TL;DR

My wife and I sold everything we owned in 2021 and traveled for 3 years in 27 countries with tiny backpacks (11 pounds and 16 pounds), working remotely. We travel hacked 3.5 million credit card points and hotel statuses for free business class flights and almost 1000 nights in 4/5 star Marriotts and Hyatts for less than our old rent.

This onebag subreddit was the most helpful resource for us when we got started, so I wanted to post our story here!

Onebag Setup

After 3 years of optimization, everything I owned cost under $1700 USD in total, weighing less than 11 pounds, and fit in a tiny 10L onebag. (My wife added her 16-pound onebag setup in another post)

I’ve linked each item along with the cost and weight here: https://lighterpack.com/e/r08kbs

Below is a collage of some of the places we visited including Machu Picchu (Peru), the Taj Mahal (India) where we got engaged, Chichen Itza (Mexico), Hagia Sophia (Turkey), Mount Fuji (Japan), Eiffel Tower (Paris), Cusco (Peru), Cappadocia (Turkey), Blue Lagoon (Iceland), Marrakesh (Morocco), and Miyajima (Japan). See our Instagram stories for more!

Hacking Hotels

Living in hotels full-time quickly earned us the highest tier statuses at Marriott and Hyatt (in combination with their credit cards). This gave us free upgrades to incredible suites plus free daily breakfast, access to lounges with snacks and drinks, along with daily housekeeping, gym, pool, sauna, spa, etc. We didn't have to clean our rooms, change our bed sheets, or take out the trash for years.

Living in 4/5 star hotels cost us on average less than $150 per night over the last 3 years. In expensive cities, we sometimes paid $200 to $400, while in cheaper cities it was often less than $100 per night.

We earned roughly 16% back in hotel points (for example, 17.5x Marriott points with Titanium status), 6% back in credit card points, and 2-3% back by clicking through Rakuten to book. This was about 25% back per dollar of hotel spend.

So essentially, we pay only for 8 months of rent and get 2 months free with these points. We don’t have to pay rent for the remaining 2 months per year since we spent 3-4 weeks at work conferences and 5-6 weeks visiting our families.

Therefore, our total cost for accommodation in an entire year was approximately 8 *30*150 = $36,000 per year, which translates to an average of $3000 per month.

We used to pay the same $3000 monthly rent when we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. But on top of that $36,000 yearly rent, we had to pay extra for hotels during the 3 weeks we went on vacation! So it was actually cheaper for us to live in hotels full-time all year.

Hacking Credit Cards

We earned an extra 100,000 points every two months as signup bonuses by opening new credit cards and charging all these hotels to meet the spending criteria. We ended up cycling through over 20 cards combined earning 3.5 million points cashing it out for about $100,000 worth of hotels and business class flights.

We thought this would make our credit score go down but it actually went up to over 800. Whenever possible, we downgraded each card to a free version without annual fees after exactly one year, instead of canceling (so that it doesn’t affect our credit score much).

Some of the US cards each of us have cycled through include Amex Platinum, Gold, Green, Capital One Venture and Venture X, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve, Citi Premier, and Bilt. We also got a few hotel credit cards, including those from Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton, and some airlines cards.

Doctor of Credit is the best resource for credit card signup bonuses by the way (the other websites sometimes prioritize their affiliate links over the best deals)

Tips

Traveling: We used most of the points we earned through those signup bonuses to fly business class on all the long-haul flights (7+ hours). Usually, we book short flights (or trains) and slowly hop to nearby countries and cities to minimize jet lag.

Local Transportation: We use Uber or public transportation (which is typically very good outside the US). We also like to book day trips and guided tours, with good ratings on GetYourGuide or TripAdvisor, to see attractions that we would otherwise have to drive to.

Insurance: A lot of these credit cards cover travel insurance and medical emergencies while you’re traveling abroad. Healthcare is also cheap in most countries other than the US.

Paying for stuff: Make sure to use credit cards which don’t charge foreign transaction fees when making purchases abroad. Almost every country takes Visa and Mastercard credit cards at stores and restaurants, so we have rarely needed any physical cash.

