I’ll preface this by saying that this guide is mostly aimed towards people like me; I don’t need much to get by, and I’m fortunate enough to afford some lighter things made of higher-quality materials. You can always substitute some items here with cheaper alternatives. Anyhow, I digress; this article will outline how I travel for several weeks at a time with only a backpack that can fit under a plane seat.

I will also say that you sacrifice a degree of convenience, wherever you’re staying, to accomplish this, but in exchange, the actual process of moving about becomes much easier. You can book cheaper plane tickets and you have less items to keep track of. When you’re travelling, it’s good to know exactly where everything is, and there’s a peace of mind that comes with this.

A lot of my gear is inspired by Jeremy Maluf’s Indefinite Backpack Travel. He takes it to an extreme that I don’t ever plan on reaching, but I’ve come close enough that I can stand by what he says in that article.

And finally, before I list out my stuff, I’m not including any affiliate links or anything here. I’m writing this to express my opinion on various belongings I have, and to express my appreciation of the one-bag culture as a whole. It’s truly the definitive way to travel and I hope to convince you that this is true.

The List

Backpack(s)

Typically I have my “big bag”, which contains most of my belongings, and that stays in my hostel locker. I also have a packable backpack I use as my day-bag - currently, this is an Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack. I highly recommend S-Biners to prevent pickpocketing.

• I typically use the Aer City Pack X-Pac. It’s waterproof, sturdy, and generally packs more than it looks like it can, which is really useful for fooling airlines when my backpack is nearly 10kg and the generally accepted limit is 7kg. It also has a little pocket solely for an AirTag, which is very useful.

• I also got an Aer Tech Sling 3 in Japan recently, for when I just want to carry my laptop somewhere. It’s serving me very well. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a holder for a water bottle. This is less for solo travel and more for business trips.

Technology

• Currently, I have a MacBook Pro (M3 Pro). It’s my main and only work device and I use it for all of my work, including but not limited to bug bounty. I do not use any other computers to do my work. I think I would’ve been fine with the MacBook Air if we’re considering the weight to performance ratio, though.

• To complement this, I have a Nextand K2 stand, which folds up in a compact manner. I use the Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard with this, and the Logitech MX Master mouse. I also have a small, cheap mousepad for wrist support. I use this setup in coworking spaces, and in cafes I just use my laptop as-is. I have concerns about the long-term ergonomics of the smaller keyboards, though, so I’m looking for alternatives at the moment. I’ve tried using keyboards that fold up, but they’re too flimsy for my preference.

• I like reading physical books, but I use a Kobo Nia e-reader when I travel to save space. The Kindle is more… restrictive when it comes to uploading your own eBooks and PDFs onto the device, so I opted for the Kobo for more flexibility (and it’s cheaper).

• I use one of Anker’s 20,000 mAh power banks as well. Anker products are top quality and while my power bank is a big block of an object, it’s saved me so many times. I also have a 10,000 mAh MagGo power bank that clips onto the back of my phone via MagSafe. It’s a bit easier to walk around with the MagGo.

• HackerOne gave me a universal travel adapter as swag once, so that’s what I use for travel, but you can buy the equivalent in most travel shops. I don’t like having a lot of cables, so I’m trying to convert to a USB-C only setup (with the exception of the laptop, of course).

• I use the Bose QC Ultra headphones. I used to have the Sony WH1000XM3 headphones, which are superior to Bose in my opinion, but I decided to try Bose when my Sony headphones finally gave in. If the Bose headphones break, I’ll get the latest iteration of the Sony headphones. I don’t travel with a case for my headphones as they are always either around my neck, or in a locker somewhere. Sometimes, I put them in my bag if I have room.

• I also own a Ricoh GR III APS-C camera. It’s a fantastic camera for its tiny size, and outperforms typical point-and-shoot cameras by an inconceivable margin. The quality of the photos you take with this thing are really clear once you upload them to your computer and look at them on your monitor. I think they’ve since launched the GR IV, and the GR III has been discontinued - although they have a variant called the GR IIIx that you can check out. Usually, I use my iPhone camera, but it depends on where I’m going. I like using the Ricoh.

Clothing

• Before I talk about the actual clothes, I must say that you need to use packing cubes. They compact clothes incredibly well and one-bag travel would be impossible without them (unless you’re insane).

• Uniqlo’s Airism lineup are best-in-class for being good quality and quick to dry. This is really, really useful when you’re relying on a hostel washing machine/dryer or you’re in a humid country. I also wear linen clothes as these also dry quickly.

• Montbell’s Plasma series of down jackets is absolutely incredible. They’re extremely light and very warm. I’ve used mine extensively during winter travels in Scandinavia in -10°C/14°F and it’s served me well. Unfortunately I was careless with it and it’s torn in some spots, so I probably need to replace it at this point. I used the repair patches quite a lot, but now I just look homeless if I wear it. You can’t sew down jackets because the feathers leak out of the holes.

• I wear a Casio G-Shock watch. Those things last forever - they’re designed to last for more than 10 years. I always wore a cheap Casio digital watch throughout my childhood so this is like the “upgrade” of that. You can get some fancy ones but mine just does the basics: time, world time, alarm, stopwatch and light. That’s all I need it to do.

Others

• This is my list of necessities and miscellaneous lightweight items.

  • First Aid Kit: A small one. You can never be too careful. I use plasters often when I go bouldering, as I end up with all kinds of cuts and scrapes.

  • String: If you need to dry your clothes in a hostel, this is really useful!

  • Sewing Kit: On-the-go clothes or item repairs. If you don’t know how to sew, I don’t know what to tell you.

  • Wipes/Tissues: Again, it never hurts to have them on-hand. Travel is unpredictable.

  • Pack of Cards: This one is a recent addition, and it’s really nice to have if you’re travelling with a few people.

  • Buff / Neck Warmer: This is like the towel in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. You can use it for everything.

  • Spork: Oddly useful.

  • Notebook + Pen: Can’t have everything digital!

  • AirTag: Another essential. There are equivalents if you’re an Android user.

Conclusion

This brief list is hopefully enough for you to get an idea of how I travel, and how little you actually need. Well, really, if you have your phone and passport, you’ll be okay anywhere. I strongly support the Buy It For Life and minimalist movements. Use only what you need! Stop bringing so much crap with you on your trips. And stop buying crap! Yes, I’m talking to you. You don’t need that Roman snow globe. Get something you’ll actually appreciate, like an Italian gelato, or a sticker for your laptop, or badge you could sew onto your bag or something like that. Travel meaningfully!