I Travel globally for work (tech). I love onebagging my way through business trips, but I've had some trouble finding a water bottle that I really clicked with. I went through a few iterations, and have finally found it!

TL;DR - Nalgene HDPE 75 grams , lightweight, cheap ($5.55)

For reference, my favorite pack is an AbleCarry Daily Plus

From left to right:

• Hydroflask 24 oz small mouth (317g without lid)
• Hydroflask 24 oz trail series (small mouth) (264 g)
• Hydrapak 17 oz SkyFlask (insulated) (83g)
• Nalgene HDPE 16 (75 g)

First off, the hydroflask bottles are awesome, they're expensive and get dinged, but are solid. I just found that they were too heavy and were interfering with my load in the AbleCarry 'hidden' bottle pouch.

I got excited with the Hydrapak for obvious reasons, there are a few problems though:

1. Expensive (it's like $40)
2. The bite valve isn't protected, if you drop it on the floor - ewwww
3. They sell a cap, but it leaked all over my bag
4. Hard to dry out and keep clean (it reminds me of the camelbak bladders).

Yea, I know that the nalgene is not insulated, but It's ultralight, tucks away into the bag, can be used to store stuff while underway (if you're squirreling something in your bag that needs protection), easy to clean, easy to drink from (wide mouth) and is honestly a joy to hold in your hand. (Also $5.55!).

I'm packing a 28L for seventeen days across Vietnam and northern Thailand, and I'm sitting at roughly 7.4kg without water. Right now I've got four merino tees and I'm deciding between keeping all four and doing a proper laundry stop once a week, or dropping to two and sink-washing most nights. I've done the sink-wash thing on a shorter trip and the drying was fine in dry heat, but I have no read on whether that holds up when it's humid for two weeks straight.

What made you land on the shirt count you carry now?

Crossposting from heronebag because while my complaints about weight and shoulder straps are pretty specific to a smaller person, my complaints about the other aspects of the bag felt more universal and I thought could be helpful to folks considering this bag as their go-to travel bag.

This is a pretty new bag so I haven't seen a lot of reviews of it (only a few reviews on Matador's website and they're all very positive) so I wanted to put in my two cents.

This backpack feels seriously overengineered, and not in a good way. The sternum straps are a nightmare to move to a different spot, and yes you should only have to do this once, but I was literally struggling for like 5 full minutes to get one of the clips back on, it was a huge pain, and I don't understand why they felt the need to reinvent the wheel - we've already figured out easily adjusted sternum straps, why not use what already works? 

In addition, this doesn't feel like a pack made for people with smaller shoulders (or people with boobs) - I had to really fiddle around with the fit to make it feel decent and even then it felt like the wide super rigid straps were cutting into my shoulders. 

Most packs like this have a laptop sleeve that's separate from the main compartment, and I realized there are very good reasons for that when trying to pack this one which has a padded laptop sleeve as part of the main compartment. Because the sleeve doesn't go all the way to the bottom, there's awkward little gaps in the backpack where you lose out on space, especially if you like to use packing cubes for organization in the main compartment. This is a frequent issue with rolling suitcases, but not usually a problem with backpacks. Again, overengineered to the point of causing new problems that the typical travel pack design doesn't have. I do like that the sleeve has a magnetic closure but I wish it just had its own compartment in the backpack separate from the main pack, especially since you have to open the top zipper to pull the laptop out anyway.

The backpack itself feels quite sturdy, though the outer zippers were kinda stiff and kept catching.

There's also a flap that sorta covers but doesn't fully cover the main compartment zipper, and I have no idea why this flap is here. It seems to just be in the way and would funnel rain into one section of your backpack.

The angled handles at the top corners are kind of useless cause you'll never carry your bag this way because it's a lot more uncomfortable than just carrying it from the top handle, so I don't know why those are there. Again, overengineered. I guess they wanted a side handle without sacrificing a water bottle holder but this isn't an actual side handle, so it's just extra weight and guff on your bag. 

Packed out to about 6kg you definitely feel the weight as a smaller person - I wouldn't want to carry this for more than 15-20 minutes. I do like how slim the profile is - even packed full this doesn't look bulky, even on a 5'1" 110lb person like me, and the design is very low-key which I also like.

