Everything I Own 2023

Nothing says ‘that weird time between Xmas and New Year’ more than an annual list of all the stuff I keep in a bag and carry with me like a totally normal person… right? Well even if nobody reads this I use it as a useful log of what I have / had, what worked and what was ditched quickly and when I discovered that perfect thing that still sparks joy (is Marie Kondo still a thing?).

I’m gonna mix this up slightly by just discussing the new stuff then pulling it all together with the weights table at the end. Starting with the thing I’m typing on right now; possibly the greatest laptop ever created…

Asus Expertbook B9

Let’s cover off the best bit first… this thing is 990g. It honestly feels like a toy holding the thing in one hand. This is, in itself, prettty cool but when you check out the specs on this bad boy you realise I’m not overstating how perfect this machine is (at least for me);

• 13th gen 10-core i7 processor
• 32GB RAM (sweet)
• 2TB SSD (very rare to find this)
• 2880 x 1800 OLED screen
• 2x USB-C and 1x USB-A ports
• full HDMI port (rare these days)
• 1080p camera (Windows Hello)
• awesome (Dolby) audio
• US Mil-Std certified (tough)

This thing runs like a dream, almost silent and barely any heat output – save for high performance activities but with a beefy processor these don’t take long anyway. The keyboard is a delight with a perfect amount of depth and response, and the trackpad becomes a numberpad with the flick of a switch (if you need such a thing).

It replaces my 6+ year old, 1248g HP Spectre x360 which has been a wonderful machine but the 8th gen core i7 processor was struggling with Windows 11 and I had outgrown the 1TB SSD (relying heavily on cloud storage).

The Asus doesn’t have a touch screen but I’m old so rarely used that anyway – plus I can throw away my barely touched 16g HP touch-pen and even the 10g HDMI adapter. The Dolby audio output is better than my 62g Anker Soudcore Ace 0 portable speaker so that’s gone too (although I seldom used it anyway). All up that’s 346g shaved.

OK so this thing wasn’t cheap at $3249 AUD (on sale from $3649!) but it just ticks so many boxes. Suffice to say I absolutely love it and given that my livelihood depends on my laptop I reckon it’s justifiable.

Lowe Alpine Escape Flight 36L

This bag was a recommendation from the good folks over at /r/onebag. I have loved my 3.5-yr old Minaal 3.0 35L backpack but – to me – it feel unnecessarily heavy at 1491g or 1555g with rain cover. It has some superb features but I still miss my good old Tortuga Air from a decade back which weighed in at just 1030g for 35L.

Enter the Escape Flight 36L from Rab (branded Lowe Alpine; a brand I remember from my childhood in the UK). This thing weighs just 967g (although it does ship with a removable 73g shoulder strap that I don’t use).

This bag cost me just $189 AUD shipped (as opposed to the $521 AUD asking price on the Minaal right now – plus $51 shipping!) making it a budgetworthy offering.

Features-wise the Escape 36L is very much like a pared down Minaal. It opens the same way with a ‘scoop’ clamshell from the base of the bag, although the Escape has a zippered mesh section to the entire internal front whereas the Minaal has two zippered mesh sections to the internal back. There is no other organisation internally (save for the 2 internal compression straps) which does mean you’ll be relying more heavily on packing cubes (fine by me).

The top easy access pocket is the full width of the bag and maybe 1.5L but the zip is not the full width of the pocket making access a little trickier than the two easy access pockets on the Minaal. The laptop sleeve is minimal but padded and features the all-critical false bottom, it’s a long way from the Minaal Nest but it’s the absence of features like these that provide the weight saving and my new laptop in US Mil-std ruggedised anyway.

The straps are padded and comfortable (although thinner than the Minaal) and they can also be stashed in to compartments on the back enabling the bag to be used as a duffle (although stuffing the straps in to their requisite compartments can be tricky when the bag is full). The Minaal wins again here as the zip cover provides a much simple means of achieving the strap-free look although this is a feature I never used anyway as I always carry as a backpack. There are no load lifters but there’s a capable sternum strap and fully loaded the bag feels very comfortable and secure – possibly even moreso than the Minaal.

The Escape has a side mesh water bottle pocket which is actually better than that on the Minaal offering good stretch. There’s also a hidden passport pocket in the laptop sleeve but again, not on a par with the Minaal’s secret passport zipper on the back of the bag. Finally the bag is not waterproof and there’s no rain cover but thankfully the Minaal rain cover fits perfectly and it’s just 64g.

The dimensions are 55 x 33 x 23 which makes the bag compliant with most carry-on dimension requirements and very similar to Minaal’s 55 x 35 x 20… which makes you wonder where the extra 1L comes from…

All that said; I bought this bag for the capacity/weight ratio which is superb at 26.8g per litre – the extra 1L capacity is actually noticable because my gear, which was something of a struggle to squeeze in to the Minaal, fits in the Escape with ease. I’ve not tried the bag on a proper trip as yet (recent acquisition) but I am excited to. The weight saving here is 524g (allowing for the 64g rain cover).

Lencent 20W Universal Travel Charger

I knew someone would eventually make a lightweight universal travel charger for smartphones. The bricks usually pedalled as ‘universal travel chargers’ usually weigh more than 150g – this baby is just 61g which is less than the actual 20w charger that came with my phone. Actually sorry – this was an Apple device so it was sold separately – silly me.

The Lencent not only works in (almost) every country (offering UK, AU, US and EU charging pins) it also has both a USB-A and USB-C charging port (although only a 20W output so no fast charging two phones at once, all for a very reasonable $30 AUD. I have tested this on a couple of trips now and I’m delighted with it.

Lululemon ABC Slim-Fit 5-Pocket Pants

That is not a name I ever imagined I’d be typing in to my blog and yet… here I am; a corporate sellout in remarkably comfy pants.

And they are that. Rumour has it the ABC used to stand for ‘Anti Ball Crushing’ (although this has since been rebranded ‘Always Be Comfortable’) suffice to say the fit is superb and the four-way stretch allows for easy and comfortable movement. There is a hidden zippered pocket in the back and a neat keys/coins pocket in the front.

The ‘Warpstreme’ material is (very) breathable, anti wrinkle, quick drying, smoother than most travel pants, snag (and cat claw) resistant. It looks sharp and works just as well in a boardroom as ‘bored at home’. It’s not *amazing* in cold weather but it excels in heat.

These pants are available in a classic ‘formal’ pocket configuration (as opposed to the 5-pocket jeans style) and in regular fit (as opposed to the slim fit) but the differences are negligible (particularly in black) and paired with a belt and shirt these are perfectly fine for the few days of the year I’m in the office.

Despite multiple recommendations over the years, one of my hesitations with Lululemon has been their environmental credentials but they seem to have upped their game significantly in the last few years – releasing a Social Impact report that is genuinely impressive. I am also erring towards locally available products since I have spent an arm and a leg on international shipping and import taxes over the years. These pants are available in Australia for $129 AUD.

This is one of the two reasons I turned my back on my beloved Western Rise. I wore their Evolution 1.0 pants for many years and even had 4 pairs at one point but these pants now cost a whopping $265 AUD delivered. Worse than this the upgrade to Evolution 2.0 has involved a material changed from [96% Nylon / 4% Elastane] to [90% Nylon / 10% Elastane] leavingh the pants feeling noticably more synthetic. The ‘swishy’ noise is much more annoying and the comfort level is reduced. It’s a real shame as I their ‘onebag travel’ approach to product design is one I can absolutely get behind but these are no longer in my case of travelling pants.

The Lululemon pants weigh in at 398g as opposed to the 316g WR Evolution 1.0 (and 355g for WR Evolution 2.0) although this is offset as I only have two pairs (instead of the previous 3 WRs). That said – I may have to invest in something (likely heavy) for colder weather at some point.

Lululemon Commission Short 9″

So it turns out I’m a corporate sellout in remarkably comfy shorts too. Who knew that the clothes everyone else was buying were actually excellent technical performers and reasonably priced?

After almost 8 years my Outlier New Way Longs were just about done (zippers were shot), and Outlier only make the New Way Shorts these days (at $289 AUD delivered!) so an alternative was required.

The Commission relates to the ‘chino’ style pocket configuruation (i.e. not 5 pocket) but these shorts only come in this style and the pocket configuration is actually pretty great with a perfectly formed phone slip inside the front right pocket and a zippered pocket (for wallet and keys) in the front left pocket too.

The ‘WovenAir’ material is even more breathable than the ‘Warpstreme’ so much so that it has visible tiny holes in it (that thankfully don’t make the shorts see-through). This makes the material very quick drying and very light at just 234g a pair (as opposed to the Outlier NWL 277g). They’re a similar length too – at 9″ which is more of a boardshort than a short-short.

The fit adopts the ‘ABC’ technology of the pants which makes them very comfortable although they don’t have quite the ‘heavy’ drape of the Outlier shorts and don’t feel like they have quite the same durability. That said replacement is significantly more plausible at $79 AUD delivered per pair (a 72% cost saving over Outlier).

