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OneBag: The Art and Science of Travelling Light

171 points by navanchauhan 5y ago

idop 5y ago
Always happy to see OneBag shared, even if the forum doesn't seem to be apt. This incredibly comprehensive work by Doug Dyment has made me into the traveler that I am today. I have been following his guidelines and recommendations for almost 12 years now with great success.
joeldg 5y ago
OJFord 5y ago
I found this a particularly interesting page: https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html ('Wheeled Bags (A Disputation): The Dismal Downsides')
- ubermonkey 5y ago
  It's a weird article of faith for OBers that wheelies are bad, but for a huge chunk of travelers they're exactly the right option because their travels are comprised of home to car to airport to plane to taxi to hotel, all on smooth surfaces. They're the rule for business travelers and (significantly) air crews, and those choices aren't made out of fashion or inertia. I mean, if you're trekking in Nepal, yeah, it would suck, but it seems like the OB faithful have a one-size-fits-all disdain for the whole category.
  - Jtsummers 5y ago
    At the bottom he links to another page: https://www.onebag.com/business-bags.html#carts https://www.onebag.com/business-bags.html#carts Where he discusses luggage carts as an alternative to a wheeled bag. Which is actually pretty sensible, since removing the permanently attached wheels and extending handle from your bag gets you more carrying capacity and, even combined, lower total weight. So maintain capacity at a modest weight increase, or reduce capacity at a higher weight increase. At least he provides an alternative.
    - ubermonkey 5y ago
      Having two things when combined hybrids exist and work well is anathema to simplified travel. If your travel pattern is home to car to airport to hotel and back, a wheeled bag is a great idea. Again, there's a reason why they are so popular.
- WillPostForFood 5y ago
  I'm a hardcore backpacker, but one baggers can stray into religious fervor on the subject of wheeled bags. My wife won't backpack, and it has never been an issue, including on fairly off the beaten path trips in Asia. Backpack is marginally better, but the main advantage is just having one bag, regardless of type. I vehemently disagree with this assertion, "few places worth visiting are conducive to rolling a bag behind you."
- larrywright 5y ago
  I haven’t used a wheeled bag in years (including several international trips) and I would recommend it if you’re physically capable. Particularly if you ever fly on regional jets. Whenever I’m boarding a full flight the flight crew starts going around asking people to gate check their wheeled luggage. Not once have they told me I need to gate check mine.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    Modern wheeled luggage can be a godsend with heavy checked luggage. But I've never owned a carryon with wheels. They obviously make sense if someone has trouble carrying their carryon around. And I can see them for people who are dressed up. But I do think a lot of people default to them who would be happier with something else.
- 0xbadcafebee 5y ago
  This misses a common reason to avoid wheels: upcharge on carriers that charge for carry-ons. If you are carrying a tiny bag/purse and it has wheels, it is at a minimum considered a carry-on, so you'll have to pay for it, and sometimes check it. Every time I take a cheap flight I hear some poor flight attendant explaining how having wheels puts it in a specific price class.
scottwitcher83 5y ago
steelframe 5y ago
I did the "ultralight travel" thing with my partner in 2018 for a 3-week trip to England and Europe and a 2-week trip to Japan. In short: There were times we were really happy all we had were our backpacks, and there were times it would have been nice to have "that one thing, that one time," but it wasn't the end of the world. Given the fact that we were in Europe and Japan, it's not like we couldn't run to a corner store for anything we really, really needed. Both times I took the same 19-liter backpack. The primary thing that this did for me is it forced me to be very selective about exactly what it was I really needed to bring with me. I bought the latest and greatest cell phone with the best camera on the market, and I used the phone for all pictures, navigation, and all the great things modern phones do. All guides were in the form of audio files that I would play through my Bluetooth earbuds. I was able to pay for almost everything using my phone -- except the Tokyo subway. (Seriously, Japan, let's get with the times). The cell phone pictures turned out just fine. Sure they weren't emaculate works of visual art you might get from a dedicated $1k camera with interchangeable lens and what not, but they were more than adequate, and it was really easy to just whip out the phone and snap a picture no matter where we were or what we were doing. That ended up getting us some really ad-hoc pictures that added a ton of character to our trip album. Look back on the pictures now, I really have no regrets about that, and I still wouldn't add a separate camera to my (very parsimonious) list of things to stuff in the backpack. For each trip I had 5 pairs of undies, 4 pairs of Merino wool socks, 3 Merino wool tshirts, 2 pairs of board shorts, 1 pair of pants, and 1 pair of shoes. I brought a few ounces of liquid detergent, which at one point put me in a ridiculous position where I was washing my clothes in the sink of a ritzy downtown hotel in Paris. I had a combo battery/USB Anker charger that works on 120v and 240v circuits with some plug adapters. Worked fine everywhere in England, Europe, and Japan. No laptop -- the phone can run a terminal app just fine if I really needed to SSH home for whatever reason. And I'm not going to be wanting to bang out novels or anything while I'm traveling. (I did buy a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard ahead of time just in case, but I ended up deciding it wasn't worth the weight and space). Google Fi for the carrier, which worked great and was cheap. A synthetic down jacket and GoreTex shell took care of variations in weather, and they both compressed down to fit in one of the zipper pockets. Carabiner clips ended up being pretty useful once in a while. Bought an umbrella from a corner store in whatever city I was at if I felt I needed one. Both going there and back I'd get flagged for a manual bag inspection at the airport. I guess traveling overseas with no checked luggage is a security flag? The worker would open the zipper, see the top part of a compressed mass of clothes, shrug, and then close it up again. I didn't care about the "boarding crunch" to try to jocky for overhead space. The backpack easily slid under the seat in front of me with plenty of foot-room too, although I'd just pull the backpack out after liftoff. While the backpack had only 19 liters of volume, it was pretty dense, and so carrying it around for more than an hour or so would start to get tiring. The padded waist clip helped, but occasionally there were times I wouldn't have complained if I could set it on the ground and wheel it for a while. But then there were times in train stations when we would zip around tourists heaving several huge suitcases around and jockying for space to put them on the cars. When we stopped places on the way to the hotel we never had to stress out about leaving our stuff in rental cars to get stolen. Just grab the backpacks and wear them to wherever we were going. Most of the time, we would unload all the extra clothes at the hotel room and head out with mostly-empty backpacks at our destinations. One time we decided spur-of-the-moment to watch a play in London, and the only shoes I had were my black sneakers. I had a button-up synthetic shirt (rayon and cotton I think) and a dark pair of pants, so I mostly "fit in," as long as you didn't look to closely at my feet. But at the end of the day, I didn't really care that much, and I wouldn't have tried to haul around multiple pairs of shoes just on the off-chance I'd want to go to the theatre and be "completely" dressed up. In short, I'm hooked on the 19-liter backpack way of traveling. The space and weight scarcity really forces you to be thoughtful about exactly what you really need to take with you, and you can focus on the experience rather than stress out about all your stuff. (I'm sure there's a broader analogy that can apply to all of life here.)
gibolt 5y ago
I very much misunderstood the title... Was expecting the physics of photons
- shmde 5y ago
  A photon checks into a hotel, and the bellhop asks him if he has any luggage. "No", replies the photon, "I'm travelling light."
tombrm 5y ago
how did this make it to the homepage? :O
- alamortsubite 5y ago
  It has to be the folksy Web 1.0 presentation.
- ericpauley 5y ago
  I routinely travel with a single small bag and disagree with the primary claim of this site: that a packing list is needed to travel light. Sure, it is useful in other ways such as not forgetting things. But to me packing light is as easy as not bringing things I don’t need. You could just ask yourself if you really need something every time you pack it. If this question wouldn’t work, I can’t see how applying the same logic in list form would perform any better.
  - zerkten 5y ago
    If you are anxious about traveling, then you are likely to over prepare for every scenario you think you might encounter. It is difficult for someone in this situation to do what you suggest because the asking whether something is really needed will result in "yes" because it is there to solve a situation they have anxiety about. Without a coping mechanism for the anxiety, it is difficult to change the packing behavior. Having a friend review items with you is going to be much more effective because they can have that back and forth about whether the situation is likely or not. This situation is something people discover with their partners when they travel for the first time. Initially, it is tolerated, but as the relationship progresses it becomes more of a challenge either through travel constraints, or requirements for joint packing.
    - larrywright 5y ago
      I’ll second this. Packing with a checklist means I pack less and have way less anxiety. Highly recommended.
warning26 5y ago
I always enjoy these sites that look like they came through a time machine. Such an interesting window into past web design trends.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
samschooler 5y ago
Reddit has an active community of Onebaggers. https://reddit.com/r/onebag https://reddit.com/r/onebag. They have often great advice, although admittedly expensive taste.
- qnsi 5y ago
  I guess this subreddit's wiki gives a good overview of what onebagging is: Anyone can one-bag travel, whether with expensive gear or their everyday kit. The secret: pack light, don’t pack your fears, take only what you need for about a week, and do laundry along the way. Plan the laundry into your trip. For some people this means booking an airbnb with a washer, and for others it could mean only bringing quick-drying clothing to make sink washing easier, and for some it might mean washing clothes in the shower. Once your clothing is down to a week’s worth, pare down your toiletries and your electronics to only what you absolutely need to take with you. Now everything you’re bringing should fit in a backpack or a small duffle/suitcase. If it doesn’t, pare everything down again. A good goal is to shoot for a 25L-35L bag. Onebagging is a trade-off between the convenience of living like you do everyday, and the convenience of being mobile, traveling light, and fully experiencing the environment you are traveling in. A big saving is often electronics: do you really need huge headphones, that gaming device, or even a laptop? Remember, people almost certainly live wherever you’re traveling to. If you absolutely need something, it’ll be available when you get there. You may even have an adventure getting it!
  - ghaff 5y ago
    That's a good summary. I do carry a second small bag but that's in part because I want the bag anyway for walking around once I arrive at my destination. So why not compartmentalize? I also don't pare my electronics and just in case stuff to the absolute minimum but that's partly because I like to have standard "grab kits" that I can just grab and throw in my bag most of the time. (With some exceptions, e.g. plug converters which I don't carry everywhere.) But it's all mostly small repair, medical, and other stuff that has been useful from time to time. I periodically revisit as otherwise it grows over time. Fully agree on the large headphones. Never got the over the ear Bose noice canceling for that reason. I do mostly travel with a laptop. Never been able to get into working on a tablet. But I do have a strict rule of no more than one laptop-type device and one tablet-like device (iPad or Kindle).
