My Minimalist Packing System! (A30)
Hey folks! I've been meaning to do this for awhile, and we're packing up for a 5-day beach trip tomorrow, so I thought I'd share my one-bag travel technique! This won't fit everyone's travel style, of course, and my system continues to evolve over the years. (My first true one-bag journey was two weeks in Japan in 2017 with an eBags weekender backpack.) I will say, though, that the Aeronaut 30 is the best bag to fit my style I've found so far.
First of all, clothes. I travel with three packing cubes, one large mesh cube and two small laundry cubes.
Into the large cube goes three short-sleeve overshirts (I'll wear each of these multiple days), a pair of shorts, and my exercise shorts for my morning walk. Into one small laundry cube go five t-shirts; they're a thin DryTek athletic material that packs very light and dries very quickly, in case I need to do laundry in an emergency or for a longer trip. And in the other laundry cube goes five pair rolled of Uniqlo Airism underwear (again, lightweight and washable), five pairs of rolled socks, and my very lightweight nightshorts. (For some reason rolling shirts has never worked well for me.)
I'll wear my jeans and another shirt and travel shirt, and a pair of comfortable all-purpose walking shoes. Luckily my style is casual and I almost never have to dress up for business or social events so I can pack cool and light. If I'm going to a cooler climate, I'll wear a jacket and pack a merino wool long-sleeve sweater in with the rest of my overshirts.
In no particular order, I'll also pack my small Travel Tray:
I've got a small 65W Anker charger with a collapsible plug and two USB-C, one USB port; and a few USB, Lightning, and MicroUSB cables cover pretty much all my devices. I also pack my Apple Watch charger and a few spare bands, plus an HDMI cable and Lightning adapter so I can play movies from my iPad Mini to a hotel room or friend's TV.
When I arrive at my destination, of course, I pull this out first, set up my charging for the weekend, and use the Travel Tray to hold my small personal items from day to day.
I'll also pack my Side Kick for the journey:
The main compartment, in various pockets, hold my iPad Mini, a small ZAGG bluetooth keyboard, a Kobo e-reader, an Anker pocket charger, a small notebook and pen, and a soft eyeglasses case if I need to stow my glasses while I'm out and about. Also a Mini Ghost Whale Pouch that holds a very small 20W USB-C Anker charger with a collapsible plug and USB-C, Lightning, and MicroUSB cables. A SuperMini mesh Ghost Whale Pouch clips into the front zipper pocket and holds my micro first aid kit: Two bottles of pain relief, a couple band-aids, and some hand sanitizer and antibacterial packets.
The Side Kick will go into one of the size compartments of the Aeronaut for travel. As long as I'm running thru the airport, jumping onto a train or subway, or hiking a few blocks or a mile to a hotel, I just have the one bag to worry about. However, while I'm on the plane I can extract the Side Kick if I want to read or watch a movie or otherwise play with my iPad. And when I get to my destination it's a little day bag complete with its own self-contained charging accessories.
And finally, the toiletries bag:
Just the basics here: My Quip electric toothbrush with its built-in travel case, DSC razor in its travel case, Q-tips, deodorant, comb, floss, nail clippers, mini sewing kit, lens wipes. Instead of toothpaste and liquid mouthwash, I have a small pill box with chewable toothpaste tablets (white) and mouthwash tablets (green). I'm also trying something new this trip: I only bother to shave every few days (again, casual lifestyle), so instead of a can or tube of shaving cream, that tiny round tin has a few slivers I cut off a bar of shaving soap; I'm going to see if I can lather one up in my hands really well and shave with that. Shampoo, conditioner, soap or body wash I'll generally get at the hotel or from my hosting friends, or buy them at my destination in a pinch. That leaves the hair gel as my only liquid; I haven't found a dry replacement for that yet so if I'm flying on a plane that's the only thing that has to go in my zip-loc bag. XD
It's hard to find minimalist dopp kits that suit my needs; this is a cheap one I found on Amazon that's not too bad. It measures about 8" long by 4" tall and 2" thick. Unfortunately both Tom Bihn dopp kids are huge by comparison; the closest other thing I could find that was small but with a bit of organization was the small HLT, but I think that would be not QUITE long enough for my toothbrush and comb. Oh well. If Tom Bihn ever want to target the minimalist traveler a bit more, let me know.
