Hey,

been lurking for a good time here and learnt a lot. Hence, I wanted to share a trip report.

I spent 18 days traveling across Uganda with the Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L. My total pack weight was 7.8 kg, including everything except the clothes I wore during travel.

The route included Kampala, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Lake Bunyonyi and Entebbe. Highlights included chimpanzee tracking, a gorilla trek, game drives, boat safaris and traveling a lot by public transport and shared transfers.

The cover photo is not 100% accurate. Before departure I replaced my rain jacket with the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L and added a pair of binoculars. Both changes proved to be excellent decisions. You can see full content on the last photo.

Packing Summary

Documents

• Passport
• Vaccination certificate
• Visa

Clothing (Packed)

• Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket
• Craghoppers NosiLife Long Sleeve Shirt
• 2 × Frilufts Ojobi Merino Stretch T-shirts
• Craghoppers Pro Lite trousers
• Shorts
• 5 boxer briefs
• 2 merino socks
• 2 sneaker socks
• Flip-flops

Clothing (Worn)

• Craghoppers Pro Lite trousers
• Lightweight fleece
• Frilufts Ojobi Merino Stretch T-shirt
• Boxer briefs
• Merino socks
• Nike Pegasus Trail GTX
• Cap

Toiletries

• Bar soap (100 g)
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste (20 ml)
• Razor
• Spare blades
• Shaving foam (50 ml)
• Deodorant (50 ml)
• Sunscreen (50 ml)
• La Roche-Posay sunscreen stick (9 g)
• DEET insect repellent 40%
• Hand sanitizer (50 ml)
• Laundry detergent for handwashing (30 ml)
• Lip balm
• Sink stopper
• Nail clipper
• Earplugs

Medication

• Loperamide
• Antinal
• Paracetamol
• Cetirizine
• Vomex

Electronics

• iPhone
• 10,000 mAh power bank
• AirPods
• UK plug adapter
• 2 × USB-C cables

Bags & Organization

• Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L
• Pacsafe sling
• Dry bag (approximately 10 L)
• Toiletry bag
• Compression bags Eagle Creek (S/M)
• Liquids bag
• Wallet

Other

• Leica 8×32 binoculars
• Sunglasses
• Travel towel Sea to Summit, Size M
• Sea to Summit Clothesline
• Padlock
• Cable lock
• Elastic cord
• Cash
• Credit cards

Food

• Crackers
• Peanut bars
• Sesame bars

Weight Distribution

Excluding the clothing worn during travel, the packed bag weighed approximately 7.8 kg.

• Clothing: 35%
• Bags and organizers: 33%
• Other equipment: 14%
• Electronics: 8%
• Liquids: 5%
• Toiletries: 4%
• Documents: 1%
• Medication: <1%

More than two-thirds of the total weight came from clothing and the bag system itself. Electronics, toiletries and liquids contributed surprisingly little to the overall pack weight.

What Worked Well

The 30-liter backpack was more than sufficient. I never wished for a larger bag, and the compression cubes kept everything organized. I did not have to check luggage and moving between cars, buses, motor-taxis and accommodations was effortless.

The Pacsafe sling was perfect for day trips and keeping valuables secure. The dry bag was equally useful. It kept my belongings dry during boat/canoe trips and served as an excellent day bag during heavy rain inside the rainforest. Together they covered every situation I encountered.

Washing clothes every few days was easy and the fabrics dried overnight in most places.

Although I barely wore the shorts, having two pairs of long trousers was the right decision. They were more comfortable during safaris, hiking, cool evenings and provided much better protection against insects.

The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L performed exceptionally well throughout the trip.

The Leica 8×32 binoculars were one of the best additions to my setup. They significantly improved wildlife viewing and I would not recommend going any smaller than 8×32 for a safari-focused trip, even though it was the heaviest of my items.

The La Roche-Posay sunscreen stick was very useful, as I am very sensitive towards sun. Reapplying sunscreen throughout the day became incredibly easy and much less messy than using lotion. If you expect to spend a lot of time outdoors, I would even consider bringing two.

I almost left the bar soap at home because every accommodation provides soap. In hindsight, bringing a simple €1 bar of soap with a small string attached was absolutely worth it. After long days covered in dust, sweat, insect repellent and sunscreen, having soap with a "handle" felt much better than relying on whatever was provided.