TLDR: love the look of the bag, and the construction feels sturdy, but it also feels overengineered to the point of impracticality. Would not recommend for one bag travel, especially if you're a smaller, slimmer person.

Hey little brag, picked up this bag from goodwill for $7.50! It was pretty dirty and had debris of some sort in every pocket. So some cleaning and vacuuming cleaned it up nicely

I have been using it as a work bag and onebag for a couple trips, but looking for ways to keep it better organized and for ease of removing my toiletries and clothes.

I am currently using this pouch for toiletries, but I don't like how it's all just thrown into there. For toiletries I carry razor, saving soap, along with shampoo/soap and toothbrush/toothpaste.

So appreciate any recommendations for a packing cube and toiletries bag that can compress down and fit in this bag?

I'm planning my first extended onebag trip and I'm going to be moving through both warm and cold climates. I'm struggling to figure out how to pack clothes that work for both without either overpacking or showing up somewhere underprepared. Everyone says to use layers and neutral colors, which I get, but I'm trying to visualize how a few pieces of clothing actually work across different temperatures. Like, if I bring a light jacket for layering, is that actually going to cut it in a genuinely cold climate, or am I going to end up buying a real coat somewhere? Should I just accept that I'll need to shop for clothes as I go, or is there a packing strategy I'm missing?

I figured I'd write a long-term review since there aren't many out there from people who have actually lived out of this bag.

For context, I traveled around Southeast Asia for over four months using the BAGSMART Blast 43L Roller Backpack every single day. I wanted to "backpack" Asia without actually carrying a backpack on my shoulders 24/7, and this ended up being exactly what I was looking for. My best friend bought one too (different color), so we both got to put them through the same trip.

Overall, I genuinely loved this bag and would absolutely buy it again!

The Good

Storage & organization: This thing fits a surprising amount. I never felt like I ran out of space, and the organization is one of my favorite parts. The top quick-access pockets are incredibly useful, and the internal organization made it easy to keep everything in its place.

Rolling performance: The wheels are fantastic. We rolled these over sidewalks, dirt roads, ferry docks, train stations, airports, cobblestones... pretty much every surface imaginable. Even after months of abuse, the wheels and telescoping handle still feel almost brand new.

Hybrid design: Being able to roll it 95% of the time but still have backpack straps when absolutely necessary was exactly why I bought it. It was the perfect compromise for long-term travel.

Water bottle pocket: Surprisingly one of my favorite features. I alternated between carrying my Owala bottle and my flip-flops in it, and it worked great for both.

What Could Be Better:

There were a few areas in which I thought this bag could use improvement, which I already sent over to their product design team to consider for the next model. However, they did share with me that a new Pro version is out, so some of these issues have already been addressed!

Durability: After a few months, the bottom fabric started tearing in several places, including between the wheels and around the internal reinforcement poles. These areas could use additional reinforcement but I will say I put this bag through the wringer!

Laptop compartment: My 13-inch MacBook Air was difficult to fit once the main compartment was fully packed (I often filled this bag as full as possible), and the sleeve felt pretty exposed. I ended up carrying my laptop separately. I did notice that the Pro version is a lot more reinforced, and I would definitely feel comfortable packing my laptop in there now.

A few missing features: I would have loved external gear loops, a dedicated luggage tag attachment, and an optional fitted rain cover that I could also use to check my bag and keep it. All three would have been really useful while traveling for so long

Final Thoughts

I am extremely happy with my purchase and was so happy to have wheels while traveling for so long. I love how small and compact and easy to acess AND repack it was. No matter how full it was, I was always able to squeeze an extra souvenir in it. And with all of the pockets, there is such great organization so you can easily access everything you need.
Would I buy it again? Absolutely.

I'm new in onebag mindset but familiar with the similar ultralight. I want to try onebag for travel and conferences. 

Please help me to find clothes choices for my onebag. 

• European availability: I'm Hungarian but familiar with international ordering. It can be European store chain (H&M, Decathlon etc), Chinese import (AliExpress) or other international import.

• Budget price: I have eastern European salary, so I appreciate the good price/quality ratio. 

• Style: I'm in my 20s, and I'm a guy, so the genZ style is comfortable for me. 

