I've done a couple personal-item-only trips this year with my GORUCK GR1 26L that usually fall within the 4-5 day range. The bag is just small enough to where I haven't had any issues (yet) on budget airlines. I use two medium-sized, waterproof packing cubes from Nite Ize that compress enough to stack on top of each other at the bottom of the pack. That leaves enough space in the rest of my bag for bulkier items like shoes, hoodies, dopp kit, etc. Only real issue I have is leg room. The GR1 is on the cusp of being too big so I'm having to readjust the bag throughout flights in order to get comfortable, but it's very manageable on bigger airplanes. I will never go back to multi-bag travel!
Glad to hear the 26l is working well for you! I’ve traveled with similar size bags before but haven’t tried that size on a flight that didn’t include a free carry-on. Jam packed full it can definitely be a tight fit under the seat, 20L seems to be a sweet spot for me keeping leg room comfort.
The shorts are a great tip, I always carry a surf/beach bermudas because they can double as a nice pajama, you can get out on it if you need to wash your clothes and even use them as a sitting mat
your bag does a good job of eliminating frills. i feel like i've done a good job with mine, but yours is making me rethink extra "just in case" items and things like extra carabiners, tools, and straps. with that said, traveling domestically four times this year with just a 16L personal item (typically 3-4 days), here are a few things i carry that you didn't address: - an extra wallet/passport case with documents and cash. I think this is implied, but not mentioned, but you never know. - a handkerchief and some kind of waterproofing. I carry a turkey bag and a small roll of doggie bags. I've had my pack soaked through on a hike while on vacation in florida, and i really wished i had something to wrap my electronics/phone inside. ruined my phone for the rest of the trip! - medical supplies, even if just a micro kit. I carry leukotape, a compression wrap, and band-aids + sunscreen, and a few kit-repair items like pins and gaffer's tape... but i'm also very rough on gear and tend to be very adventurous when traveling. this kit is so small it doesn't need its own bag, just fits in with my toiletries or in my wallet. - i bring a bladeless leatherman with me on domestic flights. YMMV - i'd be curious how you address sleepwear/pajamas. Do you wear the extra pair of shorts? Sleep naked? I always seem to regret not bringing a pair, whenever I try it. - i always have a kids-size plastic clothes hanger with me if i'm not planning on staying 100% in hotels. comes in handy more often than I would have thought and helps keep at least one shirt nice and unwrinkled, regardless of where I end up sleeping/throwing my bag. - snacks! I carry quite a bit of food at all times, as a comfort item, but even just a minimal amount (pack of gum and a protein bar) can come in handy. - i consider my travel gear to include what I wear/bring on the plane, in addition to my bag. a hat, a scarf, a pair of gloves all come to mind as something I consider every trip. Most people have this handled, but sometimes it's nice to see what other people think about for that part of the whole package. great vid, thx. sub'd.
Traveled to 3 countries in 2019 with a Jansport right pack for almost 40 days. a few items i thought were very essential were an inflatable water bottle, international adapter for charging devices, and a folder to keep your important documents and to pick up a few souvenirs along the way such as magnets, stickers, and of course patches.
I have a travel inventory list in my Notes app - I keep duplicate toiletries items so I don’t have to re-pack my kits for every trip. I also keep a list for what I pack for 1 night or weekend trips. It helps me to make sure I only pack what is needed. Packing and unpacking is super easy with keeping a travel list for each trip.
Great ideas here for sure! I don’t do this for my usual trips but for wilderness backpacking I try and keep my gear ready to grab and go if I have the time for a quick overnight or something. Keeping this in mind for myself though for regular travel, thanks for sharing!
Recently did a 2.5 week trip with personal item only. Used a Zpacks bagger ultra 25l which weighs 11 ounces! Also used their large packing cube which didn’t register on my scale. A normal alpaca tech bag and a normal eagle creek dopp kit. Plus snacks for the kids, a rain jacket, a first aid kit, a travel blanket, a travel kite. Was amazing. Though I could have stored it in the overhead but I wanted to prove it’s possible. But I was able to stretch legs either side of the bag. Highly recommend Zpacks.
I get extra Sprouts shopping bags, double them then carefully fold two sets of clothes-jeans, shirt, unders, socks, a microfiber rag-and if you need them, meds and a 311 baggie with toiletries. iPhone stuff is in the pockets of the set of clothes I wear. That’s three sets of clothes and the extras I need. Just so simple and lightweight! Send out jeans and shirt and hand wash unders and socks for more days away.
I would love to see some content regarding your watch collection to some extent! I should've known getting into Casio/G-shock was going to be a slippery slope for me.
