The ABC’s of Getting to Asia: Backpacks

Backpack.

Anyone who knows me knows I spend way too much time on reddit. It’s a big waste of time. But sometimes there are exceptions. There’s a subreddit, /r/onebag, that is a community of people who have figured out how to travel indefinitely out of (you guessed it) one backpack.

After reading and lurking quite a bitearly this year, it started to dawn on me that this 3–4 month trip would be the best chance for me to try this out, at least for quite some time. So off I explored the chasms of the internet, looking for the ideal backpack to live out of.

Finding The Backpack

The tortuga setout 45L

So, it turns out, there are a ton of backpacks. But to cut it short, I ended up with the Tortuga setout 45L pack. It’s called a MLC pack (Maximum Legal Carry on), so its as big as (US) carriers will let on without making you check it. It also won some award that I had never heard of, so that was a good sign.

As the description says, it acts like a backpack but opens up like a suitcase, which is pretty nice (no digging in the bottom for what you want). Some packs have more organization in the maincompartment; the Setout just has two mesh pockets on the top flap. I like this. I put all my clothes, toiletries, travel books, sandals, packable daypack and external battery in this compartment.

front pocket

It also has two other compartments: one for travel knick-knacks and one for your laptop and papers. I used it pretty much how they discribed it. I’m not an organized person but I’m actually having pretty good luck keeping it neat and tidy, so kudos to them (or me).

Also, each of the zippers can be locked. The bag comes with a sternum strap and a hip belt, which makes it way more comfortable (read: less excruciating), when you decide to stuff the bag full, no matter the weight).

Packing the bag

So, true one baggers swear by Merino wool t-shirts, socks, and boxers. Merino wool is a miracle fabric, as it is quick-drying and anti-odor. People are able to wear the garments (especically) the shirts for 2–4 days without it becoming smelly, and so they only back 2–4 changes of clothes. There’s just one catch. One merino wool t-shirt ranges from $60–110 (like a blank white T). So I compromised: I found synthetic underwear that still advertised anti-microbial properties, I packed tri-blend shirts, and I got one pair of merino wool socks to complement my normal cotton ones.

Anyways, with the merino wool out of the way, here’s what I packed (with pictures!) Keep in mind that I took all of the pictures in my tiny capsule bunk, at night, using flash. So beware.

Clothes

Clothes!

Top left:

1. Two pairs cotton shorts
2. Pair of thin athletic shorts
3. Board shorts (no mesh. I can use my underwear and save the space)

Bottom left:

1. 3 pairs cotton no show socks (white)
2. 1 pair actual no show socks (blue, and kinda cropped out of the picture)
3. Darn tough merino wool blend socks (black)

Top middle:

1. Button down shirt (technical fabric, thin and quick dries) It says its an extreme slim fit, but I think thats to make modestly overweight guys feel better about themselves.

Middle Middle

1. 2 pairs Spyder performance boxer briefs (black). Found them at Marshalls, they said they were fast-drying, anti-odor, and were affordable, so I snagged them. They pack down to 1/4 the size of cotton boxers, which is nice.
2. 1 pair Uniqlo airism boxer briefs (blue). Again, fast drying, anti-odor, and affordable.
3. 1 Pair cotton boxers. Well, at some point not spending money is a good thing.

Bottom Middle:

1. 2 Triblend T-shirts (red + blue). Man, these things are soft. They aren’t merino wool, but they feel amazing, are fit for a skinny white guy, and are easy to pair with my bottoms.
2. Grey cotton t-shirt. Thin. Free.
3. Argentina Soccer Jersey. Figured having a synthetic shirt would be nice, and it’s always fun when people think I’m Argentinian.

Top right:

1. Slim fit stretch jeans (stretch helps comfort)
2. Stretch khaki joggers

Bottom Right:

1. Cotton hoodie.

Wearing:

1. Triblend t-Shirt
2. 2nd pair Uniqlo boxer briefs
3. Triblend sweatpants

Packable jackets

1. Patagonia Nano-puff. So popular it’s a meme now, but its warm, light, and synthetic down, so it’s okay to get it wet.
2. REI Rainer Jacket. Packable, breathable, waterproof rainjacket. Tick-tick-tick.
3. (and for some reason I took my first aid kit with this picture)

Other jacket: Gap field jacket.

Shoes

3 Pairs in total:

1. Teva sandals (but I don’t think they fit as well as I’ve convinced myself)
2. Adidas Pharrell Williams shoes (these look good and pack flat, so win-win)

1. Nike trainers (blue). Worn down, but that means I won’t feel bad if they get trashed on the trip. Not pictured.

Not clothes/shoes

Travel books, kindle, notebook. Here’s a hint kids. Don’t bring 8 pounds of tourbooks. Your back does not care that they look pretty and you like to collect them.

Gonex packable daypack. 0.4 lb and easy to shove into my main pack. Makes it so I don’t have to carry my whole pack with me everywhere.

Travel adapter, multi-tool, chap stick, flash drive, headphone splitter, external battery, clif bars.

Laptop (< 3 lb) and cat wallet (meow)

Empty bag with mesh pockets used for books + sandals

Packing cubes

On top of cubes

I’m running out of steam, but that’s basically it. I’m able to fit my life (including some superflourous things) into 45L, though the bag is just too heavy for me. I’ll hopefully be shipping homeone of my jackets, my tourbooks, and a pair of pants as it heats up. Really enjoyed the process researching this start to finish, and glad to see it through. Happy to answer any questions about this — just message me.