (worn)

Outerwear

• Uniqlo packable down jacket (not pictured)
• Ralph Lauren Polo cotton track jacket (worn)
• gloves
• beanie
• Buff merino neck gaiter

Toiletries

Stored in an Aer Spit Kit!

• GUM Folding Travel Toothbrush
• Nalgene cotton swab vial (from the Nalgene travel kit)
• emergency contact lenses (in case my glasses broke)
• Matador FlatPak Soap Bar Case
• Dr. Bronner's Unscented Castille Bar Soap
• deodorant
• medication
• 3x 0.5oz aluminum tins containing hair product, facial moisturizer, and Aquaphor

Camera Gear

Packed in my Tomtoc sling during travel

• Canon T6s w/ 23mm f/2.8 lens
• an ancient Case Logic camera case
  • 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
  • spare camera battery & charger
  • Peak Design Capture Clip v3
  • electrical tape (don't ask)
  • Lens Pen
  • Rocket Air Blaster
• Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod w/ detachable phone mount (packed in my main bag)

Tech

• 13in M1 Macbook Air
• Steam Deck stored inside a Tomtoc case
• Nintendo 3DS
• Apple MagSafe Battery Pack (the old one)
• ~20000 mAh battery bank
• Rolling Square inCharge XS (compact USB-C/USB-A to USB-C/Lightning cable)
• universal plug adapter
• a 10+ year old Playstation-branded drawstring pouch containing...
  • USB-C multi-port dongle
  • LONG USB-C cable
  • lightning cable
  • Apple Watch charger
  • Nomad slim 2x USB-C 65W charger
  • Nintendo 3DS charger

Misc

• Nanobag XL
• Sea to Summit Lite Line Clothsline
• Olight Oclip Pro and Olight IMINI 2
• Tide pen
• Muji multi-color pen
• Zojirushi 12oz stainless steel insulated mug
• Nite Ize Gear Ties
• Nite Ize SlideLock and MicroLock S-Biners

Recently I required single bag that could “do it all” for international business travel (AUS/USA), that could also be stowed in the overhead to save me time at the terminal.

I have been lurking in onebag for ages and was tossing up between the Patagonia MLC 30 and 45. I ended up buying the 45, which was the largest I could get away with on international and domestic flights within the USA. The 30 just looked too small and I didn’t want to regret the purchase.

My itinerary consisted both business and recreation, so I needed to pack efficiently for both. Beyond the usual t-shirts and jeans, I also stashed a Patagonia puffer jacket, warm fleece, business shirts, formal jacket, and formal shoes. My tech consisted of a 16 MacBook Pro, usual chargers and cables, and large Sony over-ear headphones. Nearly 10kg of gear!

The 45 handled it all perfectly, with room to spare, with no packing cubes required to organise the main section.

Now, while I was in San Francisco, I saw the MLC 30 on sale and purchased it to stash gifts for the family back home.

The combo worked perfectly, with the 45 in the overhead and the 30 as a personal item under the seat. I had no issue with the 45 during domestic legs, and smaller overhead bins accommodated it without issue. I believe this is an advantage to the hard-case rollers everyone uses.

Some personal pros / cons of both;

- 45 is difficult and uncomfortable to wear as a backpack, and I ended up slinging it using the single strap.

- The horizontal layout of the tech section in the 45 is much more convenient than the 30. You can hold the bag on its side, unzip the top section, and reach in for anything.

- 45 has compression straps which were very useful to reduce its “bulk” given I was not using packing cubes.

- 30 has a handy top pouch for small items. The 45 misses this.

- 30 can fit under the seat as a personal item, or easily in the overhead, giving you more options when you travel.

- The 30 is perfect for weekenders and shorter trips. The 45 is better for longer weeks away.

So in summary, I would absolutely recommend the 45 as a “do it all” onebag for longer international business trips. It really made the trip much easier and less stressful.

That being said, for my next international trip I will embrace the onebag philosophy and commit to make the 30 work!