Haha it definitely is a slippery slope, since 2021 my count is up over a dozen. Especially so many of the great casios being $10-30 it’s way too easy to add to the collection. I did a roundup of a few late last year with some of my favorites under $50, but I’ve been brainstorming ideas for an interesting video around the collection. Feel free to ask anytime about watches you see me wearing in the videos in the meantime!
Good video! I’ve been carry-on only travel for decades. Now that the budget airlines restrict to “ personal item” size we must use smaller bags. Honestly I enjoy the challenge and benefits of traveling even lighter! I’m going to try this GO Pack 2. PS I’d like to see a review of the. Zpacks Bagger 25 L.
I definitely get that, the challenge to pair down the kit can be a lot of fun! I’ll make a note of the zpacks bag for the future, I don’t think I realized they made ‘regular’ bags outside of outdoor backpacking
Personal item only travel is my default, especially when I travel solo. But admittedly that is a lot easier as someone who is 5 ft 2, so it's interesting to see how you make it work.
That sounds so nice! Luckily my clothes don’t take up too much volume but shoes are always problematic. 1 pair of size 13’s basically take up an entire bag haha.
I traveled to Florida for a week in nothing but a spirit airlines personal item, you really learn to prioritize and figure out what you really do and do not use 😂. One of the biggest things is making sure every shirt goes with every pants/shorts and vise versa. You should be able to mix and match every item of clothing into different outfits.
I wear my Darn Tough merino socks for a good 3-4 days before washing them, no stink (other’s mileage may vary). They’re fine, my feet are fine, and I think it’s fine :)
Thanks for the support on the topic! Every time I share that I do this a few people always call me out for being gross in the comments haha. They probably just haven’t had the pleasure of wearing merino socks before.
Another great video. I love that you have a minimalist approach. I always travel “one bag under seat” with a personal item and usually try to stay around 20L so your approach is a great match with what I do. Thanks for sharing and the high quality on your videos. They are well thought out and well executed. A pleasure to watch.
Thanks so much! I don’t talk about minimalism much these days around here since folks seem to mainly want to see product focused videos - but it’ll always be a big part of my life and mindset.
I appreciate the information you share, particularly about specific products (although a number seem to be higher end than I typically get). One suggestion: a lot of things you use are black, which is fine (I do, too), but they are often hard to see with your dark walls, dim light, and even black blotter or mat on your desk. A folded black merino hoodie, for example, is just a black lump when viewed on my iPad. Brighter light and some lighter-colored backgrounds would help viewers see a lot of dark items more clearly. Just a thought.
Appreciate the feedback on this! It’s something that’s been bothering me too, I’ve been trying to figure out a solution that doesn’t involve spending a ton on more lighting and a better camera to handle the contrast, or moving into a larger space to adjust the setup. I’m way overdue for some changes and upgrades in my production gear but had a lot of emergency costs pop up this year that threw a wrench in my plans. Brainstorming a setup change to tackle it without more cost though, hoping to sort it out soon.
G'day again from downunder Josh. I've often thought about getting some of the stuff mentioned in your vids, but unfortunately for us in Australia there is a premium cost attached to those items (and most other things). Do the domestic air carriers in the US have weight limits for carry on (personal) bags ?, our 4 domestic airlines have a 7kg weight limit including in the fare.
I totally get that, I’ve had a few things shipped from Australia before and the shipping cost and transit time were pretty hefty. Hopefully you have some good options/alternatives there for yourself! Typically personal item bag weight isn’t policed too often, as long as the bag looks ‘normal’ you probably won’t get flagged or checked for it, but the budget airlines are far more strict than traditional ones
Yes. Only 3 day trip, but I traveled only with a backpack: Unbox Therapy X PacSafe 25l backpack AirPods Pro Gen2 NiteCore NB10000 power bank Chafon 4 in 1 usb cable A 6 ft long USB A to Lightning cable 6 ft long USB C to C cable Baseus USB 65W 2 port charger Ricoh GR III camera with two batteries and small charger iPad Pro 11” with Magic Keyboard Clothes 3 pair merino underwear 2 pair Alpaka socks 1 black Outlier Merino T 1 black Unbound Merino Polo 1 black Outlier Merino long sleeved button shirt 1 pair of dark selvage jeans Western Rise packable ball cap Small dopp kit Lewis & Clark folding med kit Pair of Allbirds trainers On the plane Outlier bombproof jeans Outlier Merino T in charcoal Unbound Merino hoodie in black Bowers & Wilkins PX8 overears Allbirds trainers in black
Thanks! Been loving Taylor Stitch recently, the quality is unreal. Stock is low on Huckberry where I found it, but here’s a link if you want to check it out: prf.hn/l/b3A0oDO
Arm and Hammer essentials rosemary lavender is the best natural deodorant. Been using it for over 3yrs now. Never stink and it last the whole day. When I used to travel before Covid I always used a small bag. Either a messenger bag or small shopping tote.