Citizen Wolf Merino V-neck Tee

My beloved Outlier Ultrafine Merino tees were sporting extra ventilation even at the end of last year and I hadn’t sourced a solution. This is mostly because the Outlier McKenzie 200gsm merino is untouchable, simply the best material out there. However each tee is now $258 AUD delivered so that’s another big nope from my quietly weeping credit card.

Citizen Wolf (a Sydney based startup) make custom fit tees using their patented ‘magic-fit’ combined with a trial and error free returns period and laser perfect cutting for future orders once the perfect fit is established.

The custom fit extends to the removal of scratchy labels (which I’ve never understood) and they offer a V-neck which I favour greatly. This of course means the fit cannot be faulted – it’s literally perfect.

They also make the tees in Sydney (how rare is that?) which massively reduces the environmental impact.

All up they are *almost* perfect… except the 150gsm merino they use (also Australian) just isn’t quite as soft and beautiful as Outlier’s. It is, however, comfortable, breathable, crease resistant, odour resistant, quick drying (quicker than Outlier) and pretty awesome. It’s also lighter (143g as opposed to Outlier’s 180g) and 42% cheaper at $149 delivered. Given the weight saving I’ve swapped out my 6 Outlier tees (1080g) for 7 CW tees (1001g) and thus far I’m feeling pretty happy with my decision.

Allbirds Trino Trunk

I really did try to love the super lightweight Uniqlo AIRism boxers – especially after so many rave reviews, but ultimately they’re still synthetic and while that works for some things… it doesn’t work there for me. I guess I’ve always been a natural materials kinda guy (hell my first blog post in 2015 was about the benefits of merino wool).

I wasn’t keen to go back to Icebreaker Anatomica having ditched them last year for durability issues so I was looking for a natural, lightweight, breathable, fitted, alternative; enter Allbirds Trino Trunk.

The Trino trunk is actually 65% tencel, 28% merino and 7% spandex but that still makes it 93% natural and remarkably cost effective at $36 AUD delivered when compared with entirely merino boxers.

The fit is remarkably excellent (snug in all the right places) and pilling is, thus far, minimal.

The weight is good at 64g although this is a sizeable increase on the Uniqlo AIRism 41g – 512g as opposed to 328g for all 8 pairs. It’s still better than the 70g Icebreaker Anatomica, the 74g Unbound boxers and the 85g Wool & Prince boxers.

Darn Tough Tactical Socks

I’ve been wearing Darn Tough socks for a while now but a recent new release attracted my attention; the all black Tactical brand. These are higher merino content [55% Merino / 43% Nylon / 2% Lycra] as opposed to the Light Hiker [43% Merino / 54% Nylon / 3% Lycra], this is particularly imortant for high friction clothing where a high nylon content can cause pilling.

The Tactical socks are also available in quarter length (halfway between crew and no-show) which creates a much more satisfactory seal above the ankle, frustrating bastard mozzies and reducing the amount of forest floor carried home after a hike.

They are available with confusing levels of ‘weight’ and ‘cushion’. I opted for:

3 pairs of lightweight no cushion quarter length ‘T4093’ 48g (for summer)

2 pairs of lightweight no cushion micro crew length ‘T4018’ 69g (for formal) and

2 pairs of midweight cushion micro crew ‘T4066’ 81g (for Winter / planes).

This all means I do indeed still have 7 pairs of socks 🙂 weighing in at 444g, a whopping 80g more than last years 364g but hopefully these will suit my use cases better and pill less too.

Matador Soap Case

Having discovered a single bar of soap that can do it all (Tilley’s coal tar soap – made in Australia), I needed to find a soap case that would work for Onebag travel.

The Matador Flatpak Soap Bar Case is designed for exactly that; offering dry-through technology (enabling the soap to dry out without making a soapy mess inside your Dopp kit) this thing fits the Tilleys 100g perfectly.

Despite being manufactured in the US there are Australian retailers including the awesome Rokolife who sourced mine for $25 AUD.

And that’s it for new stuff. I ditched a couple of things that weren’t being used like the Sea to Summit dry bag (clothes just get washed in the sink), the Griffin car charger (cars have USB ports these days), the Anker battery (less relevant now that the iPhone battery lasts so long) and my Ice watch (battery ran out and I didn’t miss it).

So with those changes in mind here’s the final weight tally:

The big ol’ geeky table of weight

	CLOTHES
6	Outlier Ultrafine Merino Tee (195 gsm) (1x worn)	180	1080
7	NEW Citizen Wolf Merino V-neck Custom Fit Tee (150 gsm) (1x worn)	143	1001
1	Icebreaker Elemental Zip Hoodie (330 gsm)		590
1	Ridge Merino Hyde Hoodie (275 gsm) (worn)		482
1	Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody		358
2	Libertad Merino Travel Shirt (130 gsm)	230	460
1	prAna Brion Pants		328
3	Western Rise Evolution Pants (1x worn)	316	948
2	NEW Lululemon ABC Slim-Fit 5-Pocket Pants (1x worn)	398	796
1	Icebreaker Merino Oasis Leggings (200 gsm)		168
2	Outlier New Way Longs	277	554
2	NEW Lululemon Commission Classic-Fit Short 9″	234	468
8	Uniqlo AIRism Low Rise Boxer Briefs (1x worn)	41	328
8	NEW Allbirds Trino Trunk (1x worn)	64	512
3	Darn Tough Light Hiker Crew Socks (1x worn)	60	120
4	Darn Tough Light Hiker Ankle Socks	46	184
3	NEW Darn Tough Lightweight No Cushion Quarter Socks	48	144
2	NEW Darn Tough Lightweight No Cushion Micro Crew Socks	69	138
2	NEW Darn Tough Midweight Cushion Micro Crew Socks (1x worn)	81	162
1	Icebreaker Merino Sierra Gloves (200 gsm)		30
1	Icebreaker Merino Pocket Beanie (200 gsm)		40
1	Buffwear Merino Buff (125 gsm)		47
1	Vivobarefoot Ra II Shoes		510
1	Adidas Ultraboost 22 Trainers (worn)		660
1	Adidas Adilette Aqua Slides Sandals		278
1	Plain Black Belt		109
1	Sunday Afternoons Aerial Cap		48
41	TOTAL CLOTHING		7329

So that’s 1828g worn and 5501g carried – very similar to last year’s 1739g worn / 5583g carried / 7322g total, but if I end up buying a pair of Winter pants that’ll blow it. I might experiment with the Icebreaker leggings and Lululemon ABCs when the cold weather returns… another pair of leggings would be lighter and more flexible than a pair of winter only pants.

As for the rest:

	BAG
1	Minaal 3.0 Carry On 35L Backpack 55x35x20		1555
1	NEW Lowe Alpine Escape Flight 36L 55x33x23		967
			967
	DOPP
1	Sea To Summit Silnylon Traveling Light Washbag Small		44
1	Ritter 0-Cut Mini Trimmer (118g 6mm head 2g, 1mm head 2g) USB-C		122
1	Xiaomi H3 2-in-1 Personal Trimmer (60g, head 3g) USB-Micro		63
1	Xiaomi Mijia T100 Electronic toothbrush (40g, head 5g) USB-Micro		45
1	Xiaomi Mijia T100 Toothbrush Heads (x2)		10
1	Seki Edge Stainless Steel Nail Clippers		32
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Tweezers		10
1	The Crystal Deodorant Ammonium Alum 40g		64
1	Shampoo 50ml (in Muji 12g poly tube) Replaced with Tilleys Soap		70
1	NEW Tilleys Soap Bar (100g) in Matador Soap Case (11g)		111
1	Sunscreen 30ml (in Muji 8g poly tube)		42
1	Hand Moisturiser 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)		14
1	Hair Muk 10ml (in Muji 20g plastic tub)		37
1	Toothpaste 20g		24
1	Hearos Earplugs (x5 pairs)		4
1	Interdental Flossers		3
1	Tablets (Antihistamine / Loperamide / Ibuprofen)		20
1	Sewing Kit (Needles & Thread, Buttons, Safety Pins)		8
			653
	GEAR
1	NEW Eagle Creek Isolate Quick Trip XS (Bought a 2nd for misc gear)		47
1	Hearos earplugs in case		6
1	Pocket Tissues		24
1	Relight My Fire Little Spork		8
1	Bic Mutifunction 4 Colour Ballpoint Pen		12
1	Uniball Micro Blue Rollerball Pen		11
1	Sharpie Permanent Marker		8
1	Spare Keys		22
1	Titanium Pocket Bit Screwdriver Keyring		4
1	Muji Double Zip Pouch (Small)		15
1	Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Drybag Didn’t use this enough		30
1	Nite-Ize S-Biner Carabiner #2		7
			164
	DOCUMENTS
1	Sea to Summit TPU Guide IPX8 Accessory Case (Small) Too fiddly		18
1	Passport AU		38
1	Passport UK		34
1	Documents, Mugshots & Spare Credit Cards Cancelled old cards		43
			72
	OSK
1	Lii Gear Black Hole Stash		22
1	Paracetamol		12
1	Plasters		5
1	Antiseptic Cream 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)		18
1	Hydrocortisone 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)		18
1	Sunscreen 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)		18
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Tweezers		10
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Nail Clippers Ultra Slim		15
			118
	LAPTOP
1	HP Spectre x360 – 13-ae003na (i7-8550U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)		1238
1	NEW Asus ExpertBook B9 KM0126X (i7-1355U, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD)		990
			990
	TECH
1	Eagle Creek Isolate Quick Trip XS		47
1	Mopoint 65W 3-Port GaN charger w AU, UK & EU adapters		163
1	HP Tilt Stylus Pen No longer needed as new laptop is non touch		14
1	Anker Soundbuds Slim+ Bluetooth Headphones USB-Micro		15
1	Anker Soundcore Ace A0 Bluetooth Speaker Didn’t use this enough		62
1	K10 Bluetooth Headset USB-Micro		19
1	Anker Powercore+ Mini 3350mAh Battery Didn’t use this enough		84
1	Swiftpoint ProPoint 600 Bluetooth Mouse		24
3	Patriot Supersonic Rage Elite 1TB USB-A 3.0 Flashdrive	10	30
1	Apple Charger USB-A 5W AU Replaced with Lencent		28
1	NEW Lencent 20W 2-Port Universal Travel Charger		61
1	Griffin Power Jolt Car Charger 2x USB-A 5W Didn’t use this enough		12
1	Anker Powerline II USB-C 2.0 to USB-C 200cm Cable		54
1	Mbeat USB-C 2.0 to USB-C 100cm Cable Lost this		27
1	Amzer USB-A 1.0 to USB-Micro 100cm Retractable Cable		20
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to Lightning 10cm Cable		7
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to USB-C 10cm Cable		9
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to USB-A 10cm Cable		11
2	Amazon Basics USB-C 3.1 to USB-Micro 10cm Cable	6	12
1	Eruw USB-A 2.0 to USB-Micro 10cm Cable		7
1	Apple USB-C to Lightning 100cm Cable		19
1	HDMI 4K female to USB-C male Adapter No longer needed		10
1	USB-A 3.0 female to USB-C male Adapter		7
1	USB-C female to USB-Micro male Adapter		3
1	USB-C female to USB-A 3.0 male Adapter		4
1	USB-C female to Lightning male Adapter		2
1	USB-Micro female to USB-C male Adapter		1
1	USB-Micro female to Lightning male Adapter Stopped working		2
1	USB-A Charger for SwiftPoint ProPoint 600 Adapter		3
1	Sony Anti-static Cloth		14
1	Ultimate Ears 600vi Wired Headphones (w Lightning Adapter)		20
			552
	OTHER
1	Montbell Travel Umbrella		87
1	Montbell Tachyon Parka Raincoat		72
1	Sea to Summit Airlite Towel Medium (100 x 50)		47
1	Sea To Summit Ultra Sil Nano Daypack		30
1	Khawy Cork Massage Ball		43
1	Maui Jim Sugar Beach Sunglasses		14
1	Maui Jim Sunglasses Case		53
1	Minaal Rain Cover		64
			410
	EVERY DAY CARRY
1	Apple iPhone 13 Pro 512GB (204g, case 30g)		234
1	Ice Watch The battery ran out and I didn’t miss it		46
1	Slimfold Micro Soft Shell RFID Wallet		78
			312
	PACKING CUBES
1	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Large Cube (pants, shorts & shirts)		28
2	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Medium Cube (boxers & socks / tees)	18	36
2	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Small Cube (cold weather gear / other)	14	28
1	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Tube Cube (shoes)		19
			111
82	TOTAL		4349

So my gear weight decreased from 5317g to just 4349g (mostly thanks to saving 524g on the bag and 346g on the laptop). This makes carried weight just 9850g; under the 10kg limit for the first time in almost 12 years of onebag travel!

Thanks for reading – I hope you found something useful.

Everything I Own 2022

Once again I find myself humbled that folks are keen to read my little blog and chase me for the 2022 update. I do appreciate you. It has also been pointed out to me that a blog with a single post per annum is the ultimate in minimalism, while this wasn’t quite my intention… I kinda like it.

So it’s January 2023 and the world is finally opening up again, international travel is an option once more. I’ve made a few long-haul flights this year – for catchups with family rather than discovering far off new places but I feel like that is coming once again. Time to hone my bag contents and see what weight I can shave off for the coming year.

Clothes

I finally took the plunge and ditched my Brook Taverner suit. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while you will know this has been coming. Covid left many of us working from home and while the return to office culture has restarted it won’t ever be the same again. For my part I relocated during the midst of Covid for cheaper rent and a better quality of life, thankfully when the call back to base came my employer was happy for me to continue remotely most of the time. I now only head in to the office every few months so keeping a suit for a handful of office days a year made no sense. I have found my Western Rise Evolution Pants with a belt, paired with a Libertad Merino Travel Shirt makes for perfectly acceptable work attire. To this end I purchased an extra pair of the newer (more formal) Western Rise Evolution pants so I have a ‘spare’ office outfit.

Boxers

I became aware that I was replacing my 7 pairs of Icebreaker Anatomica Merino Boxers a little too regularly; 5 times in the 8 years I have been maintaining this blog which is pretty expensive at over $50 a pair. I did a bit of research and one of the most popular boxer shorts with the onebag community are Uniqlo AIRism Low Rise Boxer Briefs praised for their durability and comfort in hot weather. Given that my Covid relocation had taken me even closer to the equator it felt like a worthwhile experiment.

Uniqlo AIRism Low Rise Boxer Briefs

Of course, the first hurdle for me was that they are not merino. If you’d have told me a year ago that I would even entertain the thought of synthetic underwear I’d have scoffed but, in this case, it’s the poly/elastane mix that gives the AIRism the very qualities I was seeking. They are incredibly comfortable (almost silky) and form-fitting, they are superior than merino in temperature management (and don’t fail in cold weather either – as tested during a particularly bleak UK xmas). They cannot be worn as long as merino and need washing after a day – but then this was my default with the Anatomicas anyway (given the opportunity who wouldn’t wash daily?) Thankfully the AIRisms handwash very easily and dry significantly quicker than even merino. They feel far more durable when wringing and have shown no degradation in the 6 months I’ve been wearing them.

As icing on the cake the AIRisms weigh just 41g per pair (compared to the Anatomica’s 68g) and they cost just $14.90 AU per pair (compared to the Anatomica’s $54.99 AU). That’s a saving of 189g and $280.63 for 7 pairs. Not to be sniffed at! I felt that with savings like that I could even splash out on an extra pair so for the first time in over a decade I now have enough underwear to do a full week’s washing while fully clothed. It’s very exciting.

Socks

Darn Tough Light Hiker Crew Socks

My Silverlight socks did not wear out – in fact they show very little sign of age (so +1 for durability) but they are hiking socks, not everyday socks. They certainly aren’t ideal for lounging around in (due to the compression) and they’re actually on the heavy side for socks at 84g for crew and 55g for ankle socks.

Enter Darn Tough. Yes once again a Onebag staple and probably a brand you’ve likely heard the believers fawning over before. I’ve actually not had a great experience with Darn Tough previously but I was advised that this was because I had purchased the wrong style and that the ‘Basic Light’ socks (which have no cushioning) inevitably develop holes. Apparently the best socks for all round use (office/home/hiking) are the Darn Tough Light Hiker variety which do have some cushioning. These weigh in at 60g for the crew and 46g for the ankle so a 99g saving for 3 of each.

I am currently 6 months in to the switch and so far I’m very pleased. No signs of age bar a bit of pilling and both styles are very comfortable. In addition the ankle socks are far more sensibly fitted around the ankle leading to far less bushland content ending up in the sock after a trek. Once again with such a weight saving I felt the need to blow some of it on an extra pair so I am now the proud owner of 7 pairs of socks too… which may very well the the most mundane sentence I ever typed.

Tees

Outlier Ultrafine Merino Cut One Tee

I have been wearing exclusively Outlier Ultrafine Merino tees for nearly 9 years now, I replaced all 6 only once in that period, but they are about due – with almost all of them now sporting additional ventilation in the underarm. These tees are fantastic, incredibly soft, super breathable, and superb fit but they are very expensive at $120 USD / $180AUD. While spending over a grand on 6 tees seems perfectly normal (!) I felt it wise to at least examine the alternatives this time, especially given that the lifespan of a set of 6 (worn every day now) is around 4.5 years (or 274 wears per tee / 66c per wear).

