Greetings all. With the merger of /r/onebagging back into /r/onebag, I will be locking this sub for future submissions. The mod team here is planning to compile a FAQ from the posts on this sub to add to the Wiki that will eventually be created on /r/onebag.

As I mentioned in another post, please subscribe over there... where the action is! Cheers!

Anniversary trip: April. Italy. Naples-Rome-Florence-Milan-Venice. Flights in and out are booked. Thinking of doing it with minimal luggage.

What do I need to know? What do I pack?

Any help is appreciated!

Cross posted courtesy of /u/icysalt

Greetings all!

First, I want to thank you all for joining me on the mission to create a vibrant community to discuss the art of packing efficiently. We split off from /r/onebag, because the sub was becoming a bit of a train wreck, and change was necessary. Just over a year later, the lone moderator of that sub stepped down, allowing control of the sub to pass to a great mod team.

So, what happens with /r/onebagging?

Now that control of /r/onebag has turned over, we will be implementing the same things there that have been successful in this community. The look and feel have been ported over already. We are using the rules here as the original set for the new /r/onebag.

I see no benefit in keeping the content on the subs separate. I encourage everyone here to re-subscribe to /r/onebag. If you were banned by the prior mod, please send me a message, and I will manually approve you to be added back. This may take time, depending on the number of bans he handed out.

The benefit of merging the two communities will be a much larger community to share ideas. This will be great as we go forward. I will keep /r/onebagging up, in case anybody wants to access the older content, but this will be a less active community. If you post, please do so at /r/onebag.

Thanks again for coming on this little adventure with me. See you on the other side!

Looking to retire shortly and travel internationally more or less full time out of a ~40l pack while staying in hostels. I'm used to disposable foam earplugs, but they wear out / get gross over time and finding replacements while traveling is not ideal. On the other hand I see reusable earplugs (preferably ones that preserve the sound quality for concerts), but they have large stems: https://smile.amazon.com/Etymotic-ETY-Plugs-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0015WJQ7A

Has anyone found reusable ear plugs suitable for a side sleeper where the stems won't be uncomfortable? Many thanks!

Sorry if this is posted elsewhere, I scrolled for quite a while and only found one post on hairstyles.

What do you guys use for styling tools that are small and effective ? (particularly straightener and hair dryer?) [also ideally dual voltage]

Hi all!

I know carry on sizes vary by airline and, in some cases, agent working for said airline. I'm curious if you've ever had a bag at the gate that they made you check due to size or weight, and which bag/ how big and/or how heavy it was?

Looking for any critiques. i am flying out sunday night and will be in Paris and then going to Tomorrowland music festival. I have the easy tent setup so hence no camping supplies. Weather looks to be 57-80 degrees F and rain is expected.

Just weight in at 12.6 lbs including the bag with just missing a mini notebook, snacks, reflactor glasses and copy of passport + tixs.

edits made:

cut the nice shoes as someone I am traveling with only brought sneakers

removed one pair of pants

cut some toiletries

Eddie baeur bacon backpack 28 liters

• 2 packing cubes
• 2 stuff sacks
• toiletry bag
• 2 snack bags and 2 sandwich

Plane items

• kindle
• iphone
• ear buds
• powerbank 16800 mah
• europe plug and us plug
• sleep mask
• earplugs  x2 (foam and music)
• bag of beef jerky and 3 power bars_
• inflatable pillow
• coffee thermos
• 6 instant coffee packs
• mints

clothing

• nike free shoes 
• sanuk beer coozy flops
• Marmot precip rain jacket
• Patagonia sun hoodie
• blue button down woll and prince
• green merino wool shirt icebreaker
• black pistol lake tshirt
• outlier green run weight tshirt
• airism tshirt blue
• outlier shirt blue
• excofical and uniglo boxer briefs x4
• merino wool socks x4
• outlier new ways grey
• outlier new ways khackie
• outlier freeways khackie
• sunglasses in case + lens wipes 
• belt
• travel towel

Random

• reflector glasses_
• mini mag light
• spork
• travel sized duck tape
• passport
• copy of passport_
• copy of all tixs for tomorrowland_
• small notebook and pen_
• TSA lock for bag
• sim card eject pin

toiletries

• mini hand sanitizer
• deodorant
• toothbrush
• toothpaste
• floss
• soap bar and container
• sunscreen
• gold bond
• nail clippers  
• bug spray
• various pills (lactose, activated charcoal, alieve, allergy and pepto)
• laundry soap that is paper
• razor

bought on https://www.tentenzo.com/ so this will be at tomorrowland for pickup

• baby wipes x2
• chair
• roll of tp
• flip flops for shower (ordered before deciding to take my own)
• water mister

Was going to get the Wandrd Hexad Access Duffel 45L. However, I haven't seen many reviews on the bag even though it has been out for a while. I kind of like the organization inside of the bag. Does anyone else have the bag and if they do, are they any pros and cons of it?

Has anyone onebagged to Banff in the past, or plan to in the future? I've got a pretty good idea of what I want to bring, but just curious to see what you all have come across before. What does you loadout look like?

I'm staying in an AirBnB about 30 min from town of Banff, going to do some day hiking, bringing my DSLR (1 lens), DJI Mavic Air

EDIT: Added some more details

I posted this over on r/onebag but thought I should post here as well!