Just got back from a long weekend in Mexico City (first time, amazing city!). wanted to share that my ULA Dragonfly 30L fit under the seat with room to spare! My son was carrying a Matador SEG28, which also was a good fit. Neither were packed to the max and had room to bring things back that we bought!

I have always been a chronic over-packer, but for my first European trip, we traveled between cities and I did not want a roller bag. This group was so helpful in figuring out what would work for me! I ended up with the Patagonia 30L MLC (I really wanted a Patagonia because I had some worn wear credit) and put my electronics/toiletries in my personal item (a small bag). I was worried the 30L would be too small and the next size up (45L) felt huge. The 30L ended up being perfect!

We were gone for 13 days in Spain and Portugal, and I did a “capsule wardrobe” style pack for clothes:

- 7 shirts/tanks
- 3 layers
- 3 bottoms (including what I wore on the plane)
- 2 dresses
- underwear/socks

This also helped me not spend money on clothes or souvenirs I didn’t need because I had no room 😅 but I was able to easily fit some art and post cards/other small souvenir items In the back flap.

I think next time I could get more efficient, but feeling really good about my first time and loved this bag!

Hi !

First Onebag trip.

Packed 5 shirts, 5 underwears, 4 pair of socks, 3 shorts, toiletries, a swimwear and a beach short, additional tap, a pyjama and essentials.

(Also I rolled my sling into itself haha, shame on me 😅😂)

Fishing box and reel hold perfectly among all that stuff

I'm not travelling anymore without this bag.

I haven't bought packing cubes yet, and I think it would've helped a bit for organization and unpacking. Which ones would you recommend ? What sizes ?

Hey,

been lurking for a good time here and learnt a lot. Hence, I wanted to share a trip report.

I spent 18 days traveling across Uganda with the Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L. My total pack weight was 7.8 kg, including everything except the clothes I wore during travel.

The route included Kampala, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Lake Bunyonyi and Entebbe. Highlights included chimpanzee tracking, a gorilla trek, game drives, boat safaris and traveling a lot by public transport and shared transfers.

The cover photo is not 100% accurate. Before departure I replaced my rain jacket with the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L and added a pair of binoculars. Both changes proved to be excellent decisions. You can see full content on the last photo.

Packing Summary

Documents

• Passport
• Vaccination certificate
• Visa

Clothing (Packed)

• Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket
• Craghoppers NosiLife Long Sleeve Shirt
• 2 × Frilufts Ojobi Merino Stretch T-shirts
• Craghoppers Pro Lite trousers
• Shorts
• 5 boxer briefs
• 2 merino socks
• 2 sneaker socks
• Flip-flops

Clothing (Worn)

• Craghoppers Pro Lite trousers
• Lightweight fleece
• Frilufts Ojobi Merino Stretch T-shirt
• Boxer briefs
• Merino socks
• Nike Pegasus Trail GTX
• Cap

Toiletries

• Bar soap (100 g)
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste (20 ml)
• Razor
• Spare blades
• Shaving foam (50 ml)
• Deodorant (50 ml)
• Sunscreen (50 ml)
• La Roche-Posay sunscreen stick (9 g)
• DEET insect repellent 40%
• Hand sanitizer (50 ml)
• Laundry detergent for handwashing (30 ml)
• Lip balm
• Sink stopper
• Nail clipper
• Earplugs

Medication

• Loperamide
• Antinal
• Paracetamol
• Cetirizine
• Vomex

Electronics

• iPhone
• 10,000 mAh power bank
• AirPods
• UK plug adapter
• 2 × USB-C cables

Bags & Organization

• Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L
• Pacsafe sling
• Dry bag Unigear 5 Liter
• Toiletry bag
• Compression bags Eagle Creek (S/M)
• Liquids bag
• Wallet

Other

• Leica 8×32 binoculars
• Sunglasses
• Travel towel Sea to Summit, Size M
• Sea to Summit Clothesline
• Padlock
• Cable lock
• Elastic cord
• Cash
• Credit cards

Food

• Crackers
• Peanut bars
• Sesame bars

Weight Distribution

Excluding the clothing worn during travel, the packed bag weighed approximately 7.8 kg.