So finally, everything comes together, with a few other odds and ends:
The three packing cubes interlock in the main compartment. The Side Kick goes into the left side compartment, along with a hard case for my glasses. (I'm near-sighted so I don't like to wear them on a plane, so they get tucked in here for most of the trip for safekeeping.) The right side holds a collapsible umbrella underneath the dopp kit, with the travel tray stuffed into the other end of the compartment. The right zippered pocket holds a small LED flashlight on a tether (for emergencies) and a folded-up shoulder strap in case I need to carry it that way rather than by the backpack straps. The left zippered pocket has a tether for my keys when I don't need them in my pocket, and a tethered supermini ghost whale pouch for my AirPods. (If I'm just listening to music on my phone or watch, I don't need to pull out the entire Side Kick.)
And finally in the interior mesh pocket go my final bits and bobs. A stack of face masks (yeah, I'm still wearing them). A small laundry pouch, just in case I need it. A clear organizer pouch, to collect pocket change and receipts from the trip until I get home (so I don't need to deal with change in my pocket going through airport security on my return trip). A short braided extension cord, in case outlets aren't in a good place for my travel chargers. And a small travel pillbox that easily holds about a week's worth of my medications. (It can hold about two weeks in a pinch, and I have a second one if I'm taking a longer trip.)
And that's it! All bundled and ready to go!
Of course this varies by trip. While this would be a great one-bag arrangement for a long weekend visiting friends or traveling to semi-exotic locales, it also doubles as one of my two carry-ons when I go to work at conventions; my other bag is a small Samsonite underseat rollerbag that holds all my con display materials and supplies.
And in fact this particular weekend, we're going to a beach; we're driving, not flying; and I may want to get a little writing done, and while I COULD do that on my iPad Mini in a pinch, it's not the most comfortable for extended work. So instead of the Side Kick, I've got a side pocket packing cube with a pair of surf shoes and my bathing suit, and I'll be bringing my Medium Cafe Bag with my iPad Pro and keyboard and the rest of the stuff that would have gone into the Side Kick. And we've got a shop bag packed with beach towels, my sun hat, and lots of sun screen.
Anyway. If you've come this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it, or maybe have come up with some ideas for your own future travels! Bon voyage!
First of all, clothes. I travel with three packing cubes, one large mesh cube and two small laundry cubes.
Into the large cube goes three short-sleeve overshirts (I'll wear each of these multiple days), a pair of shorts, and my exercise shorts for my morning walk. Into one small laundry cube go five t-shirts; they're a thin DryTek athletic material that packs very light and dries very quickly, in case I need to do laundry in an emergency or for a longer trip. And in the other laundry cube goes five pair rolled of Uniqlo Airism underwear (again, lightweight and washable), five pairs of rolled socks, and my very lightweight nightshorts. (For some reason rolling shirts has never worked well for me.)
I'll wear my jeans and another shirt and travel shirt, and a pair of comfortable all-purpose walking shoes. Luckily my style is casual and I almost never have to dress up for business or social events so I can pack cool and light. If I'm going to a cooler climate, I'll wear a jacket and pack a merino wool long-sleeve sweater in with the rest of my overshirts.
In no particular order, I'll also pack my small Travel Tray:
I've got a small 65W Anker charger with a collapsible plug and two USB-C, one USB port; and a few USB, Lightning, and MicroUSB cables cover pretty much all my devices. I also pack my Apple Watch charger and a few spare bands, plus an HDMI cable and Lightning adapter so I can play movies from my iPad Mini to a hotel room or friend's TV.
When I arrive at my destination, of course, I pull this out first, set up my charging for the weekend, and use the Travel Tray to hold my small personal items from day to day.
I'll also pack my Side Kick for the journey:
The main compartment, in various pockets, hold my iPad Mini, a small ZAGG bluetooth keyboard, a Kobo e-reader, an Anker pocket charger, a small notebook and pen, and a soft eyeglasses case if I need to stow my glasses while I'm out and about. Also a Mini Ghost Whale Pouch that holds a very small 20W USB-C Anker charger with a collapsible plug and USB-C, Lightning, and MicroUSB cables. A SuperMini mesh Ghost Whale Pouch clips into the front zipper pocket and holds my micro first aid kit: Two bottles of pain relief, a couple band-aids, and some hand sanitizer and antibacterial packets.
