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Minimal Travel Packing List: 2 Years Living Out of One Bag
Jeremy Maluf is a founder/designer/creator living in New York, who enjoys building stuff from scratch. Oh, and he travels a lot and lives out of one backpack. A 30L Prospect from Timbuk2. And he’s been kind enough to share his packing list!
I’ve always liked the idea of traveling indefinitely with only a backpack, so in 2016 I decided to try it. I got rid of everything I owned that didn’t fit in an 18L laptop backpack and replaced everything else with the best version of it I could find. I’ve been living out of my backpack ever since.
My pack contains everything I need for traveling to virtually every country on earth. It works for all weather, and I’ve tested it in subzero snowstorms and on hiking trips in the Sahara and Mojave deserts. The core idea is to keep the number of things I own to a minimum but to never not have something that I need.
My bag currently weighs 13.67lbs/6.2kg and I own ~fifty things. My goal is to drop the weight to 11lbs/5kg, a carry-on limit a few airlines are implementing.
Packing
Backpack. Lately I’ve been switching between the Timbuk2 Prospect, Division, and Rogue. I haven’t yet found the perfect bag.
Travel pouch. Custom travel folio.
Tech
13″ 2014 MacBook Pro. I love how durable the older MacBooks are, but it’s a quarter of the weight of my bag so I’m thinking about replacing it with a lighter model soon.
iPhone 7. Two, one as a backup in case I lose my main phone or to switch SIMs.
Apple Watch. For health tracking and ‘Hey Siri, remind me’.
AirPods. Easily the best tech purchase I’ve made. Airpods are literally magic for travelers.
RAVPower 26,800mAh battery. It holds about a dozen phone charges and is the largest powerbank airlines allow on board. I’ll eventually replace it with the 30W version, which could charge laptops and drones, or this Kickstarter one if it lives up to the hype.
Solar Cells. Two 5.5W solar cells. These can charge my phone almost as fast as a wall outlet in ideal conditions. Great for outdoorsy trips longer than a few days.
Joby GripTight ONE Micro tripod. I replaced my larger tripod for one I could keep in my pocket. This tripod is so small it can actually fit inside that tiny watch pocket all Levi’s jeans have.
Charging
Universal travel adapter. Compact outlet adapter that works in most countries.
MacBook wall adapter. This thing is massive, I really need to upgrade my laptop.
29W Apple wall adapter. One is enough since I also charge stuff off my powerbank.
Lightning cable. Two, in case I break one.
Micro USB cable. For the powerbank. Two, in case I break one.
Apple Watch charger. 0.3m version.
Clothing
Outdoor Research Transcendent down jacket. This jacket is compressible enough to fold into its pocket and disappear in the bottom of my bag, while also warm enough to go anywhere. Eventually I will replace it with the lighter Montbell Plasma 1000 or MH Ghost Whisperer.
Outdoor Research Helium II rain jacket. Compacts to the size of a fist and is more waterproof than jackets that weigh 10x more. Undisputedly the best rain jacket ever made.
Hanes hoodie. I exclusively wore startup swag hoodies before I decided to drop branding from my clothing. I liked how durable my swag hoodie was though, so I looked it up and got the same one off Amazon. No idea how they make hoodies this good for $11.
Buff. Multi-purpose headgear. Useful as a face mask in cold weather.
Nike Flex Experience Run 7. Compact, cheap, and durable.
Next Level t-shirts. Four shirts, all in one color, no branding. Not quite as good as Outlier’s shirts, but if I break one I can replace it for less than a cup of coffee.
Uniqlo AIRism boxer briefs. Four pairs. Rated as one of the best travel boxers for good reason. They’re also the only clothing product I’ve purchased in a physical retail store in a few years.
Darn Tough socks. Four pairs. So indestructible that if they rip the manufacturer will ship you a brand new pair. I’ve walked/run 500+ miles with every pair I own and they all still look new.
Levi’s 511 Slim Fit jeans. Jeans are great for traveling because they’re durable and last weeks between washes. Worn with a canvas belt.
Swimsuit. A cheap pair of board shorts off Amazon.
Sweatpants. A cheap pair of sweatpants off Amazon.
Miscellaneous
Wallet. A minimalist leather wallet I made myself. It contains my debit/credit cards, ID, NYC/LA/SF subway cards, and Cash card ($1 off coffee shops!).
Passports. Obviously.
Sunglasses. A $1 pair of sunglasses I bought when my Snap Specs broke.
Umbrella. I compared dozens of expensive umbrellas only to find out that a $15 umbrella was the most compact. This one is even smaller, but I can’t find a place to buy it in the US.
PackTowl. These things are amazing since they dry fast and stay clean. The version I use is 3oz heavier than their ‘ultralight’ style, but also more durable and comfortable.
Screwdriver set. In case I need to replace my iPhone screen or something.
True Utility Keytool. Probably the world’s most compact bottle opener multi-tool.
Toiletry kit. Contains a Quip electric toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, a razor, and deodorant.
Medkit. Contains Advil, bandaids, gauze bandages, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, alcohol swabs, and tweezers. Also a sewing kit, fishing kit, water purification tablets, and duct tape.
Other travelers’ one-bag lists that have inspired me over the years: Tynan, James Clear, Matt Mullenweg, Vicky Lai, and James Blackshine.
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