There has never been an easier time to travel internationally with just one or two bags — a variety of products and services are available to make the experience as smooth as possible.
At the same time, we are now completely overwhelmed with choices for clothing, electronics, and accessories. There are many great companies out there, each routinely pumping out new, enticing stuff to buy. Lighter backpacks. Softer merino. Faster smartphones. Sharper lenses. For anyone researching this stuff for the first time, it can be overwhelming.
The goal of this post is to help you make smart purchasing decisions as you put together your own one-bag packing list. It will be updated on a regular basis.
Rules for all products that will appear on this page:
- The product must be available today (no pre-release stuff, no discontinued inventory).
- It must be available for purchase online.
- The cost must be within reason (i.e. $300 backpacks are OK, but $9000 diamond-plated smartphones are not).
For most product categories, both premium and budget alternatives will be presented. Where possible, there will be direct product links (either to Amazon or to the manufacturer’s website). All prices in US Dollars.
It’s worth noting that this is not a full shopping list for one-bag travel, but rather a list of options — so please don’t go crazy and buy everything on here!
Backpacks
If you’d like a personal recommendation based on your unique needs and packing requirements, I recommend asking over at Reddit’s /r/onebag.
Maximum carry-on size (i.e. roller bag replacement, 30 Liters or more):
All-purpose: Minaal Carry On Backpack or Aer Travel Pack
Outdoors/hiking: anything from a reputable outdoor backpack brand (e.g. Osprey, Deuter) that fits you well — if you’re going to carry it long distances, try it before buying!
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Typical One-bag travel load-outs (approximately 20 to 30 Liters):
All-purpose: Tom Bihn Synapse 25 ($200) or Thule Subterra
Minimal travel: Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack
Outdoors/hiking: Deuter Futura 28 ($175)
* * *
Light load-outs (approximately 15 to 20 Liters):
All purpose: Tom Bihn Synik 22
* * *
Ultralight load-outs (smaller than 15 Liters):
If you have managed to get your travel gear down to this level, you probably already know what works best for you.
You could even travel with a small dry bag. Or a grocery bag. Or a fanny pack!
Daypacks
Ideally, these are as packable as possible (so you can store them in the larger bag on your big travel days).
Best all-rounder: REI Flash 18
Lightest possible (not recommended for heavy loads): Matador Freerain 24 (waterproof main compartment) or Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil.
For photography: Think Tank Photo Mirrorless Mover 25i ($45) or Mirrorless Mover 20 ($55)
Clothing: Tops
Button-downs (linen for hot climates): Wool & Prince Button-Down Oxford ($128) or Uniqlo Premium Linen Long Sleeve Shirt ($30)
Button-downs (cotton for less wrinkling): Gitman Brothers Oxfords ($165) or Lands’ End Hyde Park Oxford ($50). For more versatile combinations, I recommend traveling with either blue or white button-downs.
Merino Wool Tees: Outlier Ultrafine Merino T-Shirt ($110) or Woolly Short Sleeve Tee ($40-60)
Cotton Tees: American Apparel 50/50 Crewneck ($18), Fruit of the Loom Short Sleeve Tee ($5), or Next Level Apparel Fitted Tee ($2)
Sweater: Uniqlo Extra Fine Merino Sweater ($40)
Blazer: Bluffworks Blazer ($295) or Haggar InMotion Blazer ($175)
Clothing: Bottoms
Versatile trousers: Bluffworks Chinos ($125) or Outlier Slim Dungarees ($198).
Active pants: Prana Brion Pant ($75)
Shorts (can double as swim trunks): Outlier New Way Shorts ($125) or Myles Apparel Everyday Short ($58)
Board shorts: Patagonia Men’s Stretch All-Wear Hybrid Shorts ($69)
Clothing: Outerwear
Packable down jackets: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer ($325, 800-fill), Montbell Plasma 1000 ($269, 1000-fill) or Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket ($70, 640-fill)
Down jacket for even colder weather: Montbell Plasma 1000 Alpine Down ($379, 1000-fill)
Rain jacket: Outdoor Research Men’s Helium II ($159), Marmot PreCip Jacket ($100), or Frogg Toggs Ultra Light Rain Jacket ($14+)
Clothing: Basics
Undershirts: Icebreaker Men’s Anatomica Crewe ($70) or Uniqlo Airism Mesh Crewneck ($10)
Leggings: Icebreaker Anatomica Leggings ($80)
Boxers: Icebreaker Anatomica Boxers ($25-50) or Uniqlo Airism Men’s Boxer Briefs ($10)
Socks: Darn Tough Hiker socks ($20 — look for sales on these)
Travel Footwear
All-purpose (versatility for both urban and wilderness): Vivobarefoot Gobi II Desert Boot ($150)
Mostly urban: Men’s and Women’s Allbirds Wool Runners ($95) or the sneakers you already have (free)
(Trail) running: New Balance Minimus 10v1 Trail ($140) or Merrell Trail Glove 4 ($100)
Sandals: Xeroshoes Cloud Barefoot Sandal ($50, Women’s version also available)
Flip-flops: Havaianas ($18+, women’s version available too)
Electronics
Laptop: Apple Macbook Air 13 Retina ($1200) or or Dell XPS 13 ($900)
Netbook: Samsung Chromebook ($200)
e-Reader: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite waterproof version ($150)
Smartphone (must be water resistant, quad-band and carrier unlocked):
- iPhone: any of them are fine, from iPhone 6S and SE onwards
- Android: almost any phone is OK. Motorola Moto G offers great value, while Google’s Pixel line has amazing computational photography features.
- The smartphone you already have (free)
Battery pack (for recharging electronics): Anker PowerCore 26800 ($130) or Anker Astro E1 ($25, ultraportable)
Earphones: Logitech Ultimate Ears 600vi ($60) or Bose QuietComfort 20 ($250)
Universal Adapter: something cheap on Amazon ($10-15)
Action camera: GoPro HERO7 Silver ($300) or YI 4K Action Camera ($105, with waterproof case)
Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2 ($1400, shoots 4K) or DJI Spark ($400, max 1080p but more portable)
Highly rated compact cameras (that easily out-resolve any smartphone):
- Sony RX100 Mark VI (jack-of-all-trades, $1200)
- Fuji X100F (35mm equiv. lens, $1300)
For budget versions, check used gear and previous generations of the above cameras.
Popular Travel Accessories
Headlamp: Black Diamond Storm ($50, weather-proof)
Water Bottle: Hydro Flask ($40, preserves temperature) or Vapur Element ($14, collapsible)
Luggage locks: Abus 64TI/30 ($8, uses key) or Master Lock 647D ($6, combination)
Ear plugs: Hearos High Fidelity Ear Plugs ($14)
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarers ($150), or buy them at the beach ($5)
Travel towel: make your own linen towel or get it custom-made on Etsy ($10+). For non-linen, the Personal Packtowl ($6+, Polyester/Nylon mix) does the job.
Everything Else (Nice-to-haves)
Playing cards: KOVOT waterproof playing cards ($9)
Multi-function headwear: Merino Wool Buff ($28)
Travel friendly Multi-tool: Nite Ize DoohicKey ($5)
Spork: Light My Fire LMF Titanium Spork ($15)
Umbrella: Repel Windproof Travel Umbrella ($28) or buy a cheap one at your destination and leave it there ($5)
This list is always open to review and modification. If you feel that a certain product belongs in place of an existing one, leave a comment below and we can all discuss it.
Check out one of our 180 free destination guides (organized by country)!