Prior to discovering Outlier I wore Icebreaker Tech Tee Lites. In those days they were ‘merino core’ (78% merino around a 22% polyester structure) which gave them a ‘plasticy’ sheen. These days Icebreaker offer 100% merino Tech Tee Lite IIs so I ordered one to test it. Immediately I recalled the ‘flappy’ arms which annoyed me almost a decade back. I was also aware that the breathability of the Icebreaker 150gsm merino was noticeably less than the Outlier’s 195gs. while this may seem counter-intuitive I assume it’s down to the quality of merino used by Outlier (17.5 micron compared to Icebreaker’s 18.9 micron). Finally the drape of the tech tee is nowhere near that of the Outlier. Its a huge shame because they’re based in NZ and the tees are just $100 AUD (when not on offer).

Icebreaker do offer a hot weather equivalent of the tech tee in the Sphere II Tee which offers ‘cool lite’ technology. This boils down to a 60% TENCEL / 40% merino mix and split hems for extra breathability. I did find this material more breathable but it retains the flappy arms of the tech tee and still loses to the drape of the Outlier UF with just 150g material. The Sphere also has less potential for multi-day wears due to the low merino content. That said it’s still miles ahead of poly or cotton.

Next up I was so keen to fall head-over-heels for Sydney company Citizen Wolf who offer a custom fit based on ‘Magic Fit’ technology and free alterations. They also retain your measurements so future tees fit perfectly. Their merino offering is even thinner than Icebreakers at 145g but they do offer a v-neck which I’ve always favoured, and they really did go the extra mile to make sure my tee was a perfect fit – with two separate (free) alterations. Frankly the end result would be damn near perfect… had I not experienced the wonder of Outlier’s material. Everything feels cheap and seems to run hot in comparison. Perhaps I’ve been spolied…

So here I sit with holy merino tees Batman. Still on the hunt and open to suggestion dear readers.

Trainers

Adidas Ultraboost 22

My Merrell Bare Access XTR Trail Runners (480g) failed unfortunately quickly after wading through a deluge during the Queensland floods of early 2021. In fairness they were likely never designed for that kind of thrashing but they never thoroughly dried and instead turned in to stinky squeakers – attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. In a break from the norm I once again turned to the Onebag community for recommendation and ended up splashing out on a pair of Adidas Ultraboost 22s (660g). The general opinion is that these shoes are all-rounders, suitable for urban environs, light trekking and possibly even office wear if you’re brave. I have tried these in all three and can confirm that they are OK but let’s be honest – there will never be a single pair of shoes for everything. The Ultraboosts seem less grippy than my Nike runners of old so trekking can get a bit nervy, and they’re patently trainers so work colleagues either think you’re slack or unsackable. I favour the latter. They’re also heavier than the Merrells but since they are worn weight, this is less of an issue.

Adidas Adilette Aqua Slide Sandals

The dramatic waters of early 2021 persuaded me that I ought to also have some wet weather footwear so I went backwards on my 2019 decision to ditch the sandals and procured a pair of plastic slip-ons from Adidas aptly named after my recent water-park-esque adventures; Adidas Adilette Aqua Slides. They’re cheap, light (278g) and functional… and I actually wear them more than I imagined as they’re easy to slip on when taking the garbage out or collecting the mail. Apparently they’re also fashionable too which is very important to me as I’ve always been at the very peak of fashion.

Hoodie

Ridge Merino Hyde Zip Hoodie

I’ve been carrying 2 Icebreaker Elemental Zip Hoodies for 3 years now, they’re very warm and very comfy but also very heavy (590g) and they’ve developed pilling like no other hoodie I’ve ever owned so it was time to switch one out for something more suited to general use. Following a personal recommendation I ordered a Ridge Merino Hyde Hoodie (482g) and it’s been pretty much perfect; at 275gsm it’s thinner than the Icebreaker’s 330gsm and it packs down much smaller than the Elemental. In fact I’d say the difference in thickness was greater than just 55gsm but the warmth factor is superb for cool evenings and long-haul flights. The thumbholes are a godsend (why don’t more hoodies have these?) and the chest zipper is big enough for a phone (whereas the Elemental has no such pocket). Thus far pilling seems to be limited to the stitching although this has made the hoodie look ‘worn’ fairly quickly.

Everything else has held up:

6	Outlier Ultrafine Merino Tee (195 gsm) (1x worn)	180	1080
2 1	Icebreaker Elemental Zip Hoodie (330 gsm)	590	590	1 Fewer
1	Ridge Merino Hyde Hoodie (worn)	482	482	New
1	Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody	358	358
2	Libertad Merino Travel Shirt (130 gsm)	230	460
1 0	Brook Taverner Cassino Suit Jacket (for work / formals)	623	623	Ditched
1 0	Brook Taverner Cassino Suit Trouser (for work / formals)	335	335	Ditched
1	prAna Brion Pants	328	328
2 3	Western Rise Evolution Pants (1x worn)	316	948	1 More
1	Icebreaker Merino Oasis Leggings (200 gsm)	168	168
2	Outlier New Way Longs	277	554
7 0	Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers (150 gsm)	68	476	Ditched
8	Uniqlo AIRism Low Rise Boxer Briefs (1x worn)	41	328	New
3 0	Silverlight Crew Hiking Socks	84	252	Ditched
3 0	Silverlight Ankle Hiking Socks	55	165	Ditched
3	Darn Tough Light Hiker Crew Socks (1x worn)	60	120	New
4	Darn Tough Light Hiker Ankle Socks	46	184	New
1	Icebreaker Merino Sierra Gloves (200 gsm)	30	30
1	Icebreaker Merino Pocket Beanie (200 gsm)	40	40
1	Buffwear Merino Buff (125 gsm)	47	47
1	Vivobarefoot Ra II Shoes	510	510
1 0	Merrell Bare Access XTR Trail Runners	480	480	Ditched
1	Adidas Ultraboost 22 Trainers (worn)	660	660	New
1	Adidas Adilette Aqua Slides Sandals	278	278	New
1	Calvin Klein Plain Black Belt	109	109
1 0	Ciro Citterio Silver Tie (for work / formals)	61	61	Ditched
1	Sunday Afternoons Aerial Cap	48	48
41	TOTAL CLOTHING		7322

So 7322g total (1739g worn / 5583 carried) down from 7936g total last year; a 614g saving.

Non Clothing

New OSK

After many years of loyal service I have retired my Eagle Creek Zip stash pouch in favour of a more rugged dyneema pouch called a Lii Gear Black Hole Stash. I realised that the primary use case for my OSK was trekking, and that many of the things I carried on my treks were not useful in that environment (like Lemsip!) whereas many of the things I would need were missing (like sunscreen).

Ideally I would carry three Muji 12ml poly tubes containing; emergency sunscreen, antiseptic and cortisone (for bites), I would also need space for plasters, tweezers and pain killers. Ideally the OSK would be zipped along the short edge (or top) allowing easy access to the three poly tubes and side pockets

Enter the Lii Gear Black Hole. It took a while to find and it’s likely over-engineered for what I need but it’s perfectly formed for my requirements and while a little heavier than the Zip Stash at 22g (compared to 16g) it feel ruggedised and like it could withstand anything. It’s not waterproof but neither was the Zip Stash.

This new OSK has led to some of my previously carried items being ditched (Lemsip) or relegated to the Dopp kit (Loperamide / Antihistamine).

Mini Trimmer

Ritter 0-Cut Mini Trimmer

So who else tried cutting their hair or getting a loved one to risk the future of the relationship in the name of reducing the Chewbacca look? In fairness my SO did a sterling job but it would have been far easier with a 6mm trimmer (as used by barbers). in addition, Covid taught me that I prefer having stubble over clean shaven – so it was time to find a lightweight trimmer that could do both.

The Ritter 0-Cut Mini Trimmer is a nifty little thing, it charges via USB-C (although not PD) and it comes with 1mm, 3mm and 6mm combs. The battery seems to last around 6 weeks between charges, it’s very quiet when running and unlike many similar devices, it cuts sharp and is easy to clean. I travel with the 1mm comb fitted to protect the blade but it feels pretty rugged too.

iPhone 13

I treated myself to a new iPhone 13 Pro. The iPhone 8 was beginning to show its age in terms of photographs (which I do prize when travelling) and the (third) battery was on it’s way too. It was time. I’m not going to wax lyrical about the benefits of Apple products because I have a feeling they may survive without my praise but the heavier phone took a while to get used to… surely we should be heading for lighter not heavier technology improvements?

