/// Jeremy Maluf

Indefinite Backpack Travel

Updated June 2026

In 2015 I got rid of everything I owned that didn’t fit in a laptop backpack, and I’ve been living at this level of minimalism since. The idea is to only own what I need, which allows me to focus more, spend less, travel spontaneously and simplify my life.

I update this post yearly, with past versions available on the Internet Archive: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017. If you’re interested in hearing more about this lifestyle, after 10 years and millions of views on this page, I also started sharing my life on Instagram and YouTube.

June 2026 update: Replaced my full setup after my bag was stolen during a late night out! For the first time in years, everything on this page is brand new (aside from the things I had in my pockets).

This post was never meant to be a guide, but whenever it’s shared without exposition a lot of the responses online tend to be the same dozen questions and misunderstandings. So here’s a few words to address those.

Onebag travel is unquestionably the best way to travel. Traveling without luggage removes just about every pain point associated with flying, such as checking bags, overhead compartments, bag fees, waiting in line, and needing to drop off luggage before an adventure. Just stroll into the airport an hour before your flight, and walk off your plane directly to your destination. I’m not here to sell you on this. r/onebag is a community built around this and a good place to learn more.

As to how I got here, I’ve never really owned much at any point in my life, so once I started traveling frequently this seemed like the natural evolution of my lifestyle. Because I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s really not something I think about often.

Of course, I have taken the time to optimize each thing to be the best possible: I’d much rather pack a 4oz jacket over a 1lb jacket. However, it’s worth mentioning I don’t take part in the consumerist side of the travel/hiking communities, which focuses more on expensive brand names than practicality. Buy only what you need; a $100 setup is nearly as good as a $10,000 setup. Sometimes spending more will get better quality or versatility, but it’s never worth obsessing over. Remember, the perfect travel gear doesn’t exist (relevant XKCD).

In terms of the nomad lifestyle, while I prefer fast-paced travel, it’s not great for productivity, finances, and friends, so I now stay in cities for longer periods. This allows me to maintain social relationships and explore cities deeper. It also allows me to do “zero-bag” trips in which I travel with just the contents of my pockets. Long term, I will always travel with as little as possible.

With exposition done, here’s the list of everything I own.

Some links on this page are affiliate links.

Packing

  • Aer Slim Pack 2 X-Pac After my Aer Slim Pack was stolen, I reached out to Aer and acquired its successor, the Slim Pack 2, which is similar to the original except a tiny bit bigger. At 12L this bag has the perfect capacity for all my things and falls well within the ‘personal item’ size requirements of even the strictest budget airline. I customized the bag with paracord zipper pulls and Nite Ize S-biners, and I permanently keep an Airtag inside to prevent casual theft.

    I’d like to stress that the Aer Slim is exceedingly tiny, so for most people I wouldn’t recommend it as anything more than a day bag; the City Pack Pro 2 or Travel Pack 3 are much more spacious for traveling.

    Eventually I’d love to make a custom bag for myself, like the 10L bag I attempted in 2020, but the amount of time a project like this would take is astronomical so for the moment I’m sticking with Aer! MYOG bag V2 coming eventually though.
  • Bellroy x Carryology Pencil Case I thought my previous dopp kit, the Rains pencil case, was perfect. But after it was stolen and I couldn’t replace it (discontinued in 2021), I discovered this pencil case. It’s even better! It’s by far the closest thing I’ve found to my perfect dopp kit.

    I use pencil cases instead of traditional dopp kits as they’re the perfect capacity for the “travel size” version of all my essentials, including toiletries, first aid and miscellaneous small things. And best of all, the high-vis orange interior perfectly matches the interior of my bag!

Technology

Depending on where you’re coming from, I either own an excessive number of tech devices or incredibly few. Either way, everything here has been used almost daily for over a decade: other than upgrading devices this setup has remained stable since I bought an Apple Watch in 2015 and switched from earbuds to Airpods in 2016. The iPhone and iPad have been constants since 2008 and 2010. Given its longevity, it’s safe to say this is my ideal setup.

I keep my digital life organized and backed up to the cloud, and have contingency plans for losing my devices that allow me to replace them and their data in minutes. This allows me to truly feel free and not worry about my possessions. If a hypothetical adventure introduces the risk of losing my stuff, I only need to consider the material value of replacing it and nothing more. I published a post about my personal data framework that goes into detail on this.

