Many folks have found the One-Bag life through my gear posts, which is great. Just this summer I met multiple people happily rocking gear from my lists. It was awesome, not because I get some sort of kickback for this stuff — aside from the few things I can use an Amazon affiliate link for — but because I write these posts to share the result of my experiences and research. It’s nice to know when it really helps.

If you’re new to the show, here’s the quick run-down:

Between research trips, family trips, documentary shoots, lectures, and even the occasional vacation, I do a lot of traveling. Some of it is for weeks at a time, with the need to go from hiking Greek mountainsides in search of ancient walls I found on satellite to giving an important lecture at a holy site in Istanbul in the matter of days. I’ve been doing this kind of travel for years, and I’ve been doing it with a single carry-on bag. Pulling this off starts with following a few basic rules:

Less Is More

One Bag means limited space and weight. Too much of either one and your bag will be too heavy to carry or too large to qualify as a carry-on. And I recommend you always start a trip with space and weight to spare, so you can pick up an awesome and unexpected memory trinket or two.

Don’t Pack for Just-in-case

Pack for the 90% reality of the trip, not the 10% possibility. That means going easy on the “what if?” outfits and the medications. Obviously you need your prescription meds and some basic first-aid items — like a few pills for an upset stomach or a head cold — but in truth you only need enough to get to a pharmacy where you can pick up what you specifically need.

Flexibility Is King

If my choice is between carrying two items that do two jobs perfectly well and one item that does those jobs adequately, I’m going for space-saving adequacy every time.

Choose the Right Gear

The rules all lead to this: the right gear for the job. The right stuff will be as individual as your needs, but if it helps to hear my own hard-won conclusions when it comes to kit, please do read on!

To repeat: Unless a link goes to Amazon, I don’t get kickbacks for anything listed here. And I think only one product on the list (Knack Bags) was sent to me for free. Even then, though, it’s only listed because it qualifies on its own positives. How I got something is irrelevant to whether I use it! 

Also, I must emphasize that the prices listed here are suggested retail. In many cases, you can get things cheaper on sales, closeouts (Sierra Trading Post is a favorite), or used/second hand. My wife is a used-clothes sniper, for instance, and her hunting ground of choice is Poshmark. If you’re wondering how on earth I can afford some of this stuff … well, that’s how!

THE LIST 2024

(Previous lists: 2023, 2022, 2019, 2017, and 2015)

The Main Bag

I continue to reach for my Peak Design Travel Bag 45L ($300). It’s about a pound heavier than I’d like, but that extra weight certainly isn’t wasted: the bag is designed to keep cameras safe, which means a little extra padding and structure than a typical travel-only bag. (Note: Peak Design now has a lighter Outdoor Backpack that seems very intriguing, but I would need to try it before recommending it.)

What are the other options? One is the Minaal Carry-On 3.0 ($349), which is indeed lighter than the above. I’ve not tried it, but I do own their first-generation bag, and its (very) few design problems seem to be fixed in the third-generation bag. Another terrific option is the supremely flexible Knack Series 2.0 Large ($295), which is what my wife uses when we travel. 

I recommend using compression packing cubes to keep things organized on the road. My favorites are those from Peak Design, which have a dirty/clean separator.

As good as these packs are, they’re too big to carry a few things around for a day walking around the city. For that, I toss in the amazing little Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Ultralight Daypack ($45) and pop it out if needed.

Clothes

Clothes is where most folks over-pack. My clothes are travel-friendly (wrinkle-resistant, durable, and quick-dry), ready to be layered to match temperatures, and colored to mix and match. Here’s a fairly standard load-out:

• Underwear: 6 pairs. 
• Socks: 6 pairs
• Shirts: 3-4, at least one of which is a long-sleeved button-up.
• Shorts: 1 pair, which is swim-ready material. 
• Pants: 2 pair, one of which is jeans, worn on the plane.
• Footgear: 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of sandals.
• Outerwear: 1 hoodie, 1 flexible fleece, 1 rainjacket, 1 scarf.
• Hats: 1 hat

Laundry. With this relatively small number of items, I have to do laundry on the road. Sometimes this means using a launderette (which is fun when you don’t speak the language!), but usually it means hand-washing in my room at night. If you plan to do this in a sink, I recommend bringing a simple silicone Drain Stopper ($5) just in case your room doesn’t have one (it’s also good for taking a bath in a plug-less bathtub). More fancy is the Scrubba Wash Bag ($57), which I’ve been using for years. In either case, you’ll be hanging things up to dry, and a Sea to Summit Lite Clothesline ($15) helps a lot.

Shirts. Merino Wool has remarkable properties, and I’ve slowly been shifting as much wardrobe to it as I can. My travel t-shirts are now a Merino Icebreaker Tech Lite II T-shirt ($80) and a non-Merino Bluffworks Threshold T-shirt ($52). I also appreciate a Rag and Bone Henley ($158). My long-sleeve adventure shirts are Wrangler ATG Mixed Material ($59).