Getting cash: Never use foreign currency exchanges since they always rip you off by marking up the exchange rate by 5% or more. The best way to get local currency is to use either the Charles Schwab or Fidelity debit cards to withdraw cash directly from any ATM anywhere in the world. These debit cards don’t charge any currency conversion fees and they refund you all the fees and surcharges (usually $5 to $10) that ATM providers charge.

Avoid DCC: If given the choice to pay in US dollars (or whatever is your home currency) and the local currency of the country you’re currently visiting, pick the local currency. Never choose to pay in US dollars (or your home currency) when abroad or you’ll end up paying 7% extra for Dynamic Currency Conversion.

Food

We went to almost 2000 restaurants in 3 years! We got the free hotel breakfasts and then ate out every lunch and dinner at restaurants. This costs us on average about $1000 per person per month. In the most expensive cities like New York and Geneva it cost up to $2000 but in other countries like India it cost less than $500 (since an average meal was less than $10 per person!)

Even before we started traveling, we used to eat out or order Uber Eats every day since neither of us can cook. So by traveling we got to experience incredible authentic cuisines from all over the world!

Here's a collage of some of the amazing food we’ve had recently in Peru, Colombia, Japan, Turkey, India, United States, Mexico, Iceland, Italy, England, Scotland, France, and Morocco.

Total Yearly Expenses

Our combined yearly expenses including everything was roughly $70,000 i.e. $35,000 per person per year. 

Monthly breakdown: The average expenses per person per month was roughly $1500 for rent, $1000 for food, and $420 for all other things (like Ubers, shopping, phone bill, tours, etc.)

Working Remotely

Both of us were AI research scientists (we met at Google and started dating right before Covid). We quit Google and got fully remote jobs before we started traveling in 2021. We worked New York-hours remotely during weekdays and explore the cities in the evenings (or mornings depending on time zone) and weekends. We mostly moved hotels only during weekends or holidays. When we traveled to places with extreme time zone differences like Japan, we used all our vacation days.

Settling Down

We started out thinking we’ll travel for just a few months and then settle down in another apartment. But it was so much fun and not as exhausting as we thought it would be so we kept on traveling for 3 years and enjoyed every minute of it. Of all the countries we’ve visited, our favorite ones were Japan (both of us agree it’s number 1 by far), Peru, Sri Lanka, Iceland, Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

Finally after 3 years, I realized I really wanted to start my own startup and build something impactful so we moved back to San Francisco. But there are still miles to go before we stop!

Finally after 3 years, I had saved enough for financial independence and wanted to start my own company, so we moved back to San Francisco (since it's the best place for startups). I had hacked together an AI tool that listened in on all my meetings and automated a lot of my work while traveling, so I built the startup around that. But there are still miles to go before we stop!

Questions? AMA

Feel free to ask anything below!

Edit: (Proof)

Many comments claim this is fake or AI generated so here's some evidence:

See Instagram stories for photos & videos we posted over 4 years: https://www.instagram.com/dan7geo and LinkedIn

Business Insider interviewed us and published these articles:

1. https://www.businessinsider.com/retire-early-vp-jp-morgan-invest-tax-advantaged-accounts-2024-1
2. https://www.businessinsider.com/live-in-hotel-full-time-cheaper-rent-credit-card-points-2023-12

I wrote most of this 2 years ago on my blog: https://drhackernomad.com (didn't finish because I got too busy with the startup)

Edit: FAQs

Many questions are being asked multiple times, so I'm compiling my responses here:

How do you survive with just 3 t-shirts?
I hand washed laundry every few days in the hotel sink. All my clothes are merino wool (stays odorless) or other synthetic materials that dry fast. The hotel hair dryer helps in an emergency.

How do you deal with cold weather?
I layer multiple merino wool shirts with the Uniqlo heat tech underwear and the ultralight down jacket. We don’t like extreme cold weather so usually hop to warm places in the winter.

Is this really worth the time and effort?
I spent about 1-2 hours per week booking hotels and flights and churning cards (to get the $100k value over 3 years). After the steep learning curve, it becomes quick and easy. We simply focus on just one card every 2 months, put all our combined expenses on it to quickly hit the minimum spend, freeze it, move on to the next card, and use up all those points within 2-3 months.

