15L OneBag Gear List - 2024
If I had to buy everything over again, here’s what I’d choose. Starting from the one bag packing list is the perfect foundation for a minimal life. With this packing list, I can travel around the world, go on a long work trip, or get air dropped into a foreign country with enough of the things I need to begin building a solid life.
Total weight is around 15 lbs with the iPad. Without the iPad, it’s 12 lbs which is a joy to carry. The point of optimizing gear isn’t to nerd out about all the items, but to enable me to have a small and light backpack that never gets in the way of doing the important stuff — traveling and having experiences with people who are important to me. It’s never a burden to carry, even if I have to hike up a mountain with it, and I’m prepared for anything.
Objective: Bring the items you need for the duration of the trip and the situations you are likely to encounter.
⭐️ Guiding Principles
- Decant into the smallest possible container. Dropper bottles and dime bags are your best friends here. You don’t need a full-size shampoo or stick of deodorant for a weekend trip.
- Lightness is a joy while traveling. It doesn’t make sense to own 2 shirts, a single pair of pants, 1.5 pairs of shoes, minimal toiletries, and a few pieces of tech as the only things you own in the world. If that’s all you had, then you’d have to say no to a lot of great activities that require gear. But while traveling, lightness is a virtue. The lighter you pack, the farther you can go and the more comfortable you’ll be while doing it.
- Clothing? Merino wool for anti-stink, choose items rugged & neutral enough to rewear, and wash often. I don’t aim to be prepared for every situation with 100% perfection. If I can get 80% of the way there – say, wearing a button down and Blundstones to a nice dinner, then that’s close enough for me.
🎒 Packing & Organization
- Goruck Bullet Ruck 15L. There’s no perfect pack for everything, but this is my personal favorite for lightweight OneBag travel. It’s a rugged Cordura pack designed for EDC, but overbuilt enough for long-term, worry-free travel. Though it’s only 15 liters, this bag has a lay-flat, suitcase-style design that makes it easy to pack with clothes, shoes, and iPad in the iPad stretch pocket, then fill out the extra pockets with tech and quick access items. Goruck’s organization is very minimal, but everything is super easy to access whether it’s slung around off my back or on the floor of a plane.
- Pa’lante Side Pack. Who needs a travel daypack when you have a side pack? The side pack is small enough to carry around anywhere while traveling, and lets you avoid annoying bag size restrictions at museums, events, concerts, etc. Mine normally holds my sunglasses, wallet, Field Notes, phone, and extra battery pack, if needed.
- Salomon Sense Pro 5 running vest. <6 ounces (170 grams) for a hiking and running vest. Used for trips where I’ll be going on runs or hikes to hold the basics – phone, glasses, wallet, and an extra thin layer.
- Eagle Creek Spectre packing cube. Compression packing cube keeps clothing organized, and makes it easy to drop off clothes into a hostel locker or a drawer at my destination. When I drop the clothes, I drop a few pounds from my back and then I’m good to go but even lighter than before.
💻 Tech
iPhone 15 Pro. 256GB, blue titanium. Camera is great, battery life is better than my previous 13 Mini, and the screen is big enough to use instead of an iPad or Kindle when I want to travel light. Wrapped in the Smartish Gripmunk case so I don’t drop it.
- Most-Used Apps: iAWriter, You Need a Budget (YNAB), Lightroom, Apple Notes, Reminders, Otter.ai, ChatGPT
iPad Pro 11”. Paired with Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. I’ve used an iPad as my primary computing device for the last 5 years or so. Recent iPad pros are powerful enough to do everything I need, short of intense programming or using terminal.
Chargers and cables. All cables are secured in a tidy fold with Velcro onewrap cable ties, and folded in an over/under loop to prevent knots (video tutorial).
- Anker Nano Plug x 2. Lightweight plugs with fast charging for my phone and fast-enough for the iPad.
- Apple Lightning Cable. 1 meter, USB-C to lightning. For charging AirPods. If I get the newer generation of Airpods, then I can get rid of this cable and be one cable closer to the dream of “one cable to rule them all.”
- 2x Apple USB-C braided cable, 3 feet. Lightweight USB-C cable for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPad. The new braided cables are much less prone to ripping and are easier to loop.
AirPods Pro. 1st generation with the lightning case. I use these mainly for dictating notes and reflections using Otter.ai while traveling. I used to carry a full-size Hobonichi journal, but realized I didn’t use it on most trips. I now create a daily note in the Zettelkasten spirit and add my thoughts and reflections each day on the phone, then I go back after the trip and type up the daily notes, then glue those into my Hobonichi for long-term storage.
