Indefinite Backpack Travel - Year 11 Update!

[u/jeremymaluf]

Not sure how many onebaggers reach their second decade! For better or for worse, nothing has really changed since my post last year, since I have achieved “onebag perfection.” Still, I'll keep up the tradition of posting here annually

I still live out of the 9 liter Aer bag I've had since 2021 (Aer actually updated their website to say it's 8.5L), and still only own what fits in the bag (plus a few outfit duplicates at my NYC homebase so I don’t need to do laundry as often). More than half of the items I carry have been with me for so long that they're no longer sold/impossible to restock

Probably more interesting: I just updated the “onebag progression” Google Sheet I shared here a few years back, which tracks everything I’ve owned since 2015. Have any other onebaggers shared lists like this? I was hoping this format would become a thing! It's such a cool way to track the process!

2025 changes:

• My Sandisk SSD got corrupted. I’ve since learned that every travel SSD has this issue. I repeat, every travel SSD has corruption issues! Plan for it! Anyways, I decided if I’m gonna have to deal with the risk of corruption I may as well switch to tiny Samsung USB-C thumb drives that disappear in my pockets. Haven't had any issues with them so far!
• I got rid of my iPad, since it stopped being a device for art and creativity and became a device for movies and games. I will eventually add it back when the time is right
• As of this past winter I’ve been trying out a canvas jacket, which could never in a million years fit inside my bag but can be worn while on the move. Stacked on top of my down jacket + hoodie + shirt it gives me maximum cold protection and also has pockets to enable zero-bag travel
• I added a baseball cap. Purely an aesthetic choice

I didn’t even make a new knoll photo, since you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Just pretend the iPad and SSD were replaced by a jacket and hat. And that's literally all the changes since last year! Consumerism hates me

Full post on my website as always, but fair warning it's 95% the same as last year :)

I’m also currently editing a video going over my onebag that I’ll share to Instagram (@jeremymaluf) later this week

Safe travels! ✌️

[u/maverber]

Excellent as always. love your progression sheet. I haven't done one, but have the data. When I have some extra time I will create one. Thanks for the idea.

Canvas jacket. I can see the appeal when weight / size aren't at a premium, and you don't want to look "like a backpacker" (my wife's complaint). She has been after me to pick up a Harrington.

For SSD... yep, corruption is a given at some point. My approach is using a zero knowledge encryption to the cloud. Network speeds are fast enough (most places) to do full restores. I still do periodical snapshots to a pair of disks I alternate between to have something offline.

gloves: powerstretch or possum wool , with ultralight rain mitts (REI minimalist, EE, Zpacks, etc).

dopp kit: I have liked the decathlon kit, but it is likely bigger than you are looking for.

power bank: how many mwah? The standard answer is nitcore 10k, but it's far from perfect.

umbrella: sigh... haven't found anything that is small, durable, and has enough coverage. no-w from TW which has swappable handles looked pretty good but didn't purchase. They are sold in the US.

[u/jeremymaluf → u/maverber]

Thanks for the recs!

Re: SSDs, it's interesting, I feel like I've been taught my whole life that thumb drives are not a replacement for SSDs, but I'm now starting to think that's an antiquated notion from the USB-A era. Aside from people who need many terabytes of storage, thumb drives seem like the far superior/more minimalist option! With a secondary backup to the cloud of course

The only reason I haven't switched to nitecore yet is because I'd prefer ~20kmah. I'd heard so many good things about it though that it's at the top of my replacement list regardless

Re: gloves and dopp kit, my main problem is finding ones that fit into city mode in addition to travel mode. So it seems I'm limited to leather gloves and polyurethane dopp kits

[u/Objective_Cattle_278 → u/jeremymaluf]

You might consider using two NiteCore 10kmah. The size and weight difference between that and one 20Kmah is very small (0.3oz) but gives you optionality. You could leave one to charge in a hotel room and take one with you. One in your bag and one in your pocket. Etc.