I will be spending a semester studying abroad in Hong Kong, from the end of August through December. At the end I plan to spend 1-2 months travelling South East Asia, Plan to hit Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and maybe travel up into China. I'm intrigued by the idea of one-bagging because I will be in a dorm-room during my time in Hong Kong, not much room for extra stuff. I'd like to not deal with checked luggage afterwards while travelling either. This will be my first time travelling internationally, I'm from upstate New York.

Looking for overall suggestions, I still need to buy my bag and some new clothes (Recently dropped 40 lbs, down to 235 :) ), so I've been just browsing the various onebagging subs. I'm looking at the Osprey Farpoint 40L as my bag. Really liked the Tortuga Setout but it seems to be out of stock every time I check.

As far as what I plan on bringing, I need to bring clothes that fall more on the business casual side (My style, and I'm a finance student so gotta kinda fit in). Bringing a surface pro laptop as well. Ordered a pair of Xero Z-Trail sandals based off a few recommendations here. Trying to find a pair of shoes I can wear more casually that will hold up as well but still pass with a pair of slacks, seen the Altama Maritime shoes recommended a few times as well and they look like they could do well in black, any thoughts on how they would do in southeast asia?

Does anyone have any advice on clothing to bring for the climate during that time of year? That's something I'm also trying to keep in mind while building a packing/shopping list. How difficult would it be finding clothing in my size in southeast asia if I don't manage to remember everything I need? I'm 6'2", 235lbs, Size 12-Wide feet. Pants 36-38x30, shirts size XL, all in U.S. Sizes.

In addition, any advice for first time onebagging/International travel in general would be more than appreciated!!

Many of the backpack recommendations are great but quite often a little pricey. I’m definitely guilty of suggesting mostly pricey items - granted they are definitely worth it. I’m currently using the GORUCK GR3 and like it a ton by the $400 price tag is understandably a turnoff to some, especially when trying to finance international adventures. So, I’m suggesting a few budget packs that I’ve tried and love. Full reviews to come later but they all get top marks from me. Just wanted to get these out before the summer trips start

The REI Trail 40 (40L) $110 - This pack is awesome and perfect for onebag trav. It’s durable, simple, travels well, hiked well, fits as a carryon, has a clamshell style wraparound zipper, and has tons of well thought out pockets. I did a 6 month trip last year and it survived the rigors of motorbiking Laos and Vietnam and was my pack for the Everest Base Camp Trek and performed amazingly. For the price, I can’t recommend it enough. The only reason I gave it up is for it to be my nieces first onebag.

https://www.rei.com/product/880839/rei-co-op-trail-40-pack-mens

REI Ruckpack 28 (28L) $100 - I only used this for 2 months as an EDC bag but it’s great. Durable, simple, and well thought out. If 40L is too much for what you’re doing, give this a look.

https://www.rei.com/product/118790/rei-co-op-ruckpack-28-pack

REI Co-op Flash 22 (22L) $54 - a super compressible and functional daypack. This bag is great to pair with any other because it compresses to nearly nothing. This has been my go to daybag when I wander for a couple of years, and I used its predecessor before that. It’s simple, has tons of useful pockets and even water bottle pockets on the outside so that you don’t waste internal space.

https://www.rei.com/product/892204/rei-co-op-flash-22-pack

Keep in mind that these have free shipping and a 1 year no questions warranty which rocks too.

If you have some gear sitting around that you would like to sell or trade, list it below. If you're looking for a particular type of pack or clothing, request it below. This thread will be refreshed monthly, but you can use the flair sort in the sidebar to view older threads. Posts should look something like this:

WTS - Osprey Porter 30L - $XX

Include details about the pack or item. Size, condition, price, picture links, etc. If trading, list a few of the possible items you're looking for.

Be sure to mention what country you are in, so potential buyers are aware.

Each post should begin with one of the following:

• WTS (want to sell)
• WTB (want to buy)
• WTT (want to trade)

Items you can list include bags, travel clothing, and items that would go well in a onebag. If something is clearly outside of these categories, I'll likely remove it. Only list items that you are personally selling, and don't just link to a website for sale. Grailed links are ok for clothing.

I am planning a 2 week urban eurotrip in a year or so and am looking for my first 1bag travel bag. Been doing research for a few weeks now and I am really into the idea of being able to use my travel bag as my daybag for the trip as well.

The Greenroom136 rainmaker (after a few customizations) seems pretty perfect but I can't seem to find traveling reviews on it. I just wanted to see if anyone here has traveled with that bag and how was the experience?

When I travel I like to stay fit and exercise, but I hate dealing with the hassle of a gym. For years, my go to has been suspension training. If you know how to use a suspension trainer correctly, nearly every upper body exercise imaginable is possible (pull ups, chest press, dips, horizontal rows, high pulls, overhead presses, triceps extensions, biceps curls, etc.) and with enough resistance to gain strength and muscle, so I advocate for carrying a suspension trainer.