The Side Kick will go into one of the size compartments of the Aeronaut for travel. As long as I'm running thru the airport, jumping onto a train or subway, or hiking a few blocks or a mile to a hotel, I just have the one bag to worry about. However, while I'm on the plane I can extract the Side Kick if I want to read or watch a movie or otherwise play with my iPad. And when I get to my destination it's a little day bag complete with its own self-contained charging accessories.
And finally, the toiletries bag:
Just the basics here: My Quip electric toothbrush with its built-in travel case, DSC razor in its travel case, Q-tips, deodorant, comb, floss, nail clippers, mini sewing kit, lens wipes. Instead of toothpaste and liquid mouthwash, I have a small pill box with chewable toothpaste tablets (white) and mouthwash tablets (green). I'm also trying something new this trip: I only bother to shave every few days (again, casual lifestyle), so instead of a can or tube of shaving cream, that tiny round tin has a few slivers I cut off a bar of shaving soap; I'm going to see if I can lather one up in my hands really well and shave with that. Shampoo, conditioner, soap or body wash I'll generally get at the hotel or from my hosting friends, or buy them at my destination in a pinch. That leaves the hair gel as my only liquid; I haven't found a dry replacement for that yet so if I'm flying on a plane that's the only thing that has to go in my zip-loc bag. XD
It's hard to find minimalist dopp kits that suit my needs; this is a cheap one I found on Amazon that's not too bad. It measures about 8" long by 4" tall and 2" thick. Unfortunately both Tom Bihn dopp kids are huge by comparison; the closest other thing I could find that was small but with a bit of organization was the small HLT, but I think that would be not QUITE long enough for my toothbrush and comb. Oh well. If Tom Bihn ever want to target the minimalist traveler a bit more, let me know.
So finally, everything comes together, with a few other odds and ends:
The three packing cubes interlock in the main compartment. The Side Kick goes into the left side compartment, along with a hard case for my glasses. (I'm near-sighted so I don't like to wear them on a plane, so they get tucked in here for most of the trip for safekeeping.) The right side holds a collapsible umbrella underneath the dopp kit, with the travel tray stuffed into the other end of the compartment. The right zippered pocket holds a small LED flashlight on a tether (for emergencies) and a folded-up shoulder strap in case I need to carry it that way rather than by the backpack straps. The left zippered pocket has a tether for my keys when I don't need them in my pocket, and a tethered supermini ghost whale pouch for my AirPods. (If I'm just listening to music on my phone or watch, I don't need to pull out the entire Side Kick.)
And finally in the interior mesh pocket go my final bits and bobs. A stack of face masks (yeah, I'm still wearing them). A small laundry pouch, just in case I need it. A clear organizer pouch, to collect pocket change and receipts from the trip until I get home (so I don't need to deal with change in my pocket going through airport security on my return trip). A short braided extension cord, in case outlets aren't in a good place for my travel chargers. And a small travel pillbox that easily holds about a week's worth of my medications. (It can hold about two weeks in a pinch, and I have a second one if I'm taking a longer trip.)
And that's it! All bundled and ready to go!
Of course this varies by trip. While this would be a great one-bag arrangement for a long weekend visiting friends or traveling to semi-exotic locales, it also doubles as one of my two carry-ons when I go to work at conventions; my other bag is a small Samsonite underseat rollerbag that holds all my con display materials and supplies.
And in fact this particular weekend, we're going to a beach; we're driving, not flying; and I may want to get a little writing done, and while I COULD do that on my iPad Mini in a pinch, it's not the most comfortable for extended work. So instead of the Side Kick, I've got a side pocket packing cube with a pair of surf shoes and my bathing suit, and I'll be bringing my Medium Cafe Bag with my iPad Pro and keyboard and the rest of the stuff that would have gone into the Side Kick. And we've got a shop bag packed with beach towels, my sun hat, and lots of sun screen.
Anyway. If you've come this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it, or maybe have come up with some ideas for your own future travels! Bon voyage!
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