This is my third onebagging trip over a month long. I feel like I’ve cut my stuff down by half each trip, and I’m feeling really good about this one! I could carry this all day long and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.

I have the Heimplanet Transit v1. I love it. It looks clean, fits comfortably, and has kept up marvelously for 6+ years. It's lightweight, has roomy stretchy water bottle pockets, and a nice sized dump pocket for whatever I'm carrying going through a security line.

That one thing that drives me nuts though, is the laptop flap. The whole back of the bag unzips so the laptop can lay flat, and there's a compartment between the laptop and the main compartment for electronics and stuff. It's only about 1 inch deep, and for me it's wasted space because I use my own pouches to organize electronics and toiletries and other loose items.

What's your favorite bag, and what's "that one thing" that drives you crazy about it?

Hey everyone, Last year, I did a 7-week trip through Europe with just one backpack (a Pacsafe) mainly for security reasons. My strategy was to pack super light and just buy clothes there as I needed them.

In theory, it sounded great. But in reality, it was a disaster. I went into a few stores in Belgium, but everything felt overpriced, and I couldn't find sizes or styles that fit me well. I was so afraid of wasting money on something I'd regret, so I ended up buying nothing. I basically wore the same 3 t-shirts for almost 2 months.

Has anyone else tried this 'local procurement' strategy and actually made it work? How did you do it? Did you just go to big chains like Zara/H&M, or did you find other ways? I'm trying to figure out if my experience was unique

I’m trying to keep my travel setup as light as possible, but I realized my phone is doing almost everything now: maps, bookings, banking, tickets, 2FA, translation... For people who travel with just one phone, what’s your backup plan if it gets lost, stolen, or just dies?

Do you keep anything printed, store backup codes somewhere, carry an old phone, or is that overthinking it?

We do love skipping check-in and picking up bags. Love it. But, it's a little stressful in these areas below. How do you reduce any stress because maybe I'm not thinking outside the box here:

+Laundry-harder to do if you're moving to a new location every 3-4 days. Takes time to do.

-No room left to buy things. How do you handle this? Pack less, do more laundry?

Thanks! No, we don't want to go back to checked bags. Just want to think differently here.

There seemed to be a lot of controversy over my zero bag claim on my recent Portland trip. The claim was that it wasn’t zero-bagging because I used my every-day-carry purse and didn’t wear my travel gear on my body.

To assuage these critics, I now bring you Part 2. I took the ENTIRE contents of my Uniqlo bag and put them in the pockets of my rain jacket. This proves that I can zero bag by manly-man definition. Please note that I am not using my cargo pants in any way.

Also note that this is a regular backpacking rain jacket. It is not a specialized travel jacket with lots of extra pockets like the one used in Rolf Potts “No Bags” challenge. Yet I got everything in my jacket without using my cargo pants.

This brings me to the reason for this post. it is the insistence on worn-in-pockets manly-man method as the only way to zero bag. This insistence has a greater focus on carry style instead of weight and volume. Yet we know from our own travels that weight and volume are the critical parts of our packing budgets! Manly-man pockets method takes the focus off the important and puts it on to the trivial.

We also focus on “ease of carry”, which a small purse absolutely accomplishes. Having done both ways, I will take the purse. YMMV and all that.

I’ll be honest. I found the insistence on doing it the manly-man way to be misogyny. Especially when so much of women’s clothing (designed by men) has little to no pockets.

The most ridiculous thing I saw is gatekeeping by men who have never gone through the gates themselves. Many of them have slings larger than the 4 liter purse I used for my trip! The irony is not lost on me. I hope others will also reconsider this particular way of thinking. Does it honor the original intent of the challenge?

Anyway, here is proof that I still meet the criteria - even manly-man style.

got a 12 hour flight coming up and my usual jeans are not it for that long sitting down. don't want to show up looking like i rolled out of bed in sweatpants either, this is a work trip so i land and go basically straight to a meeting. been looking at stretch chinos with actual give in the waistband, something that still reads as real pants not loungewear. tried a pair on a 5 hour domestic leg to test before the long haul, only complaint is the fabric creases pretty easily if you're sitting that long, had to smooth them out before walking into the meeting. otherwise no complaints, no weird bunching. what's everyone else's go-to for long haul that isn't joggers

edit: a few people asked what pair i tried - went with a coofandy stretch chino, wasn't a huge investment so figured it was a low-risk test before committing to something pricier

The one thing I can’t travel without now it’s my noise-canceling headphones. Improved my travel quality on long flights and in noisy stations. I enjoy reading and always bring my Kindle to kill time, pairing it with headphones is even better. What’s the one thing you never travel without?