I recently reviewed the Monkii Bars 2 and really liked it, but I know the price point is a turnoff for some people, especially those on a budget. But I still think suspension trainers are THE solution for travelers that like resistance and strength workouts on the road, so, below are instructions for how to make a suspension trainer I call "the Minimus". Its compact, insanely durable, cheap, and stays well organized in your bag. Also, the anchor you’ll make is tiny (fits in your pocket) and can be easily used indoors or outdoors, unlike the TRX door anchor which is bulky and only works indoors, or the bulky extra equipment of other trainers.

All of the instructions you'd need are below but if they're confusing I've linked to a post with detailed pics and instructions. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts or questions.

How to make a compact, travel ready suspension trainer for cheap

List of Materials

Suspension Trainer -

• 1” Tubular Nylon webbing, at least 9 meters (3 meters per suspension trainer)
• Heavy duty Nylon thread (plus heavy duty needles or sewing machine)
• 2 pieces of 7” long pvc pipe suited for your grip
• 2 climbing grade buckles
• Velcro strap

Anchor -

• 2 Meters of ½” tubular nylon webbing
• Climbing grad carabiner

Instructions

1. Arrange your materials 1a. 2 pieces of 1” tubular nylon webbing 1b. 2 heavy duty climbing grade metal buckles 1c. 2 pieces of ~7” PVC pipe 1d Heavy Duty Nylon thread
2. Assemble pieces (webbing, buckle, pvc pipe) into the first strap and handle and stitch webbing 2a. Run one piece of the ~3 meter webbing through one of the pieces of PVC pipe 2.b Run one end of the webbing around the lower portion of the buckle and stitch the webbing onto itself creating a loop securing the buckle. Note that most heavy-duty nylon thread has a tensile strength of between 8lbs and 15lbs, and each stitch adds a fraction of that 8lb-15lbs tensile strength to your suspension trainer. As such, I made sure to use size 92 nylon thread, which has a 15lb tensile strength, with at least 50 stiches. In a perfect world, those 50 stitches would give me 750lbs of strength. The world is far from perfect, but I know that this rig can at least handle 500lbs because I tested it. Make sure you add enough stitches (based on your thread) to be safe 2c. Run the opposite end of the webbing around the sliding mechanism within the buckle such that when tension is applied, the friction locks the buckle (and strap) into place. 2d. Roll the free tail of the webbing onto itself 2 or 3 times and stitch the roll into place creating a stopper – preventing the webbing from sliding through
3. Repeat process with the remaining webbing, pvc pipe, and buckle to create that second handle and strap
4. Use the Velcro tape to roll up and pack your new Minims suspension trainer
5. Setup the suspension trainer using the runner as an anchor. 5a. For outdoors setup, use a "pipe hitch" knot tie the runner to a sturdy point (tree, light pole, playground equipment, etc.), clip the carabiner through the free loop, and clip both straps in...and you're ready to rock 5b. For indoors setup, take your runner and tie a knot in one end (I recommend a "figure 8" knot) and throw that end over a door. Close the door and pull the runner tight. Clip your carabiner into the end of your runner and your suspension trainer into the carabiner. To raise the height of the anchor, just tie a knot in the runner (again, I suggest a "Figure 8") and clip the carabiner above that point.

Instructions for setting up the minimalist suspension trainer anchor indoors and outdoors

Instructions with pictures for making a compact suspension trainer-

Good luck! I hope this helps someone!

The Reddit moderators finally removed the mod of /r/onebag, leaving the sub without anybody to run it. They're doing an open call for mods here: https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/8uwyk1/mod_call/

Since the previous mod banned me from commenting, I cannot put my name in. I would appreciate if one of you could nominate me. Thanks!

Hey guys,
Coming from that other sub, having a few questions.
Im going to visit my girlfriend in the Philippines, and going to Japan after that in the middle of August. I want to travel light and carryon, after my last trip to Thailand with a stuffed 60l pack and my 35l """daypack""". ;)
This is my packing list, im gonna weigh everything after my exams.
Now i wonder: should i take a fleece or down jacket or anything else for warmth? Or wont i need it? If so, do you have any recommendations?
Does anyone know, where to get exofficio underwear in Europe? On Amazon they dont have M sized ones and the rest is sold out a lot.
Any other criticism is highly welcome.
Thanks

The Saucony Peregrine 8

I've spent considerable time looking for a hiking/trail running focused shoe that could be dressed up nicely for dinners and nights on the town. My first attempt was with some Salomons (this errs on the side of performance over aesthetic) but the outsole got shredded by a week's worth of walking in Tokyo and the rest of my time in Japan was spent slipping and falling on any smooth surface (it didn't even have to be wet!) When I got home I inspected the tread and it had worn down flat! I'm sure the shoes would have been fine if I hadn't used them so much on city streets, however if they were going to be true "onebag" shoes they would have to be a Jack-of-all-trades. Moving on...

Next I focused more on aesthetic. All black shoes would fit into any wardrobe, and if I could find all black trail runners then I might have found my unicorn. Only Nike seems to make blacked out trail runners so I opted for the Terra Kiger 4. However, when I got them I immediately sent them back, talk about amateur hour! I don't know why they are so highly rated, I found them to be so uncomfortable and the tread pattern made them highly unstable on my living room floor.