  • Macbook Air M5 13″ 512GB. These new Apple Silicon laptops are crazy powerful. I upgraded to an M5 in May 2026 after my M2 was stolen, but there’s no real difference between them. I still miss my ultralight 12″ Macbook from 2017 and I’m crossing my fingers one day we’ll get the M-series chip in a smaller form factor.
  • iPhone 17 Pro 512GB. Upgraded from the 15 Pro for the improved camera and battery life specs. I’ve used Verizon as my carrier for nearly two decades, but I recently added a secondary T-Mobile eSIM for redundancy in cities and while traveling. I don’t use a case since AppleCare is cheap. I also sometimes have a secondary phone in my backpack for when I need a backup.
  • iPad Pro M4 11″ 512GB. I’ve been an iPad user since it was released, and though I’ll occasionally get rid of it after periods of minimal usage, I always find myself replacing it within a year or two. I mostly use it for sketching down ideas, making digital art, reading books, or as a second monitor for my laptop. Used with an Apple Pencil Pro.
  • Apple Watch S7 I’ve worn an Apple Watch every day since it came out in 2015, but only as a health and fitness tracker, I never interact with it. I lose my watch frequently so I rarely buy the current generation. Worn with a cheap braided solo loop band; I prefer Apple’s braided or silicone solo loops, but as my watchbands tend to break often I switched to cheaper ones.
  • Airpods Pro 2 I’m back to AirPods Pro after several years with AirPods 3. I’m not a fan of how silicone headphones isolate you from the world, even with transparency mode, but you just can’t beat the noise cancellation for travel and crowded places.
  • Samsung thumb drive 256GB USB-C flash drive, kept in my pocket at all times. After years of data corruption issues with my travel SSDs I’m back to relying on cloud storage only, with a few files backed up locally to this drive for faster access.

Charging

All of my devices except my Apple Watch charge via USB-C, which means I only need to own one wall charger, one powerbank, and two cables. By chaining all of these things together I can fast-charge the powerbank, my watch and one other device simultaneously.

  • NeoSeek Powerbank My battery needs are simple: 20,000mAh, at least 45W, and two USB-C ports. Surprisingly there aren’t many options. After testing them all, the winner by a mile was a $30 battery from a new brand, beating the high-end brands on every spec. I’m astonished how Anker dropped the ball here, they used to make the best batteries!

    I’d love to switch to an ultralight battery like Nitecore or Flextail, but they come at the cost of low wattage, and life’s too short to wait for your stuff to charge.
  • Nomad 65W Dual USB-C Charger I searched for the smallest-possible wall charger with at least 60W to fast-charge my devices, and after testing several I determined this one the winner (though this one was similar and this one would have been my pick if I didn’t need two ports). For international travel I buy myself a cheap universal travel adapter.
  • Apple USB-C Cable 1 meter, woven. For charging my iPhone, Macbook, iPad and powerbank; everything except my watch. It’s limited to 60W but that’s never been a problem, and the 240W cable is bulkier and only comes in 2 meters.
  • Apple Watch Charger 1 meter. I’m back to using Apple’s chargers after years of using more compact alternatives since the new ones have proprietary tech that charges faster.

Clothing

I wear roughly the same outfit every day. Because I own so few items, I wear through them faster than someone with a full closet would; a tee or mid-layer lasts about 1,000 hours of use, meaning that I replace them every few months. As a result I actually have the ability to experiment with a variety of outfits and styles; just on a timescale of months rather than days.

After over a decade of wearing hoodies as my mid-layer, now that I’m entering my 30’s I decided to switch to something more appropriate. At the moment this is a cashmere sweater, but this may change as I experiment further. For my outer layer, I got rid of my canvas jacket, but I’ll likely look for another next winter. My insulated layer will forever be a down jacket because down is magic.

