If you don’t know the drill: I travel a fair amount, and I consistently do so using carry-on luggage only, aka One Bag Travel. I do this (as pictured) while packing for a range of activities in a range of settings in a potentially wide range of weather.

In less than a week, for instance, I’m headed to Europe for over a month. I’ll be in Spain, then I’m crossing the Pyrenees to do research in southern France. After that I’m jumping to the UK, where I’ll be shooting a handful of documentaries across England, Wales, and Scotland. I’ll be appearing in front of the camera, hiking mountaintop castles, giving talks on stage, exploring some archaeological sites, working in archives, and maybe, just maybe, carving out an afternoon to sit on a Mediterranean beach and relax. 

To do all this with a single backpack that fits in the overhead bin on an airplane takes some preparation, and for ten years now I’ve been posting the results of my long nights of research and my far longer weeks of field research on building my One Bag Travel Kit. 

Today, it’s my 2025 update. 

The basic rules:

Less Is More

One Bag Travel means limited space and weight. Too much of either one and your bag will be too heavy to carry or too large to qualify as a carry-on. I weigh everything.

Don’t Pack for Just-in-case

Pack for the 90% reality of the trip, not the 10% possibility. That means going easy on the “what if?” outfits and medications (though not prescriptions, obviously!).

Flexibility Is King

If my choice is between carrying two items that do two jobs perfectly and one item that does both jobs adequately, I opt for space-saving adequacy almost every time.

Choose the Right Gear

The rules all lead to this: the right gear for the job. The right stuff will be as individual as your needs, but if it helps to hear my own hard-won conclusions when it comes to kit, please do read on!

Also: Unless a link goes to Amazon, I don’t get kickbacks for anything listed here. And while I’m listing suggested retail prices (rounded up to avoid a bunch of 9s), you can often score on sales, closeouts, or used/second-hand markets. I assure you that I paid a LOT less for my kit than the massive number you’d get by adding all these suggested prices up! 

(Previous lists: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2017, and 2015)

Minaal Carry-on 3.0 ($350)

My last list featured the Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack ($300), and I absolutely stand by that as a great pack: it’s well-designed, well-built, and straight-up handsome. In fact, I’d still be using it, except that I found a bonkers deal on a Minaal that someone had used maybe once but was selling dirt cheap. That’s me holding it up above — fully loaded with everything I’m taking to Europe.

Why even consider the switch? Years ago, I was a Kickstarter for the first version of Minaal’s carry-on pack, now called the 1.0. It was one of the first dedicated carry-on travel packs, and I used it for a very long time. It had some design flaws, though, that ultimately drove me into the arms of alternatives, like Knack and Peak Design. 

Minaal’s 2.0 bag fixed most of the problems I had, and now the 3.0 version has improved things even further. So I couldn’t pass up the chance to try it again (for cheap!) and thereby compare it to both my Peak Design bag and my Knack Pack Series 2 Large bag ($300). 

My verdict is … mixed. I honestly love aspects of all three. For flexible sizing, Knack is the absolute winner, followed by Peak Design. For ease of packing, the more structured Peak Design wins, followed by Minaal. For protection of a pile of cameras, Peak Design wins in a landslide. For desk-on-the-go organization, Knack is the definite winner. For comfort, it’s a toss up between Minaal’s lighter weight and Peak Design’s more robust standard harness system, which comes with a hip belt that Minaal makes you add-on (on the flip side, I prefer Minaal’s sternum strap design to the one Peak Design uses). If you’re strapping things to the outside of the bag, Peak Design is fabulous. Knack has the best water bottle holder. And so it goes. 

For looks … well, aesthetics are inherently personal, so you do you. I’ll say that there are definite color differences, though. Minaal has luggage standard black (which I have) and grey. Ditto Knack (in which I have the grey). Atop these standards, Peak Design offers a handsome sage (which I have) and a new and wonderful coyote color. For me, Peak Design has a big edge in this regard (did I mention I think that coyote is gorgeous?). On the other hand, I’m in love with the bright interior liner of Knack, which helps prevent things from getting lost in the bag crevices. 

TLDR; the best pack comes down to your style of travel and packing. I still have all three bags and still use all three. I wouldn’t blink an eye at anyone favoring one over the other. For this trip, though, I’m suiting up with the Minaal — largely due to its lower weight and my desire to give the bag a full field test. 

Peak Design Packing Cubes: Medium ($40) and Small ($30)

Minaal makes their own set of packing cubes, which are sized to fit their bag perfectly ($50 total). Alas, my used bag didn’t come with them, and I’m too cheap to buy them when I have other cubes that work so well: namely, the ones from Peak Design. Like many others, Peak Design’s cubes compress (an essential feature, I think), but unlike others they have an internal liner that allows you to pack clean and dirty clothes in the same cube without mixing them. Keeping your clothes compressed whether clean or dirty is an absolute game-changer. 

I typically carry a small bag with me for daily carry: my iPad, charging cords, headphones, spare camera battery, that sort of thing. Mine’s a handmade leather satchel I picked up years ago. Whatever works for you, but do be sure that it’s not so big that it looks like a second carry-on. This will count as what airlines often call a “hand bag.” My satchel is roughly 11″ x 9″ x 3.5″, and I’ve never had a problem with it.