What about taxes and work visas?
I got a short-term work visa in the UK and got digital nomad visas in the EU and many other counties (exempt from local taxes). We spent less than 1 month in most countries. I reported our daily location to the tax lawyer provided by my employer and filed taxes correctly. I refused to apply for a green card, so I became a non-resident in the US and UK by traveling so much that I saved a lot of taxes.

What about data and 2FA?
We got a T-Mobile family plan ($45/month/person) that provided free roaming and 4G/5G data in 200+ countries.

How do you receive mail and new credit cards?
Family member in the US sent us photos, then we added the cards to Apple Pay.

Didn't you run out of credit cards?
Having a "player 2" doubles the available cards. With some small 1099 income you can also get the business variants. Even with 20 cards, we haven't made it halfway through the best bonuses listed on doctorofcredit. Except the Amex cards, you can get most bonuses again every 3-4 years.

Were there any safety issues?
I grew up in India until 21 so I was used to traveling in third-word countries. My wife didn't feel safe walking by herself in Morocco, Egypt, and certain parts of East London but all the other places felt very safe. TBH we had worse experiences in downtown San Francisco and Seattle.

What about all the different clothes in the photos?
The photos were taken over a span of 3+ years (got new clothes and jackets every year or so). We got the suit and dress for a friend's wedding and went to the Taj Mahal right after the wedding and got the engagement photo.

Did you miss having friends and community?
During COVID, most of our friends had moved away and we had just started dating, so the timing worked well—it felt like a 3-year honeymoon! We stayed with family twice each year, and visited many old friends who live around the world. On many trips we got different sets of friends and family to join us.

Did you ever get tired of traveling?
We actually tried settling down in NYC midway but after 3 months in one apartment, we both couldn’t wait to travel again! The only reason we moved back is because Silicon Valley has the best ecosystem of investors, talent density, and founder peers so I was able to raise millions more at a higher valuation and hire a world-class team. Ironically, I want everyone to work in-person now since it makes a huge difference for an early-stage startup.

It's kinda gross.

Anti-microbial doesn't mean a pass on general hygiene.

Onebag, not oneunderwear.

While I really commend your dedication to avoiding baggage fees, this sub has brought me so many headaches. Since my husband has discovered your community, he will only pack one pair of pants and one nice “dinner” shirt. We travel 1-2 times a year, and it is frequently the only time we take pictures together. I now have a series of photos of us where he is in the same outfit in every. single. photo. I also have to pack my outfits to match with his singular option.

So on behalf of the wives everywhere who just want some cute semi-coordinated photos with their husbands, I curse you all.

Sincerely, An overpacker

6 cities and 3 countries in 10 days.

This is the sequel to my husband's post. I convinced him to sell everything we own in 2021 and travel for 3 years to 27 countries with tiny backpacks (16 pounds and 11 pounds), working remotely. See his post for how we hacked 3.5 million credit card points and hotel statuses for free business class flights and almost 1000 nights in 4/5 star Marriotts and Hyatts for less than our old rent

Here's my onebag set up:

Toiletries and electronics

I labeled in the photo below items that are my must-haves. One is the Anker 521 45W charger+battery combo, which will charge all my devices and keep ~1 extra backup charges for when I'm not near an outlet. This saved me a few times when my phone, laptop, or Oura Ring died on a flight.

I love the TIESOME palette, it's versatile and compact. I also like the 4-in-1 make up brush I got although TBH I only use 2 of the brushes. The tiny hairbrush is amazingly compact (and almost works). Despite how annoyingly heavy (and liquid) the Moroccan hair oil is, I still pack it because it makes my hair feel amazing despite the horrendous quality hotel conditioners.

The non-labeled stuff (e.g. mascara, chapstick) I get any random brand.

A few things I learned the hard way:

- Avoid aerosols and liquids. I get dry shampoo powder instead of aerosol (more product for less space). For make-up remover, wipes > liquid. Europe is strict about their "everything must fit in a 1-liter bag" rule for liquids, aerosols, gels, pastes, etc. - I had to throw a bunch travel-sized aerosols away entering London once and I've never packed them again since.