samschooler 5y ago
My current setup is a Cotopaxi Nazca 28L [0], which I think is the ultimate bag for traveling light. It comes in just over (by about half to 1 inch) most airlines' personal item size, but since it is soft, it can, if needed be pushed into their testers. I've never had this happen though of around ~100 flights over 12 months of continuous travel. At this point, I don't pay for a carry on, and if I have to pay the $99 at a gate, its been worth it to not over the previous N flights. The bag is clam shell and on one side I have a single packing cube with all of my base and mid layers, then tech in the upper section of one side of the clam shell. The other side is my jacket + rain coat + quick dry towel + sleeping bag/sheets if I'm bringing that. If anyone is interested I can write a full packing list. But with this setup I've traveled. 3 x 4 month trips without issue in hot and cold climates in the same trip. [0]: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/travel/travel-backpack/cotopaxi-nazca https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/travel/travel-backpac...
- jwong_ 5y ago
  Would love to see full list. Especially interested in how you can fit a jacket, towel, and sheets all together .
thedonkeycometh 5y ago
fellowniusmonk 5y ago
I used to travel every week as a consultant. I did this for about 2 years. The goruck GR1 26L bag is easily the best one bag travel bag imo. I'm 6ft tall 200 pounds and I can fit a week and a half of clothes in the bag depending on the weather. After I left my consultant job I took a couple months and just traveled around Europe with it. Trains, planes, etc. The open flat design is critical for good packing. The bag still looks the same as when I bought it. I've had it and traveled with it extensively for ~5 years. It's a buy it for life product.
- ubermonkey 5y ago
  I was super tempted by the GR bags a while back, but I ultimately couldn't get past the "tactical" look. Where I live, at least, tactical stuff signals a political leaning I don't share.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    I'm a big fan of the Osprey 46 liter bag. Used to use the Patagonia MLC but I prefer the backpack-first design of the Osprey rather than tack on a couple of thin backpack straps approach of the MLC.
  - et-al 5y ago
    They make "slick" versions of their bags without the molle strips, but the 1000D or 500D fabric is overkill for most. The one external pocket can be hard to dig into if the bag is packed full.
  - Lio 5y ago
    For me the issue with GR is the weight. Those packs are too heavy IMHO. If I'm travelling light I think I'd rather have something equivalent to an OMM Classic 32 runner's pack[1]. That design, originally from 1973, is a classic for a reason. Shaving a kilogram or so off the weight of an empty bag is definitely worth it. That's just useless weight you're going to have to lug about all day. Especially so if you face hand luggage weight restrictions too. 1. https://theomm.com/product/classic-32-2/ https://theomm.com/product/classic-32-2/
  - 5y ago
hubraumhugo 5y ago
Very cool, another backpack enthusiast here! I built a backpack review aggregator, dedicated to finding the best backpack accroding to the internet. Sources include Reddit, Youtube or Outdoorgearlab: https://baqpa.com https://baqpa.com
futureshock 5y ago
I’ll offer up my one bag take that’s very much against the mainstream of one bag aficionados. I love traveling light, but think the carefully curated list of expensive branded items are counterproductive. I’d much rather the bag and everything in it to be functional, ugly anonymous and replaceable. If the bag gets stolen, I should be able to walk into the nearest mall and replace everything that was in it without a second thought or single shed tear. And rather than plan for every eventuality, I would much rather buy a cheap thing on the spot and donate it as I am leaving if it can’t carry it home.
- et-al 5y ago
  I agree that packing lists often devolve to the Minimalist(tm) Shopping List. For me, packing light is about lack of hinderances. I carry two bags (!!!) because I find the organization to be easier, but I can still ride on the back of a hired scooter and walk 5-miles across town if needed. I'd rather just pack more underwear than spend time washing it in the bathroom sink.
  - PaulHoule 5y ago
    I live in a small town where the shopping sucks. If I am going to a big city I am inclined to leave with one bag but go shopping (I like socks and underwear from the Nike store) and fill up another bag to bring home.
- qwertygnu 5y ago
  I check out OneBag stuff on the internet every so often. Sometimes I'll find good travelling tips or secondary uses for items. But so much of it is so wrapped in brands and buzzwords and precision it makes me laugh. It reminds me that even if I share some of the ideals with this community, I probably wouldn't travel well with a lot of them haha. I'm with you: the more replaceable and maneuverable the better. My focus is on freeing myself from as many logistic problems as possible while remaining tolerably comfortable. I've travelled with one bag in a few different countries, doing a few different kinds of things. Every trip I get a little better and carry a little less.
gk1 5y ago
Ultralight travel is the best. I was first inspired by this post from 2007: https://tim.blog/2007/07/11/how-to-travel-the-world-with-10-pounds-or-less-plus-how-to-negotiate-convertibles-and-luxury-treehouses/ https://tim.blog/2007/07/11/how-to-travel-the-world-with-10-... ... In the 15 years since then I've gone all over the world with just an 25-liter backpack. The biggest benefit I enjoy was the freedom to move from place to place without being tied down to a hostel/hotel/town just because "my stuff is there." Oh and it's a lot easier to sprint through an airport to catch a flight when you have just a small backpack. For example here's my packing list for a trans-siberian rail journey (which I would've missed if I had to wheel a suitcase as I ran through the airport): https://www.gregkogan.com/journal/russia-trans-siberian-railway-packing-list/ https://www.gregkogan.com/journal/russia-trans-siberian-rail... An interesting side-benefit I've observed: When you return from an ultralight trip, you realize just how little stuff you need to be happy. All the crap in your closet feels more than enough, if not excessive. So you end up buying less step or even donating a bunch of your existing stuff, thus lightening your life overall.
- ngokevin 5y ago
  More airport-related benefits: - Be able to sprint through an airport to be front of line for border patrol. - Not have to wait along with 100+ people at the baggage claim and just walk out to grab the first taxi. - Not have to wait at long and slow lines to check in luggage - Not having to worry about being first to board a plane and search for an overhead compartment - Not having to worry about lost luggage from the airline - Not having to worry about checked luggage if a flight gets delayed or cancelled - Save money on checked + carry-on baggage fees - Not tripping people when dragging your luggage behind you Also once went straight to an NYC airport to the Museum of Natural History and got in with my backpack. Useful to just have a backpack when it's too early to check in to your hotel, or for the time between your check-out and your flight to wander around.
  - fouc 5y ago
    Also you can walk out of the airport to the main road, avoiding the ripoff prices the airport taxis charge. Also you can hop on the back of a motorbike taxi if you're in a country that has those. Can be a huge time saver since motorbikes don't get caught by traffic as easily.
TylerE 5y ago
Very jealous of those who can manage this. Personally i have to have one smallish bag just for my medical stuff (CPAP, ergonomic pillow for my neck, bunch of meds, the wrist braces I sleep in so I don't wake up with numb hands....)
- ubermonkey 5y ago
  Yeah, it's inherently ableist.
- steelframe 5y ago
  I replaced my CPAP with a mouth guard that keeps my lower jaw forward to open my airway just for the purpose of not having to lug around a CPAP. Given how much CPAPs suck, I don't know why the mouth guard isn't the very first thing they try for people with airway obstruction.
  - csdvrx 5y ago
    Do you have a link? It'd make the most perfect gift for a friend!
    - steelframe 5y ago
      Unfortunately it's not the sort of thing you purchase for a friend. You need to go to orthodontic specialist, get a custom mould of your teeth created (this can involve electrical stimulation of your jaw muscles in order to get them into a relaxed position), and titration of the apparatus after the lab delivers it.
      - csdvrx 5y ago
        I got a tooth protector (the kind that's used for boxing) on amazon with a self-mold: you return it to the company that makes the final plastic thingie for you. That'd be the preferred option, as it doesn't require any prescription or interaction with a specialist whose interest might not be aligned with the patients (multiple office visits = an opportunity to milk the insurance for more money) If no company offers an option, I see an opportunity there!
KineticLensman 5y ago
I once did a three week trip to Africa that involved a light aircraft flight into the Okavango Delta in Botswana. We were allowed one small backpack and a small non-rigid holdall that they supplied prior to the trip. So okay, two bags, not one, but still a significant limit given that I wanted to do some serious big-lens wildlife photography. I managed quite well although I had one day of wet very feet when I flooded my only pair of boots. I also grew a beard so that I could leave shaving kit behind.
reiichiroh 5y ago
Is the escort eVest still a thing?
- istorical 5y ago
  I tried googling escort eVest and the first google search result was your comment :(
  - resoluteteeth 5y ago
    Probably Scott evest
ubermonkey 5y ago
I've seen this site before. It's, um, zealous. I travel light. I have since the 90s. I never ever ever checked a bag before 9/11, but since then I've often done so for two reasons: - Absurd restrictions on liquids in the cabin; and - Equally absurd restrictions on carrying my Swiss Army Knife. Once you check a bag, you need another bag to carry some essentials aboard the plane. Even on a short weekend trip, though, if I buy sample sizes and ditch the SAK, I end up with a small additional bag. It's easier to do that than constantly open the overhead to get a different book, or your tablet, or whatever. One-bagging is also a poor choice for business travel, since you likely want a smaller computer bag so you don't have to use your much larger "one bag" as your office bag. OneBag purists also have a WILD hatred of wheelie bags that seems rooted in a refusal to realize that, for many people whose travel patterns are home to airport to destination hotel/home, they're perfect. The extra weight isn't a problem because they roll. There's a great reason why they're very very popular with full-time/very frequent travelers.
- anonporridge 5y ago
  The absurd restrictions on knives really needs to go. A blade is a necessary tool for a lot of people in everyday life. It's time to get over the unfounded fear and face reality like adults. It's especially ridiculous because of how ineffective it is, https://onemileatatime.com/tsa-fails-tests-95-percent/ https://onemileatatime.com/tsa-fails-tests-95-percent/. This is a worthless waste of resources that only serves to inconvenience regular people and give the masses some feel good security theatre.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    And it affects more than travel. I'll never put even the smallest knife in a bag I use for airline carryon because I will forget it's there and probably end up losing it.
    - anonporridge 5y ago
      I once lost a very nice wine corkscrew to the TSA that I forgot was in a backpack due the little foil cutter blade. The guy in charge acted all jubilant, like they successfully thwarted a hijacking.
58x14 5y ago
I bought a Goruck GR2 (40L capacity) in 2013 and cumulatively lived out of it for ~4 years. It's been with me up every mountain I've climbed, on 3 continents, on my back as I rode a motorcycle through a snowstorm. I've slept on it, swam with it, skied with it. After nearly 9 years, it's in perfect condition, and one of my most cherished possessions. I'm not one to anthropomorphize... but this one bag is my best friend. It has quite literally been with me through everything. Also, a good bag has got to be the most underrated item in any apocalyptic scenario. Travel and scavenging become the primary methods of survival - a strong, sizable bag allows you to securely store food, water, medicine, ammo, tools, printed and digital media. A zipper breaking as you flee from danger may make the difference in survival.
- samatman 5y ago