But enter the Saucony Peregrine 8, in the grey/black/green combo they just pass my aesthetic test, I found them to blend in well with my city clothes though and felt comfortable wearing them (along with a nice outfit) to nice restaurants. Performance is where they truly shine - so grippy in wet conditions, highly stable on both trail and concrete, and very comfortable overall. The best part is they seem to have survived many miles of concrete walking, though I did much less of that in Georgia/Tennessee/North Carolina than I did in Japan. Inspecting the outsole, the tread looks like the day I left home (about 2 weeks ago).

Very impressed with this shoe!

I always worry about breaking or cracking my glasses during my trip.

Do you travel with a spare glasses?

Coming from midwest US, most attire in the summer consists of either chacos, birkenstocks, hightop converses, or new balance 574, or 247s. Packing for a one month Europe trip to London, Dublin, Paris, Brussels, Bruges, and Amsterdam, Im taking a 40-50L carry-on sized bag (either redwing 44 or osprey farpoint 40). I can't decide what pair of shoes to bring as my primary walking shoes. I'm really thinking one pair of sandals and a pair of shoes that I could possibly take into a nice restaurant. This all being said here are my questions:

1.Being 20 years old and still looking 16, will I look silly among the populace in either chacos or birkenstocks, like to teens in these areas even wear sandals? Also... 2.If so, should I even care about looking silly? Is there even really any decent way to travel stylishly without sacrificing comfort? (I've seen most of the shoe recommendations on this forum, and maybe its just me, but they really look like traveling shoes and don't seem to mesh well with everybody else. Really, should I care about looking like an American? 3.How is this combo: https://www.birkenstock.com.au/products/type/sandals https://www.newbalance.com/pd/247-decon/MRL247-DCN.html?dwvar_MRL247-DCN_color=Steel_with_Pigment#color=Steel_with_Pigment&width=D

Thanks in advance for reading the lengthy post ;)

Having a pair of their more casual ABC joggers, someone gave me a $200 gift card to lulu, and being the basic white boy that I am with a planned trip to Europe this summer, I bought some of their ‘commission pants’ in olive green and they are currently being hemmed for free by them.

Anyone taken any of their clothing one bagging?
How did it go, keep smelling well, pack, look?

Hi,

Like the title says, I'm a bit overweight. I'm 5'9" and 210lb. Summer is hot and humid here, 90-95F weather. I ride a motorcycle to work every day and I sit a lot. I want to be more active during the day but I keep ripping my pants! Also, my pants sag a bit and wearing a belt doesn't really help my IBS. I see a few recommendations for something suitable for a 9 to 5 office job and everything else, but I can't make up my mind because I'm not in the US and I want to go through the hassle of returning something that's not as good as it looks.
Also, I'm drowning in clutter. So I want to throw out all my clothes and buy a few items that I can wear for anything. back to basics onebagging! Recommendations appreciated, thanks.

Edit: eventhough I did say I'm looking for something to wear to a 9 to 5 job, I don't really want formal pants. I don't wear a suit or anything close to that. Something casual, but functional.
Edit2: Now that I wrote up this post, I wanna go back to cycling again. I lost my bike in China so I'm getting a new one as soon as I start a new job.
Insight edit:: I, like many of you I guess, absolutely hate shopping. I walk in, and I know I just want pants. I don't care, just want to get this over with. And I hate pants that give you this belly fold, and make my IBS even worse. So I just push all that aside and try to forget about it, which only makes things worse. More clutter, more shit and ... I'll stop typing now :D

We're heading out to Europe for some traditional backpacking with my wife and 11 yo daughter. 7 weeks, and the rule is that we each have to carry our own shite. (Yeh, I'll help out my daughter, doncha worry.) And by "traditional", I mean Air BnB, crashing at friends' places, and pension. We've done out hostel time, trust me.

I present the clothes part of my kit, to start talk about the limits of minimalism. It fits in one small cube and one garment folder. 3.4 kilos all in. Here's the list.

• 2 pairs long pants (wearing one of them)
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 2 Tee shirts
• 2 collared long sleeved shirts (wearing one of them)
• 4 collared short sleeved shirts (dry fit)
• fleece sweater and light rain jacket
• 4 pairs underwear
• 4 pairs of socks (2 ankle) - SmartWool
• flip flops, hiking sandals, Merrill walking shoes (wearing the latter)

I think that I could easily lose one each of the T shirt, collared shirt, shorts, socks, long pants and sandals. That would be about 1000 grams. But to what end? One of the things I've learned after 36 countries and years in the field is that I'mtired of looking like an American traveller.

Anything here anyone think I should seriously ditch?

EDIT: been talking around... I think I'll ditch the polar fleece. Mid summer in middle and southern Europe... I think I'll just buy a sweater if I need one.

Left it too late to buy short apparently because Outlier and Western Rise are sold out of my size/color shorts (NWL and AT Limitless, respectively) so I'm curious if there are any other brand out there that make a relatively slim-fitting short with a 9-11" inseam out of a canvas-like nylon fabric that drapes more like a cotton twill, rather than the more lightweight, swishy technical fabric that most nylon shorts seems to be made from.

I did have my eye on the Prana Brion shorts, but in photos it looks like a fabric that doesn't drape quite right. Any feedback on these vs. the NWLs or Limitless AT?