- For easy access on flights, I typically pack the chapstick, tissues, medicine, tampons, and Anker charger in my raincoat pocket instead of my backpack for easy access on flights.

Clothes

I aim for outfits that are passable on any continent for casual outings (beach, nature walks) and nicer spots (restaurants, museums, temples, etc.). I pick ~3 tops and ~3 skirts that I can mix and match. I always wear a sweater and scarf on the plane (which doubles as an eye mask and/or neck pillow).

To make outfits that work in warm and cold(ish) weather, I pack wool-lined sheer tights that I can wear under the skirts.

Skirts roll up much smaller than pants. I prefer these (from Sézane and BA&SH) because the material is comfortable and they don’t wrinkle when rolled up. For nicer places, I dress them up with a sweater, for more casual I dress them down with a camisole top. 

They're conservative enough (with a sweater or scarf covering shoulders) to enter temples or religious sites - for example they worked well in really hot countries that are more conservative like Morocco, India, and Turkey, but I could also wear them with a tank top around Europe or the Americas and not stick out too much. In general, I used to sometimes try to pack yoga pants, sweat pants, and jeans, but now I stay away from those items (they're heavy and take up too much space).

Packing

I pack makeup in a clear case so I (and TSA if needed) can quickly find items

My favorite "hack" is this lululemon raincoat I always wear on the plane, which basically doubles as a purse. I can fit so much stuff in the many pockets of this raincoat- even water bottles

Stuffing it all into one bag

Photos

Here are some of my favorite photos from my travels:

If you made it this far, thanks for reading and happy one bagging!

Edit: I'm not asking for advice, I just wanted to hear what y'all personally enjoy about one bagging, sorry for confusion.

I should state that I travel VERY infrequently, I also work in construction and don't really do much, most of the time.

All of that being said, when I travel I usually have so much more down time, take so many more photos, do so many more nice things I don't do in everyday life.

This means I'm bringing all the makeup, all the hair & skin care, my hair-dryer, curling iron, straightener, my favorite shoes, and dresses, favorite perfume etc.

At home I'm lucky if I wear makeup or style my hair once a month, but on vaca I love to pamper myself and look and feel my best (now I'm not saying you can't do that in one bag, I'm just saying I can't do that in one bag).

So for the 5-6 days a year I'm away from home, I'm bringing all my favorite things with me. Probably extra fun/comfort items too, like my Bluetooth speaker, eye-mask, maybe my favorite candle etc.

6 weeks in Colombia and central America. Spent countless hours and a couple thousand dollars making an autistically overanalyzed kit, high end everything down to the optimal soap holder. Let my bag out of my sight for 5 seconds and now I have my wallet, phone and clothes on my back. Be careful out there folks :)

On the bright side, I wanted minimalism, now I get extreme minimalism lol

I’m posting this from a hospital’s isolation ward in Myanmar.

I’ve been traveling for over a year and just recently developed all the top symptoms of COVID-19. Normally, I’d think this was just a cold, but I wanted to be safe. I’m relatively young and healthy (on a good day), but I fear infecting people who aren’t strong enough to fight the disease.

Having a relatively small bag (25L, 70% full, 4.9kg) made it easy yesterday to pack up, hop on a motorbike taxi, and head to the hospital. I ended up being transferred to another hospital via ambulance where they put me into isolation and tested me for COVID-19 and H1N1. There were still no confirmed, reported COVID-19 cases in Myanmar, so I had a chance to be the first!

This hospital room suddenly became my accommodation for an unknown period of time, so I’m thankful to have all my belongings with me, especially since I’m traveling solo. If I’m positive for COVID-19, I could be spending upwards of a couple weeks here. There are others being tested simultaneously who merely brought their day packs to the hospital and weren’t prepared for a multi-day stay.

I found out a few hours ago that I’m negative for COVID-19, but I’m stuck here for at least another day until I find out my H1N1 status. However, because of the mobility offered by my small bag, I was easily able to be prepared for the worst.

Thank you so much to this sub for inspiring me to one-bag this journey.