The Sea to Summit Clothesline fully lived up to the hype. It packs down to almost nothing, weighs very little and made drying laundry easy throughout the trip. I would definitely pack it again.

Safety Setup

I secured the backpack using two different locks. A small padlock locked one pair of zippers. A longer cable lock secured the second pair and could also be attached to fixed objects, providing additional security on buses and in accommodations.

I also attached an elastic cord to the outside of the backpack. It turned out to be surprisingly useful for carrying a jacket or temporarily securing other items.

What I Would Change

For my next trip I would:

• Add a small USB-C to USB-A adapter.
• Pack one fewer pair of sneaker socks.
• Bring a pair of tweezers.
• Pack a few sheets of paper.
• Add one spare plastic bag.
• Maybe bringing a Kindle.
• Bring a small case for my earplugs.
• Buy a larger bottle of 50% DEET in a major city (I wasn't be able to get that in rural areas)

I packed plenty of snacks because of my own dietary restrictions. For most travelers, this would not be necessary, as food is readily available throughout Uganda.

I actually had to use most of the medication, so that was "good".

The only item I never used was the travel towel. As it is very small and light, I might still bring it as a back up - not sure yet.

Conclusion

Traveling through Uganda with only 7.8 kg in a 30-liter backpack was comfortable. I never had to check luggage, everything stayed with me during flights and bus journeys, and moving between accommodations was quick and hassle-free. I especially appreciated very much having both my hands free in cities and the ability to jump on a motorbike.

By the end of the trip, my backpack weighed around 9.5 kg after buying souvenirs. Even with the additional weight, it remained comfortable to carry.

For anyone planning a similar safari-focused trip with occasional trekking, a carefully packed 30-liter setup is entirely sufficient. Choosing versatile clothing, washing regularly and packing a few well-selected accessories is far more valuable than bringing more gear.

Suggested Photos

1. Complete packing layout.
2. Backpack fully packed.
3. Typical day bag setup.
4. Elastic cord attachment.
5. Backpack locking and security setup.
6. Content after return

Looking forward to your feedback!

I've been refining my onebag setup for a while now and it's usually not the big purchases that make the biggest difference, it's some small change I almost didn't bother with.

Curious what everyone else's version of that is. Could be a packing trick, a specific item swap, how you organize your bag, anything that felt small at the time but you'd never travel without now.

got a 12 hour flight coming up and my usual jeans are not it for that long sitting down. don't want to show up looking like i rolled out of bed in sweatpants either, this is a work trip so i land and go basically straight to a meeting. been looking at stretch chinos with actual give in the waistband, something that still reads as real pants not loungewear. tried a pair on a 5 hour domestic leg to test before the long haul, only complaint is the fabric creases pretty easily if you're sitting that long, had to smooth them out before walking into the meeting. otherwise no complaints, no weird bunching. what's everyone else's go-to for long haul that isn't joggers

I’m looking at a new down jacket for my travel set up and likely going to be the Arc’teryx cerium. Now trying to decide whether I should opt for the hooded version or the one without. Appreciate any thoughts- most of what I’ve read lean towards getting a hooded version instead of packing a separate beanie.

I used to carry a Heroclip Small, mainly to hang my sling from tables or bathroom stall doors. Eventually, I stopped carrying it because it took up more space in my sling than it was worth.

I’ve just noticed there’s a Mini version rated for 40 lb / 18 kg. Does anyone here use one with a sling? Is the hook opening large enough to work well on tables and stall doors, and can it handle a daypack too?

For me, it’s basically Mini or nothing.

Edit: I also tried clipping the Heroclip Small to the outside of the bag but didn't like the look and handling

I have a month long SE Asia trip coming up, and after extensive tik tok research I finally decided the REI Ruckpack 40 was the bag I wanted to go with. Only problem is, they don’t ship to Canada. Wondering if anyone can recommend a bag that is very similar to this one? From what I saw from reviews the thicker straps are a big plus for this bag in terms of comfort.

I'm going to cuba in Nov for 2 weeks then going to costa rica for 2 weeks then charleston for a week. Most my gear that I have now is pretty basic and keep finding myself looking for better and lighter gear. Right now I have a North face recon bag. I use packageing cubes but some how feels like they take up more space, it might be how I am folding my clothes. Most my weight comes from a laptop and camera ( for my work.) Going to cuba I know I'm going to have to carry more gear like a towel, more portables?, extra clothes.
I am a female for reference.
I'm looking for good brands or products that people have loved for their long term travels to less modern places. Also any clothing advice for traveling with less when you cant wash as often would be appreciated as well. This will be my first time one bagging out of the country for this long and just have been over whelmed with all blogs and tiktoks people send me.