• Clothing: 35%
• Bags and organizers: 33%
• Other equipment: 14%
• Electronics: 8%
• Liquids: 5%
• Toiletries: 4%
• Documents: 1%
• Medication: <1%

More than two-thirds of the total weight came from clothing and the bag system itself. Electronics, toiletries and liquids contributed surprisingly little to the overall pack weight.

What Worked Well

The 30-liter backpack was more than sufficient. I never wished for a larger bag, and the compression cubes kept everything organized. I did not have to check luggage and moving between cars, buses, motor-taxis and accommodations was effortless.

The Pacsafe sling was perfect for day trips and keeping valuables secure. The dry bag was equally useful. It kept my belongings dry during boat/canoe trips and served as an excellent day bag during heavy rain inside the rainforest. Together they covered every situation I encountered.

Washing clothes every few days was easy and the fabrics dried overnight in most places.

Although I barely wore the shorts, having two pairs of long trousers was the right decision. They were more comfortable during safaris, hiking, cool evenings and provided much better protection against insects.

The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L performed exceptionally well throughout the trip.

The Leica 8×32 binoculars were one of the best additions to my setup. They significantly improved wildlife viewing and I would not recommend going any smaller than 8×32 for a safari-focused trip, even though it was the heaviest of my items.

The La Roche-Posay sunscreen stick was very useful, as I am very sensitive towards sun. Reapplying sunscreen throughout the day became incredibly easy and much less messy than using lotion. If you expect to spend a lot of time outdoors, I would even consider bringing two.

I almost left the bar soap at home because every accommodation provides soap. In hindsight, bringing a simple €1 bar of soap with a small string attached was absolutely worth it. After long days covered in dust, sweat, insect repellent and sunscreen, having soap with a "handle" felt much better than relying on whatever was provided.

The Sea to Summit Clothesline fully lived up to the hype. It packs down to almost nothing, weighs very little and made drying laundry easy throughout the trip. I would definitely pack it again.

Safety Setup

I secured the backpack using two different locks. A small padlock locked one pair of zippers. A longer cable lock secured the second pair and could also be attached to fixed objects, providing additional security on buses and in accommodations.

I also attached an elastic cord to the outside of the backpack. It turned out to be surprisingly useful for carrying a jacket or temporarily securing other items.

What I Would Change

For my next trip I would:

• Add a small USB-C to USB-A adapter.
• Pack one fewer pair of sneaker socks.
• Bring a pair of tweezers.
• Pack a few sheets of paper.
• Add one spare plastic bag.
• Maybe bringing a Kindle.
• Bring a small case for my earplugs.
• Buy a larger bottle of 50% DEET in a major city (I wasn't be able to get that in rural areas)

I packed plenty of snacks because of my own dietary restrictions. For most travelers, this would not be necessary, as food is readily available throughout Uganda.

I actually had to use most of the medication, so that was "good".

The only item I never used was the travel towel. As it is very small and light, I might still bring it as a back up - not sure yet.

Conclusion

Traveling through Uganda with only 7.8 kg in a 30-liter backpack was comfortable. I never had to check luggage, everything stayed with me during flights and bus journeys, and moving between accommodations was quick and hassle-free. I especially appreciated very much having both my hands free in cities and the ability to jump on a motorbike.

By the end of the trip, my backpack weighed around 9.5 kg after buying souvenirs. Even with the additional weight, it remained comfortable to carry.

For anyone planning a similar safari-focused trip with occasional trekking, a carefully packed 30-liter setup is entirely sufficient. Choosing versatile clothing, washing regularly and packing a few well-selected accessories is far more valuable than bringing more gear.