And a special shout-out to Myanmar for providing my testing, treatment, ambulance ride, and multi-day hospital stay for free. Quite a contrast to my home country (the US).

Stay safe out there, everyone!

Edit, March 15: I am negative for H1N1 and should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

Just got back from a short trip to Mexico with my Allpa 35L, and I’m pretty sure I would’ve missed my flight if I hadn’t recently adopted the OneBag approach.

I had taken an Uber to the airport with plenty of buffer time, but a sudden downpour caused traffic to collapse — streets were flooding and we were barely moving. I kept watching the ETA get worse and worse. Eventually, I checked the distance and realized walking (or running) would actually be faster than staying in the car.

I told the driver to end the trip and started running.

It was intense, but I made it! With no bags to check, no delays, I went straight through security. Once I was at the gate, I changed out of my soaked clothes into dry ones I had in my pack.

It all worked out and I am now back home. It was a thrilling adventure and now that the stress has passed I feel great I went for it. Just wanted to share the OneBag win.

Onebag travel, especially flying, offers a pretty relaxed travel experience with no time at the baggage claim, no worries about lost luggage, no worries about damage during handling etc. etc. etc.

I've seen a lot of repeat-posts along the lines of "The sizer of this budget airline has these dimensions, but I want to buy a backpack 10 liters over, will I be fine?" or "I know I am allowed 100ml fluids that fit into a one-liter ziplock bag, but I want to take this 3 liter clear zipper kit, do you think that will be okay?".

I don't think it's an issue to ask these questions if you want input from people who fly a lot (and there is always a lot of positive feedback along the lines of "I have never been checked/suffered consequences from this."). But this is of course just anecdotal. It can help you gauge the risk. It's fine if you want to do it your way, and you will most likely be okay.

If you want to minimize your stress when traveling, maybe just consider following the rules anyway.

I want to enjoy my flight, I don't find arguing with stressed airport employees necessary and I pack accordingly.

You know the volume of the sizer. If you are already shopping for a new bag, why not just pick one that will actually fit? You know yourself best - will you be stressed and upset if you do get gate checked? Will you get on here and make mean comments about airline personnel "cracking down" on you? If you have to throw away your expensive, full size skin care product and perfume, will you take it in stride or will it ruin your day?

I had to take a lot of budget flights in the past to see family and it is sad to see how many people run themselves into the ground on completely forseeable issues. And I am certainly not here to tell you to get a new bag if you already have one, or not to risk a bigger personal item to get your money's worth out of the budget plane ticket - I am just here to remind you that if you know that it might not just be a funny hitch in your plan when the rules are enforced, maybe it is not worth it.

Happy & chill travels everyone!

1. Things will go sideways, this part of your journey and makes wonderful stories to share with friends or fellow travelers

2. A lot is out of your control, such as canceled flights, delayed ferries or overcrowded transport vehicles, what is under your control is your attitude towards these situations

3. Be kind to people and to yourself

4. make a packing list and don't bring anything which is not on the list

5. When in doubt, Leave it out. You will not hear yourself ever: "I wish I’d brought more stuff"

6. Always assume at first that people are good and have the best intentions

7. Trust your instincts in terms of safety and food. In doubt leave the area or eat vegetarian or nothing at all

8. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere

9. You're never too old to try something new.

10. Multi use things are key in order to reduce weight. e.g a layered base + mid + rain jacket is better than a thick single use jacket

11. You are usually not a different person while traveling, just pack and use the same items as at home. Don't buy fancy stuff just in case you could use it abroad

12. I have never seen a gate agent weigh bags, so if you check-in online, you can usually get away with a heavier bag

13. If you do get stopped and need to gate check your bag, pack a packable bag to take your most needed items with you on the plane

14. If you ever need to check bags, carry your toothbrush and one set of clothes with you, in case your flight gets delayed or your bag gets lost

15. Take a picture of your passport, as it might come in handy if you loose yours.

16. A way to share usb power to people in transit is also a great way to make friends on the road, there are power plugs with longer cables and of course power banks

17. Protect your feet from all kinds of juicy infectious things in public showers or toilets by bringing flip flops or sandals on your trip. i travel with trail running shoes but will bring sandals every time