Meanwhile, if anyone is selling any 31", dark gray NWLs or AT Limitless shorts, LMK!

Sorry for the length everyone, but we wanted to be as thorough as possible. :-)

Edit: For the most up to date list (including a downloadable PDF checklist) with improved formatting, more thorough explanations, itemized backpack/gear (his and hers), award travel hacks/tips, mistakes and lessons learned, budget and expenses (less than $25 p/p!) tips, house sitting guide (and so on), checkout our looking back on our travels article.

We’re a married couple (IT and Project Management and Training consultants) in our 30’s and in 2016, we sold 95% of our belongings (/r/minimalist) and set off to become/purse independence (location, financial, employment, etc.) (r/digitalnomad, r/leanfire, r/financialindependence). Our goal was to travel abroad continually (mainly Europe, r/longtermtravel) out of one 36L backpack each (and about 15lbs/7kgs), Osprey Manta AG 36s (/r/onebagging, r/onebag, r/HerOneBag). In our first year we were fortunate to visit three continents, 23 countries, 60 cities, and do 18 house sits.

Since our initial year, we've continued to travel and are now house sitting full time (nearly 50).

With that being said, there was a lot of preparation, beyond the backpack and gear, which needed to be done before embarking on our new and pursuant lifestyle. We hope this list may be of help to other aspiring expats and travelers who are contemplating long-term overseas travel. However, keep in mind that this list is made up of the things we did/considered, and depending on your situation/travel style/sense of adventure, some or all of it, may not apply/be relevant to you.

In others words, feel free to take what's relevant to you and leave the rest. :-)

List of recommendations to do/consider before embarking on extended (perhaps overseas travel):  

• Before leaving abroad or departing on long-term travel, go through all of your belongings and decide what to keep, sell, or donate. Remember, in the end it’s mostly just stuff and can usually be easily replaced.
• Consider subleasing, selling, Airbnb’ing, or giving up your apartment/house. Alternatively, find a long-term house sitter to care for your home (for perspective, we’re approaching our 24th house sit).
• Forward your mail to your new permanent address (trusted person/loved one/commercial mailer/etc.). Also, update all accounts with this new address.
• Don't cancel your US car insurance, because when you come back you'll more than likely be charged more since you'll be considered, 'high risk' for having a lapse in coverage for an extended period of time. Instead, switch your policy to a 'non-owner’ (car) policy. Also, while on the phone with them, ask them if they’ll cover you overseas, and if so, for how long.
• Sell/garage your car. If you’re selling it make sure you use a bill of sale. In our case, we were fortunate; we sold our car in less than an hour after posting it on Craigslist.
• For income, if you don't already have existing pool of clients consider using the sites below for short term contracts or consulting gigs:

Power To Fly
Working Nomads
We Work Remotely
Remotely Awesome Jobs
Hacker News Jobs
United Nations Development Jobs
Flex Jobs
The Training Associates
Angel List
Remote OK
Awesome Remote Job (GitHub)

• Open a Schwab High Yield Checking Account. Schwab offers near ‘bankers rate’ on currency withdraws and ATM fees are reimbursed globally. Note: To open this account (from their site), you must be a US Citizen or Resident Alien, and have a US mailing list. Furthermore, Schwab will do a hard credit pull and require you to open a brokerage account at the same time. Although, you don't need to use or fund the brokerage account to be able to use the Schwab High Yield Checking Account. Also, Fidelity has a similar card/service but their card charges a one percent Foreign Transaction Fee.
• Make sure you have at least two credit cards (Visa and MC ideally, but depending on the countries you plan on visiting, Visa and Amex, or MC and Amex may be OK).
• Make note of your credit card numbers/expatriation dates/CVV/etc. numbers in your encrypted password storage file, and the issuing bank's/credit union's phone number in your phone in case they're lost/stolen.
• Automate the paying of your credit cards/bills. We keep a spreadsheet with all of our credit cards and their specifics (r/churning), as well as which financial account is set up to auto-pay the balances in full each month.
• Turn on fraud alerts/emails/texts on all of your financial accounts (maybe even download the issuer’s app).
• Call to set travel alerts on your credit/debit cards (some issuers no longer require this, and some allow you to do it online or via their app). This will usually reduce the number of times the issuer freezes your credit card for ‘abnormal’ foreign activity, when it’s in fact legitimate.
• Switch everything to paperless/e-statements. The less paper mail you get, the easier things are to manage logistically.
• Make sure the expiration dates on your credit cards/debit cards/drivers license/passport/important documents aren't going to lapse while you're out of country.
• Depending on the countries you'll visit and your traveling style, a priority chip and PIN credit card like a Choice Rewards from First Tech Federal Credit Union can be very helpful. It may only come in handy occasionally (again, depending on your travel style), but when it does it’s a ‘life saver’.
• Setup a way or a person that can deposit physical checks sent to your permanent address. We fortunately have someone at 'home' who can simply deposit our paper checks into the ATM/bank so we don't need to use a commercial mailer or deposit stamp.
• Explore/decide on vaccines and check whether or not your insurance will cover them, or if you’ll have to pay out of pocket. When calling a clinic ask them for the CPT code (Current Procedural Terminology) for each vaccine, both routine and travel. If you're unfamiliar, CPT codes are the medical diagnostic and billing codes that your medical care provider and insurance company use to bill all procedures and visits. Once you have the CPT codes, you can call your insurance company to see what (if anything) is covered under you plan.
• Get routine medical exams done before leaving. We did our wellness exam, eye exam, dental exam, and made sure our routine vaccinations were up to date. We continue do this once a year when we're back 'home' for a brief period of time.
• Gather all medical records and prescriptions and keep them with your trusted person. Make sure your doctor knows you’ll be traveling and that you may need them to renew your prescriptions.
• Make sure you know your prescription details, so you can tell a doctor or pharmacist, if needed, while abroad. It’s not uncommon for countries not to accept/recognize a foreign prescription, so you’ll need to see a local doctor or, possibly purchase the medication over the counter, depending on the countries' regulations.
• Don’t forget about extra glasses and contacts. You can carry extras, buy over the counter in some countries, or you can have someone back home forward new glasses or contacts to you while you’re traveling.
• Consider options for medical travel insurance (and travel insurance) while abroad. You can choose to buy medical travel insurance, or depending on your US health policy (read the fine print and call them to confirm), you may be covered for catastrophic events, even in out of coverage areas and internationally.