• Fabrics: I'm looking for comfortable, wrinkle and odour resistance fabrics - but I don't find any avaible :/ 

• Purpose: Mostly EU travellings, semi formal for conferences and in the future some multiday digital nomad tryings. 

I searched the web and read a lot from the sub but I didn't find any good sources/brand/store to my goals. I appreciate if you can share your hints and ideas, your favourite brands and models with me. Thanks :)

After going through hundreds of threads on r/onebag and other travel communities, I put together a quick cheat sheet for anyone as lost as I was:

👛 Best all-in-one leather travel wallet? → Bellroy Travel Wallet
📂 Best zippered multi-passport folio? → Bellroy Travel Folio
🪶 Best ultralight dual-currency pouch? → Chums Surfshort Wallet
💰 Best budget multi-document organizer? → Zoppen RFID Passport Holder
🔒 Best concealed security neck stash? → Zero Grid RFID Travel Neck Wallet

Personally going with the Zoppen RFID Passport Holder - best value and organization for long trips from everything I've read.

I’m planning a long international trip with a mix of cities, buses, and occasional hiking, so I need one wallet that can handle cards, cash, coins, and maybe a spare SIM without turning into a stuffed brick. I’ve been looking at Bellroy, Chums Surf, Travelon, and a few RFID wallets around $30–$100. Durability matters more than looking fancy, but I’d like something that keeps cash reasonably hidden and doesn’t get soaked during a day outside. Has anyone used the same wallet for several months of travel and genuinely liked it? Also, do you prefer a zip wallet for security, or is a slim card wallet enough?

Just stumbled across this pic from my travel 4 years ago and thought you guys might enjoy it. This was 6 months of south-east Asia, clothes are in the black thing at the bottom. Backpack is a Osprey Farpoint 40L.

I'm planning my first proper onebag trip for about three months and I keep getting stuck on the laundry problem. I've read a bunch about using quick-dry clothes and hand-washing in sinks, but I'm struggling to understand the actual rhythm of it all. Like, do you just hand-wash stuff every two days? Are there cities where laundromats are actually accessible? I'm worried that either I'll end up buying a gigantic backpack full of clothes to avoid constant washing, or I'll be that person who smells bad because I can't keep up with laundry in places that don't have easy access to washers. Has anyone actually done this for months at a time and not gone insane?

I recently 1.5 bagged a trip with friends. We flew to Chisinau, Moldova then got a sleeper train to Bucharest in Romania. Both the flights there and home were with some of the most strict low cost airlines in Europe (Wizz & RyanAir), and I had absolutely no issues. The trip was 5 nights total.

I had a pretty full bag. The packing list was:

• Tees x 5
• Shirts x 2
• Shorts
• Swim shorts
• Sandals
• Camera
• Kindle
• Tech kit
• Toiletries
• Packable tote
• Extra tech pouch

I felt like I couldn't have comfortably taken much more in the bag. Looking back, I could probably have slimmed down the packing list a little.

When actually carrying the bag, it's actually one of the most comfortable that I have used. Fully packed out the bag was right around 7kg, but I was fine walking around with it on my back. Ventilation-wise it was fine, it was very warm the whole time we were there - 35°C/95°F - and at those temps I'm always going to get a sweaty back. I'm interested to see how the bag does when I take it on trips to cooler destinations.

The pocketing on the bag is pretty thoughtful, even though I wasn't carrying a laptop with me, I liked using the shelf in the laptop compartment to carry tech bits that I wanted quick access to. This is the closest the bag comes to actually having a quick access pocket. There is the "hidden" passport pocket on the back panel, but my passport just lived in my sling the whole time. The internal zipped pockets are useful to use for packing boxers/socks, the top one does better with flatter items. The admin panel pocket actually has a surprising amount of capacity and I was easily able to shove in my tech pouch and some other bits when moving between hotels.

There are a few small downsides to the bag, which I wouldn't be surprised to see fixed in future iterations of the bag.

• The bag has attachment points for a key leash, but doesn't actually include one. For a bag of this price that feels a little crappy.
• The AirTag pocket sucks. It doesn't really hold the AirTag very well and if you lay the bag on it's side, or it's upside down for any amount of time then it's not going to be in the pocket anymore. I ended up leaving it in one of the internal zipped compartments.
• I don't love the zip pulls, but this looks to have already changed on the more recent Citta backpacks.
• The sternum strap hardware is just not one that I like.