Thanks for the support! I’m teetering right on the border of ultralight with my bw, mostly ultralight with a handful of luxuries and a couple of items that need replacing.
I've been researching a backpack that could function as both EDC and a travel bag and discovered the Aer Go 2 from your video, and it seems perfect for what I'm looking for - and I've been looking *forever* so thank you for featuring this bag! Just put in an order, and am looking forward to trying it out!
I've traveled to Mexico several times with a personal item. It's not difficult, you just can't take everything. It's probably somewhat easier for me because I only bring a phone and kindle, so not a lot of bulky tech. It's pretty nice to travel light although I miss a few things.
I am one of those highly disappointed with the Matador soap bag. I spent $25 for a product that doesn’t serve its purpose. Instead I am using a $1 Coghlan’s Soap Caddy which maintains my soap 100% dry, I couldn’t recommend it enough
Sorry not a fan of Larq... the insulation is not great and the sizes are so small. Also don't like the Philips GoZero bottles, cheaply made and annoying charger. Physical filters only work for short trips, not a long term solution. Crazy Cap pro is my favorite UVC filter. Better sizes, colors, better insulation, better battery life, more durable, smart settings are great.
Love your channel. You present so well and honestly. And hit my psyche nail on the proverbial head. Love the gear and trying to pack better, more efficiently. And that all started with grueling backpacking loads in the 80s. Lol.
Thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it! Can’t even imagine what those 80’s packs were like, we’re so spoiled now for outdoor backpacking with ultralight gear, it’s great haha
One thing that I believe is important when traveling overseas is to bring a 1/4 gold coin or maybe silver. And or emergency cash in $50 and $100 bills.
+1 for the emergency cash! I’d recommend getting some smaller denominations as well though, really helpful if you’re in a bind but don’t need a large amount.
They’ve held up well for me! I do tend to wear cotton tees as my daily most of the time and save these for generally but after a couple of years they’re still in great shape. Unbound sizing definitely runs small, they’re sizing is similar to Asian clothing brands or some designers that need a size or two up from what’s stated.
Ok just commented on the Fall Fashion video… but does your wife share interest in Heritage fashion & would she do a guest video or let you present her capsule & travel with one bag?! I would LOVE a video like that. 😊 If possible… Very into 1 bag. My husband & I took our Arcane Duffels with his big Sorels and my smaller Nesna Lobben boots split so we each carried 1 of each boot - plus gifts & clothes/toiletries. Our tech fits into a zippered hard case for glasses. We put empty PC crossbody bags into the computer area as we did need to bring gifts home - this was a 2 week international trip (Alaska Norway) in winter conditions. So 1 bag outbound, 2 in bound. Nothing checked. Worked very well. Although not a true 1 bag both ways 🤷🏼♀️ but have found this system of one bag outbound & a packable bag as 2nd carryon works well for our international visits & bringing home gifts or clothes bought.
Covered the first but in my reply to your other comment! Packing boots is always such a pain though, one boot per bag sounds like a great idea though. My wife is usually a backpack and carry-on roller person, she’s paired down quite a bit over her years seeing me pack but still usually likes a full proper suitcase.
@@joshfenn I completely understand your wife! We had issues with being force to gate check roller bags and then in 2023 airlines actually reduced the sizes, so our current roller bags are too large. And I am noticing the trend of cheap seats with underseat bags and then more expensive with reserved space in the overhead bin etc... is spreading to international travel. So, for ease of packing and travel, going thru customs, avoiding gate checks... I made the transition to more minimal travel. So I am leaning more into the travel light outbound and bring home two bags if needed. And therein lies the Art and Challenge and plain old fashioned Fun of traveling light! Nice channel! Thank you and happy travels! Lynne
If it easily slides into United's bag sizers near the check-in counters, then it's good to go. Another reason why thin nylon fabric backpacks (like parachute thin) are the better option when compared to thick cordura fabrics. The latter may have better abrasion resistance especially if your travel is the outdoorsy kind, but ripstop nylon allows you to pack less for the variations in personal item sizes for the different US airlines.
I do! The Utility bar has worked really well for me, not sure the specifics behind the ingredient choices but it’s designed to be used for hair and body. A little more expensive than regular soap bars but the scents are great and they last a while.