The rest

No changes to my tech bag at all – remarkably. I ditched the masks because medical masks are better, I ditched the PVC spiky ball in favour of a Cork Massage Ball because cork is better for my shoulder and I ditched the Earthside re-usable Q-Tip because the tip literally fell off – best avoided. Beyond that very little change. I’m still carrying my trusty HP Spectre X360 after over 5 years (although I feel the time may be coming for an upgrade). Here’s the full list of gear for 2022:

	BAG
1	Minaal 3.0 Carry On 35L Backpack 55x35x20	1555
		1555
	DOPP
1	Sea To Summit Silnylon Traveling Light Washbag (Small)	44
1	The Crystal Deodorant Ammonium Alum 40g	64
1	Xiaomi H3 2-in-1 Personal Trimmer (60g, head 3g)	63
1	DITCHED Xiaomi Home Mi USB-C Shaver (88g, band 2g, brush 2g)	92
1	NEW Ritter 0-Cut Mini Trimmer (118g 6mm head 2g, 1mm head 2g)	122
1	Xiaomi Mijia T100 USB-Micro Electronic toothbrush (40g, head 5g)	45
1	Xiaomi Mijia Toothbrush Heads (x2)	10
1	Seki Edge Stainless Steel Nail Clippers	32
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Tweezers	10
1	Hearos Earplugs (x5 pairs)	4
1	Biodegradable Interdental Flossers (x3)	3
1	DITCHED Earthsider Reusable Swab Q-Tip	2
1	Toothpaste 20g	24
1	Shampoo 50ml (in Muji 12g poly tube)	70
1	Sunscreen 30ml (in Muji 8g poly tube)	42
1	Hand Moisturiser 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	14
1	MOVED TO OSK Hydrocortisone 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	14
1	Hair Muk 10ml (in Muji 20g plastic tub)	37
1	MOVED FROM OSK Antihistamine	2
1	MOVED FROM OSK Loperamide	3
1	MOVED FROM OSK Sewing Kit (Needles & Thread, Buttons, Safety Pins)	8
1	MOVED FROM OSK Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Nail Clippers Ultra Slim	15
		612
	GEAR
1	Hearos earplugs in Case	6
1	Pocket Tissues	24
1	DITCHED Saccharin Sweetener	20
1	Relight My Fire Little Spork	8
1	Bic Pen Mutifunction 4 Colour Ballpoint Pen	12
1	Uniball Micro Blue Rollerball Pen	11
1	Sharpie Permanent Marker	8
1	Maui Jim Sunglasses Case and Cloth	53
1	Maui Jim Sugar Beach Sunglasses	14
1	Keys	22
1	Montbell Travel Umbrella	87
1	Montbell Tachyon Parka Raincoat	72
1	Muji Double Zip Pouch (Small)	15
1	DITCHED Masque Co Poly/Spandex Mask	10
1	Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Drybag	30
1	Nite-Ize S-Biner Carabiner #2	7
		369
	DOCUMENTS
1	Sea to Summit TPU Guide IPX8 Water Resistant Accessory Case (Small)	18
1	Passport AU	38
1	Passport UK	34
1	Documents, Mugshots & Spare Credit Cards in Poly Pocket	43
		133
	OSK
1	NEW Lii Gear Stash	22
1	DITCHED Eagle Creek Zip Stash Pouch	16
1	Paracetamol	12
1	Ibuprofen	12
1	MOVED TO DOPP Antihistamine	2
1	MOVED TO DOPP Loperamide	3
1	DITCHED Lemsip x2	8
1	Plasters	5
1	Titanium Pocket Bit Screwdriver Keyring	4
1	MOVED TO DOPP Sewing Kit (Needles & Thread, Buttons, Safety Pins)	8
1	Antiseptic Cream 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	18
1	MOVED FROM DOPP Hydrocortisone 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	18
1	NEW Sunscreen 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	18
1	MOVED TO DOPP Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Nail Clippers Ultra Slim	15
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Tweezers	10
		119
	LAPTOP
1	HP Spectre x360 – 13-ae003na (i7-8550U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Laptop	1238
		1238
	TECH
1	HP Tilt Stylus Pen	14
1	Anker Soundbuds Slim+ Bluetooth Headphones	15
1	Anker Soundcore Ace A0 Bluetooth Speaker	62
1	Eruw K10 Bluetooth Headset	19
1	Anker Powercore+ Mini 3350mAh Battery	84
1	Swiftpoint ProPoint 600 Bluetooth Mouse	24
3	Patriot Supersonic Rage Elite 1TB USB-A 3.0 Flashdrive	30
1	Mopoint 66W GaN charger (2xUSB-C & 1xUSB-A) w AU, UK & EU adapters & 3g band	163
1	Apple Charger USB-A 5W AU	28
1	Griffin Power Jolt Car Charger 2x USB-A 5W	12
1	Anker Powerline II USB-C 2.0 to USB-C 200cm Cable	54
1	Mbeat USB-C 2.0 to USB-C 100cm Cable	27
1	Amzer USB-A 1.0 to USB-Micro 100cm Retractable Cable	20
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to Lightning 10cm Cable	7
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to USB-C 10cm Cable	9
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to USB-A 10cm Cable	11
1	Amazon Basics USB-C 3.1 to USB-Micro 10cm Cable	6
1	Amazon Basics USB-C 3.1 to USB-Micro 10cm Cable	6
1	Eruw USB-A 2.0 to USB-Micro 10cm Cable	7
1	Apple USB-A 2.0 to Lightning 100cm Cable	19
1	HDMI 4K female to USB-C male Adapter	10
1	USB-A 3.0 female to USB-C male Adapter	7
1	USB-C female to USB-Micro male Adapter	3
1	USB-C female to USB-A 3.0 male Adapter	4
1	USB-C female to Lightning male Adapter	2
1	USB-Micro female to USB-C male Adapter	1
1	USB-Micro female to Lightning male Adapter	2
1	USB-A Charger for SwiftPoint ProPoint 600 Adapter	3
1	Sony Anti-static Cloth	14
1	Ultimate Ears 600VI Wired Headphones (with Apple Lightning Adapter)	20
1	Eagle Creek Isolate Quick Trip XS	47
		730
	OTHER
1	Sea to Summit Airlite Towel Large	47
1	Sea To Summit Ultra Sil Nano Daypack	30
1	DITCHED PVC Massage Ball	37
1	NEW Cork Massage Ball	43
		120
	EVERY DAY CARRY
1	DITCHED Apple iPhone 8 256GB (150g & case 15g)	165
1	NEW Apple iPhone 13 Pro 512GB (204g & case 30g)	234
1	Ice Watch	46
1	Slimfold Micro Soft Shell RFID Wallet	78
1	DITCHED Masque Co Poly/Spandex Mask	10
		358
	PACKING CUBES
2	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Medium Cube (18g ea) for boxers & socks, tees	36
2	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Small Cube (14g ea) for cold weather gear, sundries	28
1	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Tube Cube (19g) for shoes	19
		83
96	TOTAL	5317

So my gear weight increased 83g from 5234g to 5317g (4959g carried). 69g of that 83g increase is the new phone. My clothes weight decreased from 7936g to 7322g (5583g carried) saving 618g. Most of that was the suit. I’m now carrying 10.5kg which is comfy enough for my aging back. I’m hoping 2023 will bring some new tees but beyond that I’m not on the hunt for anything. It’s probably going to be a good year to save money rather than spend it anyway.

Happy New Year all and thanks again for the continued interest in my little blog! See you in 2024.

Everything I Own 2020

This is almost a tradition now – my annual gear blog post, with just a few hours of 2020 left. Genuine thanks to all of those who reminded me, it’s really lovely to receive such messages. For those that don’t know I’m a minimalist rover/wanderer/nomad/vagabond (call me what you will). In 2012 I packed my (two) bags and set off on a journey, since then I’ve reduced my base carry to one bag and I’ve (perhaps inevitably given the lockdowns of 2020) become a bit less of a vagabond. However I do still live out of a bag and I still like to pretend I can pack up and jet off at any time.

Clothes

The only changes to the wardrobe this year are hoodies, socks, shoes and a new cap. I also lost a pair of prAna jeans and haven’t yet replaced them. Frankly I’ve been a little disappointed with the durability of the prAna Bridger jeans which tore fairly spectacularly after just 2 years of wear. I’m not holding out much hope for my last remaining pair (bought last year) and I’m on the hunt for something better. Watch this space.

I’ve had my two Icebreaker Sierra hoodies since June 2015 and they were pretty threadbare in the elbows so an upgrade was required, unfortunately the Sierra was discontinued many years ago so I had to go for something new; the Icebreaker Elemental. It’s much thicker wool at 330gsm (compared to the Sierra’s 200gsm) and the weight is unsurprisingly more at 590g per hoodie (compared to the Sierra’s 445g).

The proper cuffs make it more snug too – which is great for winter but I may have to look at replacing at least one of the hoodies with something a little thinner for more everyday use. One walk on a cool Spring day in Sydney proved that 330gsm was a tad too much. I suspect it will be a godsend in Europe in Winter mind.