  My GR1 26L has been an ideal travel companion, I was on the road with that, a rolling bag, and a shoulder suit duffle, for the better part of three years. On my third rolling bag and suit duffle, the GR1 is untouched. It has been hosed out a few times. This thing is coming with me if I lit out, and no mistake.
- ngokevin 5y ago
  I've had a HMG 3400 SW and my wife a Gossamer Gear Mariposa for 6 years. We got it for backpacking 5+ days in US wilderness, but they act as our one-bags across Latam. We didn't have a "one bag" mindset, we always just pack light. They collapse down enough that they easily fit underneath the seat on a budget airline and look like a college kid's backpack. And they expand enough they we've done multiple 4-7 day treks holding tents and sleeping bags (40L and 50+10L). And we roll up some smaller day bags inside for daily use.
- adamrt 5y ago
  I've had the GR2 34L since it was released (maybe 6-7 years ago) and I've traveled the world with it. I have the same affection for it that you have for yours. I can live out of it indefinitely as long as I'm not in extremely cold climates. Worn in and in perfect shape.
- kmonsen 5y ago
welder 5y ago
My favorite travel hack: Wool shirts and wool socks. They need washing less often so you pack less clothing. And, showering with hand-sanitizer on arm pits. https://www.woolly.clothing/collections/190-gsm-shirts/products/190-ss-crew https://www.woolly.clothing/collections/190-gsm-shirts/produ... https://unboundmerino.com/collections/socks https://unboundmerino.com/collections/socks https://www.smartertravel.com/unbound-merino-womens-v-neck-review-a-shirt-you-rarely-have-to-wash/ https://www.smartertravel.com/unbound-merino-womens-v-neck-r...
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  They also dry very quickly when you do wash them. Very convenient for hotel/hostel sink laundry days. My first longer-than-a-weekend trip was 2 weeks and I took cotton undershirts (mistakes were made). Since they tend to pick up odor quickly (at least the way I sweat) I had several days worth and they took a while to dry. Switching to wool shirts, I could pack 3 and do laundry once on the trip and no one would notice, and the faster drying time meant that if I did have a particularly sweaty and malodorous day, I could quickly wash that shirt and it would be dry in a couple hours.
  - ncpa-cpl 5y ago
    Sometimes I travel with carry on and other times with checked luggage. The part of travelling with one bag that I don't like is having to do laundry more often. Like, I gain 30 minutes by not waiting for luggage at the airport, but sometimes that offset by the time spent doing laundry.
    - Jtsummers 5y ago
      That's reasonable, but I've found that switching out my cotton (entirely) and synthetics (mostly) for wool (lasts longer without odor than both, dries faster than cotton) lets me pack 2 pairs of pants, 2 shirts, 3 pairs of socks, and enough underwear to last a week if my goal is to do laundry only once a week, and even then I could go longer if I absolutely needed to without doing a wash of everything. Underwear and socks wash easily in a sink and dry quickly, so I can get by with 1-2 pairs of packed socks and 2-4 pairs of packed underwear with only 5-10 minutes of time spent in the evening washing things every 2-3 days, and a bigger wash once a week for shirts and pants. All of that comfortably fits into most backpacks, I only take a larger backpack because I often pack a camera. I would be annoyed if it took me an hour or more at a laundromat every few days, but I haven't experienced that since my clothes dry fast enough, I can just spend 30 minutes or so once a week in the hotel room (morning or evening, I don't normally sleep in when traveling so I have time to kill when I wake up). Admittedly, I don't travel to hot and humid climates, that would change things (especially the way I sweat).
drakonka 5y ago
I have traveled with checked in luggage three times in my life: once when moving to the other side of the world, another time when going on a trip from Greece and bringing back presents, and again when going on a two-week business trip on another continent (traveled there with carry-on only, came back with a couple of gifts checked in). Most of the time whether it's business or pleasure, I hate having more than one bag with me and just take carry-on.
mauvehaus 5y ago
Alternative if you're flying: two bags: 1) A small backpack for anything fragile that goes under the seat in front of you. 2) A SOFT sided duffel for your clothes. Take than m-f'er and cram it into the overhead bin. It'll fit in the smallest crevice between two rollaboards with enough force. For minimum clothing volume, pack one set of outer garments (optional if you're wearing them on the flight, which I presume you are. Maybe throw a jacket in instead if you need it) and a daily change of socks and undergarments. Jeans and a fleece and n days worth of undergarments and socks is super efficient. If you can get away with wearing sandals, you need only one pair of socks (for airport security. I have no desire to go barefoot in the airport). Edited to add: undergarments meaning something for your bottom half and a t-shirt you can wear without something over it. And bras if you wear them, obviously. Actually, if you're going to a conference and feel sporting, skip the T-shirts and trust you can get them as swag as needed.
rooundio 5y ago
I am not associated with that company, but the nomatic (original) backpack completely transformed my travel experience to something hassle free - I got it years back right in the aftermath of their kickstarter campaign.
AlbertCory 5y ago
Laundry is one of the biggest hassles of travel, IMHO. Hotels charge extortionate prices to launder your clothes. Many cities don't have self-service laundromats, and even if they do, you don't feel like wasting two hours using one. I personally do not like washing things in my room, but if you do, there you go. What I've found, though, is that it's easy and cheap to get someone else to do it for you. In Sydney, I got a laundry place to do my clothes for AUS 15. In Chicago, a lot of dry cleaning places will also do your laundry for you, at reasonable prices. That's probably true in any city. Less obviously: in Rosh Pinna (Israel), there weren't any of either type of place, but my B&B had a cleaning staff person who took the clothes home with her and washed them, using whatever method she uses on her family's clothes.
- ghaff 5y ago
  >I personally do not like washing things in my room, but if you do, there you go. The trick is to carry the right clothing IMO. You're probably not going to wash jeans or a heavy cotton hoodie. But it's pretty easy with lightweight synthetics and wool. I have used wash and fold places on longer trips especially when I've been doing hiking in addition to business/cities. But you have to find one. Drop clothes off. Pick them back up. Which all takes time even if you don't have to hang around while they're being washed.
- kmonsen 5y ago
  For me, sure the hotels overcharge a lot but it is so much less than the flight ticket there I usually just shrug. For longer stays I just buy some detergent locally and was in the bathtub, many hotels have a string you can dry clothes on. Also, when I am backpacking I am OK with wearing some dirty clothes. Never had an issue with it, these days dress code is pretty optional as long as you present yourself well and can pay.
- antman 5y ago
  Easy to dry noniron clothes. Retractable zipline, 5lt mini dry bag for a washing machine and mini blowdrier for extreme situations. And for hair.
- Lio 5y ago
BiteCode_dev 5y ago
I went the other route: I used to be minimalist, now I even bring my kettlebells, game pads and different pairs of shoes on my business trips. Even in the moutain, I now have a heavier bag. E.G: my latest knife is way bigger, sturdier and so weights a lot more, I also have a smaller one as a backup now. Being minimalist is not an end goal, it serves a purpose. E.G: to make your life simpler, easier, to help with focus, or to go green. But I feel like people are more and more travelling light for virtue signaling at this point. You cannot just travel light. Everybody must know you do.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- mabub24 5y ago
  Do you fly with kettlebells? Isn't that very expensive?
  - BiteCode_dev 5y ago
    No, for the plane, it's indeed too expensive and I'd rather then pay for a gym membership on arrival.
alibosworth 5y ago
An entertaining (if not extreme) take on this general topic is the “Vagrant Holiday” series of videos. I appreciate his dedication to ultra minimalist travelling without any of the hype that is usually involved. Nothing about expensive gear, just actually not needing much. https://youtube.com/c/VagrantHoliday https://youtube.com/c/VagrantHoliday
CalChris 5y ago
This reminds me of the book, The Accidental Tourist by Ann Tyler, also a movie in which William Hurt plays a travel writer who specializes in travel guides for reluctant business travelers. It is to travel writing what Castaway is to survival, not particularly useful but still a lot of fun.
giglamesh 5y ago
I've been a one bag traveller since approximately forever. One hitch I encountered after getting married: the spouse's family has a tradition of bringing back gifts for everyone from any major trip. I understand that back in the olden days, rare and exotic items (an orange? for me? really?) could only be shared via travel. But those days are gone. There are nearly no other remaining friction points left our otherwise awesome marriage.
- kmonsen 5y ago
  Can't you just mail things back? We did that from a trip to Italy, mostly wines. Almost all local vendors of expensive items was well prepared to mail things to the US.
  - ngokevin 5y ago
    Depends on where. In Latam, I was quoted like $200 to try to ship back a small package to the US. We gave up on that quick. In Mexico, it was just about $30
Beefin 5y ago
I fly with my Osprey 40L pack, and it works ~when it fits in the overhead~ if it doesn't I'm Shit out of luck because checking a backpack SUCKS and completely defeats the purpose.
tristor 5y ago
I don’t think you need to buy expensive brands (although I have some) to successfully one bag travel. My progression when I started out to now was just a succession of YAGNI realizations until I got to a point where my trusty Z28 backpack is spacious. The biggest factor IMO is becoming confident and comfortable with skirting some social norms and either planning your trips or establishing yourself in such a way that it is acceptable to do so. Once that’s out of the way it’s fairly easy to make 3 outfits mix-match into a week, and launder as needed on the way. Clothes are the bulkiest items and everything else is tiny by comparison.
technoplato 5y ago
I thought this site was going to be about photons. Not disappointed
ddyment 5y ago
My considerable efforts to the contrary notwithstanding, it is clear to me that some people take the wrong message from my OneBag.com site. Usually they do so as a consequence of a superficial reading of the information to be found there. Arguably the most important advice there is to be found on the "Using a Packing List" page, which attempts to make the case that if you have nothing to measure, you have nothing to control. The section people tend to focus on is the "A Packing List" one, which lists examples of the items that are on MY packing list (note the title's use of the indefinite article); there is no stricture, however, that they should be on YOUR list, only that you should HAVE a list (see first point).
fishtoaster 5y ago
One-bagging has its place, but it's not "all the time." I love to one-bag it whenever I expect to have multiple destinations and am traveling via transit, for example. Flying to Europe and taking trains between a few cities? Definitely! I have a Farpoint55 with a zip-off day pack so I can leave the main pack (with my clothes) in the hotel/airbnb/hostel/etc and carry my laptop with me in the day pack. I bring a minimal set of light, easy-to-wash, fast-drying clothes and pick everything in my pack with care. But plenty of trips don't fit this model. If I'm visiting my family or going to a conference, my luggage just goes car to airport, roll to the plane, roll back off the plane, car to destination. Then the same thing in reverse in a week. Weight barely matters - my luggage is rolling on smooth surfaces or sitting in a car's trunk the whole time. And there is value to optionality in what I pack: several different kinds of clothes, chosen to be appropriate at different kinds of events (rather than being super travel-friendly). So I use a suitcase or two and it's fine. Both models have their place - no need to be dogmatic about either!
yosito 5y ago