This is super helpful. I'm trying to pare down my pack every trip. The main challenge is I need casual and formal for every trip. Any tips on how to navigate that? It usually means an extra pair of shoes and another shirt or two, which taken together adds a lot of weight and then when you throw in a laptop I'm looking at over 20 lbs.
Totally understand the difficulty with this, it can be done though especially if you need formal attire regularly enough to justify some items to make things easier. Shoes are the toughest because they take up so much space, if there’s any way you can find an option that works in both scenarios that’s ideal but otherwise you’ll just have to pack a spare and will probably need 30L at least in my experience. For everything else though it’s not too bad with the right gear! I’d probably stick to one packed casual shirt, one to wear on the plane, and a travel friendly dress shirt. I’m not that informed on options for this but I’ve seen quite a few around over the years. For pants, a lot of ‘travel’ pants are designed to be dressed up or down, I had a trip in the spring with where I switched between a blazer and dress shirt to at shirt with the same pants - tons of options that fit the bill so you can stick to a single worn pair for the trip. This is all assuming business casual/semi-formal works for you - I have seen a few sites selling travel friendly Packable suits but haven’t tried them myself. Hopefully the wall of text helps a bit - in these scenarios if you travel often enough to warrant a few purchases there’s quite a bit of travel friendly dress attire out there.
I think that'll work for most trips, actually. Thanks! My most recent trip I needed casual, formal, and hiking, also hot weather clothes. I wore hiking sneakers and convertible hiking pants, then brought some slacks. That was a really good combo. It all fit in a 35L Allpa.
I’ve thought about doing a 10 year update from my first weight loss story video! Still a couple years out from that timeline though. No real changes in my process from what I’ve already talked about - I weight myself every morning and log it to keep up with things and mostly just eat ‘intuitively’. I’ll keep this in mind though, thanks for letting me know you’re interested!
Hi Josh, Love the video I purchased the atlas belt from Arcade it fits perfectly. This is the first belt I have ever used with my cell phone case that doesn't slip out of the belt loop. I will be purchasing more of these belts. Great product. Thanks again
I have been traveling with only one bag for years. More recently an even smaller one to fit under seat as they started charging for overhead bags. I recently did a week long video shoot in Italy with everything in a single under seat bag. Clothes, toiletries, camera's the lot. It's doable. Pro tip, to carry food or things you pick up on the way, grab a duty free bag on the way through and put your extras in there. They don't say anything about an extra duty free shopping bag. Happy travels folks.
Great tip about the duty free bag! I’ve heard that mentioned before but haven’t needed to try it personally, going to keep this in mind though for the future
My smallest load out pack for the week....and 7 days stretch it. Backpack is the Osprey halo LE. 15+ cu ft and I use a sling/fanny pack. If it is colder weather....I go to my 25 ltr bag from Outdoor product. I have had it for years. Dopp Kit is a small makeup bag by basic. It is pretty small but holds enough. I use the tooth paste dots, Cut down tooth paste brush, I got into this way from backpacking with a bristle cover. Body wash in an TSA compliant size. Solid cologne the size of safety razor blade container. and a Harry's razor....Harry's is not a sponsor of my reply... ha! I have use 2 gal ziploc frzr bags as my packing cubes for years. Shorts for this time of year are dri-fit material that dry quickly. 3 pr + 1 on synthetic underwear, 3pr of socks +1 on, 3 tees..2 black 1 grey +1 on. 1 pair of lounging pants that can dbl as pants or work out pants. 1 pair of light weight slacks black. 1 long sleeve light weight pull over. I have a wind shirt that is water resistant for rain cover. A Vapor collapsible 1 liter water btl. But those Larq water bottles look killer. Tech pack... I use a really pretty cool pencil and pen carrier. It is divided 25/75 proportions holds everything I need. I take a 7 or 8" tablet for reading or surfing the net. I am not sure which it is. JLabs Pop earbuds that have their own charging cord in the base of the box. A power bank big enough to recharge my phone1+ times.. My phone, android, and 2 cords as well. I have adapters on the end for micro or reg plugs...One is a 6 ft cord because I totally agree you never know where the outlets will be. I have one of those 45w double usb charger plug. I carry 2 - double carabineers that are clipped to a double key ring. And when not flying I always pack my mini-multi tool or small Swiss army knife. I hate that I cannot take it on a flight these days. So If I fly I will always pick up a cheap one at my destination. I also like to pack flip flops...if I can fit them in. That is it for me. Wow that was a lot of words....I need to scale my replies down. Good Vid as always Josh.