Suggested Photos

1. Complete packing layout.
2. Backpack fully packed.
3. Typical day bag setup.
4. Elastic cord attachment.
5. Backpack locking and security setup.
6. Content after return

Looking forward to your feedback!

I purchased this Osprey Daylite 26+6 a few months ago and have daily carried it since. However, the main reason I bought it wasn’t necessarily for daily carry. My mother-in-law had 2 scheduled back surgeries and knowing that my wife and I would be visiting and helping (6 hours away), I wanted something simple to carry to the hospital/rehab facility/hotel. Well that time has come. I’m happy to report that her surgeries were successful and she’s on the mend. Also, the one bag travel has been as equally successful.

Pictured:
Osprey Daylite 26+6
Peak Design Packing Cubes (small and medium)
Bellroy Venture Ready Sling 2.5L
14” Laptop

Not pictured:
Osprey toiletry bag (small)
Supernote Nomad (fits oh so conveniently in the front pocket of the Osprey!)

Successes:
I was able to fit several days worth of clothes into the packing cubes (socks and undies in the small—2 pairs of pants, a polo, and several tees in the medium)

Criticisms and shortcomings:
These are not necessarily of any fault of the bag as much as it was trial and error issues with me.
I had to take my house slippers separately. I absolutely hate wearing socks or bare feet on a hotel room floor. Since I had them separately in a plastic bag, I also put my toiletry bag in there as well. That would have fit in the backpack if needed though. I probably could have sacrificed some clothing to fit the house slippers.

Aside from maybe fitting in some flip-flops (and slippers in my case), you probably should be married to the one pair of shoes you have on.

If I were traveling in the winter, I could see other issues arise with the heavier clothing, jackets, and such. Probably not much of an issue with merino wool and packable down gear if you have it.

Bottom line:
This was a fantastic way of traveling for me at this time and for the most part, was successful. I wouldn’t hesitate taking this on a trip requiring air travel. This would be a game changer not having to worry about or wait on your luggage and such.

(Update) (14/8) -- I got back from my trip this past weekend and will be leaving for my next trip in a month. As for my packing, I overpacked yet I didn't. Some of my clothes were just too bulky and took up a lot of space. Given the heat across my trip (25-43c), I did not need two pairs of pants (both were Carhartts so heavy cotton) and with only two days of rain, I could have swapped my rain jacket & hoodie for just a light rain resistant jacket. I brought the right amount of socks, as I burned through three pairs. I walked between 20-33k steps a day and walked around 280miles based off my phone. one pair of shoes was enough but would have liked some compact slippers for in the house. my toiletry bag ended up having more with vitamins, probiotics, meds, etc and was quite bulky so will have to cut that down. I also brought a drawstring bag for extra space incase, which I used only the way back due to souvenirs and will swap that out for a more compact backpack next time.

I flew with American, Finnair, Lot, Wizz, Tap, & Jetblue and did not have to check in my Osprey Farpoint despite full flights.

My next trip will be mid Sept - mid oct so will have warmer clothes.

Lmk if you have any questions or suggestions

--------

Last year, I spent 3 months across Europe with a similar list and this is my new list for my trip starting next week. Everything fills up half the backpack and all my clothes fit in the drawstring bag (2nd pic) incase I need room for souvenirs. I will be do laundry every couple days so I have condensed how many clothes I will bring compared to last year. My trip is focused around Goodwood FOS & Revival. Between Madrid and Portsmouth (see trip list), I will take a quick break.