Since 2018, I've been traveling with a 45L GoRuck GR3 and a small backpack for my laptop. I fly carry-on only (1 bag, plus "personal item") and manage to cram a lot of useful stuff in very small space, including a lot of stuff that many minimalists wouldn't carry. - Two laptops: A company MacBook Pro, plus a personal LG Gram with Pop_OS! - A Keychron K3 keyboard, Roost stand, Apple Magic Touchpad and USB/HDMI adapter so I can expand my mobile office just about anywhere - A 30,000 mAh backup battery with solar charger - A two person hammock - A collapsible backpack for day trips - A sleeping bag - A rain coat and fleece jacket, which combined with two merino wool shirts underneath makes a perfect winter coat, but each piece can also be used separately in warmer weather - A week's worth of clothing based on merino wool, 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 pair of jeans, 3 jean shorts, 7 running shorts, about 12 short sleeve shirts for different occasions, 8 pairs of boxers and socks - Running shoes, leather shoes for nice occasions or cold weather, hiking sandals, flip flops - Elastic bands and a yoga mat for workouts - Assorted other things: toiletries, medicines, documents, cables, power adapters I'm probably forgetting a few things. Most days, I don't miss anything. The few things I miss occasionally are some toys I'd love to play with more: a guitar, a drone, windsurf equipment, a bike. Sometimes I rent these things, but they're a bit expensive to rent, so I don't do it often. I'm thinking about switching to a van lifestyle so I can carry more of those things, and also some kitchen supplies so I can have more control over my diet.
- antihero 5y ago
  Can you get away with not using the yoga mat and just doing yoga on the ground? I love my yoga mat but if you are looking to stay minimal…I wonder if the original yogis used mats? :)
  - yosito 5y ago
    Yep, I could, but I'm not trying to be as minimal as possible, only to fit everything in carry on luggage, which I'm already able to do.
- istorical 5y ago
  I haven't heard of this bag brand and I'm not a one-bag person, but just looking at their technology, the 1000 D. Cordura Nylon seems interesting, I wonder if anyone knows if it contains PFAS?
ipsin 5y ago
It's interesting to me that GoRuck keeps showing up in the comments. I've seen it show up in several other contexts (geocaching, Ingress, etc.), and ... It seems like a "lifestyle brand", but are they also focused on one-bag ergonomics? Not at all skeptical, just looking for an accessible intro to GoRuck.
- awelxtr 5y ago
  > also focused on one-bag ergonomics? Considering that they offer bags up to 40L, I guess go. My GR1 23L bag has served me well thus far. Although I gotta say they are rather pricey.
- kemayo 5y ago
  They're kind-of lifestyle, in that they do strongly convey a certain "woo special forces oo-rah!" vibe (that I don't actually like -- though you can occasionally buy versions without all the MOLLE), but they do originate from being an accessory for a specific sport/exercise routine: rucking. I.e. long hikes in mud with heavy metal weights in your backpack. You don't need one of their bags to do it, but they're well-optimized for the task. Specifically: they're famously incredibly durable and last forever, and have good load-bearing traits so you can stuff 50lbs into them and expect to carry it about as well as possible. You can imagine how this translates well to less-demanding activities like walking through airports with all your clothes. :D The main thing that might make you not want them is that they're very unstructured. They're a big empty box on your back with only minimal pockets, and if you want to impose any separation on gear you put in there you're going to have to do it yourself via other bags (e.g. packing cubes). This is in contrast to brands like Tom Bihn who have a bunch of specialized compartments to help you split stuff up. This is, of course, very much a matter of taste.
- et-al 5y ago
  To put it in perspective: city-focused travel backpacks that were not hiking backpacks weren't common 8-10 years ago. The options were pretty much Tom Bihn, Patagonia, Osprey, Minaal, and Tortuga. Anyways, Goruck bags were a welcome addition at the time because they were relatively discreet, easily accessible with their fold-open design, extremely well built (arguably overbuilt), and comfortable to carry heavy loads.
0xbadcafebee 5y ago
The site focuses too much on the bag and not enough on the context that determines how you travel. For some kinds of travel, you don't need a bag at all. For some you have to compromise on what you bring. For some, carrying more than one bag is just optimal. Most of my international travel has used one bag. In many cases I use hacks to avoid even paying the carry-on fee, and very rarely I'm caught and have to pay for the carry-on. But for my last long trip, I checked my bag, and carried a small bag onto the plane. I wanted to be able to transport stuff they won't allow as carry-on, and it was just less hassle to check it. My favorite bag is a small soft roll-top backpack with a waist strap. Because it's a roll-top it can expand or be packed down tight, and it's narrow so it ends up fitting more places when it's packed tight. Outside straps and mesh water bottle compartments let me carry an extra pair of shoes (or water bottles). One exterior zip pocket, one interior zip pocket. I think one version of this bag has a padded laptop sleeve with zip, but I don't really need the feature. And I found one that has an internal frame which makes it more breathable and easier to carry when heavily packed.
- ddyment 5y ago
ddyment 5y ago
Interesting to see all the "It doesn't work for business travellers" comments. I'm now retired, but was a business traveller (read: million mile flyer) for over forty years, and it has always worked well for me. Also, there are MANY reasons (not just "less weight") to avoid wheeled bags ( https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html ).
meristem 5y ago
I wonder (aloud) how much of one bag ethos is linked to being a man. Culturally (my experience is US/EU/Latam) women are expected to change clothes often. And in some countries that also means changing belts and shoes. If traveling for business, even worse: few professional clothes designed for women are compressible/washable/fast drying.
renewiltord 5y ago
My life is in my carry-on plus personal item allowance. Contrary to what I expected, this has not been the dramatic shift in personal affairs I expected. Perhaps this is because it was mostly accidental and not intentional. It has enabled me to live on my friends' couches for the last five months though. But I'll read this since what I've always wanted is an easy way to use my top-quality hardware and travel with it as much as possible. Some sort of easy organizer is probably all I need. However, I'd strongly recommend the two-bagging since the "personal item" (my backpack) is something I can take on a day trip or whatever. That's one meaningful learning for me.
deleted 5y ago
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diamondage 5y ago
I met a man who travelled the world with three socks. Two to wear, one to wash and dry. Rotate.
Copernicron 5y ago
I haven't done much one bag travel myself, just a couple weekend or five day long trips, but one important thing is that it's a whole lot easier when you're not obese. I've lost nearly 200 lbs and it has become so much easier to fit everything into a single bag because my clothes are just so much smaller. The bag weighs less too. Or I can fit an extra camera lens in there since that's the primary reason I travel these days. A lot of the one bag travel advice I've encountered assumes that you're in relatively good shape.
mncharity 5y ago
FWIW, I've used nested soft packable mostly-shoulder bags. Sometimes adding a semi-disposable interior cardboard half-shell, cut from a box, refolded, gaff taped, and edge mashed to transit size restrictions. So bag number and volume compress for transit, and reinflate at destination. I envisioned adding optional shoulder pads, backpack strapping, waist belt, and even packable strap-on wheels... but the need hasn't been pressing. I'd hoped instead to find a one true travel backpack, but the diversity of personal-item size restrictions, a brick of thinkpad, and a tech load tightening the volume budget, had me failing to find a bag which fit the constraint space, didn't regrettably narrow it, and leveraged opportunities (eg, with the laptop as pack frame, another would be excess - and it already barely fits flat as a United free personal item). Off topic, I just saw a baggage size checker in an unexpected place: a NYC public library local branch. Together with additional luggage-in-the-library restrictions. I assume it's targeted at homeless, but seemed potentially problematic for travelers seeking wifi. I use public transit even in places where it's very class segregated, and the line between digital nomad, and impoverished homeless with nice kit, can be though-provokingly narrow. With an associated need to easily alter class flags, depending on who's inclined to hassle you as being out of place.
waffle_maniac 5y ago
I nomad. Travel with a multiple bags and planning to buy another one during the next Europe trip so I can bring back beer and licorice. Also, if you have status with an airline you can bring a checked bag free. That sometimes means you can bring comforts and supplies that are unavailable or more expensive at your destination.
smm11 5y ago
I worked with a guy who was a bag junkie, he'd get a few new bags every month, and had bags to carry other bags. The bags carried bags, and he'd carry a bag. I have a nice size bag I usually use. If going away longer, I carry an extra one. I'm into some things. Bags is not one of those things.
throwJan22 5y ago
Flying in America is horrible with all the people bringing huge bags into the cabin. Everyone is fighting to get on first with their massive luggage banging around. I wish they'd enforce a 20lb weight limit like in Europe.
ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
One of the most impressive folks I ever knew with this, was a Japanese manager, at the company I used to work for. This guy had been everywhere. If you mentioned a country or city, odds are, he could tell you a good bar, there. He would go on these marathon business trips, lasting weeks or months. He always took just one bag: A fairly big Zero Halliburton carry-on. Once he got promoted to a VP, though, he had to start wearing suits, so he had to add a suit bag.
twomoonsbysurf 5y ago
I do 3 packs currently: - a 44 L osprey - a 25 L dakine w/ 15” laptop sleeve - a 2-3 L small pack... satchel. $10 here in Mexico. Bought the last one recently for day hikes to hold water/keys/wallet/phone/small battery for charging phone. Great for traveling & living abroad, 1 month+, while working remotely. I carry the big one on back, midsize on front, and store smallest in the big one until I arrive at accommodations and am ready to go out for the day
contingencies 5y ago
http://artoftravel.net http://artoftravel.net is the original and still the best.
- ddyment 5y ago
TheBlerch 5y ago
What’s your favorite one-bag carryon? My partner and I have used an MEI Voyageur, a classic which was recommended by Onebag.com for recreational travel, but in black it still works for business travel. It didn’t disappoint and has held up so well over time and many miles and trips. For 3 lbs you get tough ballistic nylon material, durable zippers, well-padded hide-able shoulder and waist straps and a shoulder strap, internal aluminum frame stays for support and internal straps to stabilize your contents - all at a great value that can be half the cost of similar bags that are heavily marketed. The pack is still made by a small California shop and I’ve given it as a gift to students. My only real complaint is at my 6 ft height I’d appreciate a slightly longer torso, which can be done by asking the maker to attach the hip belt a few inches lower on the pack. I’m sure there are some newer bags out there with a bit sleeker design, but also certain they don’t approach the value of this bag.
- TheBlerch 5y ago
  PS Onebag does feature good suggestions, which helped me refine what to carry and what to leave behind, and which have helped me deal with many contingencies while traveling.
momirlan 5y ago
Would have been good in a previous life. As it is, travel is pretty much a past time. Luggage is the least of the worries.
sam_goody 5y ago
I have a Fugu[1] that goes from carry-on to a full-valise. I travel light when I travel alone, but like knowing that I could expand it if I needed to. I travel light for pragmatic reasons, but don't mind check-in if I have a reason to. Flexibility is an asset. Full disclosure: Am not affiliated with Fugu, but am friendly with one of the founders. [1]: https://fuguluggage.com https://fuguluggage.com
tomcooks 5y ago
This website has taught me so much about travelling when I was in my early 20s, and I've been living out of a backpack ever since.

