Luxury Indefinite Travel | 24L 7kg
- Category Weight
-
Pack
1.18 kg
-
Clothes
1.18 kg
-
Organization
0.62 kg
-
Utility
0.6 kg
-
Luxury
2.06 kg
-
Electronics
0.72 kg
-
Toiletries
0.34 kg
-
Extra Comfort Utility
0.23 kg
-
Necessities
0.22 kg
-
Situation Dependent
2.4 kg
-
Worn
0 kg
Everything on this list has a purpose, ideally several purposes. I have done my best to slim down to only items that I will actually use on most trips. There are plenty of items here that I could do without and be okay - but that I have judged to have enough of a weight to convenience ratio to be worth their space.
I use most of these things in my daily life outside of travel as well, living in the PNW without a car. If you take out the clothes and toiletries it's just my normal daily backpack as I make my way around the city on public transit. Makes packing for a trip completely trivial. Most of my trips are to urban areas throughout the US and Canada and so do not need things to handle extreme temperatures or to take it on the trail.
I’ve designed and labeled this as “indefinite”, not because I actually travel for an extended length of time (though I’d like to someday) but because it’s the same list I’d take for 4 days and for 4 weeks. I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t be able to comfortably live out of this bag.
A few notes:
- All my clothes are quick drying, so I can do laundry in the evening, hang dry overnight and they're dry in the morning. Makes me able to do laundry every few days even when time is tight.
- It's nice to leave room in the pack, having it be completely full can be quite annoying especially when I want to take my sweatshirt off and not hold it.
- Things in the "extra comfort utility" section come in handy but really just give me some extra piece of mind knowing that certain scenarios are covered.
- One of the reasons I travel with only a personal item is so I can buy the cheapest airfare possible. This has the side effect of sometimes staying the night and/or a long time in the airport, and I have a whole setup to make that as comfortable as possible.
Always a work in progress. It's fun to optimize and iterate.
Last updated December 2023
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Pack
Weight qty -
Aer City Pack Pro
Wonderful pack. Fits as a personal item even on budget airlines. Doesn’t look like I’m carrying luggage or hiking when in the city, and isn’t overly branded or flashy. I wish it was a bit lighter, and waterproof, but otherwise I’ve been very happy with it.
1179
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Clothes
Weight qty -
Shirts
Columbia polyester quick-dry
150
g3
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Socks
Danish Endurance merino
73
g2
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Underwear
Columbia boxer-briefs, quick dry
48.5
g3
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Shorts
Columbia polyester/elastane shorts
198
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Merino Base Layer
Keeps me warm without bringing a coat. Doesn’t look terrible and can double as a regular shirt.
236.6
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Organization
Weight qty -
Osprey Daylite Sling
Day pack, packs flat and goes in laptop compartment.
241
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Peak Design Packing Cube Small
Clothes, with the bag of detergent sheets in the back pocket.
105.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Aer Split Pack
Toiletries
90.7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Aer Slim Pouch
Electronics
136
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Tom Bihn Ghost Whale Pouch
Holds power bank & phone charging cable
15
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Columbia Dry Bag
For isolating wet things. Can work for hand washing clothes in a pinch.
35
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Utility
Weight qty -
Merino Buff
Headband, neck gaiter for warmth, eye mask, crazy how much use this gets.
44.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
HeroClip Medium
Stays clipped to pack handle, for hanging the bag when otherwise inconvenient. Also great for hanging toiletry bag in a bathroom.
33.3
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Compass
Navigate without having your face in your phone all the time. MecArmy titanium.
10.7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Nanobag Standard
My daily shopping bag at home. So useful to have an extra bag of space, and packs down into nothing.
25.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Tweezers
Tiny and titanium. Goes in notebook.
2.4
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Titanium Toothpick
Crazy how much use this gets. Goes in notebook.
3.4
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Keith Titanium Water Bottle
Not my favorite but I haven’t found a better one that is as light and sturdy.
292.7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
S-Biner
Hooks in water bottle on outside of pack.
30.3
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Rain Cover
Pack is resistant but not waterproof, good for if caught out in heavy rain or snow.
99.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Napkins
Never had a trip where I haven’t made some sort of mess.
15
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Nail clippers
45.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Luxury
Weight qty -
Gameboy Advance SP
Modded with an LCD display & better battery, with an Everdrive (infinite games).
149.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Notebook
Rocketbook Mini in a leather passport case. Love using this thing and doesn’t waste paper. The leather case has other things in it like spare cash, vaccination card, a microfiber cloth for cleaning it, and a titanium pen filled with an erasable ink cartridge.
183
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Neck Pillowcase
Fill with sweatshirt during flights, lay empty on pack to sleep on in the airport.
