For the past couple months I have been working abroad in Thailand and have been asked "How I can possibly live out of 1 bag?", "How do you travel without checking your luggage?", "What if your bag doesn't meet the size requirements?" It's all pretty simple. I've put together a list of what I have brought with me on my travels as well as some links for products which I use daily.
I came overseas with only my Osprey Kestrel 48L backpack and whatever I could fit into my backpack (within reason). Let me explain why I say within reason. I checked the size of my backpack and realized that based off of manufacture specs, if the bag is stuffed full it will not meet airline carry-on luggage size requirements. With this in mind i kept it to probably around 85% capacity to make sure it fit close enough to the airline specs of 40 total inches (Length + Height + Width). The weight was most likely over but since I walked around with it on one shoulder this made it look lighter. I use this same backpack in the summer for backcountry and alpine hiking. This backpack has been a game changer since trying other brands in the past.
For most of the time in Asia you are wearing shorts and a T-Shirt every day. So the amount of clothing required is not very much compared to surviving winter back home in Canada. Here is a list of clothing that I brought.
So far I have not felt that I have needed anymore or less clothing since I have gotten here so I would say this a good enough setup since I wash my clothes every 5 - 6 days.
I brought a few electronics but not too much really since the essentials get my by just great. Mind you they do need different charging and data cables usually.
For hygene etc I have been kept them handy in my Eagle Creek toiletry bag. I have used this while backpacking lots
Since I like my water cold I brought my Yeti Rambler 26oz insulated bottle. This can keep ice for a day, just keep topping it up with water wherever I go.
Pack Towel XL Packs up nice and small and dries fairly fast.
Overall I would say that the less you have the better, this list does seem pretty big after writing it all out but I can honestly say it all packs down pretty nicely. I wish the "hydra pack" pocket was a bit wider so that I could store my laptop securely in there however the 15" Macbook Pro is just a bit too wide. I think most people's hurdle is their attachment to all of their belongings. However after a few weeks of living out of your back you will find that you don't really need that much to be happy. I think what I have learned along my journey of minimalism is that a lot of my previous purchases were really unecessary.
Enjoy your day folks!