171 points by navanchauhan 5y ago

idop 5y ago

Always happy to see OneBag shared, even if the forum doesn't seem to be apt. This incredibly comprehensive work by Doug Dyment has made me into the traveler that I am today. I have been following his guidelines and recommendations for almost 12 years now with great success.

joeldg 5y ago

OJFord 5y ago

I found this a particularly interesting page: https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html ('Wheeled Bags (A Disputation): The Dismal Downsides')

ubermonkey 5y ago
It's a weird article of faith for OBers that wheelies are bad, but for a huge chunk of travelers they're exactly the right option because their travels are comprised of home to car to airport to plane to taxi to hotel, all on smooth surfaces. They're the rule for business travelers and (significantly) air crews, and those choices aren't made out of fashion or inertia. I mean, if you're trekking in Nepal, yeah, it would suck, but it seems like the OB faithful have a one-size-fits-all disdain for the whole category.
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  At the bottom he links to another page: https://www.onebag.com/business-bags.html#carts https://www.onebag.com/business-bags.html#carts Where he discusses luggage carts as an alternative to a wheeled bag. Which is actually pretty sensible, since removing the permanently attached wheels and extending handle from your bag gets you more carrying capacity and, even combined, lower total weight. So maintain capacity at a modest weight increase, or reduce capacity at a higher weight increase. At least he provides an alternative.
  - ubermonkey 5y ago
    Having two things when combined hybrids exist and work well is anathema to simplified travel. If your travel pattern is home to car to airport to hotel and back, a wheeled bag is a great idea. Again, there's a reason why they are so popular.
WillPostForFood 5y ago
I'm a hardcore backpacker, but one baggers can stray into religious fervor on the subject of wheeled bags. My wife won't backpack, and it has never been an issue, including on fairly off the beaten path trips in Asia. Backpack is marginally better, but the main advantage is just having one bag, regardless of type. I vehemently disagree with this assertion, "few places worth visiting are conducive to rolling a bag behind you."
larrywright 5y ago
I haven’t used a wheeled bag in years (including several international trips) and I would recommend it if you’re physically capable. Particularly if you ever fly on regional jets. Whenever I’m boarding a full flight the flight crew starts going around asking people to gate check their wheeled luggage. Not once have they told me I need to gate check mine.
- ghaff 5y ago
  Modern wheeled luggage can be a godsend with heavy checked luggage. But I've never owned a carryon with wheels. They obviously make sense if someone has trouble carrying their carryon around. And I can see them for people who are dressed up. But I do think a lot of people default to them who would be happier with something else.
0xbadcafebee 5y ago
This misses a common reason to avoid wheels: upcharge on carriers that charge for carry-ons. If you are carrying a tiny bag/purse and it has wheels, it is at a minimum considered a carry-on, so you'll have to pay for it, and sometimes check it. Every time I take a cheap flight I hear some poor flight attendant explaining how having wheels puts it in a specific price class.

scottwitcher83 5y ago

steelframe 5y ago

I did the "ultralight travel" thing with my partner in 2018 for a 3-week trip to England and Europe and a 2-week trip to Japan. In short: There were times we were really happy all we had were our backpacks, and there were times it would have been nice to have "that one thing, that one time," but it wasn't the end of the world. Given the fact that we were in Europe and Japan, it's not like we couldn't run to a corner store for anything we really, really needed. Both times I took the same 19-liter backpack. The primary thing that this did for me is it forced me to be very selective about exactly what it was I really needed to bring with me. I bought the latest and greatest cell phone with the best camera on the market, and I used the phone for all pictures, navigation, and all the great things modern phones do. All guides were in the form of audio files that I would play through my Bluetooth earbuds. I was able to pay for almost everything using my phone -- except the Tokyo subway. (Seriously, Japan, let's get with the times). The cell phone pictures turned out just fine. Sure they weren't emaculate works of visual art you might get from a dedicated $1k camera with interchangeable lens and what not, but they were more than adequate, and it was really easy to just whip out the phone and snap a picture no matter where we were or what we were doing. That ended up getting us some really ad-hoc pictures that added a ton of character to our trip album. Look back on the pictures now, I really have no regrets about that, and I still wouldn't add a separate camera to my (very parsimonious) list of things to stuff in the backpack. For each trip I had 5 pairs of undies, 4 pairs of Merino wool socks, 3 Merino wool tshirts, 2 pairs of board shorts, 1 pair of pants, and 1 pair of shoes. I brought a few ounces of liquid detergent, which at one point put me in a ridiculous position where I was washing my clothes in the sink of a ritzy downtown hotel in Paris. I had a combo battery/USB Anker charger that works on 120v and 240v circuits with some plug adapters. Worked fine everywhere in England, Europe, and Japan. No laptop -- the phone can run a terminal app just fine if I really needed to SSH home for whatever reason. And I'm not going to be wanting to bang out novels or anything while I'm traveling. (I did buy a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard ahead of time just in case, but I ended up deciding it wasn't worth the weight and space). Google Fi for the carrier, which worked great and was cheap. A synthetic down jacket and GoreTex shell took care of variations in weather, and they both compressed down to fit in one of the zipper pockets. Carabiner clips ended up being pretty useful once in a while. Bought an umbrella from a corner store in whatever city I was at if I felt I needed one. Both going there and back I'd get flagged for a manual bag inspection at the airport. I guess traveling overseas with no checked luggage is a security flag? The worker would open the zipper, see the top part of a compressed mass of clothes, shrug, and then close it up again. I didn't care about the "boarding crunch" to try to jocky for overhead space. The backpack easily slid under the seat in front of me with plenty of foot-room too, although I'd just pull the backpack out after liftoff. While the backpack had only 19 liters of volume, it was pretty dense, and so carrying it around for more than an hour or so would start to get tiring. The padded waist clip helped, but occasionally there were times I wouldn't have complained if I could set it on the ground and wheel it for a while. But then there were times in train stations when we would zip around tourists heaving several huge suitcases around and jockying for space to put them on the cars. When we stopped places on the way to the hotel we never had to stress out about leaving our stuff in rental cars to get stolen. Just grab the backpacks and wear them to wherever we were going. Most of the time, we would unload all the extra clothes at the hotel room and head out with mostly-empty backpacks at our destinations. One time we decided spur-of-the-moment to watch a play in London, and the only shoes I had were my black sneakers. I had a button-up synthetic shirt (rayon and cotton I think) and a dark pair of pants, so I mostly "fit in," as long as you didn't look to closely at my feet. But at the end of the day, I didn't really care that much, and I wouldn't have tried to haul around multiple pairs of shoes just on the off-chance I'd want to go to the theatre and be "completely" dressed up. In short, I'm hooked on the 19-liter backpack way of traveling. The space and weight scarcity really forces you to be thoughtful about exactly what you really need to take with you, and you can focus on the experience rather than stress out about all your stuff. (I'm sure there's a broader analogy that can apply to all of life here.)

gibolt 5y ago

I very much misunderstood the title... Was expecting the physics of photons

shmde 5y ago
A photon checks into a hotel, and the bellhop asks him if he has any luggage. "No", replies the photon, "I'm travelling light."

tombrm 5y ago

how did this make it to the homepage? :O

alamortsubite 5y ago
It has to be the folksy Web 1.0 presentation.
ericpauley 5y ago
I routinely travel with a single small bag and disagree with the primary claim of this site: that a packing list is needed to travel light. Sure, it is useful in other ways such as not forgetting things. But to me packing light is as easy as not bringing things I don’t need. You could just ask yourself if you really need something every time you pack it. If this question wouldn’t work, I can’t see how applying the same logic in list form would perform any better.
- zerkten 5y ago
  If you are anxious about traveling, then you are likely to over prepare for every scenario you think you might encounter. It is difficult for someone in this situation to do what you suggest because the asking whether something is really needed will result in "yes" because it is there to solve a situation they have anxiety about. Without a coping mechanism for the anxiety, it is difficult to change the packing behavior. Having a friend review items with you is going to be much more effective because they can have that back and forth about whether the situation is likely or not. This situation is something people discover with their partners when they travel for the first time. Initially, it is tolerated, but as the relationship progresses it becomes more of a challenge either through travel constraints, or requirements for joint packing.
  - larrywright 5y ago
    I’ll second this. Packing with a checklist means I pack less and have way less anxiety. Highly recommended.

warning26 5y ago

I always enjoy these sites that look like they came through a time machine. Such an interesting window into past web design trends.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

samschooler 5y ago

Reddit has an active community of Onebaggers. https://reddit.com/r/onebag https://reddit.com/r/onebag. They have often great advice, although admittedly expensive taste.

qnsi 5y ago
I guess this subreddit's wiki gives a good overview of what onebagging is: Anyone can one-bag travel, whether with expensive gear or their everyday kit. The secret: pack light, don’t pack your fears, take only what you need for about a week, and do laundry along the way. Plan the laundry into your trip. For some people this means booking an airbnb with a washer, and for others it could mean only bringing quick-drying clothing to make sink washing easier, and for some it might mean washing clothes in the shower. Once your clothing is down to a week’s worth, pare down your toiletries and your electronics to only what you absolutely need to take with you. Now everything you’re bringing should fit in a backpack or a small duffle/suitcase. If it doesn’t, pare everything down again. A good goal is to shoot for a 25L-35L bag. Onebagging is a trade-off between the convenience of living like you do everyday, and the convenience of being mobile, traveling light, and fully experiencing the environment you are traveling in. A big saving is often electronics: do you really need huge headphones, that gaming device, or even a laptop? Remember, people almost certainly live wherever you’re traveling to. If you absolutely need something, it’ll be available when you get there. You may even have an adventure getting it!
- ghaff 5y ago
  That's a good summary. I do carry a second small bag but that's in part because I want the bag anyway for walking around once I arrive at my destination. So why not compartmentalize? I also don't pare my electronics and just in case stuff to the absolute minimum but that's partly because I like to have standard "grab kits" that I can just grab and throw in my bag most of the time. (With some exceptions, e.g. plug converters which I don't carry everywhere.) But it's all mostly small repair, medical, and other stuff that has been useful from time to time. I periodically revisit as otherwise it grows over time. Fully agree on the large headphones. Never got the over the ear Bose noice canceling for that reason. I do mostly travel with a laptop. Never been able to get into working on a tablet. But I do have a strict rule of no more than one laptop-type device and one tablet-like device (iPad or Kindle).

samschooler 5y ago

My current setup is a Cotopaxi Nazca 28L [0], which I think is the ultimate bag for traveling light. It comes in just over (by about half to 1 inch) most airlines' personal item size, but since it is soft, it can, if needed be pushed into their testers. I've never had this happen though of around ~100 flights over 12 months of continuous travel. At this point, I don't pay for a carry on, and if I have to pay the $99 at a gate, its been worth it to not over the previous N flights. The bag is clam shell and on one side I have a single packing cube with all of my base and mid layers, then tech in the upper section of one side of the clam shell. The other side is my jacket + rain coat + quick dry towel + sleeping bag/sheets if I'm bringing that. If anyone is interested I can write a full packing list. But with this setup I've traveled. 3 x 4 month trips without issue in hot and cold climates in the same trip. [0]: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/travel/travel-backpack/cotopaxi-nazca https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/travel/travel-backpac...