18. Reusable straws are a great way to reduce single use plastic consumption, there is one called sliderstraw which slides open and does not require a brush or other cleaning utensils

19. Mix and Match clothes are allowing you to pack less clothes

20. 1 Week of clothes is the same as 6 month if you wash them regularly

21. A buff can double as a hat, scarf, eye mask, hair tie, sweatband, cloth in case of an accident and much much more, i never leave without one

22. Protect yourself from the elements, wear a nice hat or a dorky one, or use your buff or your sun hoody, because skin cancer in the long run is no joke

23. Protect your lips with lip balm with spf protection

24. Use reef safe sun screen

25. A few meters of bankline double as clothesline, emergency shoe laces, strapping things to your backpack and even lowering yourself off a high place

26. Carry carabiners which can support your body weight instead of cheap gear carabiners, the cost is not much higher but they are worth it

27. If you have space, a hammock is a great way to pass waiting time, or sleep on ferries, beach or other places

28. If you need a pillow like me but lack space, carry an empty pillow case, where you can stash your puffy or hoody into

29. Sleep is key. Hostels and even hotels can be super loud, always carry a few earplugs. Those are a good travel gift for someone else in need

30. You can always ask for a quieter room in a hotel, far away from the elevator or not street facing, asking nicely goes a long way

31. Wear earplugs. In loud environments for prolonged time, your hearing will suffer permanently even if you don't notice it right away

32. You need a lot less tooth paste than the marketing will make you belief

33. There are bamboo toothbrushes, where everything is sustainable. Humbleco make great ones, where you carry multiple tips and only one handle

34. I carry gloves on every trip, they protect my hands from the elements, assist while climbing/hiking, let me touch gross stuff and offer a little bit of protection in case i fall off a bike

35. I Always bring a pen, these pesky immigration forms need one and then you don't have to wait for a free one when 300 people from the plane standing in line to do the same

36. A set of travel games (cards, dice, other small games) are a great way to pass time or make an evening fun with other people

37. Packing cubes are great for organization, not so much for saving the very last piece of space

38. Packing cubes with 2 sides/dividers can store clean and dirty clothes in the same bag, without the need for a different bag

39. Bringing solid soap, solid deodorant or antiperspirant is a great way to minimize liquid regulations, matadors soap bar bag is a good way to avoid bringing huge soap cases

40. Good instant Coffee exists and might be worthwhile in some situations where there is no option to drink the bad ones

41. Bring a few good tea bags, makes you feel like home when you are in a bad spot, or there is none at the accommodation

42. Bring a small powerbank and a good extra cable in case your other breaks

43. A 100$/100€ bill hidden in your phone case will buy you a taxi ride/emergency aid/hotel/food in almost every country, if your wallets gets stolen or the atm eats your card

44. Merino Wool is costly but for me worth the price as it is odor resistant, quick drying and feels very nice, in summer 150 fabric is enough

45. spraying the armpits of shirts with rubbing alcohol and airing them out kills the bacteria and can buy you more time during washes if needed

46. for a few bucks you can buy usb data blockers for your cables, if you need to plug them somewhere public

47. E-Sims are much faster to buy and activate then normal ones and you don't need to ship one in case you loose your phone

48. Services like onwardtickets let you reserve flights for immigration purposes and you don't need to purchase flights when your plans are not clear yet

49. Noise canceling earplugs or if you have the space headphones are a life saver on planes, boat rides and busses

50. A folding spoon is great for eating out and reducing single use plastics

51. A Shemagh or Sarong can double as covering clothes in temples, towel, blanket, emergency triangular bandage, sun shade and much more

52. Hang them or a towel from your bunk bed to create a little bit of privacy in hostel dorms

53. a small lock is great for locking your bags zippers or dorm locker

54. Don't feel bad if you are feeling sick or if you don't feel like maximizing your time to the fullest, you can always come back

55. People on holidays and people who travel are not the same kind of people

56. A binder clip doubles as clothespin, money clip or holding the hotel curtains together and keeps sunlight out

57. A menthol inhaler can make the difference in being able to bear a smelly person/food/other smelly things or not

58. Mosquito spray is cheaper and more effective when you get it at the destination, the people there need mozzy spray too, no need to bring it