Final Audio E3000 IEMs. These are plane headphones, and the perfect backups if and when my AirPods run out of battery. They’re more comfortable than AirPods for longer wear, and I find the passive noise isolation is less disorienting than active noise cancellation.
Garmin Fenix 6X Sapphire. Rugged, multi sport activity watch. Less distracting to me than an Apple Watch with enough smart features to be more useful than my automatic watches – alarm, timer, activity tracking, etc. Oh, and the battery lasts a week without charging. The stock Garmin charger easily comes undone while charging, so I use this puck-style charger.
👖 Clothing
- Arctery’x Cerium SL Down Hoody. Ultralight, fitted down hoody that keeps me comfortable down below freezing. This is similar to the Montbell Plasma 1000 down jacket, and if I had to choose again, I’d have gone for that as it is even lighter and since jackets without hoods are easier to layer than jackets with hoods.
- Wool & Prince Button down Shirt. 130gsm merino wool is anti-stink and incredibly comfortable over a wide range of temperatures. Mine is in burgundy check plaid which can be dressed up or down, and I’ve been able to wear the same shirt for weeks at a time without needing a wash.
- Arctery’x Gamma LT pants. Stretchy climbing pants with tailored fit, integrated belt, and minimal branding. I’ve previously been an Outlier Slim Dungarees fan, but swapped to Arctery’x for the integrated belt and slimmer fit. The Slim Dungarees are more formal, so I swap between the two depending on the trip.
- Blundstones 600 Series Chelsea boot, brown. OneBag shoes are an exercise in compromise, but these are the best picks for me. There are three attributes of an ideal OneBag shoe. Pick two:
- Fancy enough for dinner at a nice restaurant.
- Comfortable enough to walk around all day in a city.
- Suitable for a run.
The Blundstones nail the first 2 situations well enough that I prefer these over a more casual running shoe. In the summer, I swap to canvas sneakers like Vans or Doeks
- Outlier run weight merino wool t-shirt, navy. Merino wool t-shirt made out of ultra fine merino for comfort.
- Patagonia Capilene Cool Lite T-shirt, black. Running shirt, sleep shirt, undershirt. It doesn’t have the anti-stink of merino, but it’s more breathable for a long hike or run and dries faster after a wash.
- Darn tough merino wool quarter hiker, 3 pairs. Merino wool socks with a lifetime warranty.
- Senchi Alpha 90 Crewneck with Half Zip. Ultralight sweater made of Alpha Direct fabric. Alpha Direct 90 is very warm for its weight, but it is fragile and can easily be torn or ripped. When paired with a rain jacket, it is an incredibly warm insulating piece that’s more breathable than down. For trips where I want to be more formal, I’d swap this out for a navy cashmere crewneck sweater.
- Merino Wool Buff. Tremendously versatile piece while traveling. I tend to use mine for neck insulation in cold weather or as a sleep mark, but it can also be used as a face mask, bandana, towel, and more. I couldn’t imagine traveling without one.
- Gore Shakedry R7 Trail. Shakedry is an incredible material. Unlike most rain jackets, it never wets out, so I can wear this in hours-long downpours while hiking while staying comfortable. I like to pair this with the fleece for a better insulation in colder temps or as a lightweight windbreaker..
- Patagonia Baggies, 5”. Cut the liner out so that I can use them for running. Wherever you go, you need a swimsuit. It can be used for running, sleeping, swimming, hot tubbing, lounging, or as backup in case you rip your pants.
- Arctery’x Rho Lightweight Merino Wool Beanie. Lightweight, packable wool beanie / toque.
- Parapack P-Cap Lite Packable Hat. If you’re someone who wears a hat as a fashion statement, then this is not the hat for you. This isnot a “just in case” item for sunny hikes, runs, and bike rides, since it looks quite granola and dorky. The party trick for this hat is that it compresses down into a mini pizza-slice shape and that it weighs less than an ounce. On trips where I’ll be wearing a hot more often, I swap this out for a decidedly un-packable Viberg Navy hat.
- Outdoor Research Echo Boxer Briefs. Boxer briefs are modest enough to wear in situations where I might need to be exposed around others. These are made from a supportive, lightweight fabric that’s tremendously comfortable and breathable. Smartwool Merino 150 briefs are better in cold conditions, but the Outdoor Research briefs are more breathable and dry in <15 minutes so I don’t mind the more frequent washes. I normally carry 3 pairs and wash after 1-2 wears.