jwong_ 5y ago
Would love to see full list. Especially interested in how you can fit a jacket, towel, and sheets all together .

thedonkeycometh 5y ago

fellowniusmonk 5y ago

I used to travel every week as a consultant. I did this for about 2 years. The goruck GR1 26L bag is easily the best one bag travel bag imo. I'm 6ft tall 200 pounds and I can fit a week and a half of clothes in the bag depending on the weather. After I left my consultant job I took a couple months and just traveled around Europe with it. Trains, planes, etc. The open flat design is critical for good packing. The bag still looks the same as when I bought it. I've had it and traveled with it extensively for ~5 years. It's a buy it for life product.

ubermonkey 5y ago
I was super tempted by the GR bags a while back, but I ultimately couldn't get past the "tactical" look. Where I live, at least, tactical stuff signals a political leaning I don't share.
- ghaff 5y ago
  I'm a big fan of the Osprey 46 liter bag. Used to use the Patagonia MLC but I prefer the backpack-first design of the Osprey rather than tack on a couple of thin backpack straps approach of the MLC.
- et-al 5y ago
  They make "slick" versions of their bags without the molle strips, but the 1000D or 500D fabric is overkill for most. The one external pocket can be hard to dig into if the bag is packed full.
- Lio 5y ago
  For me the issue with GR is the weight. Those packs are too heavy IMHO. If I'm travelling light I think I'd rather have something equivalent to an OMM Classic 32 runner's pack[1]. That design, originally from 1973, is a classic for a reason. Shaving a kilogram or so off the weight of an empty bag is definitely worth it. That's just useless weight you're going to have to lug about all day. Especially so if you face hand luggage weight restrictions too. 1. https://theomm.com/product/classic-32-2/ https://theomm.com/product/classic-32-2/
- 5y ago

hubraumhugo 5y ago

Very cool, another backpack enthusiast here! I built a backpack review aggregator, dedicated to finding the best backpack accroding to the internet. Sources include Reddit, Youtube or Outdoorgearlab: https://baqpa.com https://baqpa.com

futureshock 5y ago

I’ll offer up my one bag take that’s very much against the mainstream of one bag aficionados. I love traveling light, but think the carefully curated list of expensive branded items are counterproductive. I’d much rather the bag and everything in it to be functional, ugly anonymous and replaceable. If the bag gets stolen, I should be able to walk into the nearest mall and replace everything that was in it without a second thought or single shed tear. And rather than plan for every eventuality, I would much rather buy a cheap thing on the spot and donate it as I am leaving if it can’t carry it home.

et-al 5y ago
I agree that packing lists often devolve to the Minimalist(tm) Shopping List. For me, packing light is about lack of hinderances. I carry two bags (!!!) because I find the organization to be easier, but I can still ride on the back of a hired scooter and walk 5-miles across town if needed. I'd rather just pack more underwear than spend time washing it in the bathroom sink.
- PaulHoule 5y ago
  I live in a small town where the shopping sucks. If I am going to a big city I am inclined to leave with one bag but go shopping (I like socks and underwear from the Nike store) and fill up another bag to bring home.
qwertygnu 5y ago
I check out OneBag stuff on the internet every so often. Sometimes I'll find good travelling tips or secondary uses for items. But so much of it is so wrapped in brands and buzzwords and precision it makes me laugh. It reminds me that even if I share some of the ideals with this community, I probably wouldn't travel well with a lot of them haha. I'm with you: the more replaceable and maneuverable the better. My focus is on freeing myself from as many logistic problems as possible while remaining tolerably comfortable. I've travelled with one bag in a few different countries, doing a few different kinds of things. Every trip I get a little better and carry a little less.

gk1 5y ago

Ultralight travel is the best. I was first inspired by this post from 2007: https://tim.blog/2007/07/11/how-to-travel-the-world-with-10-pounds-or-less-plus-how-to-negotiate-convertibles-and-luxury-treehouses/ https://tim.blog/2007/07/11/how-to-travel-the-world-with-10-... ... In the 15 years since then I've gone all over the world with just an 25-liter backpack. The biggest benefit I enjoy was the freedom to move from place to place without being tied down to a hostel/hotel/town just because "my stuff is there." Oh and it's a lot easier to sprint through an airport to catch a flight when you have just a small backpack. For example here's my packing list for a trans-siberian rail journey (which I would've missed if I had to wheel a suitcase as I ran through the airport): https://www.gregkogan.com/journal/russia-trans-siberian-railway-packing-list/ https://www.gregkogan.com/journal/russia-trans-siberian-rail... An interesting side-benefit I've observed: When you return from an ultralight trip, you realize just how little stuff you need to be happy. All the crap in your closet feels more than enough, if not excessive. So you end up buying less step or even donating a bunch of your existing stuff, thus lightening your life overall.

ngokevin 5y ago
More airport-related benefits: - Be able to sprint through an airport to be front of line for border patrol. - Not have to wait along with 100+ people at the baggage claim and just walk out to grab the first taxi. - Not have to wait at long and slow lines to check in luggage - Not having to worry about being first to board a plane and search for an overhead compartment - Not having to worry about lost luggage from the airline - Not having to worry about checked luggage if a flight gets delayed or cancelled - Save money on checked + carry-on baggage fees - Not tripping people when dragging your luggage behind you Also once went straight to an NYC airport to the Museum of Natural History and got in with my backpack. Useful to just have a backpack when it's too early to check in to your hotel, or for the time between your check-out and your flight to wander around.
- fouc 5y ago
  Also you can walk out of the airport to the main road, avoiding the ripoff prices the airport taxis charge. Also you can hop on the back of a motorbike taxi if you're in a country that has those. Can be a huge time saver since motorbikes don't get caught by traffic as easily.

TylerE 5y ago

Very jealous of those who can manage this. Personally i have to have one smallish bag just for my medical stuff (CPAP, ergonomic pillow for my neck, bunch of meds, the wrist braces I sleep in so I don't wake up with numb hands....)

ubermonkey 5y ago
Yeah, it's inherently ableist.
steelframe 5y ago
I replaced my CPAP with a mouth guard that keeps my lower jaw forward to open my airway just for the purpose of not having to lug around a CPAP. Given how much CPAPs suck, I don't know why the mouth guard isn't the very first thing they try for people with airway obstruction.
- csdvrx 5y ago
  Do you have a link? It'd make the most perfect gift for a friend!
  - steelframe 5y ago
    Unfortunately it's not the sort of thing you purchase for a friend. You need to go to orthodontic specialist, get a custom mould of your teeth created (this can involve electrical stimulation of your jaw muscles in order to get them into a relaxed position), and titration of the apparatus after the lab delivers it.
    - csdvrx 5y ago
      I got a tooth protector (the kind that's used for boxing) on amazon with a self-mold: you return it to the company that makes the final plastic thingie for you. That'd be the preferred option, as it doesn't require any prescription or interaction with a specialist whose interest might not be aligned with the patients (multiple office visits = an opportunity to milk the insurance for more money) If no company offers an option, I see an opportunity there!

KineticLensman 5y ago

I once did a three week trip to Africa that involved a light aircraft flight into the Okavango Delta in Botswana. We were allowed one small backpack and a small non-rigid holdall that they supplied prior to the trip. So okay, two bags, not one, but still a significant limit given that I wanted to do some serious big-lens wildlife photography. I managed quite well although I had one day of wet very feet when I flooded my only pair of boots. I also grew a beard so that I could leave shaving kit behind.

reiichiroh 5y ago

Is the escort eVest still a thing?

istorical 5y ago
I tried googling escort eVest and the first google search result was your comment :(
- resoluteteeth 5y ago
  Probably Scott evest

ubermonkey 5y ago

I've seen this site before. It's, um, zealous. I travel light. I have since the 90s. I never ever ever checked a bag before 9/11, but since then I've often done so for two reasons: - Absurd restrictions on liquids in the cabin; and - Equally absurd restrictions on carrying my Swiss Army Knife. Once you check a bag, you need another bag to carry some essentials aboard the plane. Even on a short weekend trip, though, if I buy sample sizes and ditch the SAK, I end up with a small additional bag. It's easier to do that than constantly open the overhead to get a different book, or your tablet, or whatever. One-bagging is also a poor choice for business travel, since you likely want a smaller computer bag so you don't have to use your much larger "one bag" as your office bag. OneBag purists also have a WILD hatred of wheelie bags that seems rooted in a refusal to realize that, for many people whose travel patterns are home to airport to destination hotel/home, they're perfect. The extra weight isn't a problem because they roll. There's a great reason why they're very very popular with full-time/very frequent travelers.

anonporridge 5y ago
The absurd restrictions on knives really needs to go. A blade is a necessary tool for a lot of people in everyday life. It's time to get over the unfounded fear and face reality like adults. It's especially ridiculous because of how ineffective it is, https://onemileatatime.com/tsa-fails-tests-95-percent/ https://onemileatatime.com/tsa-fails-tests-95-percent/. This is a worthless waste of resources that only serves to inconvenience regular people and give the masses some feel good security theatre.
- ghaff 5y ago
  And it affects more than travel. I'll never put even the smallest knife in a bag I use for airline carryon because I will forget it's there and probably end up losing it.
  - anonporridge 5y ago
    I once lost a very nice wine corkscrew to the TSA that I forgot was in a backpack due the little foil cutter blade. The guy in charge acted all jubilant, like they successfully thwarted a hijacking.