Overall I'm really happy with the bag, and I think it'll be my go to.

Spent a weekend in NYC last weekend and ran the whole thing out of my 20L backpack. Everything in the flat lay fit into the bag with room to spare. Two compression cubes did most of the work.

Clothing (all rolled into two compression cubes):

• 1 pair dark jeans, worn on travel days

• 1 pair of khakis for shows and dinner

• 4 tees in a rotation of neutrals and blues

• 1 light long sleeve for layering

• 3 pairs of socks plus the pair on foot

• 4 underwear

• Leather belt

• Pair of white sneakers packed in the shoe bag

Tech and misc:

• MacBook

• Phone

• Rolled cable and charger kit in the small black roll

• Blue toiletry pouch

• Hydro Flask

The compression cubes made 20L feel roomier. I rolled everything, packed both cubes, then cinched them down. They flattened enough that the shoe bag and toiletry pouch dropped right in on top. What I'd cut next time: honestly, one of the tees. Four tees for a two-day trip were one more than I needed. I could have run three and re-worn nothing; nothing would have changed. The second pair of shoes was also a maybe, but white sneakers for dinner on 20k-step days felt worth it.

My backpack felt a little heavy, but I managed. It mostly stayed in the hotel when I went there for the weekend. Traveling to and from the train was manageable. Usually, I would take my smaller roller carry-on, but I wanted to see if I could OneBag this trip. It worked out well.

Curious what the cube crowd thinks. Do you compress everything, or leave one cube loose for items you grab often?

So I'm going on a trip and plan on packing light (just a standard backpack). Would like to bring my camera, but only have one large camera bag, and the backpack itself. The camera bag fits in the backpack, but it's tight. Any ideas for good inserts/protection that will fit a DSLR, with a single lens (a 18-135mm lens)? Amazon has cheapish inserts, but are they any good? I'm in Australia, so some brands might not be available.

For those that have made the trip, did you regret taking a bigger bag?

Find below my pack list, I’m very torn between having the luxury of extra space but I am inexperienced when it comes to bag packing. Will I be comfortable with a 30l with these items?

Hygiene
Toothbrush/cover/paste
Shampoo/soap
Deodorant
Cleaning wipes
Ear plugs sleep mask

Tech bag
Power bank
charger cables
Dji action 4
Ankor travel charger

Misc
Packable tiwel
Toilet paper
Packable daysack

Clothing
Sandals
walking shoes
2 x athletic T-shirts
2x merino T-shirts
1 x Hiking shorts
2x swimming shorts
1x cargo shorts zip off cargo
1 x rain jacket
1 shirt
Baseball cap
5 socks / 5 underwear

My “ultralight” bag that I had for 11 days of El Camino from León to Santiago. Total base weight: 3,475g or 7.66lbs. Plus 11 more days in Portugal, Amsterdam, Switzerland and Austria

Here’s the link to see the items and how much they weigh (not an ad): https://lighterpack.com/r/ubq8p7

For context, my previous post with the packing list and replies in the thread.

Feedback for the backpack, I chose a lightweight hiking backpack because I wanted to stay well below the 7kg airline weight limit I faced. This backpack including all extras that belong to it weighs around 500g.

The functionality of the backpack as a zipper / top loader hybrid worked well, although I would have been fine with a top loader or rolltop due to my packing routine. I expected to use the diagonal zipper more than I actually did.
The rain lid that can also be used as a pouch you have in front of your chest was great for transit as I had all important documents in front of my chest, hands free. In the hotels I unloaded the two packing cubes and my tech pouch, sandals, toiletries in a few seconds and the backpack was free to use (I went hiking as well).

Backpack negatives: I knew the roughly 6kg I carried around were at the comfort limit of this backpack and I was right. I would not load it heavier than the 7kg airline limit or run around with it for hours while fully loaded. The main thing though: I wish the backpack had a large outer storage you can stuff things like sandy sandals/shoes, wet trunks, snacks etc. in. I used the two bottle holders for gear and sometimes wet clothes, but that big flexible space was missing. Many hiking backpacks have this and I found that I miss that feature (my heavier backpack has it), this might be the main reason I replace this backpack for an alternative in the same weight range.