Sample Providers

Med Jet Assist

Insure My Trip

Allianz Travel Insurance

World Nomads

Global Benefits Group

WEA

These links are in regards to 'things to consider' when shopping for travel insurance and medical travel insurance:

Perpetual TravelUS State DepartmentRick Steves

Also, don't forget that a credit card can sometimes have built-in travel insurance (although, usually not as robust as a standalone policy).

• Consider setting up or ensuring that your medical directives, financial beneficiaries, power of attorney, and will are in order.
• Make sure your passport is up-to-date and you have plenty of empty pages. Some countries will refuse entry if you have less than six months until your passport expires or lack space for a new stamp (whole page).

We ordered, for no additional cost (as of the time we ordered ours), a passport with extra pages (52 vs the standard 20), by checking the box for “Large Book” on the application form. Also, before 2016, travelers could request additional pages be added to an existing passport, but now you need to order an entirely new passport if you fill up the pages on your current one.

• Double check visa and ‘onward travel’ requirements. These can vary greatly from country to country, and don’t assume they’re the same from the last time you visited.
• Consider securing your visa ahead of time before arriving into a country; you'll have one less thing to worry about.
• Keep digital and physical copies of your passport, visas, driver’s license, birth certificate, health insurance card, serial numbers, important phone numbers, etc., at your permanent address/trusted person. If anything goes wrong, you lose something, or are mugged, your loved one can have this information to you in a matter of minutes. Alternatively store them securely (encrypted) online.
• Consider making a color copy of your passport and carrying it with you.
• Consider signing up for Global Entry/Nexus/SENTRI. Also, don’t forget that some premium credit cards will reimburse Global Entry Fees. Furthermore, keep in mind that Global Entry’s usefulness is limited, since it only applies to a few countries, and when entering the US.
• Don’t overlook credit card benefits! For example, Boingo which the Amex Starwood Preferred Card offers. With WiFi being so prevalent, premium WiFi may be less and less necessary, but over the last 19 months we’ve used it about a dozen times, at places where the free WiFi was unbearably slow. We simply disconnected from the free network and instead connected to the premium SSID and provided our login information, and magically our bandwidth/latency improved! Again, the need for a service like this will vary greatly on your individual needs, however if you get it free, why not sign-up (before you start traveling) and have it ready just in case?
• If you have hotel/airline/car rental/etc. status with one provider/chain/carrier, now may be the time to match that status to other reward programs, OR signup for a status challenge since, presumably you’re going to be staying in a lot of hotel rooms/renting cars/flying/etc.
• If you don’t carry a premium credit card that offers rental car insurance coverage like the Citi Prestige or Chase Reserve, consider Amex’s Premium Car Rental Protection instead. It’ll save you a bunch of money since you’ll pay per rental period, not per day like traditional rental car insurance!
• Depending on your travel style, consider brushing up on what vehicle/road trip equipment is compulsory throughout various European countries.
• If you decide to get an International Driving Permit, you can get one from your local AAA office for about $20.
• Consider/choose your gear: power strip, battery pack, travel adapter, your bag/backpack, travel cubes (or DIY your own), travel towel, locks, first aid supplies (stomach, muscle pain, antibacterial ointment, band-aids, etc.) sun screen, ear plugs, sleeping mask, melatonin, supplements/vitamins, laptop, phone, backup drive, USB flash drive, mouse, camera, neck pillow, etc. (We go over this in much more detail in our Ultimate Gear and Packing Lists, linked at the bottom). However, remember you don’t need (for the most part) consumable supplies to last months and years on end, you can simply pack a limited supply and buy more at your current destination.
• To reduce the chances of losing something or being pick pocketed, sew Velcro into your pockets, consider a money belt/hidden pockets, or buy something of the shelf like Clothing Arts with hidden pockets.
• If the bag/backpack you've picked to travel with doesn't have lockable zippers (we were in this predicament with the Osprey Manta AG 36) consider the DIY approach and make your own lockable zippers.
• For travel liquid containers, we use yogurt pouches for r/ultalight portability. Although, remember to make sure they’re under 3.4 ounces! Furthermore, we rarely carry more than one or two ounces of liquids and gels, since we can purchase more when we arrive at our destination.
• Consider carrying a fake/throwaway wallet (if you choose to do this, keep some of your expired/replaced credit cards, and a token amount of cash).
• Consider setting up drop shipping supply caches/packages (prescription medications (may not be legal in all countries)/contacts/extra glasses/hard to find gear and supplies) with your trusted contact/permanent address so they can mail them to you. At one point we were in Bucharest, Romania and couldn’t find size 14/15 US shoes (we found one pair for $250USD!), so we limped along (nearly literally) until we got back to the United Kingdom.