58x14 5y ago

I bought a Goruck GR2 (40L capacity) in 2013 and cumulatively lived out of it for ~4 years. It's been with me up every mountain I've climbed, on 3 continents, on my back as I rode a motorcycle through a snowstorm. I've slept on it, swam with it, skied with it. After nearly 9 years, it's in perfect condition, and one of my most cherished possessions. I'm not one to anthropomorphize... but this one bag is my best friend. It has quite literally been with me through everything. Also, a good bag has got to be the most underrated item in any apocalyptic scenario. Travel and scavenging become the primary methods of survival - a strong, sizable bag allows you to securely store food, water, medicine, ammo, tools, printed and digital media. A zipper breaking as you flee from danger may make the difference in survival.

samatman 5y ago
My GR1 26L has been an ideal travel companion, I was on the road with that, a rolling bag, and a shoulder suit duffle, for the better part of three years. On my third rolling bag and suit duffle, the GR1 is untouched. It has been hosed out a few times. This thing is coming with me if I lit out, and no mistake.
ngokevin 5y ago
I've had a HMG 3400 SW and my wife a Gossamer Gear Mariposa for 6 years. We got it for backpacking 5+ days in US wilderness, but they act as our one-bags across Latam. We didn't have a "one bag" mindset, we always just pack light. They collapse down enough that they easily fit underneath the seat on a budget airline and look like a college kid's backpack. And they expand enough they we've done multiple 4-7 day treks holding tents and sleeping bags (40L and 50+10L). And we roll up some smaller day bags inside for daily use.
adamrt 5y ago
I've had the GR2 34L since it was released (maybe 6-7 years ago) and I've traveled the world with it. I have the same affection for it that you have for yours. I can live out of it indefinitely as long as I'm not in extremely cold climates. Worn in and in perfect shape.
kmonsen 5y ago

welder 5y ago

My favorite travel hack: Wool shirts and wool socks. They need washing less often so you pack less clothing. And, showering with hand-sanitizer on arm pits. https://www.woolly.clothing/collections/190-gsm-shirts/products/190-ss-crew https://www.woolly.clothing/collections/190-gsm-shirts/produ... https://unboundmerino.com/collections/socks https://unboundmerino.com/collections/socks https://www.smartertravel.com/unbound-merino-womens-v-neck-review-a-shirt-you-rarely-have-to-wash/ https://www.smartertravel.com/unbound-merino-womens-v-neck-r...

Jtsummers 5y ago
They also dry very quickly when you do wash them. Very convenient for hotel/hostel sink laundry days. My first longer-than-a-weekend trip was 2 weeks and I took cotton undershirts (mistakes were made). Since they tend to pick up odor quickly (at least the way I sweat) I had several days worth and they took a while to dry. Switching to wool shirts, I could pack 3 and do laundry once on the trip and no one would notice, and the faster drying time meant that if I did have a particularly sweaty and malodorous day, I could quickly wash that shirt and it would be dry in a couple hours.
- ncpa-cpl 5y ago
  Sometimes I travel with carry on and other times with checked luggage. The part of travelling with one bag that I don't like is having to do laundry more often. Like, I gain 30 minutes by not waiting for luggage at the airport, but sometimes that offset by the time spent doing laundry.
  - Jtsummers 5y ago
    That's reasonable, but I've found that switching out my cotton (entirely) and synthetics (mostly) for wool (lasts longer without odor than both, dries faster than cotton) lets me pack 2 pairs of pants, 2 shirts, 3 pairs of socks, and enough underwear to last a week if my goal is to do laundry only once a week, and even then I could go longer if I absolutely needed to without doing a wash of everything. Underwear and socks wash easily in a sink and dry quickly, so I can get by with 1-2 pairs of packed socks and 2-4 pairs of packed underwear with only 5-10 minutes of time spent in the evening washing things every 2-3 days, and a bigger wash once a week for shirts and pants. All of that comfortably fits into most backpacks, I only take a larger backpack because I often pack a camera. I would be annoyed if it took me an hour or more at a laundromat every few days, but I haven't experienced that since my clothes dry fast enough, I can just spend 30 minutes or so once a week in the hotel room (morning or evening, I don't normally sleep in when traveling so I have time to kill when I wake up). Admittedly, I don't travel to hot and humid climates, that would change things (especially the way I sweat).

drakonka 5y ago

I have traveled with checked in luggage three times in my life: once when moving to the other side of the world, another time when going on a trip from Greece and bringing back presents, and again when going on a two-week business trip on another continent (traveled there with carry-on only, came back with a couple of gifts checked in). Most of the time whether it's business or pleasure, I hate having more than one bag with me and just take carry-on.

mauvehaus 5y ago

Alternative if you're flying: two bags: 1) A small backpack for anything fragile that goes under the seat in front of you. 2) A SOFT sided duffel for your clothes. Take than m-f'er and cram it into the overhead bin. It'll fit in the smallest crevice between two rollaboards with enough force. For minimum clothing volume, pack one set of outer garments (optional if you're wearing them on the flight, which I presume you are. Maybe throw a jacket in instead if you need it) and a daily change of socks and undergarments. Jeans and a fleece and n days worth of undergarments and socks is super efficient. If you can get away with wearing sandals, you need only one pair of socks (for airport security. I have no desire to go barefoot in the airport). Edited to add: undergarments meaning something for your bottom half and a t-shirt you can wear without something over it. And bras if you wear them, obviously. Actually, if you're going to a conference and feel sporting, skip the T-shirts and trust you can get them as swag as needed.

rooundio 5y ago

I am not associated with that company, but the nomatic (original) backpack completely transformed my travel experience to something hassle free - I got it years back right in the aftermath of their kickstarter campaign.

AlbertCory 5y ago

Laundry is one of the biggest hassles of travel, IMHO. Hotels charge extortionate prices to launder your clothes. Many cities don't have self-service laundromats, and even if they do, you don't feel like wasting two hours using one. I personally do not like washing things in my room, but if you do, there you go. What I've found, though, is that it's easy and cheap to get someone else to do it for you. In Sydney, I got a laundry place to do my clothes for AUS 15. In Chicago, a lot of dry cleaning places will also do your laundry for you, at reasonable prices. That's probably true in any city. Less obviously: in Rosh Pinna (Israel), there weren't any of either type of place, but my B&B had a cleaning staff person who took the clothes home with her and washed them, using whatever method she uses on her family's clothes.

ghaff 5y ago
>I personally do not like washing things in my room, but if you do, there you go. The trick is to carry the right clothing IMO. You're probably not going to wash jeans or a heavy cotton hoodie. But it's pretty easy with lightweight synthetics and wool. I have used wash and fold places on longer trips especially when I've been doing hiking in addition to business/cities. But you have to find one. Drop clothes off. Pick them back up. Which all takes time even if you don't have to hang around while they're being washed.
kmonsen 5y ago
For me, sure the hotels overcharge a lot but it is so much less than the flight ticket there I usually just shrug. For longer stays I just buy some detergent locally and was in the bathtub, many hotels have a string you can dry clothes on. Also, when I am backpacking I am OK with wearing some dirty clothes. Never had an issue with it, these days dress code is pretty optional as long as you present yourself well and can pay.
antman 5y ago
Easy to dry noniron clothes. Retractable zipline, 5lt mini dry bag for a washing machine and mini blowdrier for extreme situations. And for hair.
Lio 5y ago

BiteCode_dev 5y ago

I went the other route: I used to be minimalist, now I even bring my kettlebells, game pads and different pairs of shoes on my business trips. Even in the moutain, I now have a heavier bag. E.G: my latest knife is way bigger, sturdier and so weights a lot more, I also have a smaller one as a backup now. Being minimalist is not an end goal, it serves a purpose. E.G: to make your life simpler, easier, to help with focus, or to go green. But I feel like people are more and more travelling light for virtue signaling at this point. You cannot just travel light. Everybody must know you do.

deleted 5y ago
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mabub24 5y ago
Do you fly with kettlebells? Isn't that very expensive?
- BiteCode_dev 5y ago
  No, for the plane, it's indeed too expensive and I'd rather then pay for a gym membership on arrival.

alibosworth 5y ago

An entertaining (if not extreme) take on this general topic is the “Vagrant Holiday” series of videos. I appreciate his dedication to ultra minimalist travelling without any of the hype that is usually involved. Nothing about expensive gear, just actually not needing much. https://youtube.com/c/VagrantHoliday https://youtube.com/c/VagrantHoliday

CalChris 5y ago

This reminds me of the book, The Accidental Tourist by Ann Tyler, also a movie in which William Hurt plays a travel writer who specializes in travel guides for reluctant business travelers. It is to travel writing what Castaway is to survival, not particularly useful but still a lot of fun.

giglamesh 5y ago

I've been a one bag traveller since approximately forever. One hitch I encountered after getting married: the spouse's family has a tradition of bringing back gifts for everyone from any major trip. I understand that back in the olden days, rare and exotic items (an orange? for me? really?) could only be shared via travel. But those days are gone. There are nearly no other remaining friction points left our otherwise awesome marriage.

kmonsen 5y ago
Can't you just mail things back? We did that from a trip to Italy, mostly wines. Almost all local vendors of expensive items was well prepared to mail things to the US.
- ngokevin 5y ago
  Depends on where. In Latam, I was quoted like $200 to try to ship back a small package to the US. We gave up on that quick. In Mexico, it was just about $30

Beefin 5y ago

I fly with my Osprey 40L pack, and it works ~when it fits in the overhead~ if it doesn't I'm Shit out of luck because checking a backpack SUCKS and completely defeats the purpose.

tristor 5y ago

I don’t think you need to buy expensive brands (although I have some) to successfully one bag travel. My progression when I started out to now was just a succession of YAGNI realizations until I got to a point where my trusty Z28 backpack is spacious. The biggest factor IMO is becoming confident and comfortable with skirting some social norms and either planning your trips or establishing yourself in such a way that it is acceptable to do so. Once that’s out of the way it’s fairly easy to make 3 outfits mix-match into a week, and launder as needed on the way. Clothes are the bulkiest items and everything else is tiny by comparison.

technoplato 5y ago

I thought this site was going to be about photons. Not disappointed

ddyment 5y ago

My considerable efforts to the contrary notwithstanding, it is clear to me that some people take the wrong message from my OneBag.com site. Usually they do so as a consequence of a superficial reading of the information to be found there. Arguably the most important advice there is to be found on the "Using a Packing List" page, which attempts to make the case that if you have nothing to measure, you have nothing to control. The section people tend to focus on is the "A Packing List" one, which lists examples of the items that are on MY packing list (note the title's use of the indefinite article); there is no stricture, however, that they should be on YOUR list, only that you should HAVE a list (see first point).

fishtoaster 5y ago

One-bagging has its place, but it's not "all the time." I love to one-bag it whenever I expect to have multiple destinations and am traveling via transit, for example. Flying to Europe and taking trains between a few cities? Definitely! I have a Farpoint55 with a zip-off day pack so I can leave the main pack (with my clothes) in the hotel/airbnb/hostel/etc and carry my laptop with me in the day pack. I bring a minimal set of light, easy-to-wash, fast-drying clothes and pick everything in my pack with care. But plenty of trips don't fit this model. If I'm visiting my family or going to a conference, my luggage just goes car to airport, roll to the plane, roll back off the plane, car to destination. Then the same thing in reverse in a week. Weight barely matters - my luggage is rolling on smooth surfaces or sitting in a car's trunk the whole time. And there is value to optionality in what I pack: several different kinds of clothes, chosen to be appropriate at different kinds of events (rather than being super travel-friendly). So I use a suitcase or two and it's fine. Both models have their place - no need to be dogmatic about either!

