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Lightweight travel

Table of Contents:

bags

i use a patagonia 28L MLC. patagonia’s MLC (Maximum Legal Carry) line is built precisely to airline personal item dimensions so you can maximize space. i’ve heard good things about osprey’s 26+something line, as well as the ULA Dragonfly. i’m thinking of getting a 5L-8L sling bag to use as a daypack/when zerobagging. it’d also allow you to carry more when traveling cause it won’t be classed as a personal item. i’m thinking either a patagonia atom/blackhole sling or a uniqlo sling carry-ons are fine when onebagging cause they give you enough mobility while still allowing you to skip baggage claim. i am currently thinking of switching to a wheeled 34L bag + a 4L sling/messenger

fashion

your goal is to maximize outfit permutations. layering is incredibly important. an important principle for warmth in hiking. also important principle in fashion. layering keeps you warm and maximizes outfit permutations

suits are especially well-suited for this use case; they can be dressed up (overcoat + jacket + shirt + thermals) or dressed down (shirt with rolled sleeves or just thermals) depending on the weather, and they look fantastic. the slob alternative of hoodies and sweatpants is too bulky. the lighter and less bulky each item is, the more items you can fit in a finite space, and the more items you have the more outfit permutations you have, and the more control you have over how your warmth. the more items you have the less often you have to do the laundry. a monochrome palette is also good for minimalist fashion cause it increases outfit permutations cause you dont have to worry about matching colors. you also need far fewer clothes than you might think. you don’t need one pair of each item per day cause you very likely won’t be changing every day. it’s perfectly fine to wear the same outfit out for three days before washing it; you probably won’t get it dirty enough to necessitate a wash after every wear. and washing your clothes less makes them last longer. this is especially true when your clothes are made of merino wool, which is odor resistant.

fungible clothing vs non fungible clothing? clothing that can go anywhere in the layer vs clothing that cant?

shawls/shemaghs can be very useful, serving as:

  1. towels/rags
  2. scarves, for styling and warmth
  3. headscarves to cover your face
  4. sleep masks
  5. pillows/neckpillows

shoes are a bit of a pain in the ass. i wear doc martens are carry a pair of slippers. i’m partial to combat boots cause they’re functional, cheap, can be styled somewhat formally, and fashionable. this means that i forgo running shoes and more formal shoes. the criteria for a good travel shoe are:

  1. lightweight
  2. cheap
  3. formal
  4. fashionable
  5. can be exercised in
  6. waterproof i’m thinking of getting a pair of black chunky asics cause they should be lightweight, fashionable, and can be exercised in. military surplus could be a good source for cheap travel/camping gear. // UPDATE: currently considering a pair of trail runners instead, like the salomon xt6 speed hooks are also useful on boots and pretty easy to put on.

materials matter, particularly for your base layers/thermals. i like merino wool; it’s lightweight, breathable, dries fast, durable, and odor-resistant. prefer quick-drying fabrics i use (and layer) darn tough lightweight ankle length hiking socks that i bought on ebay. they’re a merino wool blend and come with a lifetime warranty.

i see some people just wear trainers and sweatpants but that looks like shit and i’m not doing that.

i also bring sandals

packing

packing cubes are good cause they (1) organize your items and (2) compress your items. large clear ziplock bags are excellent for this use case, as they’re clear (good for security checks), cheap, widely available, and waterproof (allowing them to double as a laundry bag) i’m not sure if marie kondo style rolling is useful but i do it anyway.

travel

when traveling, wear your heaviest items on you.

toiletries

i use those mini travel toiletry bottles. i have a somewhat minimal skincare regiment, consisting of (1) cleanser (2) moisturizer (3) body lotion (4) sunscreen and (5) tretinoin. this is somewhat of a pain in the ass to carry. i’ve heard good things about castille soap but i haven’t used it yet castille bar soap is a better alternative to the more popular dr bronner’s, as it is denser, cheaper, and more widely available. fragrance samples are super lightweight and can make you a lot more presentable. often overlooked, i do recommend. i buy my samples on luckyscent and look for promo codes online before buying. i’ve heard good things about scentsplit too. SOAP 1. XL dry through soap bag 2. marseille soap (cheaper than dr bronners + solid + can be used for laundry and skin) 3. exfoliant mesh soap bag - more lightweight than liquid soap - cheaper and more accessible than dr bronners - not liquid; easier to pass through security - exfoliant bag included - can be used for laundry and skin ?dish sponge as loofah? cheap, widely available

socializing

food

ultralight camping stoves + pot + spork + chopsticks is probably somewhat useful and hardly takes up any space but i haven’t tried it out yet. supplements are a pain in the ass to carry cause you need to carry them in their original bottles and bottles tend to be pretty big, but i carry (1) caffeine (2) magnesium (3) melatonin (4) nicotine and (5) vitamin D. i’m thinking of ditching these and just being a lot more careful with my diet though. i quit caffeine and nicotine protein shake blender bottles/travel blenders foldable water bottle

tech

i prefer IEMs over headphones. they’re cheaper and super lightweight powerbank is useful as always standardizing to USB-C would be useful but i haven’t done that yet. travel adapter is useful too thinking of using a vr/xr headset for virtual desktops. haven’t tried it out yet though. i recall seeing a linux friendly tiling window manager virtual desktop a while back though. cloud storage is useful on the go. similarly, downloading media content to consume while you don’t have internet access is useful while traveling. making the process of downloading and uploading frictionless is hence desirable.

sleep

still trying to figure out a sleep system. i’m thinking bivvy bag + sleeping bag + sleeping mat / sleeping bag + hammock / sleeping mat + sleeping bag + tarp, but i really don’t know what to do. making space for a sleep system in just a backpack is also a pain in the ass ive heard junglepaks are good, idk why

misc

duct tape is super useful. you can use it to repair holes in your ziplocks, sleep system, paracord can be used as a clothesline or to hang up a hammock/tarp foldable water bottle foldable toiletry squeeze bottles travel loofah travel soap bag carabiners / hero clip wet wipes travel bidet ultralight raincoat first aid/meds zyrtec paracetamol eye drops saline nasal spray bandaids gum ginger candy vaseline toothpaste pill splitter hair ties; durable, cheap, easily available, can be used to wrap wires and tie hair, seal open snack bags. generally treat as tiny bungee cord

standardization

I try to lean towards more popular brands & item models due to their assumed future availability, which (1) lowers future cognitive overhead when searching for a new item (in case of loss) and (2) provides stability in my day-to-day life, which grounds me while traveling.

resources

r/onebag r/zerobag r/heronebag r/capsulewardrobe https://goldenlight.mirror.xyz/eq6soISEqTa1LcF6IgIQZIcFA4oaLw8TFjUnflkuqwg https://edith.reisen/lifestyle/travel/flights https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2022/06/20/backpack.html

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