Pants. I lost a lot of weight this year, which meant needing new pants across the board. Alas, the Kuhl Renegade Convertibles ($115) that I love weren’t available at a price I was willing to pay. Instead, I got a deal on some Bluffworks Envoy Lightweight Travel Pants ($125) that are delightful (as everything from them has been). My travel jeans are from Rag and Bone ($250). If I decide to take something for relaxing, I throw in some SmartWool Recycled Merino Terry Pants ($150): they’re very comfortable, with a flexible weight and styling. I try to always pack a pair of swim-shorts. I have a few of them, but none so profoundly awesome that I’d bother recommending them. 

Socks and Underwear. I love Merino socks (style and brand may vary). I had very high hopes for some SmartWool merino undies, but they were uncomfortable and of poor quality. The travel underwear I’ve been using instead is 32 Degrees Active Mesh Boxer Briefs.

Footgear. Shoes tend to weigh a lot and take up a lot of space in a bag, so ideally you want a single pair that will (a) fit all occasions and (b) be comfortable enough for wear for thousands of steps day after day. In practice, this depends a lot on what I’m doing. Looking nice? I go for my much-loved Thursday Boots Captains ($199, in brandy). Serious backpacking? I have Salomon Quest 4D Gore-Tex Forces 2 ($260, in coyote brown). But for a more do-it-all travel shoe, I usually reach for a pair of Air Jordan 1 Element Gore-Tex high-tops (in light curry) with replacement EasyFeet In-soles ($30) because Jordans aren’t for long walks without them. I also like to pack sandals for relaxing or a change-of-pace. I vacillate between Shamma Super Browns ($125), Bedrock Cairn 3D Pro II (no longer available, but maybe closest to the $140 Cairn Evo 3D Pro), and some Nike Vista Sandals (no longer available).

Outerwear. The ideal travel jacket does not exist (at least by my definitions). I’d had high hopes for the ScotteVest Tropiformer, but a test across France proved it deficient in a number of areas. So at present I use a magnificent fleece from ScotteVest (no longer available). If it pours rain I throw an Eddie Bauer Packable Rainfoil ($109) over the top. I also travel with a hoodie that I can layer under the jacket(s) or wear on its own. Last year I used a no-longer-available pullover from LL Bean, which is still fine, but my Black Friday splurge this year was to take advantage of a wicked sale on Aviator’s First Class Merino Hoodie ($185), which I’d been eyeing for a long time. It is unreal. I never want to take it off. I also tend to carry a scarf, just to add to the temperature flexibility. My favorite is a merino one from English Heritage.

Hats. In the field I pretty much always have my travel-worn Tilley MH55 ($100) or my highly packable REI Screeline Cap (no longer available). But occasionally I’ll run a trucker hat, like the Madison Creek Outfitters Richardson Hat ($40) that came free with an unrelated purchase.

Tech

Phone/Tablet. I work on a laptop at home, but I don’t carry it with me when I travel. On the road, it’s an 11″ iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and an iPhone 12 Pro. Both are a few generations old and I plan to run them into the ground.

USB Adapter. I carry around an inCharge 6-in-1 Adapter ($20) for connecting USB and Lightning things in various combinations if needed.

Headphones. The older I get, the more I appreciate a good pair of headphones. I picked up Apple’s AirPods Pro when they first came out. They’re hard to beat for the size. But I happened to be in a store that was closing and saw that they were practically giving away some Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones ($330). Couldn’t pass up the deal and haven’t packed my AirPods since.

Plug Adapter. There are many adapters on the market, and most are those clunky “brick” things that adapt to international outlets but also convert the stronger 220/240 voltage overseas to the 110 voltage we’re used to in the USA. Thing is, most modern devices are built to handle dual voltage out of the box, rendering that conversion unnecessary (obviously check these things on your devices, folks!). If that’s the case, all you need is the plug adapter, not the big brick. After years of using the Road Warrior Plug Adapter ($12), I’d become concerned with how flimsy and, well, sparky it could get. I’m now packing the Mogics Super Bagel ($60), which packs a more stable travel adapter with a short extension cord, plug splitter, and USB charger. It’s a remarkable piece of engineering.

Spare Battery. To charge up on the go, I use an Anker 521 MagSafe battery ($35). There are newer models, but mine is still chugging along.

Phone Holder. If you need something to hold up a phone on your flight or on the dash of your rental car, I suggest the AirGlo FlexFlap ($18). It takes up next to zero room, and it can be a great benefit.

Other Gadgets

Carabiner. I’ve long carried an extra carabiner with me, and it’s saved my butt on a number of occasions: from hanging my bag to hanging my laundry. These days, I’ve leveled up to the Heroclip ($20), which is a compact carabiner and awesome hanger all in one. 

Spork. If you grab something to eat but didn’t get the accompanying eating utensils, a simple spork saves you from looking too much like a savage. Mine is from Light My Fire ($8 for two).

Water Bottle. Around home I use a Thermos that I’ve customized with a quote from my Seaborn books. But on the road I don’t want something so bulky, so I carry the collapsible and lightweight Vapur Anti-Bottle ($12).

Whistle. An emergency whistle could save your life. The S.O.L. Slim Rescue Howler ($11 for two) is small but loud.

Travel Towel. It’s the one thing an intergalactic traveler should never forget, because it’s so darn useful. I pack a small microfiber one from Wise Owl Outfitters. Sure, you can dry off with it, but it’ll also make for a sunshade between takes when shooting a documentary at Château-Gaillard in France…