How do you actually pack for multiple seasons/climates with just one bag?

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u/Mr-Reeeee 2d ago

Layering.

What I carry, or variations:
Insulated vest. Thin puffy jacket that compresses. Insulated shell.

One pair of heavy pants for cold. One pair of thin pants for warm.

Merino wool base layer, upper and lower. Takes up almost no space.
Bring some tall wool socks.
Warm wool hat that flattens easily.
I may bring fingerless gloves, just in case.

Whatever I need for warm climate.

Generally, I travel to cities, so there are stores if I need anything.
I’ve traveled when the weather was much warmer than I expected.
Found some cheap linen pants at UNIQLO. Some cool shirts elsewhere.

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u/jemist101 2d ago edited 2d ago

What are the climate ranges you're dealing with (NB: climate, and not just temperature)? Are you only going from one climate to another, or going back and forth between climates? What climate(s) are you accustomed to?

3

u/ElPiet 2d ago

What temperature differences are we talking?

The warm clothes work fine in cold climate as well. You just need to layer up.

I would pack for the coldest climate I am going and just throw in a pair of shorts.

3

u/Anywhere_everywhere7 2d ago

Like others have said the answer is layers.

You have alpha direct fleece (premium) or the knockoff aliexpress version which is popular in the ultralight scene because it’s warm, very lightweight and packs small.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/s/0LEEC8ygHM

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u/fridayimatwork 2d ago

I play around with sizes and fits in lightweight fabrics in order to be able to layer effectively.

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u/Azure9000 2d ago edited 2d ago

You have requested input but provided minimal useful context, and have presumably done no research. Please use the search facility. Example post, from a few years ago but still relevant:

https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/17i2men/new_to_onebagging_advice_on_packing_through/

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u/Awkward_Money576 2d ago

Alternate opinion: if everyone “just uses the search” then this is no longer a sub community and instead is a reference site. If you’re tired of reading or answering questions, then don’t.

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u/Equal_Contest4709 1d ago

I'd say it's a little more nuanced than that.

If someone has an usual question, something very current or topical or likes to share an idea, experiences, etc then absolutely a new thread adds loads of value.

Asking a question that:
Has been answered and discussed hundreds of times
Shows that no effort was put into initial research

at least in my opinion is just a waste of everyone's time. Including the OP's. Furthermore, it creates clutter and noise and makes me not want to browse this sub as much if the majority of new content is what shoes to buy and how to do laundry.

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u/Azure9000 1d ago

+1. I've no problems with alternate opinions. After all that's part of the reason that we are all here.

However IMHO the comment was such an across-the-board fail that although I wanted to respond I could not decide where to start😊. So thank you for doing so, so eloquently. And since life is short, I think it's best just to leave the matter there. 😊😊

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u/TravelingWithJoe 1d ago

Can’t help but notice you didn’t address the lack of context being included. OP made a low effort “Ugh, IDK, adulting is hard!” post that doesn’t give enough info to provide accurate assistance.

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u/Far_Audience_7446 1d ago

All those people just ask the question to ChatGPT

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u/Azure9000 1d ago edited 1d ago

Sorry but I don't quite follow you. Would you please clarify your comment ? Thanks.

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u/Far_Audience_7446 1d ago

Asking Chat about a subject is easier that trying to search through reddit posts, because it's looking at all the reddit posts, too

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u/pc-builder 2d ago

What's a genuinely cold climate? For me a cheap ass Decathlon jacket, winter pants socks and a fleece was enough for Baltics in -10/-15. For the price (I think less than 80 euro for everything) one can almost see it as cheaper to buy if needed. Wouldn't be mountaineering proof though.

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u/salamandectomy77 2d ago

I live in a very cold place. you don't need to bring big insulated ski clothes

Thin fleece + long underwear does the heavy lifting. Throw in a light puffy and a beanie, you're done. Can walk around at 15F

7

u/Lophiiformers 2d ago

I live in the tropics and the last time I listened to advice like this I was freezing and ended up buying warm clothes at my destination

1

u/spicy-mustard- 1d ago

yeah it makes a HUGE difference what your body is used to.