After months reading this sub I’m finally going for 3 weeks in Europe, with 5 days sailing in Croatia, with just one bag!

I’m planning washing cycles of 6 days which should be enough.

- 2 towels (one for the beach one for the shower)

- flip flop and trainers

- 3 pairs of socks

- 7 underwear

- 1 sweater

- 3 versatile dresses that can be worn during the day or night

- 1 light jacket

- 2 swimsuits

- 1 long pant

- 2 shorts

- 3 t-shirts

- 3 tops

- day bag (phone, charger, earphones, kindle, wallet)

- toiletry bag (dental kit, hair brush, suncream, mascara)

- beach bag

- vacuum packing cube

- waterproof backpack

- water bottle (missing in the picture)

Don’t hate me for using a vacuum packing bag. I know this community is usually pretty critical about it, but I don’t use it to cram my bag to the absolute limit. I mainly like it because it’s waterproof and can give me some extra space for anything I want to buy during the trip.

Anything obvious I’m missing?

I'm looking for suggestions for small gifts that I can suggest to my wife and daughter for my upcoming birthday.
For background, I travel 3-4x per year from NYC to Spain (we have an apartment there); maybe 2x per year to Cairo for work, then domestic work flights maybe once every 4-6 weeks. I use a TP3 for short trips (and Spain, since I keep clothing and things in our apartment), and have an Away rolling carry on which I add for longer trips.
I have a lot of travel gear already - Heroclips, AirTags, Nanobags, AirFly, power banks, pouches, packing cubes, neck pillow, eye mask, noise cancelling earbuds and headphones, kindle, etc.
Any suggestions for things that make your travel life easier, especially on long flights? Or items I may already have, but where you think there's a product that just does it better for flights.
I'm not looking for extravagant gifts here - inexpensive ($100 and under) is ideal.

Hi, I travel with a 7kg backpack with a limited amount of clothes and the problem is that every time I move from one place to another I pack my clothes (t-shirts, pants) and after I unpack they look like crap because of getting wrinkled. There are no irons in 99% hotels/airbnbs.

So the question is are there any lifehacks of how to pack clothes to prevent them from getting wrinkled?

I use packing cubes.

I’m doing a December trip that goes Japan (10 °C and wet) → Budapest (0 °C and wet) → Yellowknife (full Arctic punishment). The plan covers everything from nice dinners to skiing to general outdoor chaos.

I’m comfortable with OB in warm or cold weather, but I’ve never gone straight from mild conditions into legit extreme cold. I’m packing with a Dakine Mission 32L, which should handle everything except the heavy-duty Yellowknife gear.

For my personal item, I’m thinking of using my Matador tote to carry my soft parka, gloves, hat, down vest, and whatever else fits. Then I’ll pick up a lightweight insulated jacket for skiing and daily wear.

For that jacket, I’m looking at the Rossignol Aretu, Pajar Hernik, or the Lululemon Featherweight 900. They’re all rated to around –5 °C, but I’m not sure how they’ll hold up against ski‑hill wind or if “water‑repellent” is enough for the wet days. Any exp with skiing with light jacket? I can also bring a light rain jacket as shelf if that will fair better.

Boots are where I’m stuck. I’m Canadian — I know exactly how miserable life gets without proper winter boots — but good ones are huge and heavy. What’s the move here? GTX hikers with thick socks and pray?

Open to any other suggestions.

PS AI for gramma.

I have two pairs of the same glasses frames, one for my regular shortsightedness and one as my prescription sunnies. Whilst out and about I'll always be wearing at least one pair. I have a soft fabric sleeve for them, and have some older bulkier hard cases from past specs, but I'm looking for the goldilocks middle ground - slim and light but offering some proper protection when whichever pair I'm not wearing is in my bag which may be smushed into a luggage rack.

I've seen some promising looking generic slim metal cases, but has anyone got any specific recommendations? UK based so ideally available over here too.

Thanks!

Would you want it in a different color? Why? Any pros and cons of black, which I’m pretty sure is the winner in this sub, or other color schemes?