Last year’s shoes were not a success; the Vessi’s seemed perfect initially, very comfortable and both waterproof and breathable. But those two things are mutually exclusive and while they did seem to keep the water out on the rare occasions I needed this, they ran incredibly hot in the sun. The comfort of the knit upper was also an issue when it came to difficult terrain as the shoes were not ‘secure’ and my feet tended to ‘slip’ inside the shoe. I ended up with some of the worst blisters I’ve ever had after a fairly lengthy hike in the Blue Mountains of Sydney. For the time being I’ve gone back to Nike runners, until something better comes along.

My new Sunday Afternoons Aerial Cap has been a glorious success, incredibly light at just 48g but certified SPF 50 and wonderfully comfortable. The strap is adjustable and the mesh vents are genius. I really should have bought a cap many years ago as I have a tendency to burn at the sight of sun but my family can rest easy now 🙂

My new socks are also something pretty special; Silverlight are a new company and their hiking socks bring a combination of merino wool (with its moisture wicking properties), spandex (for a slip free form fit) and silver thread (which actively kills bacteria) to minimise the risk of blisters and significantly extend the wear time between washes. These socks are supremely comfortable, durable and genuinely stink free. I can literally wear the same pair for a week now (judge ye not). This has been independently verified by my better half.

Suffice to say I’ve replaced my 7x pairs of Outliers socks (315g) with 3x pairs of Silverlight crew socks (252g) and my 3x pairs of Icebreaker ankle socks (90g) with 3x pairs of Silverlight ankle socks (165g). My only gripe is that the ankle socks have a lip at the top which is something of a grit trap – I generally have to empty my socks out after a hike these days, small price to pay for such comfortable, durable, stink free socks though.

So here’s the full list of clothing – it would appear it has been quite a frugal year (probably helped by not going anywhere or doing anything):

6	Outlier Ultrafine Merino Tee (195 gsm)	180	1080
2	Icebreaker Merino Sierra Zip Hoodie (200 gsm)	445	890	Replaced
2	Icebreaker Elemental Zip Hoodie (330 gsm)	590	1180	New
1	Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody	358	358
3	Libertad Merino Travel Shirt (for work / formals) (130 gsm)	230	690
1	Brook Taverner Cassino Suit Jacket (for work / formals)	623	623
2	Brook Taverner Cassino Suit Trouser (for work / formals)	335	670
2 1	prAna Bridger Jeans	465	465	1 Fewer
1	prAna Brion Pants	328	328
1	Icebreaker Merino Oasis Leggings (200 gsm)	168	168
2	Outlier New Way Longs	277	554
7	Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers (150 gsm)	68	476
7	Outlier Megafine Merino Socks	45	315	Replaced
3	Silverlight Crew Hiking Socks	84	252	New
3	Icebreaker Merino Run+ Ultralight Micro Socks	30	90	Replaced
3	Silverlight Ankle Hiking Socks	55	165	New
1	Icebreaker Merino Sierra Gloves (200 gsm)	30	30
1	Icebreaker Merino Pocket Beanie (200 gsm)	40	40
1	Buffwear Merino Buff (125 gsm)	47	47
1	Vivobarefoot Ra II Shoes	510	510
1	Vessi Everyday Slip On	440	440	Replaced
1	Nike Free Run Trainers	500	500	New
1	Calvin Klein Plain Black Belt (for work / formals)	109	109
1	Ciro Citterio Silver Tie (for work / formals)	61	61
1	Sunday Afternoons Aerial Cap	48	48
41	TOTAL CLOTHING		8354

Like most of the planet I went in to lockdown in March this year, since then I haven’t worn my suit jacket, trousers, shirt, tie or belt once. These items have previously been useful for formals such as weddings (although, again, not this year) but do I really need to keep all 8 items (weighing 2513g)? This is literally 25% of my clothes weight and while this year has been exceptional it feels like the tide is turning for remote working. One to watch for next year’s update.

Non Clothing

Here’s the list of changes since last year:

	2019		2020
Bag	Tortuga Air 27L / 35L backpack	1030	Minaal 3.0 35L backpack	1555
Charger	mBeat Gorilla 45W charger	202	Mopoint 65W GaN charger	160
Data Backup	Samsung T5 SSD 2TB drive	51	3x Patriot Rage Elite 1TB drives	30
Cables	7x 10cm cables	42	3x 10cm cables 2x 100cm cables	27 47
Techbag	Muji Double Fastener Case (Small)	15	WH Pencil Case (2004!)	56
Towel	MSR Packtowl XL	100	Sea to Summit Airlite Large	47
Passports	UK only	34	UK and AU 🙂	72
Passport Case			Sea to Summit Waterproof Case	18
Mask			Stylemask 3 layer cotton mask	14
Spork	Humangear GoBites Duo	24	Relight My Fire Little Spork	8
Trimmer			Wahl Micro Groomsman	34
Swab Q Tip			Reusable Swab / Q-Tip	2
Drybag			Sea to Summit 7L Drybag	30
Exercise Band	Fortress Red Exercise Band	42	PVC Spiky Massage Ball	37
Marker			Sharpie Permanent Marker	8
Packing Cubes	8x cubes	153	5x cubes	83
	TOTAL	1693	TOTAL	2228

The largest change to my gear in the last year has been my onebag itself. After six wonderful years it was time to replace the Tortuga with a Minaal 3.0 as I covered in a Minaal 3.0 blog post. Of course the additional support came at a price in terms of weight – almost 50% more, however I was able to reduce the number of packing cubes from 8 (153g) to 5 (83g) thanks to the pockets and superb organisation inside the bag.

On the tech front I sold my Samsung 2TB external SSD drive for 3x 1TB USB drives (saving me 21g).

I switched out my mBeat Gorilla 45W charger for the svelte but powerful Mopoint GaN 65W saving me 42g and giving me an extra 20W to play with, as I covered in my Maximum Power blog post.

I also tweaked my cable setup, replacing the 6x Momax adaptercables with 2 more TRVL cables and a longer USB-C cable (longer cables come in handy when the single power socket is in the corner of the hotel room), and I reverted to carrying all of my tech in my old 56g WH Smith pencil case from 2004 as it all fits now.

After over 5 years of carrying my 100g MSR Packtowl I finally found a lighter weight but suitable replacement in the Sea to Summit Airlite Towel. This thing is like some kind of magic, it absorbs 3x it’s weight in water and the large size (108cm x 45cm) is just enough to get me dry after a dip and to tie around my waist (just). At just 47g it’s a significant saving on the already light MSR Packtowl.

I was granted Australian citizenship this year (cue whooping and cheering) which also means I now have a second passport to cart around (oh the hardship).

I invested in a small 18g waterproof Sea to Summit TPU Accessory Case to keep both passports and all my key documents safe and secure in the hidden stash pocket in the back of the Minaal 3.0.

The must-have fashion accessory of the year has, of course, been the mask. Nothing special here, just a 3-layer 14g cotton mask purchased when WHO decided that such things were in fact useful after all.

I ‘upgraded’ my 24g Humangear GoBites with a lovely 8g Relight My Fire Little Spork, in truth I used these so rarely I was on the verge of getting rid altogether but the flashback to that indian takeaway I picked up sans cutlery made me play it safe. Useful for stirring tea on planes too.

I’ve hit the age where a ‘personal’ trimmer is required. I did some investigation and lightest, by a long way, was the 34g Wahl Micro Groomsman which comes with and ear/nose hair trimmer and a detail trimmer with a 2-position guide for… other hair.

It runs on a single AAA battery and it’s a noisy beast (although if you’re putting it in your ear, you’re gonna hear it no matter what right?). Anyway, it does the trick and I feel marginally less old as a result.

One of my favourite teeny tiny purchases of the year is this 2g reusable swab / q-tip.

Primarily aimed at reducing waste it’s also superb for travelers and while it doesn’t look like it will last long I’ve been using it for 9 months now with no complaints. Simply run under hot water after use. No waste!

This Sea to Summit 8L drybag was something of an impulse purchase, rare for me, but it occurred to me that handwashing my clothes in a drybag may be easier (and more hygienic) than using hotel sinks when traveling. Of course I haven’t put this to the test as yet…

Finally I ditched my red Fortress exercise band around the time I found a new physiotherapist who explained that all the work I had been doing to fix my mashed up shoulder was all wrong. He recommended a spiky massage ball (which seems to be helping a lot) and a new bag with better straps, support and load lifters. Done and done. One of these things saved me 5g, the other added 525g… swings and roundabouts right?