61.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Jisulife Portable Fan
I just love having a fan on me especially when sleeping. Charges with USB-C.
102.8
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Airpods
Literally only for use while phone is charging. I much prefer corded earbuds and am still salty they ditched the headphone jack.
46
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga L390
Having a laptop is so nice when I want to write, my phone just doesn't cut it. Also nice for making sure I can handle life stuff if it comes up. Flips into tablet mode for reading or watching media.
1522
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Electronics
Weight qty -
Work phone
Unfortunately necessary for work.
181.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Anker USB-C cable - 6ft
Everything that can possibly be USB-C is.
61.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Anker Nano II 100W Charger
Has 3 ports and can fast charge everything at once, including a laptop.
193.9
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Nitecore NB10000
Amazing power bank for the weight.
154
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Misc. Adapter bag
Tiny plastic bag with small adapters for everything that might not take USB-C. Also contains a small 256gb flash drive and a spare small USB-C cable.
60.7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
USB-C to Lightning cable
Can't wait to get rid of this, but my iPhone 11 is still going strong.
20.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Headphones (backup)
Apple corded earbuds. The ones that came with an iPhone when they still had a headphone jack.
13
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Headphone adapters
For GBA and apple lightning.
12.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Gameboy charger
25.6
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Toiletries
Weight qty -
Bravo Sierra Body Bar
Body wash & regular shampoo. Solid form makes it super convenient. Cut in half.
29.8
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Specialty Shampoo
Small amount, stored in a contact lens case.
10
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Sunscreen
Small amount, stored in a contact lens case.
16.4
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Matador Soap Dry Bag
Great to store the soap bar in, somehow dries out while in the bag.
11.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Generic Toothbrush
41.7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Generic Toothpaste
28.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Crystal Deodorant
66.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Laundry Detergent
A small plastic bag of detergent sheets.
32.5
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Gum
A few sticks in a plastic bag, for breath emergencies.
15.7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Comb
Chicago Comb Company carbon fiber, last comb I’ll ever need.
7
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Q-tips
A handful in a little travel container.
28
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Makeup Remover Wipes
An airport bathroom shower in a pinch.
46.3
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Acne medication
9
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Extra Comfort Utility
Weight qty -
Mini S-Biners
Stay on outside zippers for some minor security. Mostly use them when sleeping on my pack in the airport.
4
g3
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Repair kit
Small plastic bag with things like paper clips, bobby pins, binder clips, rubber bands. I’m always a hero when something like this is needed in a pinch.
14.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Spare ink cartridge
My notebook takes special erasable ink that can be a little hard to get.
2.6
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Flashlight
Nitecore TINI 2. For when I need a stationary light or when the phone isn’t enough.
21.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Plastic bags
A few ziploc bags of various sizes, useful for storing food usually. Takes up no space.
45.6
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Gerber Shard
Closest thing to a pocket knife I can carry on a plane.
20.8
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Snowpeak Spork
For when crappy plastic ware from the food truck won’t cut it.
16
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
First Aid Kit
Small plastic bag. Contains bandages, antiseptic towelettes, antibiotic ointment, and a few tablets each of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, cloripheniramine (allergy), antihistamine, Imodium, and Gas-X.
42.3
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Airtag
More piece of mind. Never leaves the pack.
11.2
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Emergency food
Usually a Clif bar, something with protein. Just so I know I'll never be in a position with nothing to eat.
47
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Necessities
Weight qty -
Daily meds
Small leather weekly pill case
75
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
As needed meds
Small pill case with a bunch of my as needed prescriptions and most used other meds.
59
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Backup daily meds
A few days’ worth of my most important medications. Mostly for peace of mind.
39.3
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Passport
34.6
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Cash
15
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Situation Dependent
Weight qty -
MacBook Pro 15inch
Unfortunately necessary if I'm working while traveling.
1830
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Generic rain jacket
This plus sweatshirt and base layer with the buff around my face is plenty warm for all but the coldest places.
307
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Patagonia Micro Puff
Warm and light but takes a lot of space. Only when I know I'll be outside in the cold for a while.
264
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Worn
Weight qty -
Doc Marten Boots
I need high-top boots to support weak ankles.
0
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Lululemon ABC Pants
Comfortable, looks good, repels water and more importantly cat hair.
0
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Sweatshirt
Generic cotton zip-up hoodie. Soft enough to act as padding for neck pillow on the plane. Would really like something that packs down smaller though.
0
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Handkerchief
Some old microfiber cloth. Back pocket.
0
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Headphones
Apple corded earbuds. The ones that come with an iPhone. Always in my pocket.
0
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Phone
Phone case doubles as a wallet.
0
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
1 each of the same shirt, underwear, socks
0
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-