I am ready to pull a trigger on a black Patagonia backpack, since I am not a fan of the current collection’s color combinations, but I’m still holding off to see the fall collection that will hopefully introduce some earthy tones. My sling is in burnt orange, and I think that color looks great.

I just got back from four days in Barcelona and wanted to share my full packing list

Bags: a navy canvas backpack, somewhere around 20 liters, as my main bag that stayed at the hotel, plus a small black sling bag I actually wore around the city all day.

Clothing:
2 pairs of pants (blue and green)
2 tees (white and grey)
3 pairs of socks
3 pairs of underwear
a small light grey green pouch for my ID and loose change

Toiletries:
toner and lotion
eye drops
a wooden bristle hairbrush

Tech:
iPhone 16 (mine was in my hand taking photos most of the trip, so it's not in the flatlay, just the case)
a Baseus am52 magsafe, with the built in cable
a AirPods
a small electric nail clipper

Barcelona itself completely lived up to the hype. Casa Batlló looking up at that facade felt like standing inside something alive, and somehow the best moment of the whole trip was just holding a scoop of mango sorbet on Passeig de Gràcia at golden hour, watching everyone walk by.

Just curious. Osprey is the biggest user of it with the Farpoint and even has gender specific fits. And has kept sticking with it through a couple updates now. And Thule has one like it. But nobody else really does. I think it really is the best for adventure/outdoor travel. You have an easy personal bag in daypack at the gate for under the seat. I despise putting a big 40L bag in the overhead and then having to get whatever you need for the flight. Yeah a lot of people use a small sling but those never fit a laptop and slings kinda suck for all but light hiking. I find it easy to organize too between the two bags.

Do people not like the concept? IDK.

I'm off to Poland for 1 week, flying from the UK through Berlin and then travelling by train to Łódź. I'll be spending 5 days there and then going to Gdańsk for 2 days, after which I'll be flying back to the UK.

Bag is 28L Military Cabin zero which fits snuggly under Ryanair seat, taking 5 X t-shirts, 1 X jeans, 1x shorts, 8x socks and boxers, 2 X hoody (1 X sun hoodie, 1x normal hoodie), personal electronics (headphones, charger, 10000 Anker power bank), some personal hygiene like deodorant, tooth brush and 3in1 shower gel.

Wear on will be another t-shirt, pair of shorts, and long sleeve t-shirt, shoes are Nike Court Vision mid sneakers.

I recently got back from a 29 trip to Portugal with the 28-38 Blast Travel Bag from Bagsmart. Here's how it went.

Trip purpose: 2 weeks working remotely and 2 weeks wondering around. I had my first few days' accommodation booked, and then I played it by ear. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Maybe go hiking, maybe be a beach bum, maybe visit castles. I tried to pack my bag in a way that could fit those scenarios.

Bag: 28-38 Blast Travel Bag from Bagsmart. I didn't love it, but I don't love using backpacks. I'm a one bag roller type of person, but I knew the cobblestones of Portugal would cause issues, so backpack it is. I used the 28 size of the bag and never expanded it to the 38 size. I could carry everything in my first photo, minus one pair of shoes and sweater (but that's okay because I always need to wear one outfit with shoes each day).

What I didn't like: It's so uncomfortable with my heavy computer! It was better when I was wearing my thick cotton sweater. I shipped my computer two weeks into my trip and carrying the bag was better after that, but it still was a little uncomfortable. I stuffed by sweater into the computer compartment after my computer was gone, and it was better than the computer but worse than wearing the sweater.

I also didn't like the clear zippered pouch like I thought I would. Unless you pack it completely flat, it made the outside of the bag sorta bulge out.

I feel like it needs a hip belt. It might have helped with my comfort.

What I did like: It has lots of small zippered places to hide things. I stuffed flat stuff there like laundry sheets (not pictured) and instant coffee (also not pictured). I also like how it looks. Ospreys look like backpacking backpacks, and I don't want that vibe.

Weight with computer: 25 pounds (11 kilograms)

Weight without computer and its accessories: 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms)

Day bag: $10 6 liter sling bag from Hunterson. I don't usually use day bags and just rely on a reusable grocery bag, but I thought I'd give one a try this trip. It went well! It holds a surprisingly a lot of stuff and has useful zippers. The outer pocket, however, is awful for carrying a water bottle. It always slipped out. I just stuffed my bottle inside the bag. I really like how it looks when I'm carrying it and my backpack at the same time. It doesn't look silly like it does sometimes when some people wear a backpack on both front and back.