• If you’re into r/churning and r/awardtravel consider an account with ExpertFlyer to help find award seat availability and use our hotel award lodging maps to find ‘free’ category 1, 2, and 3 Hilton, Radisson, Marriott/SPG, and Hyatt hotel rooms.
• Again, if you’re into churning and award travel use Award Wallet to track your points/accounts.
• Depending on your travel style, you may want to consider either buying lounge access via Priority Pass or get a premium credit card, like the Citi Prestige/Chase Reserve, that includes an unlimited number of visits in a year for you and your spouse (or travel companion). Some airports abroad can be different from US airports and offer very few seats in the terminals, making lounges a welcome retreat and great place to work. For perspective, we've each used lounges 52 times in the last 19 months, so we've definitely recouped the Citi Prestige's annual fee ($450).
• Use an app like Duolingo to brush up or learn a new language.
• Have a reliable and global VPN provider like PIA (for example).
• Use a password vault like Keepass or Lastpass. Also, be aware of logging into accounts in public areas. You may have roaming eyes, or cameras around!
• In case of a catastrophic event (like loosing/damaging both your phone and laptop, being robbed, etc.) use an Open Source service like Protected Text to create a notepad with One Time Recovery Codes for Two Factor Authentication accounts (be discrete). This will insure that when you login from a new device/location you'll be able to authentication and login to your Email/remote support client/etc.)
• Get your travel apps in order (Google Translate, VPN, Signal, Trip It, Google Maps, Currency Conversion, etc.) and download translation languages and maps on Wi-Fi ahead of time to save on data usage.
• Encrypt everything! Internal laptop drives, USB Flash Drives, backup drives, etc. This website/guide from the Electronic Frontier Foundation can really help simplify security (which, since you’re going to be on the road and using countless untrusted networks/etc. it’s arguably even more important than when simply being at ‘home’).
• Make sure you have a secure way to transfer sensitive information (for tax stuff or the like, that you may not be able to get electronically) from your trusted person/permanent address. If we were to assume you’re not going to be using a commercial mailer, Signal may be a good choice. With Signal you can chat, call, video chat, send pictures, documents, etc., truly securely.
• Forward your cell phone number to Google Voice (or similar) and depending on your cell provider, contact them to set your phone line to 'reduced rate suspension’ (AT&T calls it this). In the case of AT&T, they’ll suspend your phone line for six months at a time (for a maximum of a year) and lower the cost of the suspended line(s) to $10 per month. Plus, since you have a Google Voice phone number (or similar forwarding service), people in the US can still call you to that US phone number (you’ll answer via Google Hangouts/etc.).
• Sign up for Google's Project Fi or use a data Wiki to understand what the local cellular network and SIM situation is like in your new location/country. SIM cards can be easy to purchase abroad, or challenging, depending on the country/person behind the counter/time of day (e.g. 2 am landing). Alternately, use Google Hangouts (or similar) to call back to the US for free (or very cheaply internationally ) when on WiFi and forgo having to buy a local SIM/use Project Fi at all.
• Leave a remote computer on at your permanent address that you can remote into, in case of theft/loss of you laptop/forgot something/backup plan/etc. This also comes in handy as a quick way to login to a website that only allows access from within the US and detects your VPN because of deep packet inspection.
• If you’re a gamer, setup Parsec on your 'home' computer (or cloud host) and enjoy gaming from just about anywhere with a reliable internet connection. Here's our continually updated list of what games work/don't work over Parsec. So far, we've successfully played games at a distance of about 3,000 miles off of our 'home' computer (albeit, our local/client connections have so far been 50Mb's or higher). r/cloudygamer
• Create/update your WOOFing/Helpx/Airbnb/Couchsurfing/House Sitting profiles before you depart.

Well, there you have it, sorry again for the length! We’ve found that having these things in order has dramatically reduced our need to scramble and/or solve issues while pursuing this type of lifestyle. Obviously, nothing is 100%, but doing and/or considering these things has served us well over the last 19-months. The idea is too try and be proactive instead of reactive,

And again, deciding on what items to keep, sell, or donate may be the hardest part of beginning a long-term journey...but remember, it's just stuff!

We’re sure we’ve forgotten some things, but we hope the community finds the information helpful!  

Safe and Happy travels!

With the summer upon us, I've been thinking about linen shirts for warm weather travel. When I think of linen, I also think of wrinkles--lots of them. I suppose linen should dry fast. Not sure about odor. Nor about its intrinsic UPF. However, they should feel great in the summer.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm at my wits end trying to decide on the Black Ember Citadel Bag. I hope this is the right place. Trying to figure out my one bag BIFL situation.