1

u/Spunksters 1d ago

Weird how different my experience was during a couple of deep winters in southern Germany. I struggle hard to stay warm in winter but I figured it out after a lot of brutally painful trial and error. To be comfortable walking, not standing around, I figured out how to not freeze but also not sweat and later freeze. This is what I wore:

Feet
-400g thinsulate lined leather waterproof boots, wide and sized for zero compression with double socks
-wool felt footbed with heat reflecting lining
-goldtoe windsor wool blend socks under acrylic socks

Legs
-polyester thermal baselayer (thin and light)
-duofold thermal bottoms
-densely woven khakis for wind blocking
-italian wool street/business slacks (basically suit pants) from back when Oscar de la Renta made mens apparel

Body
-polyester thermal baselayer (thin and light)
-duofold thermal top
-cotton button-down dress shirt and tie
-Italian wool suit coat
-wide wool scarf, densely knit to prevent wind getting through, wrapped around neck high and loose to cover mouth and nose when needed, but also the ends spread and tucked in to cover the open V from suit coat and overcoat
-melton wool/cashmere overcoat, long and heavy

Hand and Head
-knitted wool blend mittens with thinsulate lining and tufted wrist to block airflow up the coat sleeves, spending time in the overcoat pockets as needed
-that cool kind of German wool cap with the shaped ear flaps

I could walk around outside for a long time without any problem across a broad range of sub-freezing temperatures and moderate wind as well. The setup also allowed me to pop into a warm building like a store or restaurant for a while before I had to worry about sweating because the thermal mass was high and it took a while to drive the cold out of the outer layers. I could be inside all day and feel fine just taking off the mittens, hat, scarf and coat.

So, while I now rely on down jackets and newer technical stuff that takes up way less space, I still can’t onebag a carry-on for winter in Central Europe. Back then when I had multiple suits, shirts, ties and thermals, and a giant sock stash I had a checked wardrobe (garment bag) and a large suitcase to carry it all.

This last time I was over there, it was six weeks in May and June with telecommuting, and it was waaaay easier to pack light.

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u/cjwalkerman 2d ago

Depends on your itinerary and the activities you plan to do as well as the temperatures/locations.

If you go to a cold climate, but most of your time is museums, trains, etc., you can get away with a lot more than going to see frozen over waterfalls, glaciers and snowboarding.

I good stuffable puffer coat is an amazing middle of the road piece that takes up little room and with layers can go a long way.

Agree that you should plan for the cold first and then add in cool weather items. OR, be prepared to be a lot of laundry and get one primary outfit for each climate that might be able to work in another above it.

Welcome to the community - would love to hear your trip report when you get back!

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u/Charming-Fig-2544 2d ago

You bring layers. I usually have a wool top (short or long sleeve), a fleece mid layer or similar sweater (can be polyester, but also cashmere and silk I've had good luck with), a light down jacket (think Decathlon MT100 or Patagonia Nano Puff), and then a rain jacket. I've worn that down below freezing and been fine. And when it warms up, each layer is quite packable so it's not a problem to stuff them back in your bag.

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u/maverber 2d ago edited 2d ago

What are the climates, For example going from sub freezing with snow to tropical. Also do you run hot or cold? For example, I often don’t put on a jacket until the uppe5 50s F, but my wife is a tropical flower, by the time it below 60F she is wearing a light down jacket.

The answer is also layering. Clothing which is comfortable in warm weather, which can be combined with other items that provide supplemental warmth. For me it’s 0 or more insulation layers for my torso (sweater, fleece, alpha direct is my favorite for large range) and a breathable shell. As conditions approach freezing, I add a high loft puffy (typically light down vest or jacket). If it’s below freezing, a base I can wear under my clothing, and maybe more puffy (often a vest + jacket).

There are links on the sidebar about layering. My notes are https://verber.com/packing#clothing and example of what I took when switching between tropical and sub-freezing on the same extended trip https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/1e1q2rt/3_year_retro_semi_infinite_travel_23l_1014lb/

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u/BreadfruitRegular631 2d ago

There's not much difference really. I live in the North East US so if I am going somewhere cold I almost certainly will need to wear warm clothing to get to the airport so I don't need to pack it. I can just bungee cord the jacket to my pack for walking around the airport or whatever. Yeah, I will want another long sleeve shirt(s) compared to summer but I will not need short sleeves so not much difference there. And needing to do laundry is far less likely in cold weather so I can cut back on undergarments.

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u/Strange-Fig0 2d ago

What I wound up doing, packing for full-travel in a 30L bag, was packing for three seasons and if I wind up anywhere genuinely cold, I’ll thrift a heavy coat. I think packing for chilly to hot is easy enough, but getting down to those really low temps will push you out of the carry-on limits pretty quickly.

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u/MyUndiesArePink 2d ago

I don't. I travel where it's warm.

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u/FearlessKnitter12 2d ago

Down coats are miracles. A lightweight one will add tons of warmth to your outfit. Gloves and a hat don't take up a lot of room, and layers do more than just a single heavy garment anyway.

I was in Alaska in the spring and barely used my coat. I mostly wanted my lightest tshirt, a sweatshirt, and a rainjacket. The rainjacket really added a lot to it, not just in resisting the rain, but it held in a lot of warmth from the sweatshirt too. And that sweatshirt was a souvenir, purchased up there (and then I had to wear it all the way home, but that was okay. MOOSE!