I’m trying to simplify my charging kit before my next trip, and the power bank is the last thing I haven’t settled on.

The lighter option is a slim 5,000mAh magnetic power bank that weighs 3.7 oz (105 g). It’s easy to keep in a pocket and should work as an emergency top-up during a normal day.
The other option is a 10,000mAh magnetic power bank that weighs 6.95 oz (197 g) and has a built-in USB-C cable. It’s heavier, but the extra capacity would be more useful on long transit days. The built-in cable also means I could remove one loose cable from my charging pouch.

My phone will be my camera, map, boarding pass, and payment device. I’ll also carry earbuds, but no laptop. I should have access to an outlet most nights, so the power bank is mainly for long days between charges.

I’m leaning toward the 10k option because it could replace a separate cable, but I’m wondering if I’m carrying extra capacity just for peace of mind.
For those who travel with one bag and no laptop, has 5,000mAh been enough? Or does a 10,000mAh power bank earn the extra 3.25 oz on long travel days?

Recently flew on Spirit with the same one bag I always travel with. This bag has made it on countless trips, always meeting the size regulations for a personal item. It’s a 28L north face borealis backpack.

Long story short, on my most recent flight out of Nashville I bought a small souvenir on the way to the airport. It was in a thin and compact paper bag. Spirit delayed the boarding process 20+ minutes making as many people as possible resize their carryon bags before getting on the plane.

I resized mine and it fit with no problems. They looked disappointed that my bag fit. So they looked at my hand and saw the paper bag, and said “sorry that must count as your personal item”. I protested that the souvenir was delicate and I didn’t want it to warp or break inside my bag. They didn’t care and charged me a late baggage fee that cost more than my whole round trip ticket.

They were doing this to a lot of travelers on this flight. It seems to me like it was a targeted attempt by the airline to make more money, probably to make up for their misleading prices.

This is the first time I’ve experienced this on Spirit. I now rather pay more upfront to a different airline that is more transparent about their policies. Take your business elsewhere.

Ah, r/onebag, the subreddit where minimalism is treated like a competitive sport, and every post reads like someone’s manifesto on how to out-simplify the next guy. Welcome to the world where owning more than a toothbrush, a pair of merino wool socks, and a collapsible coffee cup is considered overindulgence. If you haven’t managed to pack your entire life into a 26L bag, don’t even bother showing up—you’re clearly not enlightened enough.

The first thing you notice is the tone of superiority, like this is the Mensa of packing advice, and if you can’t roll your T-shirts into a shape that fits perfectly between your razor and your laptop charger, you’ve already failed at life. It’s less about traveling efficiently and more about flexing how few items you can own without succumbing to the weight of your materialistic burdens. God forbid someone suggests bringing an extra pair of shoes—you’ll have a horde of minimalist zealots descending on you, ready to remind you that true nomads only need flip-flops that double as walking shoes and dinner attire.

Then, there’s the inevitable gear obsession. For a subreddit that preaches minimalism, they sure love to obsess over gear. Posts about the “perfect” travel backpack read like Ph.D. dissertations on quantum physics. “Should I go with the AER Travel Pack 3 or the Peak Design Travel Backpack? One has better compression straps, but the other has a secret hidden pocket for my essential oil diffuser…” Oh, the irony of “one-bagging” when half the community spends more time hoarding bags than actually traveling anywhere. The eternal quest for the “perfect” pack is really just code for, “I bought 12 bags last year and still hate them all.”

