Onebag Travel

Backpack design is about sacrifices; an improvement in one area often comes at the expense of another. With that being said, I think this pack finds a good balance. It’s a little on the heavier side, but has the right amount of structure and organization. I prefer the X-Pac version for its waterproofness and cleanability, although the AquaGuard zippers are a bit stiff at first and do take a few days to break in. I also prefer the orange interior of the X-Pac version.

I like the clamshell opening of the pack. I like the variety of pocket sizes, especially in the admin panel, that makes it easy to organize smaller items. I like how the water bottle pocket zips up when not in use. I like how the compression straps can flatten the pack into a medium-sized day pack. I like how the material doesn’t cause my shirts to pill.

I don’t like the load lifters on the shoulder straps. They’re awkward to use, don’t look good, and I don’t notice much of an ergonomic difference when using them. I don’t like how the top carry handle is centered, making it difficult to hang the pack from a hook (like in a restroom stall). I don’t like how the laptop compartment has a divider down the middle that snags my laptop every time I slide it in.

I tried out both the hip belt and the sternum strap, but removed them after not finding either to be useful. For a bag of this size I don’t think a hip belt is worth the extra weight.

The pack has very minimal security features, which I’m fine with. They make it harder for a thief to open the bag, but more commonly they just make it harder for me to open it. Instead, I prefer to simply put my valuables in inner pockets, and not leave the bag unattended in the first place.

The pack does not have any features to stow away the shoulder straps into a kind of “duffel bag mode” either, which I’m also fine with. In practice I have never needed this feature, and prefer the simplicity of the bag without it.

I love this kit for holding my toiletries. It has a nice variety of pockets, and the X-Pac material makes it easy to wipe off spills. I love the hook on top that hangs the kit from a shelf or towel rack. I also love the toothbrush holders on either side, although I wish they were improved to not trap water and so the bristles wouldn’t touch the wall when hanging the kit from a towel rack.

I use a single packing cube to hold all my clothes. I like Aer’s because it’s sized to fit their backpacks, but I’m not loyal to any specific brand.

A drawstring bag is the ideal day pack. It’s lightweight yet fits everything I need. When not in use, it folds flatly in half and takes up little space. I like the Nike version because it has a laptop divider and a zipper pocket, but if I find a better one I’d probably upgrade.

A drawstring bag also solves the problem of when I’m forced to check in my main backpack at the airport (I’ve never been asked to do this but it’s good to be prepared). I put my laptop and anything fragile in the drawstring bag, then take it on the plane as my carry-on.

I like to buy groceries when I’ll be staying in the same place for a while so this is essential. I got mine for free with a purchase from Orbitkey, but any brand should work as long as it isn’t overengineered. All it needs to do is hold a few groceries, or maybe a towel and sunscreen for an impromptu trip to the beach.

I’ve experimented with passport wallets, but ultimately I think a Ziploc bag is superior. It’s cheap, extremely lightweight, waterproof, and transparent so I can easily see what’s inside.

This is the backpack I originally planned to take with me. I bought it because it comes with a detachable daypack and has shoulder straps that stow away when checking in the bag on an airplane. I ended up returning it because it was too big and overcomplicated. The problems these features solve turned out to have simpler solutions, or weren’t big issues in the first place.

I’m just not a fan of slings. They feel awkward to carry and can’t really hold that much. I originally bought this with the goal of doubling its use as a tech pouch, but I ended up returning it. It’s a well-built product but it’s not for me.

I bought this to hold my passport, extra cash, and a backup credit card. I ended up returning it. Despite being one of the thinnest passport wallets on the market, I still found it to be too thick. Even worse, it had a tendency to spring open when folded, even when there wasn’t much inside it. I prefer to store things in the smaller pockets of my backpack instead.

I really like the design of this pouch, but I ended up not needing it. I originally used it to store tech items like my mouse and chargers, but I was able to simplify and store them all in the various pockets of my main backpack instead. It takes up less space this way, and I find it easier to access everything. The pouch is also available in X-Pac, but since it doesn’t need to get wet I opted for the normal material.

I bought this to give my laptop some extra protection, especially if I needed to carry my laptop outside of my backpack on a flight. I ended up not using it. My backpack already offers enough protection as it is, and I prefer using a drawstring bag to carry my laptop separately instead. It’s a nice product otherwise—the material feels premium and I like how it can be used as a mousepad when unfolded. It just takes up too much space.