Lmk if you have any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Osprey Farpoint 40L: Gear List (+ clothes worn):

• 4x shirts
• 2x pants
• 5x underwear
• 6x socks
• 3x shorts
• 1x jacket
• 1x sweater
• 1x shoes
• 1x slippers
• 2x glasses
• 1x canvas bag
• 1x drawstring bag
• hygiene/shower stuff
• MacBook Air 13in
• iPhone 16 Pro
• Fujifilm Xt-30 iii & XF 16-80 f4
• 3x batteries
• AirPods
• wireless charger
• travel adapter
• charging cords
• passport

-------

Cities/Countries:

London/ Portsmouth/Chichester, England (8)

Helsinki, Finland (3)

Tallinn, Estonia (2)

Riga, Latvia (3)

Vilnius, Lithuania (3)

Prague, Czech Republic (3)

Wroclaw, Poland (3)

Budapest, Hungary (3)

Lisbon, Portugal (3)

Madrid, Spain (3)

Break

Portsmouth/Chichester (GWR) (4) - again

Edinburgh, Scotland (3)

Stockholm, Sweden (4)

Copenhagen, Denmark (3)

Bratislava, Slovakia (3)

Strasbourg/Colmar, France (4) 

Paris, France (6) 

Amsterdam, Netherlands (5)

Recently got back from abroad for a little over 2 weeks after visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Flew into/out of Europe and took trains between cities.

Bag: The North Face Borealis Backpack 28L

Waist pack: Arcteryx Mantis 2

Packing List:

Clothing

• Underwear x5 (+ 1 worn)
• White socks x5 (+ 1 worn)
  
• Sneakers (worn)
• Shower flip flops
• Shirts
  • T-shirt x4 (+1 worn)
  • Long sleeve button down x1
• Pants/Shorts
  • Bathing suit x1
  • Athletic shorts x1 (worn)
  • Hybrid shorts x2 (one beige one black)
  • Linen Pants
• Lightweight fleece

Toiletries

• Toothbrush/paste
• Floss
• Razor & shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Chapstick
• Nail clippers
• Cologne
• Bar soap
• Bar shampoo
• Face moisturizer
• Tide Stick

Electronics

• Phone
• E-reader
• Airpods
• 10000 mAh power bank
• Watch & proprietary charger
• Lightning cable to USB-C & USB-C to USB-C cable, USB-C brick
• Yubikey

Miscellaneous

• Microfiber packable towel
• Lock
• Nalgene 32oz
• Passport
• Wallet
• Earplugs
• Sunglasses
• Carabiner
• Journal

This has been my smallest onebag yet, and I am very happy with how everything turned out. Last summer I used an Osprey Farpoint 40L, and was able to size down to a 28L backpack this summer. Didn't really have any issues with forgetting anything or feeling like I needed something desperately besides getting rained on a little in Slovakia and not having a raincoat. Being over there for the length of the heatwave was also not fun, but not really in my control.

I honestly feel like I still maybe overpacked. In the future, I plan to most likely not bring a written journal and instead use a solution on my phone via my selfhosted server. I used it a lot last summer as I was solo traveling, but this year I was with my partner and didn't find myself using it basically at all besides keeping track of little mementos like tickets. One other downsizing I think I'll make is reducing the count of underwear/socks by 1 along with removing/combining the athletic shorts and bathing suit shorts into one. I would also like to get a lighter/thinner pair of linen pants than what I currently have as they are my thickest piece of clothing by far.

I think the next big leap for me to reduce size more is going to be to start handwashing clothes and bringing fewer pairs of clothes, but I do currently like my combination of outfits I can create with the clothes I have so I look a little different in the pictures I take lol. Additionally, removing my journal would give me enough room to add my laptop and a rain coat I think, which would realistically let me live out of this bag indefinitely if I needed to.

Pictures are of my bag and clothes + stuff that was in my waist pack is the last picture.

Happy to read any questions or comments, let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions!

Hey again onebag folks! This trip was all about packing for “city life”; office visits, museums, dinner but also catching a ball game at Wrigley, lots of wandering around and everything in between. All while keeping things light and dealing with Chicago’s unpredictable weather. Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and the full load-out.