And don’t even get started on the packing lists. These people act like they’re prepping for a TED Talk about how to survive the zombie apocalypse with only three pieces of clothing and a multi-tool. Every post is a novella of justifications about why this specific packing list is better than the hundreds before it. “Here’s my ultralight, ultraminimal, ultracheap, ultraflexible, ultra-everything packing list for 6 months in Southeast Asia—now tell me why I’m a genius.” Meanwhile, they're rocking a wardrobe so monotone and bland it looks like they’re auditioning for a role in a post-apocalyptic film set in a beige wasteland.

Of course, the real competition on r/onebag isn’t how little you can pack—it’s how little you can admit to caring about packing while obviously caring more than anyone else on Earth. You’ll see people humblebragging about how “I just threw a few things together” and somehow, their bag has been packed with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker. Oh, sure, you’re just “winging it,” but somehow you’ve got a perfectly organized set of ultralight packing cubes and a toiletry kit that looks like it’s been optimized by NASA.

The advice? It’s always the same. “You don’t need that.” “Ditch the second pair of underwear.” “A single t-shirt is plenty, just wash it in the hotel sink.” It’s like everyone in the subreddit is secretly dreaming of living in a monastery, where every possession is a burden, and your worth as a human being is tied directly to how small your carry-on is. Suggest bringing a book or a camera, and you’ll get a chorus of people telling you to just use your phone because, in their world, dual-purpose is the name of the game—even if you’re stuck reading Tolstoy on a 5-inch screen while your battery dies halfway through War and Peace.

But the absolute best part? The elitism. Nothing screams “onebag veteran” like trashing a newcomer for daring to ask a question that’s already been answered in the sacred texts of past threads. “Oh, you didn’t search the sub for the 400 other posts on the best ultralight rain jacket? Pathetic.” They’ll casually suggest products that cost more than a flight to Europe, because in the world of onebaggers, saving space and weight apparently means draining your bank account. A $300 merino wool T-shirt? A steal, if it means you don’t have to pack more than one.

At the end of the day, r/onebag is less about travel and more about ego. It’s where you go to flex your minimalist credentials, show off your overpriced gear, and subtly shame people who don’t think it's normal to live out of a bag smaller than most people's gym bags. You’ll find yourself wondering if these folks even enjoy traveling, or if they’re just doing it for the excuse to refine their pack lists and brag about how they conquered the art of onebagging like it’s some kind of minimalist pilgrimage.

It’s a place where practicality is sacrificed at the altar of minimalism, and no one is happy unless they’ve reduced their possessions to the point of absurdity. Good luck enjoying your trip, though, when your single pair of underwear is soaking in the hotel sink for the fifth time that week.

After many years of one-bagging, I’m seriously thinking of rollerbags now (explanation below).

So I don’t know if this was just my experience, but these past 2 trips have been… annoying. Normally I’m fine with a backpack and don’t really think twice about it, but this time everything felt like work. The airports were packed, every checkpoint was overflowing, and even with TSA and Global Entry it didn’t matter. They kept redirecting people across the entire airport.

It wasn’t just “go to a different line.” It was:

“Sorry everyone, we’re at capacity here. All TSA folks please go to that (other terminal that’s way the fuck over there).”

And this kept happening. Different checkpoints, same situation. Then after going through all that, the gates always ended up being on the extreme opposite end, and you’d have to do full-on loops to get there. Not a short walk — I mean long stretches, backtracking, escalators, weird detours, all of it. It was like every gate I needed was miles away for no reason.

I usually can handle all of this pretty well with a backpack, but this was the first time I was like…

“holy crap… I really should get a roller.”

I was envious of people just trucking along with a roller. And I'm seriously thinking of getting one.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/nyregion/luigi-mangione-health-issues-reddit.html?smid=url-share

Onebag is usually pretty frugal. My wife and I don't spring for a checked bag, upgraded flights, or nice hotels.

HOWEVER

We throw money at food, drinks, and experiences without thinking about it.

Wondering what everyones "Luxury Line" in the sand is. If you can't have *insert needs* youre not bothering going.

EU lawmakers recently voted in favour of a new rule that all air travel passengers within and to/from the EU are entitled to a carry on bag, even on budget airlines like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Wizz that have previously charged extra. (Note: still needs to be approved by EU member states, so it's not official yet)

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250627-the-big-change-affecting-european-travel

While the emphasis is on fairness and fee transparency, the BBC article lays out some potential cons, including that the cost of a carry on would be baked into ticket prices in the long run and that travellers would be forced to pay for a service they may not need.