I love this machine. I upgraded from the 2012 version and plan to upgrade again in a generation or two. Unfortunately, after 2019, MacBook Pros took a step backwards in terms of bulkiness, but there are rumors the next model will be significantly thinner. In general, I stick to Apple products whenever possible; Apple’s locked-in ecosystem gets a lot of flak, but in reality it offers a lot of convenience.

A lot of people complain about this mouse but I’ve had it for over a decade and I love it. It’s relatively flat which makes it easy to pack, and I’ve never had a problem with its ergonomics. I still have the original version that runs on AA batteries, but plan on upgrading to a USB-C version as soon as they make one available.

Just about all my other tech is made by Apple. So is my phone. I have the normal version since I don’t take enough photos to justify upgrading to the Pro.

I love reading, but books take up a lot of space, and I’m not a fan of the Kindle app on my phone. The Kindle is pretty lightweight and the new versions charge with USB-C.

Despite MOGICS’s crude-looking website, this product is amazing. The extension cord comes in handy at hotels and coffee shops with hard-to-reach outlets, and the international adapter is as compact as they come. The bagel shape seems gimmicky at first but turns out to be the ideal form factor: it fits easily into a pocket, and the rounded shape prevents large plugs from colliding. I only wish they offered an upgraded version with a braided cable.

This is basically a smaller, lighter, and more powerful version of Apple’s standard 20W USB-C power adapter, at about the same price. I use the official Apple versions of all my other chargers and cables, except for this one.

I’m not too loyal to any specific power bank, as long as it’s small and uses USB-C. This one checks both boxes. I only need enough capacity to prevent my phone from dying at a bad moment; any more is just extra weight.

AirPods have good audio quality for their small size, and the noise cancellation comes in handy when trying to sleep on a long flight. I have the version that charges with a Lightning cable, but will eventually upgrade to USB-C so I only have to carry one type of cable.

In all honesty, I only bought this because my backpack has a devoted slot for one. Hopefully I’ll never need to use it, but I suppose if I do I’ll be glad I have it.

At the end of the day I’m just not a watch person. I thought I would use this to track my exercise and help with directions, but I ended up leaving it in my backpack most of the time. It’s a cool gadget, but it’s just another item to carry around and worry about charging.

Among the warmest jackets for its weight. It’s comfortable down to about 40°F, and it compresses down to a very small size. I prefer the version without a hood since it’s even smaller.

These are hands-down my favorite t-shirts for everyday use. They’re comfortable, cool, not too expensive, and they save space by rolling up to about half the size of a regular shirt. Plus, they fit really well (I’m 6'3" and 175lb). I pack two of them.

I feel like it’s a rite of passage to pack at least one item made from merino wool. Merino wool is expensive, but it’s comfortable and performs well in a variety of temperatures. It’s also odor-resistant, so I rely on this shirt to get me through to the next laundry day. The cut one design from Outlier fits me perfectly. Even though it’s expensive I think it’s worth it.

I like to pack one long-sleeve t-shirt for cold days when I need an extra layer. I picked this one up for only $6 when I was in Japan. In general I prefer short sleeves, so on warmer days I just roll them up.

I like having one nice shirt with me for special occasions. This shirt needs to be ironed every now and then, which is kind of annoying, but it’s not as big of a deal as I was expecting. As long as I roll it up carefully it tends to avoid wrinkles.

Lululemon is typically associated with girls’ gym clothes, but it turns out they also make really nice pants for men. I like these because they look dressy, but they’re about as comfortable as a pair of sweatpants. I’m not too familiar with the other materials they come in, but the Warpstreme has served me well.

I like Lululemon pants, so this is the shorts version of them.

This is an important one. I have an old pair and I’m not sure what brand they are, but they’re comfortable and can be used as either gym shorts for working out or a bathing suit for swimming. I also wear them while doing laundry and whenever I’ll be staying inside all day.

I see these recommended a lot, and they’re pretty nice. They’re made of merino wool so I can get an extra few uses out of them before laundry day. I pack one pair, plus five pairs of generic socks. I might buy some more in the future.

These are great underwear. They’re comfortable, and most importantly, they breathe. They’re also available in low-rise and seamless versions, but I prefer the originals. The low-rise aren’t as comfortable, and the seamless are a bit tighter and tend to get bunched up more easily. I pack six of them.

