OneBag - The Art of Minimalist Travel

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The original was posted on /r/onebag by /u/roynewseditor on 2025-11-09 23:29:20+00:00.

Original Title: After scrolling through the community for a long time, one user wrote eight tips for /r/onebag member and I just added two more. I believe these are the main tips when packing for traveling. I present you: The Ten Commandments of /r/onebag

Thanks to u/SeattleHikeBike for making the first 8 first points.

1. Pack only what you will absolutely use The most important rule of all, but the most difficult one. How do we know what you absolutely need? It is something we learn by experience.
2. Carry on and hands free if at all possible Prioritize saving time, energy and money by avoiding paying fees and it will be easy to get out of the airport and take other flights/buses if you have your stuff in hand.
3. Avoid extra shoes Sandals are OK as an alternative or a backup. The oneshoe doesn't exist but the shoe that will be the most comfy and can be used for most activities will be useful.
4. Layer your outerwear Puffy and heavy jackets take a lot of space and weight of your backpack. A slim windbreak with a long sleeve heavy cotton shirt will do the same job, be very versatile and easier to carry. A scarf or keffiyeh / shemagh are good too as they have many uses and take little space and weight.
5. Color coordinate your wardrobe When you have clothes that are too colorful, you will have a difficult time matching them, and that may motivate you to bring more clothes of what you need. Don't even get me started on washing your whole clothes when they are different colors. Try to bring clothes that can be matched between them. Neutral colors work best and they are easier to wash them together. Maybe a piece of clothes for a special occasion will be a nice detail.
6. Reduce the amount of liquid toiletries Airports will give you a hard time with liquid stuff, even if on the limit. Soap bars and conditioner bars are good alternatives. Wax products for hair and beard can be useful. Gel/cream or crystal rock deodorant as practical. I like small tube toothpaste but other users will recommend toothpaste tablets, but you can find travel size toothpaste in any part of the world.
7. Avoid gadgets and minimize electronics As much as I love photography, bringing my miyoo mini plus for playing tetris before boarding and other stuff that may make our life easier or fun, traveling to be out of our ordinary is a great recommendation I learn through time. I do travel with a cheap slim e-reader that has many books and maps but I don't believe I take considerable space or weight. But you know you can always do audiobooks, podcasts or movies/tv shows on your phone for long trips.
8. Hand wash and air dry clothing to reduce the need for multiple items and laundromat visits As I mentioned on rule 5, having clothes that are neutral and easy to match is very practical, but to have clothes that can be washed on hand, quick-dry and in dark colors to hide stains is a lifesaver. Even if you travel for more than a week, plan to take 2 hours a week to wash your clothes and that will help you to avoid carrying more clothes. I always have a cotton shirt and a underwear shirt that I used to sleep in and I wear when I wash the rest of my clothes.
9. Packing cubes, Ziplocs, rubber bands or reusable bags to organized stuff easy and quick When I started scrolling on this community, I used to ignore this rule and pack my clothes military style. But I waste time and energy by packing and unpack in this way. It will wrinkle your clothes, make it not very ergonomic with other stuff on your backpack and it can damage your clothes too. Compress and packing cubes are one of the most useful stuff you can have on your backpack. It will make your organization better and it will be way but way easier to pack or unpack. The weight and volume packing cubes add is meaningless compared to the advantage it will bring to your trip. Having reusable slim groceries bags and ziplocs as extra are very convenient in the case you want to carry wet stuff to your room, putting a taco you buy to go on your empty ziploc or even you can even use extra large ziplocs for packing clothes as many users do here.
10. Use what you already have first Buying new stuff if you really really need it. I used to travel with an almost torn shirt to throw it away on my trip and buy a souvenir shirt on my trip. It is better to travel with old shoes that you already know that are comfortable than buying new ones that you can risk to find out on your trip that they are not the right shoe.