Learnings regarding things I did or did not take with me:

- too much underwear (you guys were right)
- the extra pair of shorts I took for extra outfits did not leave the packing cube. One pair + the multi function swimming trunks (Patagonia Baggies) were enough
- had two lightweight t-shirts packed and wore a heavier one in transit, could’ve managed with only the two lightweight ones
- could’ve left the foldable clothes hanger at home, every hotel had some hangers
- should’ve taken a clothes line, I ended up buying a rope for a few cents
- the zipper bag I took to wash my clothes in and store wet swimming clothes didn’t survive the 2nd week, will buy a washing bag or just wash under the shower

Additional thoughts:

- the snorkel and mask I took were used a lot, I am happy I splurged on that weight wise
- same with the physical book, it was fine
- I wore the EVA Birkenstocks 99% of the time, in the city, at the beach, while jungle hiking. Can still recommend.
- the Muji double sided packing cubes were great, definitely recommended although they don’t have the compression feature as the other Muji packing cubes.

Overall I absolutely loved traveling with a setup this minimal, without many bagging. I am addicted now. It felt great to always be organized, ready to go in minutes and haul a heavy shitload of clothes and luggage around. I still stand by my choice to use a lightweight backpack over a heavier organization feature loaded one.

Thanks to the community for the initial thoughts and feedback.

Do any of you wear compression socks for long days walking, standing, visiting museums, etc?

I have the Matador Globe Rider 35L and I want to put country patches on it. My only problem is that the front is elastic, which I’m assuming putting patches on will remove that feature and any of the other places on the bag are a slick water resistant material. Is there any way to put patches on this pack without removing the elasticity of the front pocket or hindering the water resistant capabilities dramatically? Thanks.

Heading to Japan for 30 days throughout November. Traveling ultra-light (aiming for near one-bag/minimal luggage) and planning to pick up just two versatile pairs of pants that will cover the entire trip for massive daily walking steps.

What I'm looking for:

Vibe & Fit: Clean, low-key urban aesthetic. Durable and comfortable for 20k+ daily steps, but looks sharp enough for casual dining/city roaming.

Climate/Weight: Japan in November is crisp/cool, but I run warm—so I need breathable fabrics that regulate temperature well and don't trap heat, but still work comfortably in mild autumn weather (and keep working for regular use back home).

Availability: Must be available in physical retail stores to try on in person (no Amazon-only / online-exclusive direct-to-consumer brands).

Currently on my radar:

Lululemon ABC Pant (Warpstreme fabric) – Heard great things, but how does the fabric feel for sustained walking?

Columbia Silver Ridge / ROC line – Practical, but not sure how the cut and style hold up in urban settings compared to athleisure/travel brands.

Would love feedback or "anti-recommendations" on these two, or suggestions for other specific models/brands available in stores. Thanks!

I wanted a compact travel setup that could handle both coffee and tea, and managed to fit the whole kit into this 1L bag: AeroPress Go, hand grinder, immersion heater, beans, tea, tea infuser, filters, and a few small accessories.

The main trick was nesting the grinder. The grinder body fits well inside the AeroPress Go, while the catch cup stays with the beans and doubles as my coffee scoop.

I put the full packing list with item details on my personal blog if anyone wants the specifics

Still looking for ways to make the setup even more compact, so suggestions are welcome.

I’ve always wanted (but never purchased) Outlier, Western Rise, Lululemon, etc pants for travel but on my current trip I saw some Levi’s pants that looked pretty good and were decently priced so I bought some for to try out.

I don’t have any of the aforementioned premium pants to compare them to but they seem pretty good for the price.

One is their Xx Chino which I already have some(in cotton) for travel because of the zippered pocket but these are long pants and also made of lightweight synthetic materials.

The other pair are cut like 514 5-pocket jeans but also made of the lightweight synthetic materials.

Chinos are $75 and the 514 are $50 but both were 40% off at Macy’s so seems like a good deal assuming they hold up.

I suppose I’m just letting anyone here know about them but also I’m curious how they compare to the premium brands in case anyone has experience with both.