Clothing and belongings: I'm mostly happy with what I packed. If I did it again:

• I'd drop the dress because I only wore it out of obligation since I brought it. I brought it because I imagined myself wearing it while standing at the rail of a wine cruise near Porto, but I never did that.
• I'd exchange one short sleeve shirt with a light long sleeve shirt.
• I'd probably drop the skirt too. I thought I would wear it all the time, but I feel safer/more comfortable in pants, especially when traveling, so I didn't wear it as much as I would at home.
• I'd bring a reusable grocery bag. It would have come in use when I went grocery shopping and when I needed to carry wet fruit and things.
• I'd splurge on a proper travel case for my bar shampoo, conditioner, and soap. I used a $1 one and it's not water tight so I have to pack it in a ziplock. It put me off wanting to use my shampoo and things because the bag is icky.
• I'd switch my light/thin Crocs tennis shoes with my old Nikes. The Crocs were hell on the cobblestones.
• I'd maybe pack more socks so that I could wear my Reef sandals more comfortably. The sandals are extraordinarily comfortable and bouncy, but they rub the top of my feet raw when they get sweaty. Socks would have helped. If I had a better pair of sandals, I'd switch them for the next trip, but I don't so I won't.
• I'd not decant my moisturizer. I had to ration it on my last week. I should have just brought the original container because it's carry-on compliant. It was my only real attempt at saving space.

People always poo poo bringing jeans, but those people can shove it. I could have comfortably, or mostly comfortably, worn them most days, but I love my orange pants so much that I favored them instead.

Ultra light people are out there cutting their toothbrushes in half, but I brought my electric toothbrush and charger and am very glad I did. It feels good having clean teeth!

I also brought my one piece swimsuit (not pictured but packed in my undies bag) and did not wear it once. I also never used my towel! I HATE bringing a towel and silently bitched about it when packing, and I ended up not using it. My accommodations provided one, except one place. That one place I just rented one for $2, and it was SO fluffy and large AND they included a second hand towel, that I'm glad I didn't use my dinky Turkish towel.

I recently scored the Osprey Farpoint 70L backpack for an insane deal at a TJ MAXX (they mislabeled the price and I was only charged for the 15L day bag…) I was initially going to spring for something 35l or so like the sojourn porter but after I found this steal I had no choice but to buy it. I have heard from many people who have told me it may be too big to fly with and that I will probably end up checking it.

My question: is it safer for me to get a smaller bag now and just save this for my next big trip where I don’t fly? I’m also worried about if I need to take a European airline, I know they have stricter regulations.

My two travel friends think I am nuts. Going to Sevilla, Córdoba, and Granad, Spain and Lisbon amd Porto, Portugal for 15 days, with carry-on, no checked bag. Is it unreasonable to take 4 pairs of shoes? Teva sandals, skechers sneakers, black leather sandals for evening, and closed-toed espadrilles with rubber bottoms. (Maybe add flip flops for room & pool.)😉 I want to bring them all but will I be sorry?

packing list for a long-term trip starting this fall. we are strictly doing one bag each (40L max) and trying to keep everything under 8kg because we'll be moving around a lot on trains and buses. the current point of friction is that they are absolutely insisting on packing their own blow dryer.

i keep saying every single hostel, airbnb, or hotel will either have one or we can just buy a cheap one there if it's that big of a deal. but they claim hotel dryers completely fry their hair and take twice as long to dry. to me it just seems like a massive waste of prime real estate in a backpack when you're trying to keep things minimal. am i being unreasonable here ? couples who travel long term please help us settle this.

I did a search and was unable to find suggestions for the above. My goal is to pack extremely light and mobile for future trips. I want to stay at 3 pairs/items per category with trousers and shorts being combined into 3 total. 

 Also, this would be for temperatures above 50 F (10 C) with a wear and hand wash wash/dry cycle. 

Thank you all.

Hi! I'm going to Spain and we'll be hiking and I'm looking for the best way to prepare for it. I've heard a lot about merino longsleeve or sun hoodie to protect yourself from sun but I'm not sure how to choose one that won't overheat me? I've looked at decathlon and it's also not the cheapest thing so I wanna hear some recommendations before buying anything :) ​