Ecco Biom 2.1 X Mountain ($195)

Teva Original Universal Sandal ($60)

For One Bag Travel, I believe what you need is simple: a pair of do-it-all shoes and a pair of pack-flat sandals. But finding either is easier said than done.

To walk city streets needs breathability. To struggle through boggy countrysides needs waterproofing. To hike up a mountain needs support. To wear the same shoe all day for weeks needs lightweight and comfort. And as if that wasn’t enough, to appear professional greatly restricts the pool of candidates to do any of this. 

The footwear I’ve used more than any other over the years has been Thursday Boots Captains ($200, in brandy). They’re gorgeous, well-made, professional boots. On long trips they don’t have the kind of cushion I’d prefer, however, and they also don’t look great in shorts.

Another option I’ve reached for is a pair of Air Jordan 1 Element Gore-Tex high-tops (discontinued) with replacement EasyFeet In-soles ($30) because Jordans aren’t for long walks without them. These are a pretty great city shoe thus modified, but they’re not super for traction and aren’t exactly professional on stage. I’ve spent several years in Salomon XA Pro 3D GTX Hiking Shoes ($160), and they’ve been generally quite excellent. They’re Gore-Tex. They’re supportive and lightweight. They look good with shorts and they aren’t garishly sporty. They’ve also held up very well in terms of physical comfort and are a terrific hiking shoe. That said, they apparently underwent some kind of internal delamination after less than a month of usage: one shoe creaks when I walk, and I have found no way to resolve it. It’s certainly not the end of the world, but it won’t do for filming. 

So what am I wearing this trip? Like most shoe names, it’s a mouthful: Ecco Biom 2.1 X Mountain. It’s a waterproof hiking shoe with decent stability and structure, but it’s also lightweight and relatively modest in its styling. And Ecco shoes are a strong brand that typically fits my foot very well. That said, I admittedly haven’t put the shoe through the serious paces of a summer expedition where I’m pounding 10,000 steps day after day across various terrains. As I’m about to do just that, next year’s list will tell the tale on these shoes. Fingers crossed!

As for sandals, the main problem is that I want them to be lightweight and flat-packing to minimize the room they take in my bag … but the flatter and lighter they are, the less useful they tend to be. 

I’ve gone through a lot of sandals in search of perfection. XeroShoes AquaClouds ($50) are amazingly light and packable, but on rough terrain or long walks they’re exhausting. I have a pair of Nike Vista Sandals (discontinued) that are super comfy and supportive, but they don’t pack flat. I thought Shamma Super Browns ($125) would be the perfect solution — relatively flat,  lightweight, and damn good looking — but on my last long-term trip I found them too hard on my feet and not stable enough. I’ve also long used the Bedrock Cairn 3D Pro II (now relabeled, I think, as the $140 Cairn Evo 3D Pro). They’re heavier and a bit thicker than I’d like, but they’re still quite marvelous. 

I’ve tried so very many sandals … and in the end I’ve ended up back in the ‘90s, wearing what were simply called Tevas back when I was in high school but are now more specifically labeled a Teva Original Universal Sandals. They pack flat. They have a decent amount of arch support. They’re comfortable and lightweight. And unlike options with toe-posts — my Bedrocks and Shammas, for instance — they work with regular socks should I ever need to roll out that combination. Sometimes the old ways are best. 

Kühl Konfidant Air Pants ($100) x2*

Free Fly Reverb Shorts ($70) x1

Free Fly Breeze Pants ($100) x1

Wrangler ATG Mix-Material Long-sleeve Shirts ($45) x2*

Icebreaker Merino 150 Tech-lite Short-sleeve T-shirts ($80) x2

REI Co-op Flash Merino Socks ($20) x6

Kühl Korruptr Boxer Briefs ($30) x6

*These are sets, because I need to have two matching outfits for filming: otherwise I’d be one sloppy lunch from having a stained shirt suddenly appear on screen! 

Most of these pieces are very temperature flexible. The Wrangler shirts have different materials in different parts of the shirt to dissipate heat and moisture, and the roll-up sleeves add flexibility, too. The Kühl pants have ventilation at heat spots that you can zip open or shut as needed. I formerly recommended the Kühl Renegade Convertible pants, which are even more flexible given that they turn into shorts, but they’ve undergone a tremendously disappointing redesign that’s both a visual and technical failure for my needs.

The Free Fly shorts I use can do triple work as regular shorts, swim shorts, and gym shorts, which saves a lot of space — that I then fill with a featherweight lounge pant (the Free Fly Breeze) that I can wear as a relaxing change of pace after a long day. 

You’ll notice a lot of merino wool in my list. If you’re not familiar with it, merino wool is an extraordinary natural material for traveling. Temperature regulating and it doesn’t get stinky. I’m a huge fan of it.

For colors, I mostly keep to the black-grey-brown-tan spectrum so that everything will go with everything else. 