I like the simplicity of these gloves. They are starting to form a hole at the tip of one of the fingers, though.

To be clear, I’m not recommending wearing Vans for a trip around the world. But they’ve earned a place on this list after I ran out of time packing and they were the only shoes I had. They held up well, but I did spend quite a few moments drying them off with a hair dryer after every time it rained.

They’re fine when it’s cold out, but not when it’s humid and 100°F and you’ve been walking for two hours and the last time you showered was on Monday. I think the same would apply to any brand of cotton underwear.

I like this shaver a lot. It’s small, lightweight, and cuts nicely without any irritation. The blade is removable and comes with multiple attachments so I can use it to cut body hair as well as facial. It charges with a USB cable (though not USB-C) and I’ve been using it for over six months on a single charge. Replacement blades are expensive, but for me, they’re worth the price.

I bought this on a whim because it was the smallest deodorant stick available at the store, but I ended up really liking it. It’s basically just a block of potassium mineral salt with no other ingredients. The downside is that while it prevents new odors, it doesn’t mask existing ones, so I found I had to apply it after every shower for it to work. The upside is how compact it is. I only had to replace it after I dropped it and it shattered, but otherwise it probably would have lasted several years. Plus, it doesn’t stain my shirts.

Unironically this might be one of my best purchases. It’s cheap in both price and quality, but the design is perfect for traveling. The bristles collapse into themselves and the whole thing folds in half, so it fits nicely into the pocket of a dopp kit. Plus, there’s a mirror inside the lid.

I use these refillable tubes to hold my shampoo and whatnot. I like that they’re the maximum size allowed on an airplane, and that they’re made from a material that feels really good in the hand. I don’t think I would buy this brand again, though. They’re too expensive, and their teardrop shape makes them awkward to pack.

I really like this wallet, but unfortunately it’s no longer available. In fact, I can barely find a trace of it on the internet. I bought it on Tesla’s website back in 2016 and I’ve been using it since.

American Express Green Card

I’m not a fan of the coupon book nature of some of American Express’s higher end travel cards, but I like the Green Card for its simplicity. It has an annual fee but offers a high sign up bonus that makes up for it. I already use American Express for my main bank account, and they have by far the best mobile app and customer service of any bank I’ve tested, so I try to stay within their ecosystem as much as possible.

Robinhood Gold Card

This card is new and I’m still on the waitlist for it, but it gives 3% cash back in all categories, with no foreign transaction fees. Assuming it lasts, I’ll consider making it my main credit card. (Disclaimer: If you sign up with my link I’ll get off the waitlist faster.)

Charles Schwab Debit Card

Charles Schwab has the only debit card I know of that offers unlimited international ATM fee reimbursements. This means I can withdraw money from any ATM in the world for free—very useful when staying in a cash-based foreign country.

This was the closest I could find to an ideal travel bottle. It’s lightweight and rolls up to a small size, but is still able to stand up on its own. I don’t like that it traps water (read: grows mold) where the plastic is joined together at the base. I don’t like how clunky and unsatisfying it feels to roll it up. I don’t like how I’ve cut my finger twice while popping open the weird shape of the cap. The bottle packs small though which makes up for its shortcomings.

Especially while traveling, it’s so easy to destroy a pair of sunglasses that I prefer to buy cheap ones off Amazon. Even so, I’ve had these for years and they’re still holding up. They came with a carrying case, and to save space, I use it to hold my Philips OneBlade razor as well as the glasses.

According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a towel “is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.” This towel is by no means the softest or most absorbent, but it takes up hardly any space. Usually I use the towels available in hotels or Airbnbs, but if they’re not available or if I’m staying with a friend, this towel comes in handy. It also works as a beach towel.

I’m a big fan of using an umbrella for sun protection instead of wearing a hat or sunscreen—especially for walking short distances between buildings. Plus, an umbrella doubles as rain protection, so I don’t need to carry a rain jacket.

I’ve tried many different types of pens, including fancy ones, and this one remains my favorite. It comes in handy for filling out customs and immigration forms.

I ordered food somewhere in Taiwan and it came with a plastic yellow spork. It was good quality so I ended up rinsing it off and taking it with me when I finished eating. Sometimes it’s more fun to scavenge items on the go than to bring them from home.