Full Gear List

Rather than separate out in to categories I’ve opted to blast through the whole list this year so here goes:

	BAG
1	CHANGED Minaal 3.0 Carry On 35L Backpack 55x35x20	1555
		1555
	DOPP
1	Sea To Summit Silnylon Traveling Light Washbag (Small)	44
1	The Crystal Deodorant Ammonium Alum 40g	64
1	NEW Wahl Micro Groomsman Personal Trimmer (22g, head 4g, guard 1g, AAA 7g)	34
1	Xiaomi Home Mi USB-C Shaver (88g, band 2g, brush 2g)	92
1	Colgate Omron Pro Clinical 150 Toothbrush (33g, head 4g, guard 3g,  2xAAA 14g)	54
1	Colgate Omron Toothbrush Heads (x2)	8
1	Seki Edge Stainless Steel Nail Clippers	32
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Tweezers	10
1	Hearos Earplugs (x5 pairs)	4
1	Interdental Flossers (x3)	3
1	NEW Earthsider Reusable Swab Q-Tip	2
1	Toothpaste 20g	24
1	Shampoo 50ml (in Muji 12g poly tube)	70
1	Sunscreen 30ml (in Muji 8g poly tube)	42
1	REDUCED Hand Moisturiser 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	14
1	REDUCED Hydrocortisone 12ml (in Muji 3g poly tube)	14
1	Hair Muk 10ml (in Muji 20g plastic tub)	37
		548
	GEAR
1	Hearos earplugs in Case	6
1	Pocket Tissues	24
1	Saccharin Sweetener	20
1	CHANGED Relight My Fire Little Spork	8
1	Bic Pen Mutifunction 4 Colour Ballpoint Pen	12
1	Uniball Micro Blue Rollerball Pen	11
1	NEW Sharpie Permanent Marker	8
1	Maui Jim Sunglasses Case and Cloth	53
1	Maui Jim Sugar Beach Sunglasses	14
1	Keys	44
1	Montbell Travel Umbrella	87
1	Montbell Tachyon Parka Raincoat	72
1	Muji Double Zip Pouch (Small)	15
1	NEW Stylemask 3 Layer Cotton Mask	14
1	NEW Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Drybag	30
		418
	DOCUMENTS
1	NEW Sea to Summit TPU Guide IPX8 Water Resistant Accessory Case (Small)	18
1	NEW Passport AU	38
1	Passport UK	34
1	Vaccination Certification	15
1	Documents, Mugshots & Spare Credit Cards in Poly Pocket	50
		155
	OSK
1	Eagle Creek Zip Stash Pouch	16
1	Paracetamol	12
1	Ibuprofen	6
1	Antihistamine	2
1	Loperamide	3
1	Lemsip x2	8
1	Misc Plasters & Medistrips	5
1	Titanium Pocket Bit Screwdriver Keyring	4
1	Sewing Kit (Needles & Thread, Buttons, Safety Pins)	8
1	CHANGED Antiseptic Cream (in Muji 12ml 3g poly tube)	18
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Nail Clippers Ultra Slim	15
1	Zwilling J.A. Henckels Stainless Steel Tweezers	10
		107
	LAPTOP
1	HP Spectre x360 – 13-ae003na (i7-8550U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Laptop	1238
		1238
	TECH
1	HP Tilt Stylus Pen	14
1	Anker Soundbuds Slim+ Bluetooth Headphones	15
1	Anker Soundcore Mini Icon Bluetooth Speaker	211
1	Anker Powercore+ Mini 3350mAh Battery	84
1	Swiftpoint ProPoint 600 Bluetooth Mouse	24
3	CHANGED Patriot Supersonic Rage Elite 1TB USB-A 3.0 Flashdrive	30
1	CHANGED Mopoint 66W GaN charger (2xUSB-C & 1xUSB-A) w AU, UK & EU adapters & 3g band	163
1	Apple Charger USB-A 5W AU	28
1	Griffin Power Jolt Car Charger 2x USB-A 5W	12
1	Anker Powerline II USB-C 2.0 to USB-C 200cm Cable	54
1	CHANGED Mbeat USB-C 2.0 to USB-C 100cm Cable	27
1	CHANGED Amzer USB-A 1.0 to USB-Micro 100cm Retractable Cable	20
1	TRVL USB-C 3.1 to Lightning 10cm Cable	7
1	CHANGED TRVL USB-C 3.1 to USB-C 10cm Cable	9
1	CHANGED TRVL USB-C 3.1 to USB-A 10cm Cable	11
1	Apple USB-A 2.0 to Lightning 100cm Cable	19
1	HDMI 4K female to USB-C male Adapter	10
1	USB-A 3.0 female to USB-C male Adapter	7
1	USB-C female to USB-Micro male Adapter	3
1	USB-C female to USB-A 3.0 male Adapter	4
1	USB-C female to Lightning male Adapter	2
1	USB-Micro female to USB-C male Adapter	1
1	USB-Micro female to Lightning male Adapter	2
1	USB-A Charger for SwiftPoint ProPoint 600 Adapter	3
1	Sony Anti-static Cloth	14
1	Ultimate Ears 600VI Wired Headphones (with Apple Lightning Adapter)	20
1	CHANGED WH Smith Pencil Case 2004	56
		850
	OTHER
1	CHANGED Sea to Summit Airlite Towel Large	47
1	Sea To Summit Ultra Sil Nano Daypack	30
1	CHANGED PVC Massage Ball	37
		114
	EVERY DAY CARRY
1	Apple iPhone 8 256GB (150g & case 15g)	165
1	Ice Watch	46
1	Slimfold Micro Soft Shell RFID Wallet	78
		289
	PACKING CUBES
2	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Medium Cube (18g ea) for boxers & socks, tees	36
2	CHANGED Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Small Cube (14g ea) for cold weather gear, sundries	28
1	Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Tube Cube (19g) for shoes	19
		83
91	TOTAL	5357

My non-clothing weight this time last year was 4844g so I’m up 513g, mostly due to the bag itself. This is a necessary evil if the support provided by the Minaal allows me to continue living this way.

So in total, 41 items of clothing at 8354g and 91 items of non-clothing at 5357g, that’s 132 items weighing a total of 13711g. Since I’m generally wearing around 1.6kg of clothing that brings it down to a carried weight of around 12kg, and if I can ditch the 2.5kg of formal wear that brings me under the 10kg mark. Something to aspire to in 2021.

Happy New Year all!

All dressed up but nowhere to go

It would be remiss of me not to begin this post with a line such as ‘2020 huh? What a year’. Like everyone else I have spent most of the year hunkered down in one location. The whole ‘living out of a bag so I can jet off somewhere exotic at any moment’ has been somewhat undermined, and the benefits of my minimalist lifestyle seem far less significant this year.

That said, it has been reassuring to discover that, even with a significant lifestyle change, my onebag of 137 things is enough to sustain me for another year, and being static has not meant a static onebag, I’ve made a few changes to my belongings, including perhaps the biggest change of all; my onebag itself.

After almost 6 years I have decided to replace my superb Tortuga Air. As the container for my worldly belongings this was a big decision, and one that, thanks to Covid, hasn’t really been validated yet. My Tortuga didn’t fail, in fact it still looks remarkably good, but there was a fairly urgent need that drove this change.

Last year, thanks to a very delayed Flybe flight I found myself running from Manchester airport terminal 1 to 3 with my fully laden Tortuga, for a connecting flight to Oman. I made the flight (literally as the gate was closing) and after I’d finished congratulating myself for not needing to check a bag (which wouldn’t have been an option) I noticed that I couldn’t move my neck.

It turned out I had pulled a muscle in my shoulder and this one injury almost wiped me out for my Oman trip.

I have been living out of a bag for over 8 years now, and I turned 43 this year, an age that somehow seemed pretty ancient even when I started this adventure.

I now have a pension, a personal hair trimmer and a physiotherapist. His name is Jim and after this particularly painful shoulder episode, he suggested my Tortuga may not be providing the necessary support for my back and neck when fully laden.

This was a fair assumption, the bag’s primary feature is its feather weight (requiring minimal structure). It’s a superb bag and it’s served me well but the time had come for something with better structure and support, and perversely I would have to consider heavier bags for the sake of my health. Enter the Minaal 3.0.

Minaal 3.0

The Minaal Carry-On has been cooking (their term) for almost as long as I’ve been carrying my Tortuga, it always struck me as sleeker and sexier than the Tortuga Air but the weight difference (1.5kg to 1.0g – both 35l capacity) was a turn off.

With the recent release of the 3.0 the Minaal team introduced a new lightweight ‘unified harness’ featuring a dense EVA foam back panel, thicker EVA foam handles, and remarkably strong magnetic load lifters which make a big difference.

The first time I lifted this bag on to my shoulders and adjusted the straps, it just felt right, good balance and excellent weight distribution, even when full.

The sternum strap is strong, comfortable and makes a hell of a difference to the ease of carry. It is also easily stowed in its own clip when not in use, which is neat.

There are other killer features too – including the material itself (1200D and 600D Picton) which is significantly more water proof and abrasion resistant than the Tortuga’s Denier material (which was getting a little ‘fluffy’ after so much use).

There’s a clever system of pockets (particularly towards the top of the bag) that are larger than the Tortuga’s – which I really appreciate, particular when under pressure at airport security.

The solid grab handles are a delight and having one on the side of the bag makes all the difference when retrieving from awkward positions such as overhead bins.

The internal pockets also reduce the need for packing cubes although the Tortuga’s internal mesh pocket created two large packing cubes which is a feature I shall miss.