Aviator First Class Merino Hoodie ($185)

Scottevest Fleece 8.0 (discontinued)

Eddie Bauer Packable Rainfoil ($110)

English Heritage Scarf ($35)

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody ($360)

Tilley Mash-up Hat (discontinued)

Alpaca Wool Beanie (handmade)

Outerwear is trip-dependent. This summer, for instance, I’ll not be needing the warmth of my Mountain Hardwear puffer or alpaca beanie (which a friend bought me in Peru). There’s a decent chance I won’t need the Scottevest fleece, either, but it’s so damn flexible I can’t leave it at home.

The Aviator hoodie is stunningly comfortable and — again thanks to the merino wool — temperature regulating. I wear it on flights, and on a trip it’s the first thing I reach for if the weather gets even remotely chilly. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

The Scottevest fleece is no longer made, and it’s a damn shame. There are things I’d change about it, but I’ve never found anything that was as thoroughly perfect for traveling and life in general. I’ve looked and looked for something as good, but nothing gets close (including SeV’s newer Tropiformer, which I really wanted to like).

I know there are rain jackets that pack lighter and smaller, but the Eddie Bauer I got on clearance is working for now. 

Scrubba Wash Bag ($60)

Sea to Summit Lite Clothesline ($15) 

Drain Stopper ($5)

Washable Lint Roller ($10)

With this relatively small number of items, I have to do laundry on the road. Sometimes this means using a launderette (which is fun when you don’t speak the language!), but usually it means hand-washing in my room at night. If you plan to do this in a sink, I recommend bringing a simple silicone drain stopper just in case your room doesn’t have one (it’s also good for taking a bath in a plug-less bathtub). More fancy is the Scrubba Wash Bag, which I’ve been using for years. In either case, you’ll be hanging things up to dry, and a packable clothesline helps a lot.

I love dogs, so if I meet one I’m going to get fur on me. Enter a travel-sized washable gel lint roller! 

Phone/Tablet. I work on a laptop at home, but I don’t carry it with me when I travel. On the road, I do everything on an iPhone 16 Pro and an 11″ iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.

USB Adapter. I carry around an inCharge 6-in-1 Adapter ($20) for connecting electronics in various combinations. I also use female-to-female USB-C adapters in case I need to combine a couple USB-C cords for extra length. 

Headphones. The older I get, the more I appreciate a good pair of headphones. I picked up Apple’s AirPods Pro when they first came out. They’re hard to beat for the size. But I happened to be in a store that was closing down and saw that they were practically giving away some Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones ($330). Couldn’t pass up the deal and haven’t packed my AirPods since.

Plug Adapter. There are many adapters on the market, and most are those clunky “brick” things that adapt to international outlets but also convert the stronger 220/240 voltage overseas to the 110 voltage we’re used to in the USA. Thing is, most modern devices are built to handle dual voltage out of the box, rendering that conversion unnecessary (obviously check these things on your devices, folks!). If that’s the case, all you need is the plug adapter, not the big brick. After years of using the Road Warrior Plug Adapter ($10), I’d become concerned with how flimsy and, well, sparky it could get. I’m now packing the Mogics Super Bagel ($60), which packs a more stable travel adapter with a short extension cord, plug splitter, and USB charger. It’s a remarkable piece of engineering.

Spare Battery. To charge up on the go, I use an Anker 521 MagSafe battery ($35). There are newer models, but mine is still chugging along.

Phone Holder. If you need something to hold up a phone on your flight or on the dash of your rental car, I suggest the AirGlo FlexFlap ($20). It takes up next to zero room, and it can be a great benefit.

Carabiner. I’ve long carried an extra carabiner with me, and it’s saved my butt on a number of occasions: from hanging my bag to hanging my laundry. These days, I’ve leveled up to the Heroclip ($20), which is a compact carabiner and awesome hanger all in one. 

Silverware. If you grab something to eat but didn’t get the accompanying eating utensils, some travel silverware saves you from looking too much like a savage. I recently found Humangear’s GoBites Duo nesting fork and spoon set ($10), and I think it’s really great.

Water Bottle. Around home I use a Thermos that I’ve customized with a quote from my Seaborn books. But on the road I don’t want something so bulky, so I carry the collapsible and lightweight Vapur Anti-Bottle ($15).

Whistle. An emergency whistle could save your life. The S.O.L. Slim Rescue Howler ($10 for two) is small but loud.

Multi-tool. Mine is actually a Wizzle, but I can’t find that brand on Amazon. This Geekey ($20) seems to be the same thing. It’s tiny, travel-compliant, and can fix a lot of little problems.

Day Pack. Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 20L Day Pack ($45). This compresses so ridiculously small that sometimes toss it in my bag just in case I buy some gifts or something I don’t otherwise have room to carry.

Travel Towel. It’s the one thing an intergalactic traveler should never forget, because it’s so darn useful. I pack a small microfiber one from Wise Owl Outfitters.

Travel Pillow. I’m getting old, I guess. Or I’ve just had to sleep on one too many garbage pillows on the road. But we got a Purple Harmony Anywhere pillow ($150) in a package when we replaced our bed, and I’ll be taking it to Europe.

Sunglasses. Whatever works for you, of course. But they’re the sort of thing you want to be able to pull out when needed…