  • Montbell Plasma 1000 The Japanese version, which has pockets and a tighter fit. Objectively the world’s best down jacket by weight-to-warmth ratio; literally weighs less than my phone and can fit in my pocket. It’s unreal. When layered I can feel comfortable in any weather. Currently can only be purchased in Japan.
  • Everlane Cashmere Sweater As comfortable as a hoodie but projects a professional look. I’ve been experimenting with this sweater for a year and it has held up incredibly well. Cashmere as a material is incredible, albeit slightly difficult to wash. This specific sweater from Everlane is no longer sold, but Quince sells an inexpensive one that looks similar.
  • Outlier Futureslimworks Pants I’ve been following Outlier as a brand since 2016 (they’re popular among travelers for their merino tees) but I didn’t try their pants until my current ones gave out in 2026 and, since Western Rise went bankrupt, couldn’t be replaced. The material Outlier uses is amazing, and they make the pants in NYC! As always, I had it custom-tailored.

    Worn with a minimalist Grip6 gunmetal belt, which I’ve been loving more and more each year. I don’t know why this belt style isn’t more popular.
  • American Apparel 50/50 Shirts Six when I’m on the move, twice that if I’m staying somewhere for a while. I prefer 50/50 cotton/poly over triblends for durability, and I’m not a fan of merino due to durability and price; frequent outdoor adventures mean I rip my shirts often.

    I pack my shirts by rolling them around my socks and underwear into compact ‘day rolls’, which prevents wrinkling, eliminates decision-making involved with getting dressed, and makes packing as simple as tossing the rolls into my bag.
  • Darn Tough Socks Six pairs. Been wearing this brand for the past 15 years. Darn Tough merino socks are so indestructible that if they rip the manufacturer will ship you a new pair. I’ve walked over 5,000 miles with each pair I own and they still look new.
  • Uniqlo Airism Boxer Briefs Six pairs. Consistently regarded by travelers as the best travel boxers for good reason. Get the regular ones, not low-rise or seamless, and definitely not the cotton ones. Usually only available in-store.
  • Lululemon Pace Breaker Shorts The 5″ linerless version, since I want minimal-to-zero skin contact while running and working out to extend how many times it can be used between laundry cycles.
  • Everlane 7″ Swim Trunks Swim trunks have migrated off and on this list for most of the past decade, depending on my proximity to the beach. They became a permanent addition in 2023 when I began swimming at the gym.
  • Nike Pegasus Trail 5 Running Shoes I no longer wear the waterproof version of these shoes as those get uncomfortable in hot weather. Nike makes the best and most durable running shoes out of every brand I’ve tried, but I’m tired of their yearly release shtick that discontinues every design after a few months, so apologies in advance if you can’t find it. I attached some S-biners to the laces for latching my shoes to my belt when walking barefoot on the beach.
  • Merino Buff Near-limitless uses while traveling. I mostly use it as a face mask for cold weather and as a sleep mask on planes and buses, but I’ve also used it as a scarf, bandana, pillowcase, and more. Definitely one of the best pieces of travel gear I own.
  • Arc’teryx Alpha SL Gloves A colder-than-usual NYC winter caused me to buy a pair of leather gloves, and now they’re a permanent part of my kit. They’re especially useful for my wilderness and mountain adventures. Also, wearing leather gloves makes you feel cool.
  • Baseball Cap Never owned a hat for the first 28 years of my life. Now I wear one every day. More of an aesthetic choice than practical. This minimalist $4 cap is perfect.

Miscellaneous

There are several items here that I rarely use, some intentionally (such as my first aid kit), and some because of where I’ve been spending my time (I don’t need a travel towel if I’m in a city). That said, this part of my kit has been stable for so long I don’t think it’s likely to change anytime.