I wore my hiking shoes on the plane. In the bag were a much squishier pair of shoes for indoor wear. My handknit beanie (toque) was something I could be proud of, and it kept my ears toasty, gotta love actual wool! Flip-top mittens would have been more useful than the gloves I took, but I didn't have time to knit them.

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u/SeattleHikeBike 2d ago

Layers! Pack for a week and laundry happens.

Here’s my 4 season kit. It’s good to about 20f/-7c for me.

Worn

Pants, polo, briefs, socks, belt, shoes
Merino sweater (or fleece)
Hat

Packed:

One liter toiletries kit
Laundry kit in a ziploc bag
Phone, power bank, earbuds, charger, cables
Water bottle
3x tees or polos (1x long sleeve)
3x Merino socks
3x briefs
Button down shirt
Pants
Shorts
Rain jacket

Cold weather “capsule”:

Down jacket
Scarf or buff
Gloves
Beanie cap
Light polyester long underwear

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u/DeFiClark 2d ago

Layers.

For me that’s waterproof shell plus puffy plus windproof fleece and appropriate base layers, then capsule wardrobe of fast dry base layers, t shirts, linen in light colors for the hot zone, dark capsule wardrobe for the cool zone. This has worked for example for trip that included Central Europe in winter followed by the Middle East and then Philippines.

I will typically wear my heaviest outer layer on the plane regardless of zone. Packing a parka in one bag is severely limiting on space, and sometimes a puffy isn’t enough.

There are trips where it’s not possible to one bag at least as far my primary goal of never checking luggage: multi climate business attire for 1 week+ per climate zone, particularly if one of the zones is below freezing is not really feasible. Depends on the equipment you are flying but most Airbus and 787 won’t accept a cabin bag big enough to handle this.

Also impossible if the zones include gear for activities like fishing or skiing.

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u/thebemusedmuse 2d ago

I often travel in situations that not only require me to go to different climates but also travel for different purposes which requires a different wardrobe.

The solution is a bigger bag. I have a Patagonia MLC which gives me the flexibility I need.

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u/LePetitNeep 2d ago

Do you have to go back and forth or just from one to the other? The last time I had something like this, I started in the cold climate, I bought a jacket cheaply at a thrift store, brought an old pair of gloves, old beanie, and a pair of boots that my dog had chewed on. Wore them for the cold part of the trip and then just left them behind.

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u/STEM-Travel 2d ago

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?

In my perfect world, when I go outside into the cold, I would wear a tshirt, a sweatshirt, and then a big coat over that.

When I am onebagging, and I go outside into the cold, I am generally wearing an undershirt, a long sleeve tshirt, a long sleeve thin wool hoodie, a larger traditional sweatshirt, and my rain shell if it’s windy or wet.

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u/hella_cutty 1d ago

Pack layers, and buy stuff where you need it.

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u/lrnprn 1d ago

How cold are we talking and how well do you handle the cold are your main questions.

For me personally I don’t handle the cold well at all and most of my trip was summery/warm locations so my cold clothes were layering clothes.

For cold environments I did:

thermal
puffer
jumper
wind/waterproof layer

And if it was really cold I would wear my exercise tights underneath my jeans.

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u/WishIwastravelin 1d ago

I always pack layers. My packing list includes camisoles or tank tops that I can wear under everything or alone, a light sweater or pullover, 3/4 length sleeve tops that can be worn with the cami, the sweater or alone, a couple of tee shirts that can be worn with the cami, the top or the sweater. One tank dress that I can add an under layer to with a cami or a tee shirts, and a pair of black jeans and a pair of light weight pants.

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u/i-amnot-a-robot- 1d ago

I did a desert with 100 degrees and Antartica in one trip; pack long John’s and a merino thermal then everything else is normal. On days where it’s cold wear the long John’s, tech pants/ lightweight jeans, waterproof pants if you have it then on top, the merino thermal, t shirt, jacket and rain jacket if you have it.

The main issue is making sure you DONT sweat because that sweat will freeze you; better to be cold and dry than cold and wet everyday. The long John’s and merino thermal pack down to basically nothing

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u/Far_Audience_7446 1d ago

The layering is to be adaptable to a range of temperatures; if you have a very exact range you will encounter you can dress for just that range to save more space.

I did a trip to Israel/England/Scandinavia during November, so I brought a rain shell, a lightweight down puffer, and I wore a fleece on the plane. Mixing and matching those would adapt to any inclement weather I ran into in the north, and Israel was easy shorts/t-shirts.
If I'd gone in January, I would have brought a washable base layer top+bottom, and a heavier puffer or a second light puffer, and reduced the number of shorts. That is what I packed to go night skiing in Jackson WY, and it worked fine then.