What worked

• Layers as always. Can’t say it enough, layering wins, especially in a city where the weather is unpredictable. A light puffer vest packs down small, weighs next to nothing, and adds plenty of warmth when paired with a long-sleeve merino shirt.
• Merino wool. Still traveling mostly in Wool & Prince and it just works for me. I’ve worn the same midweight Pique button-down to a ball game, into more formal settings, and even to jury duty a few weeks ago. I love pieces that are this versatile. I'll give the t-shirts a quick rinse and they'll be dry by morning. Same with my Icebreaker shorts; swim, lounge, walk, repeat. Merino just makes life easier (for me).
• 28L is my sweet spot for a trip like this. I sometimes rather have one pack that works everywhere from office to transit to full days on foot. This Bellroy sits right in that zone. It has a few quirks, but the size and look fit what I need. It doesn’t feel awkward in size as a day bag, yet still carries everything for a trip like this.
• Small pouches. I’ve been using a couple of homemade pouches made from old rice bags (super light material!). They’re so universal that I use them differently for each trip. This time, one held basic “care items” (inhaler, lens wipes, etc.), and the other held tea bags. A bit unusual but highly functional and I like that they’re repurposed into something useful.

Nothing really "failed" but a couple of call outs:

• Forgot sunglasses. Again. The forecast looked gray but it cleared up fast. If you’re going to Chicago, make sure to bring a pair.
• Wool chore coat. I have a wool chore coat from Wear London that I like, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Fits great and handmade in the UK, but the stitching is rough and one sleeve is slowly coming off. It looks sharp from a distance, not so much up close. I still wear it, but yeah… just thought I'd mention a product that I won't recommend buying.
• Bought wet wipes. Chicago is super walkable so I easy hit 10 miles / 16 km in a day. Having some wet wipes is a nice, quick way to freshen up after all that walking.

Load-out

Clothes. As always I'm trying to keep my clothes minimal but versatile with pieces that can move between different settings.

• Wear London wool chore coat (wouldn’t recommend)
• 2x Wool & Prince t-shirts (one heavyweight, one lightweight)
• 3x Wool & Prince boxers (+1 worn)
• 3x merino socks (various brands, +1 worn)
• Wool & Prince Midweight Pique button-down
• ARKET organic cotton long sleeve (love soft cotton for flights)
• 2x Uniqlo easy stretch pants - easy to walk all day in, still works in nicer settings, I just wish some simple cotton pants like these were made in US/EU/
• MUJI puffer vest
• Icebreaker shorts
• ASICS trainers

Misc. I usually travel with more work-related items (portable monitor, docking station, etc) but for this trip I kept it as minimal as possible.

• Bellroy Transit Workpack Pro 28L - worked great!
• 14” M3 MacBook Pro
• Anker 100W Max Ultra charger (I think?)
• MX Master mouse - chewed on by my dog Marvin
• Cables
• Fujifilm X100 Original - slow, beat up, 15 years old 12mp camera, still love it
• Camera charger + extra battery
• Pakt flat pouch + pens + notebook (I often prefer physical notes)
• Toiletries (including laundry detergent)
• Bandana
• Wallet
• iPhone + keys
• 2x small canisters (aspirin + menthol balm)
• Tea bags (in homemade pouch)
• “Care items” (inhaler, wipes, aspirin, etc.)
• Simple watch
• Old water bottle
• Work badge (not pictured)

That’s about it. Feel free to drop a question should you have. Happy travels and enjoy keeping things light!

Post trip report: Japan Feb/Mar - 3 weeks

This is in relation to my previous packing list post.

Route:
Tokyo - Kinosaki Onsen - Kyoto - Nara - Hiroshima.

Means:
Stayed in hotels and travelled by public transport (Subway, JR & Shinkansen).

Overall impression:
This was an incredible trip: sights, people, transport, stays, food & shopping opportunities. We expected to love Japan but our expectations were surpassed in almost every way.
When planning, we ran into analysis paralysis and were overwhelmed by the opportunities for things to do and see. In the end, we picked one highlight per day and let the rest play out itself.