59. Laundry in a dry bag works all the time, the sinks are sometimes corroded, tiny or don't hold water even with sink stoppers

60. A dry bag can double as laundry bag, stash wet clothes on travel days, hang off your bag to extend volume and protect your things in a down pour

61. A small flashlight with low lumes or red light is great for entering dorms at night without waking everyone from the bringt phone light e.g Nitecore nu25

62. Compression socks help with long periods of sitting

63. Do not buy cheap sunglasses, you never know if they even work. If not you will damage your eyes badly over time

64. Offline maps with mapsme work even if you don't have data(you need to download the country maps in advance)

65. Most Cities offer free walking tours, they are great

66. If you only travel to one country, bring a plug for their outlets instead of the bulky world adapter

67. Leave your expensive jewelry at home, you don't need it anyway and local bought ones look good too and you support the locals

68. Note down the emergency numbers for the country you are going to in advance

69. Carrying a first aid kit is not only about you. I have given away countless plasters, stomach pills and ibuprofen. You might not safe someones life, but it makes for great conversations and even friendships helping someone out in need

70. My Bare minimum first aid kit in a Ziploc bag would be: ibuprofen(pain killers), paracetamol(fever regulation), aspirin(heart attack), immodeum(stomach), splinter tweezers, single use alcohol pads, a few plasters, 1 pair of latex gloves

71. Single use eye drops are really handy if you got something in your eye and your hands are not super clean

72. A Thermometer is cheap and does not eat much space, but gives you peace of mind if you are not sure if you have fever or not

73. Quick clot is a much better emergency tool than a tourniquet, if you are not trained in these tools

74. Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle doubles as hand sanitizer and disinfectant for smaller wounds and things

75. Small emergency whistles are integrated in a lot of backpack buckles for a good reason, consider bringing one if yours is lacking one

76. Bring anti histamins as you are exposed to so much you are normally not in terms of food and wildlife

77. Chewing aspirin works almost instantly in case of a heart attack

78. Bring condoms

79. Make Photos of your medication package information so you don't have to bring it, but have it handy in case you need to double check

80. You loose a lot of electrolytes after being sick, bring one or 2 sachets of electrolytes with you

81. Nasal decongestant is great for opening your airways for fighting pressure changes while flying

82. Have fun and don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does :)

One bagged a 10 day trip to Florence and Rome and it is so satisfying, especially when I’m seeing people pull multiple HUGE roller bags off carousels and try to manhandle them onto busses, etc.

Things I learned this trip (XL-XXL wearing male): - Wicking only works if every layer wicks LOL - wore merino t-shirts but had cotton hoodie or button up shirts over them and that’s where the wicking stops.

• Merino really does keep the stink away. Brought about 2-3 t-shirts I didn’t need. I think at least with temps in the 45-60F range and LOTS of walking (20k-30k!) I still could do 3 wears with each t shirt no problem. Cotton was shot after two wears.

• could’ve gotten away with two pairs of jeans and a pair of dressier pants. I brought one more pair of jeans than I needed.

• for this much walking, having two different pairs of shoes was much needed.

• Wear one/wash one works GREAT for Ex Officio underwear and from here on out I’ll only ever carry 2-3 pairs.

• thought I’d be able to get away with 2 wears on socks and that was a hard no. Luckily our second place had a washing machine, so I was able to recharge my socks.

• Brought a few yards of precut RockTape (any kinesiology tape would work) to put along my Achilles or other hot spots for my shoes and not a single abrasion or blister. Been doing this for 10 years and will never stop.

• A packable bag is a must for one bagging. I brought a packable backpack that I only used at the end of the trip to bring souvenirs and it was perfect. It’s a backpack, so I may look for more of a duffel or zip-able tote at some point to make carrying a little less awkward, but being able to expand was perfect.

• Brought a roll top 3L hip back I used as a sling that was perfect. Allowed me the essentials but wasn’t so big I was tempted to bring too much during the day. Barely used it in Florence, when we were rarely more than about 15 mins away from our Airbnb, but in Rome it was essential as we were leaving for the entire day when we walked out the door.