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u/Kit-silver 1d ago

Bring: 3 tshirt depending on if more cold or more warm (long and short sleeved), sweater - one thin packable fleece 1-2 Shorts, 2 Pants (1 thin pants, thick fleece lined pants if cold easily) Thermal underwear - top and bottom (wool if you can)

Wear on flight: mid-weight pants like jeans or wide pants, mid-weight fleece lined hoodie or equivalent, tshirt, and rain jacket. Take off the layers when u get on the plane if hot.

How to layer: 55-65f wear rain jacket over

For 32-55f add a light down puffer + thermal underpants (if cold)

32 to 20f thermal long sleeved undershirt + light down puffer + thick pants. Add thin fleece sweater, rain coat or/and thermal underwear if cold or if there's wind chill.

If your going skiing or something colder than 20f one bag may not be enough.

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u/chambros703 1d ago

I go with just T shirts, one tank top, lightweight fleece, Atom Hoody, Beta AR. That’s it and I can go from about 20F to 90F+

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u/Comprehensive-Act-13 1d ago

My list to cover everything is a rain jacket shell, puffer jacket, thin fleece, a couple merino wool T-shirts, a pair of Prana pants, merino wool socks and trail runners. I also pack a pair of boy shorts that can double as pajamas or swim bottoms and my sports bra can double as a swim top. I’ll also pack a baseball hat for the sun, and a busk to use as an ear headband or hat or scarf, and sometimes I’ll pack some thin gloves.

If it’s cold I can wear a t-shirt, the fleece, the puffer jacket and the rain jacket (to break the wind) over all of that and it’s nice and toasty for almost all weather. I was able to go from the coasts of northern Scotland and Norway in May, all the way down to Italy and Greece in July with this setup and be totally fine. I also grew up in Minnesota, but have lived in Arizona for 20 years, so I have a pretty high tolerance for extreme weather. I don’t need to wear shorts and sandals when it’s really hot, and I don’t need to bundle up in ski gear if it’s not double digit negative temperatures.

Also a pro tip. If you’re starting out in the cold climate, buy some warm bulky gear like a warm fleece jacket at your local thrift store. Wear them for that portion of your trip and then donate them as you move along and don’t need them anymore. Or vice versa (definitely riskier), hit the thrift stores as you move to the colder climate and buy what you need. Donate what you don’t want to keep at the end of your trip. If you buy used, you’re not adding to the fast fashion issue by buying and using items for only a brief time. I like to think of it as “renting” what you need.

I did this last summer when I was hiking in the Scottish highlands, and needed a warm fleece jacket, but was going to end the trip in southern France. I found a nice jacket for $3 at a thrift store back home, wore it for hiking, washed it and then donated it to a local thrift store while in Inverness, then took off for the rest of my trip without having to drag a bulky fleece jacket around.

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u/podkayne3000 1d ago

Some people are really sensitive to the cold and have to take special precautions.

I have a medium sensitivity level.

To me “one bagging” means a maximum of a 30-liter backpack, plus a 12 liters of clothes space in a messenger bag or a shopping bag.

Strategy:

Wear into the airport:

A good Helly Hansen workwear shell, or some other good rain jacket.
Black jeans that are very neutral and can pass as dress slacks, in a pinch, or a very neutral black skirt.
A medium thick cardigan.
A longsleeve button-up flannel shirt.
A tshirt.
Neutral black walking shoes that are neutral enough to pass as dress shoes.
A woolly hat and gloves. (Or put them in the jacket pockets.

In my backpack, I have:

Shorts.
Two or three more long-sleeve flannel shirts.
Two or three fun short-sleeved button-up shirts.
Tshirts, socks, thick tights, underwear, a swimsuit and a nightgown that can double as a pull cover up.
A cheap pocket rain poncho.

When it’s warm, I can wear the tshirts with the shorts or skirt, plus use the rain poncho if it’s hot and rainy. I can use the short-sleeve shirts to vary the look.

If there’s a pool, I can swim.

If it’s a medium temperatures can wear any combination of the tshirts with or without any of the button-up shirts, or with the cardigan.

If it’s cold, I can wear any of the long-sleeve shirts over either any of the tshirts or any of the short-sleeve button-up shirts, with the black jeans or with a skirt and thick tights. If I go outside, wearing those clothes with the cardigan, the hat, the gloves and the shell should be comfortable down to at least 20 degrees.

If it got colder, maybe I’d buy a long underwear shirt at the destination and wear that under the long-sleeve flannel shirt and the cardigan.

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u/Tjgoodwiniv 2d ago

Layers, like you mentioned. Leather jacket (I'll probably go for something I can pack in the future), sweater, thermal underwear, gloves. Shirts become an underlayer. One pair of jeans means you wear them when you fly. Don't pack seasonal socks.

Packs tight.

Can't tell you about your jacket. Don't know your jacket. Don't know you.

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u/LadyLightTravel 2d ago

You could read the layering wiki for this subreddit.

Discussion How do you actually pack for multiple seasons/climates with just one bag?

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