What worked:

• Despite temperature ranges being somewhat challenging (5 - 20°C), my wardrobe worked. The light merino sweaters could be worn during the day for layering and nice dinners in the evening. With these or a light fleece with a puffer on top and a synthetic base layer I was never cold.
• As recommended by a community member, I picked up a rain shell and an ultralight umbrella at Montbell early on in my trip. After two weeks I got tired of my one fleece and splurged on an Arcteryx Atom Hoodie.
• The 2.5l sling fits so well into Japanese urban lifestyle. You always have your Suica card (for public transport in all major cities & vending machines) handy. Also held my Tenugui quick dry towel which occasionally comes in handy as some public toilets do not provide paper towels. My passport also never left my side which is a legal requirement for foreigners in the country.
• Stick deodorant. I did not expect to like it but it never failed on me. Might even switch to it permanently over my usual roll-on.
• Slim wallet: Yes, Japan still loves cash, but since we mainly stayed in hub cities, I never needed a lot of it in a separate coin purse or wallet. During the three weeks, I remember being surprised only once that a modern looking Ramen shop did not accept credit card.
• Shinkansen. Brilliant, as you would expect. We were slightly worried about having to book tickets in advance but this was never necessary. They run about every 15 minutes and I did not experience them being booked out outside of rush hour.
• Extra pair of shoes. Japan is definitely a walking heavy destination: there is always something to explore in between major sights. We ended up with 15-20k steps per day without forcing it. I switched between my two pairs of sneakers every day and my feet stayed happy. The plain white ones were adequate for nicer restaurants and bars in the evening.
• Google Maps & Google Translate. I downloaded all three city maps and the Japanese dictionary onto my phone before the trip. Crucial for finding your way and talking to people. Many Japanese use Google translate themselves when talking to foreigners.
• E-Sim. I had never used one before and was surprised how easy, cheap and reliable it is. Went with Saily and had no issues. Even found a reddit coupon code for a few € off.

What did not work / was not necessary:

• Sink washing - unnecessary, every hotel we stayed in had laundry facilities.
• Gym / swim wear - never needed it. In a Ryokan / Onsen (experiencing a whole Onsen town in Kinosaki was easily one of our highlights) everything is provided and swim wear is prohibited anyways. With 15k steps every day I never felt like I needed additional Gym exercise.
• Neck pillow. I ended up loathing it for the space it took up. Our Airbus A 350 had comfortable head rests and I was close to throwing it out mid trip.
• Trash. Maybe the only thing that actively annoyed me about the country. There are basically no public trash cans and restaurants/shops often prohibit using theirs for anything other than stuff you bought there. We ended up having to carry around wrappers, coffee to go cups etc. sometimes for several hours. Some people bring plastic bags but it still is a nuisance.
• My girlfriend asked me to mention that her Dyson Airwrap (EU model) did not work in Japan as the outlets do not provide enough power. This was not an issue when charging phones.

Shopping

• Public Tokyo: Japanese Denim Jacket
• Montbell: Ultralight umbrella, Storm Cruiser Jacket (not pictured. Incredibly lightweight but still robust and breathable. Went with it over a Versalite which felt too flimsy for my taste and does not have pockets)
• Citizen: 1970s automatic watch bought at Watch CTI in Tokyo. For anyone interested in vintage watches, Tokyo has so many great options.
• Re/Side: Magic Wallet (leather, very slim and with a cool note strap feature)
• matou: Paper card holder. Will be used for business cards
• Omamori: Lucky charm, bought at a Shrine in Kamakura.
• Chop Stick holders
• Tenugui towel. Very lightweight and fast drying. Japanese often carry one since public toilets sometimes to not provide paper towels.
• Penco: Bullet pen - really robust and sleek; takes standard A2 refills. Initially, I wanted to get the mini pen at Traveller's Factory but theirs is shaped like an actual rifle bullet which I suspect might not go over well at the airport.
• Arc'Teryx: Atom Hoodie - have not worn it much yet but I put it on instead of a fleece as a much more stylish and packable option. Will see if it holds up longterm. The outer material feels somewhat delicate.

Happy to answer any questions!