  • RE:FORM RE:01 Wallet A super-thin minimalist wallet with a magnetic pouch for an Airtag and small items. Much thinner than my previous wallet, which was custom-built. The material this brand uses is incredibly durable, I’ve been using it for several years and it still looks brand new. Disclaimer: the founder sent me this wallet.
    • Amazon Prime credit card. A decent card that gets 5% back on some stuff and 1-2% on the rest. The main selling point for me is that it’s a minimalist metal card with no fees.
    • Apple Airtag. Just in case.
    • Also my ID, health insurance, bank cards, library cards and emergency cash.
  • Sunglasses A cheap pair of polarized sunglasses, stored in a custom microfiber pouch from a defunct eyewear startup I founded. Sunglasses are one of the only items that I break or lose frequently, so I no longer wear expensive ones.
  • True Utility Keytool An extremely compact multitool. Bought it over a decade ago and it’s the only item I own that’s been on me every day since. I’d categorize real-world usage at 15% bottle opener, 5% screwdriver, and 80% package opener. Not much else to say about it, except that over a thousand people have bought it from this Amazon affiliate link with zero returns.
  • Montbell Umbrella Weighs nothing and disappears in my bag. It’s not the most durable, and can be a bit more “involved” to deploy than a regular umbrella, so if I settle somewhere during a rainy season I’ll temporarily switch to more hefty cheap umbrella, often this one.
  • Matador Towel Small enough to fit in my fist but also large enough to work as a beach towel. Dries incredibly quick and lasts years. I basically never use this as I typically stay in places with towels, but I keep it as a “just in case” item.
  • Moleskine Black with blank pages. Moleskine sketchbooks have been on and off my list for the past decade. It’s nice using physical paper sometimes instead of only screens.
    • Staedtler Pigment Liner. 0.05mm, black. Best sketching pen on the planet
    • Bic Cristal. Black. There’s a reason this is the most popular pen ever made. I use it for writing, and on planes when they hand out immigration forms
  • Dopp Kit. As minimalist as a toiletry kit gets. Most items get cycled out every month or two. All stored in the Bellroy pencil case, along with first aid and other small items.
  • First Aid Kit. My FAK has reduced in size drastically over the past decade and now contains just the bare necessities. Everything is stuffed in a repurposed Altoids tin, which does get annoying to restock, so I sometimes resort to prepackaged Coleman kits.

    Please don’t use my kit as inspiration for yours; first aid needs vary by person, and you likely need things that I don’t carry (and you almost certainly do not need a mylar blanket). Start traveling with a fully stocked kit and whittle it down to the necessities through experience.
  • Miscellaneous small things. Crammed in my first aid kit or in random pockets around my bag.
    • Tech kit. Apple Pencil tips, Airtag batteries, etc
    • Passports and various documents

Outdoor gear

⚠️ Refresh still in progress.

The stuff I toss in my backpack for hiking trips, such as parts of the Pacific Crest Trail or volcanoes around the US and Central America. Was without this gear for the past several years, but starting in 2026 I’m going to make it a permanent part of my kit again.

Typically my outdoor gear weighs about 4lbs(1.8kg). I could bring the weight down, but over the past few years I’ve been prioritizing bag size and comfort over weight. During my 2018 thruhiking phase I found the ultralight mindset appealing, but since then my priorities have shifted to focus more on the overall experience, so weight is no longer the focus.

The most difficult part about traveling with backpacking gear is keeping it airport-friendly. Knives, fuel, tent stakes, and tent/trekking poles aren’t allowed in carry-on, and while carbon fiber stakes and poles can usually sneak through, it’s not reliable.

  • Lanshan 1. This is by a mile the best affordable ultralight tent, and has been for over a decade. It’s also everywhere, white-labeled under hundreds of brand names. I been able to find it for as low as $70, but even at $200 it’s worth it. My commitment to staying compact in addition to ultralight rules out most UL tents as they’re typically made out of bulky DCF. The Lofoten 2 is appealing but I’m hoping eventually I’ll find the time and resources to build my own.
  • Sleeping bag. No bag currently.
  • Thermarest NeoAir Uberlite. An ultralight sleeping pad that weighs less than my phone. Size small, which doesn’t cover my lower legs but is worth it for the volume and weight savings.
  • Nitecore NU25 UL. An ultralight headlamp that weighs virtually nothing, fits in my pocket and is charged via USB-C. Although it is objectively the best headlamp, it feels like cheap plastic.
  • Portable kitchen. Everything but the fuel fits within the mug, which is also the perfect size to cook a packet of ramen. May switch to an alcohol stove eventually.
  • Sawyer Mini water filter. Probably the most important and life-critical item on this list when I was hiking the PCT, but on other hikes it won’t be even used once. Depends on water access in the area.
  • Smartwater 1L bottle. Two, one carries sanitized water with a sports cap to backflush the water filter while the other carries raw water with the filter on top.

Thank you for reading!

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