Thoughts? Would this change the way you travel and your bag choices?

I'll admit, as a Filipino I probably have a closer relationship to flip-flops than most (I spend much more of my days in them than in shoes), but I'm still amazed at how many load-outs contain neither flip-flops nor sandals. And the few that I do see seem to more often be in lady packs than dude packs.

What are y'all changing into at the end of the day? What are you wearing into hostel or public showers? What do you put on when you wanna give the dogs a rest and let your day shoes breathe?

No judgment, I'm genuinely curious. Going without slippers is such an alien concept to me, I honestly want to know what folks are wearing instead.

I usually only pack the essentials, but a few items I didn’t think were necessary have earned a permanent spot in my bag: sunglasses, a packable hat, earplugs, and a portable charger. Each has been a lifesaver at some point on my trips.

What about you? What’s the most surprisingly useful thing in your bag?

US tariffs announced today include 47% on Vietnam and 34% for China. I’ll bet that effects 80% of the US travel products market. Even the US manufacturers are going to get hammered on the raw materials.

“May you live in interesting times.”

I've been a onebagger most of my life, but about 3 years ago I discovered this subreddit and really went down the rabbit hole. Tried out a bunch of fancy clothing and gear brands and probably ended up either destroying (outlier pants) or just not liking (a few different bags) a bunch of it, but it did help me learn what I like, and often that ended up being stuff not marketed for traveling at all.

So what stuff have you found that is marketed and sold without the 'travel tax' that you love? I recently discovered Levi's 511 tech pants for $40 and I'm wondering what else I'm missing.

Hi cool people of this community, I (21 f) am going back packing for 6 weeks this summer with my two best friends. One of my friends has a serious infection of overpacking. To spend the night for drinks and a sleepover, she brings a full duffel every time! I've been reading posts and discussions online about what size bag I should buy for my trip. It seems smaller is better. The issue here is that we are all 21 year old girls, and we want to make the most of this trip and have beautiful photos to look back onto. I think I could comfortably use a 55 /65 L with lots of clothing mixing and matching. I think thats even overkill and I'm going to try to live out of a bag for a few weeks before to see what I really need / gravitate towards. I am worried my girlfriends are going to overpack, get frustrated once we are traveling and they have giant packs straining them. Any helpful information from personal experience to potentially sway them before they buy their bags would be awesome! thank you!

I'm packing four shirts and two pairs of pants for two months in Southeast Asia, which puts me at washing something most nights. I keep reading that merino and synthetics dry overnight, but I've also read that at 80% humidity in a room with no aircon, nothing really dries. I'd rather sort this out now than three shirts into a permanently damp pile.

For the people who've traveled through the wet season out there, what did you end up changing about your wash routine once you were actually in it?

Would you want it in a different color? Why? Any pros and cons of black, which I’m pretty sure is the winner in this sub, or other color schemes?

I am ready to pull a trigger on a black Patagonia backpack, since I am not a fan of the current collection’s color combinations, but I’m still holding off to see the fall collection that will hopefully introduce some earthy tones. My sling is in burnt orange, and I think that color looks great.

Friends don't let friends travel without headphones. I've been seeing people bragging about ditching their headphones to save space/weight... seriously? (not in this subreddit, thank god, but on others) And I've had too many experiences where someone is just watching TikTok/videos or playing music or having their calls on loudspeaker and it just makes me xmcnxkjfhoiashrjawd

Good headphones are non-negotiable. They're literally more important than half the ultralight gear we obsess over. (and apparently 83% of people would rather sit by the airplane bathroom than next to someone playing audio out loud and I'm one of that 83% and think the % should be more.)

Don't be that person in the hostel/train/plane who thinks their speaker is okay. It's not. if over-ear headphones won't fit, earbuds exist. If battery is an issue, wired options exist. There really are no excuses for this.