- Senchi garment bag. Serves as a laundry bag to keep my items separated, since I’m often washing clothes at a family member or friend’s house and throwing my items in with theirs.
- Merrell Vapor Glove, Gen 1. Barefoot running shoes that pack down small at the bottom of the bag and can serve as everything from light running shoes to hotel gym shoes to cycling shoes or even shower shoes in a pinch. I can run with these up to about 5 miles, which is all I often want to do while traveling. If I’m traveling for a race or on a trip where I expect to run multiple times, I’ll generally take a dedicated pair of running shoes (Atreyu Base Model) in a standalone tote bag or wear the running shoes as my primary shoes and drop the Merrells.
🕶️ Miscellaneous
- Ombraz Classic Polarized Sunglasses. Armless adventure sunglasses with polarized Zeiss lenses. Instead of holding onto your head with arms, Ombraz are held in place by cord. This makes them super comfortable and great for running, biking, or hiking. Also, without the arms, they fold up tiny and fit into the soft carrying case where I don’t have to worry about them getting squished and breaking. Yet, they’re not perfect and have three big cons –they’re weirder looking than traditional sunglasses which means they often stick out as very casual and eccentric, and they’re impossible to remove with one hand. Those are big cons, but the pros win out for me so Ombraz it is for me.
- Arc Company The Rambler. I love this thing. It’s designed as an “edc case,” but works great as a minimal wallet with storage for my Swiss Army Knife and flashlight. I hate the feeling of bulk in my pockets. Shifting from a bunch of small items jangling in my pocket to a single organizer with a flat back that sits flush against my thigh or butt has been a tremendous improvement. If cordura’s not your jam, then the Bellroy Card Sleeve is a better looking leather alternative. With this, I can carry: * Rovyvon Aurora A5X. Tiny pocket flashlight with multiple modes. Up to 650 lumens, with a useful red light setting. Comes with an integrated magnetic clip, so I can clip this to hotel light fixtures and use the red light for night reading so I don’t kill my circadian rhythms. * Minimo micro pen. Lightest pen that’s still usable for on the go note-taking.
- If I’m driving… Swiss Army Knife Classic + Victorinox Bantam Alox Swiss Army Knife.
- If I’m flying… Leatherman Style PS, since it has no knife blade and therefore less likely to get confiscated by an overly zealous TSA agent.
- Cards. I carry 3 cards:
- Capital One Venture X (Credit). I use the Venture X as my primary travel card since it offers good enough rewards with solid perks, a $295 annual fee that’s quickly offset by the rewards, and a great mobile app and solid customer support. It just works, and the no-fee international usage is the cherry on top for travel.
- Schwab High-Yield Investor Checking (Debit). For the debit card, the Charles Schwab card comes with the High-Yield Investor Checking account and is incredible since it offers fee-free ATM withdrawls anywhere in the world. This is a game-changer, since it lets me pull out smaller amounts of cash then I would otherwise. When I’m abroad, I don’t want to be carrying around hundreds of thousands of dollars just to save a few bucks in ATM fees, so the Schwab lets me pull out $50 or $100 guilt-free.
- Drivers license.
- Ziploc quart freezer bag. There are many nicer options, but none can beat the see-through classic Ziploc. It’s lightweight, easy to use, easy to label, and easy to find in a black backpack, especially in a dimly lit place (as is normally the case when traveling and arriving into a hotel or bedroom late at night).
- First Aid Kit. All liquids are in 15mL dropper bottles for easier storage and use.
- Medications. Anti-motion sickness (meclizine), anti-diarrheal (Imodium), B12 supplements. If I had more than a handful or if these were life-saving medications, then I’d opt for a hard-sided pill bottle.
- Dr. Bronner’s Soap.
- Hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer stays in the quick access pocket of my bag for quick access.
- Nexcare bandages. Better than Band-aids. I keep a selection of small & medium bandages for minor cuts, scrapes, and blisters.
- Leukotape. Stays on for days, and is perfect at preventing hot spots from turning into blisters.
- Purple nitrile gloves x 2. You can’t improvise a lot of things in an emergency, but gloves are near impossible. Get the good ones like Kimberley Clark or Halyard.