yosito 5y ago

Since 2018, I've been traveling with a 45L GoRuck GR3 and a small backpack for my laptop. I fly carry-on only (1 bag, plus "personal item") and manage to cram a lot of useful stuff in very small space, including a lot of stuff that many minimalists wouldn't carry. - Two laptops: A company MacBook Pro, plus a personal LG Gram with Pop_OS! - A Keychron K3 keyboard, Roost stand, Apple Magic Touchpad and USB/HDMI adapter so I can expand my mobile office just about anywhere - A 30,000 mAh backup battery with solar charger - A two person hammock - A collapsible backpack for day trips - A sleeping bag - A rain coat and fleece jacket, which combined with two merino wool shirts underneath makes a perfect winter coat, but each piece can also be used separately in warmer weather - A week's worth of clothing based on merino wool, 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 pair of jeans, 3 jean shorts, 7 running shorts, about 12 short sleeve shirts for different occasions, 8 pairs of boxers and socks - Running shoes, leather shoes for nice occasions or cold weather, hiking sandals, flip flops - Elastic bands and a yoga mat for workouts - Assorted other things: toiletries, medicines, documents, cables, power adapters I'm probably forgetting a few things. Most days, I don't miss anything. The few things I miss occasionally are some toys I'd love to play with more: a guitar, a drone, windsurf equipment, a bike. Sometimes I rent these things, but they're a bit expensive to rent, so I don't do it often. I'm thinking about switching to a van lifestyle so I can carry more of those things, and also some kitchen supplies so I can have more control over my diet.

antihero 5y ago
Can you get away with not using the yoga mat and just doing yoga on the ground? I love my yoga mat but if you are looking to stay minimal…I wonder if the original yogis used mats? :)
- yosito 5y ago
  Yep, I could, but I'm not trying to be as minimal as possible, only to fit everything in carry on luggage, which I'm already able to do.
istorical 5y ago
I haven't heard of this bag brand and I'm not a one-bag person, but just looking at their technology, the 1000 D. Cordura Nylon seems interesting, I wonder if anyone knows if it contains PFAS?

ipsin 5y ago

It's interesting to me that GoRuck keeps showing up in the comments. I've seen it show up in several other contexts (geocaching, Ingress, etc.), and ... It seems like a "lifestyle brand", but are they also focused on one-bag ergonomics? Not at all skeptical, just looking for an accessible intro to GoRuck.

awelxtr 5y ago
> also focused on one-bag ergonomics? Considering that they offer bags up to 40L, I guess go. My GR1 23L bag has served me well thus far. Although I gotta say they are rather pricey.
kemayo 5y ago
They're kind-of lifestyle, in that they do strongly convey a certain "woo special forces oo-rah!" vibe (that I don't actually like -- though you can occasionally buy versions without all the MOLLE), but they do originate from being an accessory for a specific sport/exercise routine: rucking. I.e. long hikes in mud with heavy metal weights in your backpack. You don't need one of their bags to do it, but they're well-optimized for the task. Specifically: they're famously incredibly durable and last forever, and have good load-bearing traits so you can stuff 50lbs into them and expect to carry it about as well as possible. You can imagine how this translates well to less-demanding activities like walking through airports with all your clothes. :D The main thing that might make you not want them is that they're very unstructured. They're a big empty box on your back with only minimal pockets, and if you want to impose any separation on gear you put in there you're going to have to do it yourself via other bags (e.g. packing cubes). This is in contrast to brands like Tom Bihn who have a bunch of specialized compartments to help you split stuff up. This is, of course, very much a matter of taste.
et-al 5y ago
To put it in perspective: city-focused travel backpacks that were not hiking backpacks weren't common 8-10 years ago. The options were pretty much Tom Bihn, Patagonia, Osprey, Minaal, and Tortuga. Anyways, Goruck bags were a welcome addition at the time because they were relatively discreet, easily accessible with their fold-open design, extremely well built (arguably overbuilt), and comfortable to carry heavy loads.

0xbadcafebee 5y ago

The site focuses too much on the bag and not enough on the context that determines how you travel. For some kinds of travel, you don't need a bag at all. For some you have to compromise on what you bring. For some, carrying more than one bag is just optimal. Most of my international travel has used one bag. In many cases I use hacks to avoid even paying the carry-on fee, and very rarely I'm caught and have to pay for the carry-on. But for my last long trip, I checked my bag, and carried a small bag onto the plane. I wanted to be able to transport stuff they won't allow as carry-on, and it was just less hassle to check it. My favorite bag is a small soft roll-top backpack with a waist strap. Because it's a roll-top it can expand or be packed down tight, and it's narrow so it ends up fitting more places when it's packed tight. Outside straps and mesh water bottle compartments let me carry an extra pair of shoes (or water bottles). One exterior zip pocket, one interior zip pocket. I think one version of this bag has a padded laptop sleeve with zip, but I don't really need the feature. And I found one that has an internal frame which makes it more breathable and easier to carry when heavily packed.

ddyment 5y ago

ddyment 5y ago

Interesting to see all the "It doesn't work for business travellers" comments. I'm now retired, but was a business traveller (read: million mile flyer) for over forty years, and it has always worked well for me. Also, there are MANY reasons (not just "less weight") to avoid wheeled bags ( https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html https://www.onebag.com/wheeled-bags.html ).

meristem 5y ago

I wonder (aloud) how much of one bag ethos is linked to being a man. Culturally (my experience is US/EU/Latam) women are expected to change clothes often. And in some countries that also means changing belts and shoes. If traveling for business, even worse: few professional clothes designed for women are compressible/washable/fast drying.

renewiltord 5y ago

My life is in my carry-on plus personal item allowance. Contrary to what I expected, this has not been the dramatic shift in personal affairs I expected. Perhaps this is because it was mostly accidental and not intentional. It has enabled me to live on my friends' couches for the last five months though. But I'll read this since what I've always wanted is an easy way to use my top-quality hardware and travel with it as much as possible. Some sort of easy organizer is probably all I need. However, I'd strongly recommend the two-bagging since the "personal item" (my backpack) is something I can take on a day trip or whatever. That's one meaningful learning for me.

deleted 5y ago

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diamondage 5y ago

I met a man who travelled the world with three socks. Two to wear, one to wash and dry. Rotate.

Copernicron 5y ago

I haven't done much one bag travel myself, just a couple weekend or five day long trips, but one important thing is that it's a whole lot easier when you're not obese. I've lost nearly 200 lbs and it has become so much easier to fit everything into a single bag because my clothes are just so much smaller. The bag weighs less too. Or I can fit an extra camera lens in there since that's the primary reason I travel these days. A lot of the one bag travel advice I've encountered assumes that you're in relatively good shape.

mncharity 5y ago

FWIW, I've used nested soft packable mostly-shoulder bags. Sometimes adding a semi-disposable interior cardboard half-shell, cut from a box, refolded, gaff taped, and edge mashed to transit size restrictions. So bag number and volume compress for transit, and reinflate at destination. I envisioned adding optional shoulder pads, backpack strapping, waist belt, and even packable strap-on wheels... but the need hasn't been pressing. I'd hoped instead to find a one true travel backpack, but the diversity of personal-item size restrictions, a brick of thinkpad, and a tech load tightening the volume budget, had me failing to find a bag which fit the constraint space, didn't regrettably narrow it, and leveraged opportunities (eg, with the laptop as pack frame, another would be excess - and it already barely fits flat as a United free personal item). Off topic, I just saw a baggage size checker in an unexpected place: a NYC public library local branch. Together with additional luggage-in-the-library restrictions. I assume it's targeted at homeless, but seemed potentially problematic for travelers seeking wifi. I use public transit even in places where it's very class segregated, and the line between digital nomad, and impoverished homeless with nice kit, can be though-provokingly narrow. With an associated need to easily alter class flags, depending on who's inclined to hassle you as being out of place.

waffle_maniac 5y ago

I nomad. Travel with a multiple bags and planning to buy another one during the next Europe trip so I can bring back beer and licorice. Also, if you have status with an airline you can bring a checked bag free. That sometimes means you can bring comforts and supplies that are unavailable or more expensive at your destination.

smm11 5y ago

I worked with a guy who was a bag junkie, he'd get a few new bags every month, and had bags to carry other bags. The bags carried bags, and he'd carry a bag. I have a nice size bag I usually use. If going away longer, I carry an extra one. I'm into some things. Bags is not one of those things.

throwJan22 5y ago

Flying in America is horrible with all the people bringing huge bags into the cabin. Everyone is fighting to get on first with their massive luggage banging around. I wish they'd enforce a 20lb weight limit like in Europe.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago

One of the most impressive folks I ever knew with this, was a Japanese manager, at the company I used to work for. This guy had been everywhere. If you mentioned a country or city, odds are, he could tell you a good bar, there. He would go on these marathon business trips, lasting weeks or months. He always took just one bag: A fairly big Zero Halliburton carry-on. Once he got promoted to a VP, though, he had to start wearing suits, so he had to add a suit bag.

twomoonsbysurf 5y ago

I do 3 packs currently: - a 44 L osprey - a 25 L dakine w/ 15” laptop sleeve - a 2-3 L small pack... satchel. $10 here in Mexico. Bought the last one recently for day hikes to hold water/keys/wallet/phone/small battery for charging phone. Great for traveling & living abroad, 1 month+, while working remotely. I carry the big one on back, midsize on front, and store smallest in the big one until I arrive at accommodations and am ready to go out for the day

contingencies 5y ago

http://artoftravel.net http://artoftravel.net is the original and still the best.

ddyment 5y ago

TheBlerch 5y ago

What’s your favorite one-bag carryon? My partner and I have used an MEI Voyageur, a classic which was recommended by Onebag.com for recreational travel, but in black it still works for business travel. It didn’t disappoint and has held up so well over time and many miles and trips. For 3 lbs you get tough ballistic nylon material, durable zippers, well-padded hide-able shoulder and waist straps and a shoulder strap, internal aluminum frame stays for support and internal straps to stabilize your contents - all at a great value that can be half the cost of similar bags that are heavily marketed. The pack is still made by a small California shop and I’ve given it as a gift to students. My only real complaint is at my 6 ft height I’d appreciate a slightly longer torso, which can be done by asking the maker to attach the hip belt a few inches lower on the pack. I’m sure there are some newer bags out there with a bit sleeker design, but also certain they don’t approach the value of this bag.

TheBlerch 5y ago
PS Onebag does feature good suggestions, which helped me refine what to carry and what to leave behind, and which have helped me deal with many contingencies while traveling.

momirlan 5y ago

Would have been good in a previous life. As it is, travel is pretty much a past time. Luggage is the least of the worries.

sam_goody 5y ago

I have a Fugu[1] that goes from carry-on to a full-valise. I travel light when I travel alone, but like knowing that I could expand it if I needed to. I travel light for pragmatic reasons, but don't mind check-in if I have a reason to. Flexibility is an asset. Full disclosure: Am not affiliated with Fugu, but am friendly with one of the founders. [1]: https://fuguluggage.com https://fuguluggage.com

tomcooks 5y ago

This website has taught me so much about travelling when I was in my early 20s, and I've been living out of a backpack ever since.