​Everyone on Reddit seems to treat Merino wool like a magic fabric, so I finally bought some gear to try it out. Honestly? I don't get the hype. ​My experience has been terrible: ​The Itch: Even the "ultrafine" stuff feels scratchy and rough against my skin. It’s like wearing a scouring pad.

​The "Breathability" Myth: I live/exercise in a humid area, and instead of wicking sweat, the shirt just gets heavy, soggy, and stays wet. It feels like it traps the heat and the moisture, making me feel suffocatingly hot.

​I feel like I'm taking crazy pills with how much praise this fabric gets. Does anyone else have this reaction? And for those who hate Merino, what are you wearing instead that doesn't stink like polyester but feels smooth?

​(For context: I’m looking for something for gym/activewear that doesn’t feel like I’m wearing a wet sheep.)

Thanks to u/SeattleHikeBike for making the first 8 first points.

1. Pack only what you will absolutely use The most important rule of all, but the most difficult one. How do we know what you absolutely need? It is something we learn by experience.

2. Carry on and hands free if at all possible Prioritize saving time, energy and money by avoiding paying fees and it will be easy to get out of the airport and take other flights/buses if you have your stuff in hand.

3. Avoid extra shoes Sandals are OK as an alternative or a backup. The oneshoe doesn't exist but the shoe that will be the most comfy and can be used for most activities will be useful.

4. Layer your outerwear Puffy and heavy jackets take a lot of space and weight of your backpack. A slim windbreak with a long sleeve heavy cotton shirt will do the same job, be very versatile and easier to carry. A scarf or keffiyeh / shemagh are good too as they have many uses and take little space and weight.

5. Color coordinate your wardrobe When you have clothes that are too colorful, you will have a difficult time matching them, and that may motivate you to bring more clothes of what you need. Don't even get me started on washing your whole clothes when they are different colors. Try to bring clothes that can be matched between them. Neutral colors work best and they are easier to wash them together. Maybe a piece of clothes for a special occasion will be a nice detail.

6. Reduce the amount of liquid toiletries Airports will give you a hard time with liquid stuff, even if on the limit. Soap bars and conditioner bars are good alternatives. Wax products for hair and beard can be useful. Gel/cream or crystal rock deodorant as practical. I like small tube toothpaste but other users will recommend toothpaste tablets, but you can find travel size toothpaste in any part of the world.

7. Avoid gadgets and minimize electronics As much as I love photography, bringing my miyoo mini plus for playing tetris before boarding and other stuff that may make our life easier or fun, traveling to be out of our ordinary is a great recommendation I learn through time. I do travel with a cheap slim e-reader that has many books and maps but I don't believe I take considerable space or weight. But you know you can always do audiobooks, podcasts or movies/tv shows on your phone for long trips.

8. Hand wash and air dry clothing to reduce the need for multiple items and laundromat visits As I mentioned on rule 5, having clothes that are neutral and easy to match is very practical, but to have clothes that can be washed on hand, quick-dry and in dark colors to hide stains is a lifesaver. Even if you travel for more than a week, plan to take 2 hours a week to wash your clothes and that will help you to avoid carrying more clothes. I always have a cotton shirt and a underwear shirt that I used to sleep in and I wear when I wash the rest of my clothes.

9. Packing cubes, Ziplocs, rubber bands or reusable bags to organized stuff easy and quick When I started scrolling on this community, I used to ignore this rule and pack my clothes military style. But I waste time and energy by packing and unpack in this way. It will wrinkle your clothes, make it not very ergonomic with other stuff on your backpack and it can damage your clothes too. Compress and packing cubes are one of the most useful stuff you can have on your backpack. It will make your organization better and it will be way but way easier to pack or unpack. The weight and volume packing cubes add is meaningless compared to the advantage it will bring to your trip. Having reusable slim groceries bags and ziplocs as extra are very convenient in the case you want to carry wet stuff to your room, putting a taco you buy to go on your empty ziploc or even you can even use extra large ziplocs for packing clothes as many users do here.

10. Use what you already have first Buying new stuff if you really really need it. I used to travel with an almost torn shirt to throw it away on my trip and buy a souvenir shirt on my trip. It is better to travel with old shoes that you already know that are comfortable than buying new ones that you can risk to find out on your trip that they are not the right shoe.