I've owned a BBP industries bag (~20L) since they first launched. 2 years ago, I upgraded and splurged on the MissionWorkShop Arkiv (40L) with a variety of modules. It's been great. Durable, nice rugged style plenty of room.

I bought the Arkiv because I got tried of carrying multiple bags for weekend trips and flights - I needed something larger. The Arkiv 40L took care of that, especially with the add-on modules.

Here's my larger issue with the bag, and it's rather specific. Velcro. I hate it. But most importantly I have a handful of clients that hate it. I've tried nearly every configuration to make this bag a quiet and quick access but it just doesn't fit every situation. Yeah, I know, I'm being picky.

I've recently had clients go berserk when they heard the sound of Velcro. I've also woke up family/friends multiple times when getting in the bag at night while I'm in the room. So this Velcro has become a problem. I made a hasty decision when I bought the Arkiv with a bunch of modules while on vacation - I was pissed at my multiple bag situation. So hear I am, 2 years later, attempting to plan accordingly.

I'm carrying around a 40L bag with a fairly small amount of items with no compression straps. The Arkiv quick access is blocked when I used a silent method to evade the Velcro sound.

Here's my EDC (33/M/IT):

• 13in MBP
• MBP Charger
• Anker candybar phone charger
• Compact flash light
• Grid-it organizer with a number of cords and connectors:
  • iPhone wall charger
  • portable SSD w/cord
  • Small candybar work phone
  • Fitbit charger
  • MicroUSB cord
  • MicroSD adapter
  • LockPick kit (yes, EDC, this has saved me 3 times in the past year)
• Field notebook with pen
• Phone
• IEMs
• Sunglasses
• Small Screwdriver toolkit
• Wallet
• Business card holder
• Client folders with documents

What I need it to carry on various trips/occasions/combinations:

• Light rain coat
• Change of clothes/shoes
• Water bottle 40oz
• V-moda headphones in case
• iPad Mini
• iPad Regular
• Additional group of MBP adapters (have to take bulk due to business trip variances)
• DSLR and 2 small pancake lenses.

I take the kids (2) to the park and need to quickly add their items to the bag. I also have a new born, so this will double as a quick change bag for a while. Currently use the bag for weekend light hiking/camping trips via the various modules I have attached. It gets heavy, but I'm okay with that.

I need to be able to quickly change out items, reach for things in an airport or on a trip and small enough to take into a client's office, but large enough to cover the bulk of the shit I listed above.

I'm eyeing the Black Ember New Citadel. I'm okay with spending $550.

I'm considering the Citadel Sport Package with an additional M&M Pouch, Long Buckle Straps for sleeping bag on camping trips and maybe the DSLR case for the weekend trips with the kids. The included compression straps should take care of my light carry. And additional utility straps for my water bottle. The included Sport Pack should take care of the additional clothes or shoes for the kids at the park, or me on trips.

Here's my question... I don't know how durable the Citadel shell is - is this going to withstand me throwing it on the ground at the park? Or is this really soft? And has anyone has used it before for various situations like I mentioned above? It looks like the internal pockets of the Citadel (which the Arkiv doesn't have) will cover my EDC and perhaps without the grid-it I mentioned in my EDC list, thus making it lighter, easier to reach and less bulky with no Velcro.

Whew. Gees. Thanks all!

TL;DR
I'm bitching and ranting about my MissionWorkshop Arkiv I'm carrying because it's bulky and has Velcro. I need a quiet and versatile bag for the office, client's office, park and business trips. I'm eyeing the Black Ember New Citadel Sport Package but don't know how durable the shell is AND whether the modularity is helpful in my day to day to weekend needs.

Hello!

I’m going on a massive one month trip and want to pack as smartly as possible since I’ll be taking lots of public transport and don’t want to wheel a bag through the monsoon streets of India. I’m a smaller female so weight is a concern of mine and both of these backpacks seem to have pluses and minuses. I’ve heard great things about both and would love some extra perspective from this subreddit:)

I ordered both to physically compare and need to send one back. Here is what I observed from both.

Tortuga: pros: love the hip straps and the waterproof plus lockable zippers! I also like how the interior organizer on the front pocket stays upright as you carry it. It has a nice water bottle holder!

Cons: it’s very heavy unpacked! Also I wonder if it’s a bit over engineered for my needs since I won’t have a laptop.

PATAGONIA MLC: Pros: I prefer this interior organization better as far as zippering off both compartments like a suitcase would. You could open it up without stuff falling out. I also like how it has a shoulder strap for the days where I’ll have my day pack on my shoulders but the bag ready to put in the van. Not sure how to manage both at the same time otherwise.

Cons: but I don’t like how the internal organization pocket turns sideways when worn as a backpack. Also I don’t think I’ll be walking around for more than a half hour with it but I am worried about discomfort since I’m fairly small (5’ 3”) and not a muscular person. I wish the zippers were lockable and waterproof.

I made a review about the bose qc35, the only downside is that it's very inconvenient to bring in your bag and I feel like I HAVE TO use the case or else I'll damage it. Therefore, I use it less. Anyone feel the same?

My review is here: https://youtu.be/Wciyl-MmNZU