One Bag Travel: How I downsized to an 8kg setup and saved $700

It has been more than three years since I decided to travel with one backpack. I remember my doubts as if it was yesterday.

Before that, I used to fly with a WANDRD PRVKE 21L backpack and a huge 67-liter American Tourister suitcase. But at some point I caught myself realizing that I was dragging around a mountain of things for no real reason: 12 T-shirts, spare shoes, and a warm jacket to the hottest country in the world. Just with the thought: "What if I need it".

My first "minimalist" backpack was a disaster. With all my stuff inside, it weighed around 15kg!

And still… even with 15kg on my back, it was SO MUCH better than traveling with a suitcase!

My setup that I travel with right now:

Right now, this format feels like the quintessence of freedom to me.

Freedom, of course, comes from within. You cannot reach it with things alone. But the irony is that after getting rid of excess luggage, I felt much lighter in every sense.

Now, before buying a new gadget or some piece of clothing, I immediately think: "How will this affect the weight of my backpack?". I weigh all the pros and cons. In most cases, it turns out that I do not really need the thing that much. This is not asceticism. I still buy cool things and upgrade my tech, but I stopped wasting energy and time choosing products that, in reality, would just lie around as dead weight.

Over time, I came to a simple conclusion: the best gear is not the most expensive or the most technological. The best gear is the gear you stop noticing.

I have tried quite a lot of backpacks. And… strangely enough, I am still looking for the perfect combination. Here is what I have tried:

• WANDRD PRVKE 21L (1.3kg) + Blackpack Banana + American Tourister 67L - the very beginning.
• Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L (2.05kg) + Blackpack Banana (2L).
• Aer Travel Pack 3 Small X-Pac (~1.7kg) + Blackpack Banana (2L).
• Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 (0.84kg) + Peak Design Outdoor Sling 4L - my current setup.

With this setup, I have visited 10 countries, taken more than 17 flights, and been to 26 cities. Saved on baggage: around $700. Saved nerves: priceless 🙂.

What conclusion did I make for myself?

In short: almost all premium gear is overrated. In my profession, I am used to asking the question: "What problem does this solve?". Expensive heavy backpacks solve a narrow problem for people who carry a bunch of camera gear for professional shooting, drones… other fragile tech. For regular travel and a basic set of gadgets, that weight (almost 2kg of empty weight!) is absolutely excessive.

I am not arrogant enough to give advice to everyone else… So I will write what I would have wanted to know when I started traveling. Quite possibly, you will also find some of these tips useful.

• You definitely do not need a backpack bigger than 30L. Yes, even for six-month trips.
• Have not used something for a month? You do not need it 🙂.
• Ignore the hype. Expensive backpacks look great in pictures, and their specs are mesmerizing. But in reality, you probably will not need hidden magnetic pockets if the backpack itself weighs like a brick.
• Do not buy a backpack heavier than 1kg. The usual carry-on weight limit is 7kg. If your empty backpack weighs 2kg, you have already given up almost 30% of the limit just for fabric.
• Forget about water resistance. Most of the time, it is marketing. A regular backpack rain cover costs almost nothing and protects much better. Once in Vietnam I got caught in the rain. It was not even a heavy rain, but I walked for quite a while… The result: my praised water-resistant Aer got soaked. Luckily, the tech survived… Somehow. There are also videos on YouTube where a 10-minute rain destroys the most expensive and premium backpacks.
• Use compression cubes for their actual purpose. Not just as compartments for organization. I used to have two half-empty cubes. Now I use one Peak Design compression cube, packed to the limit. It actually compresses clothes.
• Weight reduction is about your back, not about the airport. I realized this recently, when the weight of my backpack dropped to 8kg. Walking became enjoyable. The straps stopped digging into my shoulders. It is worth noting here that I walk a lot: at my peak with the PD45L, I was doing 30-35 thousand steps. Maybe this is not as relevant for people who prefer taxis.
• Merino wool is great, but not everywhere. Socks and one merino wool T-shirt are must-haves. But merino underwear makes no sense. Synthetic underwear performs much better: it is cheaper, dries faster, and barely wears out. In any case, underwear should be changed every day.
• Use universal things! This is literally one of the best habits I have developed during all my travels. A sling can be used as an internal pouch for small stuff and easily thrown into the backpack, a laundry bag can work as a clothes organizer, pants that turn into shorts are just top! Two things in one!
• The best solutions are simple. After trying a lot of expensive gear, I came back to the simplest things possible… Ziploc bag instead of special waterproof cases, a school pencil case instead of the premium Peak Design tech pouch… A backpack that costs one third of my first backpack, but weighs 2.5 times less and does not lose in comfort… This is probably the point that amazes me the most… It is a pity I did not feel this in practice earlier, even though I had heard about the Pareto principle before.