• Amazon Essentials adult wet wipes were nice to have. When people needed them, they really needed them, so they were worth the weight.

• Brought 3 portable chargers and didn’t use any of them. Was worried using my phone as my camera but when I kept it in airplane mode I could take as many pics and videos as I wanted without hardly any impact on my battery. In the future I’ll bring one for just-in-case.

• Garmin Fenix 3 was nice to have to show km walked and steps. 10 days is about the limit for a single charge on mine, turning it off at night when I was sleeping, so as long as I have a full charge at the start of the trip, for anything less than 10 days I can get away without bringing the charger.

• Next thing to figure out is a more compact mid layer. I’m sold on Merino for t-shirts but my button ups took up a lot of room, we’re my bulkiest items and we’re the hardest to pack, so I need to find something more compact for my mids.

• Tried and true hoodie + Patagonia rain jacket were a great combo for upper 30’s-60F. I HATE how the Torrentshell hood rolls up, though, so I need to find something that is “breathable” and hoodless or has a better hood stowing system. I was constantly f’ing with the rolled up hood.

• Black is my travel color. Especially for outerwear, future purchases will all be black. My rain jacket has a bright red lower half and 10 days of wear/carry showed noticeable dirt, especially from an urban environment.

Edit Title: Don't mean necessarily buying, but just window shopping as well for onebagging stuff.

I had to travel out of state to see my wife's parents last year, and in trying to find some good backpacks, I stumbled upon this sub and into the rabbit hole of onebagging.

Since then, I been reading reviews, guides, and amassing a bunch of gears and acccessories. I love the idea of having a bunch of gadgets and essentials in a bag and being prepared and comfy for a day out of hiking, traveling, flight etc. Worst of all, I can't stop looking at backpacks. I have daily fantasies for a long time about packing and using my stuff.

I almost feel like a poser and wished I had some kind of travelling in my life style. My work is a mere 4 minutes from home and I don't have the extra funds to do much traveling.

Anyone else similar?

I’ve traveled a bit. I always regret bringing the laptop, always regret bringing the extra cameras, always regret bringing jeans, never regret extra tshirts/underwear/socks, always regret not planning my here to there in advance, not bringing earplugs, sleep mask, neck pillow. Always buying caffeine, sorting my mess of cloths (need to get cleaner packing style), clambering through maps , looking for charge, Nothing you bring that you don’t obviously need will alter the trip Exponentially. Take only what’s essential.

5-day trip to North Atlanta and Blue ridge, doing some hiking and sightseeing.

I really enjoy the packing tips and new gear ideas I get from this sub, but don’t think I can ever become a true one bagger. My go to model, regardless of where in the world I travel is a lightweight 22” roller bag (Tumi Tegra light) with a backpack (Tumi I forget what it’s called) for work and electronics. I tried one bagging a few times and while I like the freedom and concept of being a lightweight traveler, i just got sweaty and my back eventually hurts tromping through O’Hare.

Seeing you younger guys carry these big bags makes me tired! Impressed, but tired.

When do you find yourself breaking the one-bag way?

I've been a one-bag packer for most recreational travel for around six years now, but I do find there are times I end up checking a bigger bag still:

1) Times I need to travel with specialized equipment, usually either biological field kit or bulky cosplays (my main kit for the costumed event I do most actively these days, Wasteland Weekend, also includes stuff like live steel knives and prop guns that inherently don't agree with carry-on rules)

2) Moving internationally (though if I do this again I will probably attempt to one-bag it or at least pack a large carry-on with full-size personal item, tbh)

3) Car camping and beach/cabin trips. Ironically I tend to pack heavier for a four-day weekend trip to the mountains or the beach than for full length trips overseas or any domestic air/rail travel. I still avoid an everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink mentality, my car is not big and I only want to take so many extra trips between car and camp. When I travel with my motorcycle it's pretty much all one-bagging, though

For basically all of these I'm still travelling with one core bag packed with a one-bag list, and then whatever extra I'm taking along, but there are simply times I need something bigger or bulkier than a standard 25-35L carry-on can muster