- Nidra Deep Rest sleep mask. Life-saver for beating jet lag, since it lets me sleep on a bright flight or hostel bedroom. Looks like the world’s tiniest bra.
- Passport and relevant documents. Stored in another Ziploc for safekeeping.
- Random plastic water bottle. I’ve lost too many fancy water bottles to go through the pain of losing another good one. I grab whatever plastic bottle I have around, generally a 700mL Smart Water bottle with the sport cap since that’s what I use for backpacking, or a 500mL no name water bottle.
- Litesmith Micro Scissors. 4.7g scissors with integrated blade cover. Used for emergency nail clippers, cutting leukotape for blisters, or for snipping gear aid tape for clothing repairs.
- Mini sewing kit. Copied from this Matt Shafter video. I add Tenacious Tape for fixing small rips in clothing when I don’t want to (or can’t) sew them shut.
- Chicago Comb Model 2. 4” long carbon fiber comb for beard & hair care.
- Lightload Towel. 0.5oz towel! Douglas Adams is a fan of a towel for travel, and so am I. I use it mainly for drying off after swimming, or as an emergency towel if I’m somewhere like a European hostel where towels aren’t always provided.
- Ear plugs:
- Loop Experience Ear Plugs. Great for concerts or for focus time. Similar to foam earplugs but with less sound blocking — these are more like shushing the world, while foam earplugs block sounds out more completely.
- Howard Leight ear plugs. After years of searching, these are the best I’ve found. Incredibly useful for sleeping in noisy areas, or to drown out the noise on a long flight or train ride. AirPods hurt my ears after an hour or two, but these stay comfortable the whole time. If you don’t like things going in your ears, then I recommend Mack’s Pillow Soft silicon ear plugs.
- Dopp kit. As light as it can get, while still keeping every luxury item I want. All stored in a quart Ziploc bag, along with my first aid kit and other small items. The key to a great Dopp kit is to decant all liquids & lotions into dropper bottles.
- Mini toothbrush and travel toothpaste.
- Disposable razor. Buy one while traveling from any market or grocery store.
- Soak detergent. No-rinse hand wash detergent makes washing clothes while traveling far easier. I’ll do a full post in the future of how I wash clothes while traveling to break down my process.
- Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion.
- Burt’s Bees lip balm.
- Supergoop Play sunscreen. Wearing sunscreen everyday keeps your skin healthy long-term. Check back in with me in 50 years to see if it’s working.
- Deodorant cream (Nuud). Game changer! Odor-free deodorant cream that prevents stink for 3-7 days. For me, I apply a small amount every day to keep from stinking. This + merino prevents stink for me in all but the sweatiest of trips.
- Field Notes. I use my phone + AirPods for travel dictation, but I get tired of staring at a screen. Especially on long-haul flights, I like to use the Field Notes for sketching and noodling on ideas. Also, Field Notes perforated pages make it easy to tear out a page for fun things like making bingo boards at boring events, or for any situation where I’d normally use a napkin to write on (quick business card, silly sketch, etc.). I used to carry fountain pens and watercolors for urban sketching, but didn’t use it enough to justify the headache. I pair this with a Pilot G2 Mini, 0.7mm.
🤷 Sometimes yes, mostly no
- Ricoh GR Digital II. The iPhone is good enough for 99% of trips, but I’ll bring if I want to take heirloom-quality photos. The Ricoh GR is the smallest camera with an APS-C sensor and great ergonomics. I’ve owned Leicas, Hasselblads, Fujis, and have a full-frame Canon kit, but I always come back to this. Stored in a JJC neoprene camera case with the stock wrist lanyard and a USB-C SD card adapter.
- Travel sketching & watercolor kit. This warrants its own article, but it’s as the name suggests.
- Combat Flip Flops Shemagh. It’s a scarf, it’s a blanket, it’s a towel – it’s a shemagh. I generally prefer a Buff since it’s lighter and takes up less space in my pack, but a shemagh or Tom Bihn’s Shepherd’s cloth can be nice alternatives when I want to be more formal.
- Wahl Peanut Cordless Trimmer. Normally I use a disposable razor, but if I’m traveling on a longer trip then I bring this along with a rechargeable USB-C AA battery.
- Titanium Gaiwan. Titanium gaiwans are lightweight, durable, and are perfect for making tea while traveling.
🔥Conclusion
If you made it this far, I’m impressed! If you want more inspiration, check out similar lists from Tynan, Jeremy Maluf, and The Brooks Review (paywall).