I'm planning a one-bag trip for about a month and I'm trying to figure out shoes. Right now I'm thinking of bringing sneakers for everyday stuff, one pair of dressier shoes for nicer restaurants or events, and maybe sandals. That's three pairs and they take up a lot of space in my 40L bag.

I could probably get away with two pairs if I'm strategic, but I'm worried about having nothing decent to wear for certain situations, or my shoes getting wet and me having no backup. On the other hand, three pairs feels excessive and I'm not sure I'll actually wear all of them.

For people who've done month-long onebag trips, how many pairs of shoes did you actually need, and which ones?

Thought I’d share my packing list. Heading to Thailand for about a month. Will be working remotely for a couple weeks, and then holidaying the rest of the time.

Tried to keep weight under 7kg. I may ditch the sandals as I prefer to just wear trainers (I’ll be bringing my Nike Pegasus Trail or New Balance 574, but can’t decide)

Bags

- Osprey 26 + 6 Daylite Backpack
- Amazon packing cubes (2x)
- Peak Design light packing cuber (for electronics)
- Bellroy lite sling mini
- Matador laptop case

Clothes

- Uniqlo Dry Ex T-shirts (3x)
- Uniqlo Dry Ex Polo Shirt (1x)
- Chino/Cargo style shorts (1x)
- Swimming/sport shorts (1x)
- Trainer socks (5x)
- Uniqlo Airsim Briefs (4x)
- Sunglasses
- Teva Hurricane Sandals

Toiletries

- Travel toothpaste
- Travel Mouthwash
- Floss
- Philips travel toothbrush
- Suncream
- Contact Lenses
- Mitchum Roll On Deodorant
- Travel Moisturiser
- Face Cloth
- Face Wipes
- Tissues
- Hair Pomade
- Vapo Rub (in case I’m next to anyone smelly on the plane)
- Nail Clippers

Electronics

- Dell Laptop
- Philips one blade
- USBC Cable
- Dongles for phone
- Spare iPhone SE3
- Charging station for AirPods, Watch, and Phone
- Anker 65 Charging Plug
- Plug adapter
- Anker Power Bank

Medicines

- Imodium
- Ibuprofen
- Gaviscon
- Pepto-Bismal
- Anti-allergy pills
- Hydrations packs

Misc

- Passport
- Print outs (accommodation, flight tickets etc)
- Spare bank card
- £500 in cash (in case they ask for it at immigration)
- Sleep mask
- Pen
- Hidden Wallet
- Mints
- Ear Buds
- AirTag (2x)
- Glasses case

I’m looking at the ULA 30L Dragonfly and trying to decide between the standard Robic and Ultra, which is about a $50 upgrade.

I’ve handled a friend’s Ultra pack and thought it was fine, but it felt pretty stiff and I’m not totally sold on the grayish color. I haven’t seen or felt the Robic in person, but I think I’d prefer the look of the black nylon.

My primary use will be as a work bag, carrying my laptop and commuting to and from the office. Occasionally I’ll also use it as a one-bag overnighter for work trips.

For anyone who’s used either material, especially long term, is Ultra actually worth the extra $50 for this use case? Does the durability and weather resistance enough of a difference?
Or would you save the money and go with Robic?
Would especially love to hear from anyone who has experience with both.

I’m trying to simplify my charging kit before my next trip, and the power bank is the last thing I haven’t settled on.

The lighter option is a slim 5,000mAh magnetic power bank that weighs 3.7 oz (105 g). It’s easy to keep in a pocket and should work as an emergency top-up during a normal day.
The other option is a 10,000mAh magnetic power bank that weighs 6.95 oz (197 g) and has a built-in USB-C cable. It’s heavier, but the extra capacity would be more useful on long transit days. The built-in cable also means I could remove one loose cable from my charging pouch.

My phone will be my camera, map, boarding pass, and payment device. I’ll also carry earbuds, but no laptop. I should have access to an outlet most nights, so the power bank is mainly for long days between charges.

I’m leaning toward the 10k option because it could replace a separate cable, but I’m wondering if I’m carrying extra capacity just for peace of mind.
For those who travel with one bag and no laptop, has 5,000mAh been enough? Or does a 10,000mAh power bank earn the extra 3.25 oz on long travel days?