This list used to be longer. Now I mostly miss a multitool. Unfortunately, there is no way around this limitation because I fly often. The second thing I really miss on the road is an e-ink reader. I used to travel with a Kindle, but sadly, it was stolen. After that, I tried to replace the Kindle with reading on my phone… and I noticed that I started reading much less, which makes me pretty sad.

Sometimes I still miss having two monitors for work. Not that often, but it happens. In the future, I am thinking about getting a smaller laptop and using Viture glasses, but it still seems too inconvenient for everyday work and causes eye discomfort.

• Uniqlo: Minimalist, high-quality, inexpensive, and lightweight clothes. I put it first for basic wardrobe quality.
• Decathlon: Trekking clothes are just awesome! Almost indestructible, comfortable, and cheap. I especially like Forclaz/Quechua pants and light jackets. Their backpacks are also great for the money.
• Osprey: High-quality, ultralight, nothing extra. (But terrible colors, in my opinion)
• Peak Design: They make excellent accessories. Their Outdoor Slings are light and universal. Great compression cubes and minimalist wallets. But I do not recommend their backpacks - too heavy and overloaded with unnecessary features.
• School supplies: Sounds funny, but after trying several different toiletry bags, I ended up with a cheap school pencil case I bought in Malaysia for 2 bucks. It is super light, compact, and easily fits an SSD with cables. Yes, after the premium PD Tech Pouch, it is a downgrade… in terms of perception, but damn, it is so much more convenient 😅!
• Viparade / Tuna: Tactical pouches for EDC small stuff. Amazing quality, convenient to move from backpack to sling, a bit heavy, but I cannot find anything similar in quality.
• Ziploc bag or any other sealable plastic bag. Works for almost everything, gives you water protection, and costs almost nothing. I keep my passport/cash/first aid kit in them. Looks as cheap as possible, but weighs nothing and solves the problem.
• Muji - I cannot avoid mentioning it. What impresses me a lot about this brand is the simplicity and functionality of their products. The price is also quite reasonable. I especially like their bottles for shower products, as well as small organizers for random stuff.

Main criterion: weight under 1kg, volume under 30 liters.

• ULA Dragonfly (30L): I wanted it, but only the huge size was in stock.
• Cabin Zero 28L (Military/Tech): An awesome backpack for the money (around 850/710g).
• Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6: My current favorite (840g). Light, comfortable, and roomy. The only downside is the color, but I have not found anything better yet.
• TomToc T66 Lite 28L: A great budget option.
• Bellroy Lite Travel Backpack 30L: Light (950g) and comfortable, but the price hurts, and there is no water bottle pocket…
• Quechua 23L-27L Rolltop. A great backpack. The only downside, in my opinion, is its size. Give it +3 liters in the base configuration, and I would switch to it without a shadow of a doubt.

Strangely enough, deciding to take the first light trip is the hardest part. Before the flight, it always feels like you will need absolutely everything.

If I had to start from scratch, I would do this:

1. Lay out all my things on the bed.
2. Separate the items that can always be bought locally without spending much money (shower gels, basic creams, simple T-shirts). You do not need to bring them.
3. From the remaining expensive or important things (tech, special clothing), I would keep only the things I am guaranteed to use at least a couple of times a week.

You do not have to build the perfect setup right away. It probably does not exist at all.

It is enough to make the first trip a little lighter than the previous one. Then another one. After a few iterations, you suddenly realize that half of the "necessary" things were never needed even once, and traveling became much easier.