I did try the Minaal packing cubes but I am so used to how my gear packs in the Eagle Creek Specter cubes (which still fit inside the Minaal remarkably well) there seemed little point in making the switch. The Eagle Creek cubes are lighter too – although it is marginal (19g vs 30g for a Medium).

The hidden passport pocket is a nice addition and the lie flat laptop compartment is neat if a little gimmicky although the ‘Devicenest’ system itself is very cool; protecting the laptop from impact on all sides – particularly from drops on the base of the bag.

The ability to hide the straps, and in super quick time, for that professional look, is impressive, and the way the rolldown cover stashes is very clever.

Everything about the bag feels premium; from the lightweight alloy buckles to the hypalon zipper tabs which make closing the bag so much easier.

I really appreciate the inclusion of an integrated raincover (and raincover pocket in the base of the bag) and the water bottle pocket is very well thought out, secure and much deeper than on the Tortuga.

The dimensions of the Minaal (55 x 35 x 20) are also better for a onebag than the Tortuga (48 x 32 x 18) – maximising most airline carry on limits (56 x 35 x 22) while minimising the external trappings for what can only be described as a minimalist sleek ‘flow’ look.

The Minaal feels roomier than the Tortuga Air (even when the latter is expanded), and yet the extra weight isn’t very noticeable when being carried, thanks to the harness system.

Time will tell whether the Minaal 3.0 will reduce the drag on my shoulder and neck, but for now I am hopeful.

Also I will be updating my ‘Everything I Own’ for 2020 in the next couple of weeks, there have been some other changes to reduce weight I hope you will find useful.

Everything I Own (2017 Update)

A year ago I wrote a few blog posts about my belongings; the 18kg of clothing, gear and tech that I consider sufficiently valuable to my life that I carry it wherever I go.

Before I dive in, three things;

• I wear only black
• I wear mostly merino wool
• I lead a Onebag lifestyle

I recognise this lifestyle would not suit most people and I’m not ‘selling’ it.
None of my links are affiliate, these are simply products I use myself.

Clothes

On to the gear – starting with my wardrobe (which fits neatly in to a cabin baggage sized case):

• 7x Outlier Ultrafine Merino Tee 180g each
• 2x Icebreaker Merino Sierra Zip Hoodie 445g each
• 3x Libertad Merino Travel Shirt (for work) 230g each
• 1x Brook Taverner Cassino Jacket (for work) 623g
• 2x Brook Taverner Cassino Trouser (for work) 335g each
• 1x Outlier Slim Dungarees 415g each
  
• 1x prAna Bridger Jeans 465g
• 1x prAna Brion Pants (for hiking) 328g
• 2x Outlier New Way Longs 277g each
• 1x Outlier Ultralight Crops 245g
• 7x Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers (2016) 68g each
• 7x Outlier Megafine Merino Socks 45g pair each
• 3x Icebreaker Merino Run+ Ultralight Micro Socks 30g pair each
• 1x Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody 358g
• 1x Icebreaker Merino Sierra Gloves 30g pair
• 1x Icebreaker Merino Pocket Beanie 40g
• 1x Buffwear Merino Buff 47g
• 1x Icebreaker Merino Oasis Leggings 168g
• 1x Dr Martens 8053 Shoes 1250g pair
• 1x Nike Free 5.0 Trainers 480g pair
• 1x Amuri Cloud Xero Sandals 316g pair
• 1x CK Plain Black Belt 109g
• 1x Silver Tie 61g

That’s 48 items weighing 9.8kg (down from 51 items and 11.4kg last year).

Tees

I have tried many merino tees over the years; Wool & Prince, Smartwool, Icebreaker, Formal Friday but my favourite (by a margin) is the Ultrafine Merino from Outlier. These things aren’t cheap (and they’ve just increased in price from $98 to $110!) but they are durable, beautifully cut and incredibly soft (in addition to being pure, high performance, ultra fine merino – as opposed to some other merino tees which are a poly mix). Most of my tees are now over two years old and holding up well. I did have to perform a minor fix on one when I dried it after handwashing, rolled it in a towel, stood on it to extract the moisture and unrolled it to find a tear in the bottom seam. Those Home-Ec lessons come good after all. I lost one when it got caught on a door latch and tore irreperably. I haven’t replaced it and probably won’t as I’ve been coping jst fine with the 7.

Hoodies

I’m still wearing the two Icebreaker Merino Sierra Zip Hoodies I purchased in June 2015. I have yet to find a better hoodie (although admittedly I haven’t really looked). These things are ‘real fleece’ lined which means the wool on the inside is a fleece-y texture. They’re incredibly comfy and very warm despite being so thin that the light shows through them when held up to a window. They roll up beautifully in to the hood and weigh just 445g. The two main pockets are zipped and the internal sewing of the pockets turn them in to usable inside pockets too. The chest zip pocket is remarkably useful in cramped areoplane conditions. I always carry one when flying as they are perfect for the long haul when the temperatures drop. I dislike the branding particularly the grey strip around the inside neck but performance wise they can’t be beat and they’re clearly durable too. Sad to say that Icebreaker have discontinued production – as is often the case with the good stuff.

Shirts

I have written separately about the wonderful Libertad Merino Travel shirts. They are by far my favourite merino button down shirts. They are lightweight, breathable, quick drying, non iron and best of all, they looks fantastic. Unlike the Wool & Prince Button Downs they don’t get ‘fluffy’ and unlike the Icebreaker Departure shirts they replaced, they look like proper office wear (no frilly shoulders or silly pockets here). Since I do still have an office job and need to convey an air of professionalism these shirts are just perfect for me. I have 3 which have been going strong for 6 months and I love them.

Suit

For as long as I can remember I’ve worn Brook Taverner suits. I was first attracted to them for their high wool content, crease resistance and the fact that they are machine washable but the truth is I love the cut too. I tend to keep an extra pair of trousers since I wear a suit every work day. I wash the trousers far more than the jacket. If I wasn’t working in an office environment I’d ditch this but right now it’s a necessity. Sadly they only ship to the UK so I have to time any purchases with a trip there.

 

Jeans

 

Outlier Slim Dungarees

prAna Bridger Jeans

prAna Brion Pants

Never travel with jeans, they say… too heavy, they say… rubbish in the rain and take ages to dry, they say… and they’re right. Unless you’re wearing prAna Bridger Jeans. I swear these things are magic or something. They are 76% cotton, 23% polyester and 2% spandex and they weigh just 465g (a far cry from the ~700g of full cotton jeans). I generally avoid cotton and these are the only cotton items I own but they are hands down the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn, even more comfy than the Outlier Slim Dungarees which is really saying something. I sold a pair of my SDs to pay for them and I am very happy with the trade. That said I do still carry a pair of Outlier Slim Dungarees which I still love – perfect for dinner out on humid evenings, and a pair of prAna Brion Pants which are great for hiking. These pants are so much better cut than the prAna Zion Pants that travellers seem to adore so much.

Shorts

 

Outlier Ultralight Crops

Outlier New Way Longs

I had no issues ditching my Outlier New Way Shorts as my Outlier New Way Longs are just fine to swim in and look better on me than the shorts anyway. When the rare opportunity to buy a pair of Outlier Ultralight Crops came along I jumped at the chance and could not be happier. These things are superb for very hot weather, they performed superbly while climbing and hiking in Thailand and Cambodia despite the humidity, they’re great for hikes in the mid summer sun in Sydney and super easy to sink wash and dry overnigt for the next day. Sadly now discontinued.

Boxer Shorts

Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers (2016)

Icebreaker discontinued my beloved Anatomica Boxers and I was not happy. I complained and they sent me a free pair of the new Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxers (2016) (which was pretty good of them really). These were heavier and sturdier (clearly a nod to the fragility of the previous boxers) but having worn boxers that felt like air for so long, the new style felt too restrictive. I shopped around – trying Wool & Prince, Smartwool, Ibex and Macpac merino boxers but none of them came anywhere near even the new Anatomicas. So I pulled the trigger on another 6 pairs to replace my (fast fading) older style. I’ve been wearing the 2016’s for five months now and I quite like them now, I suspect I’ve just forgotten what the originals were like. I dropped a pair (down from 8 to 7 total) mostly so I can fit all my underwear in to an Eagle Creek half cube.

Socks

Outlier Megafine Merino Socks

Icebreaker Run+ Light Micro Socks

I’m still wearing the same Outlier Megafine Merino Socks on rotation as I was this time last year, although when two socks developed holes I dropped a pair to bring the numbers in line with the boxers and so I could fit everything in to a single half cube. I have repaired holes in one other sock but on the whole I’m very happy with the durability here after nearly two years. They are actually pretty impressive socks, very comfy, always dry, never stink, breathe well in summer and keep my feet cosy in winter, what more could I ask for? Of course being Outlier they’re pricey at $25 a pair but you do get what you pay for. I also still have my Icebreaker no show socks. I hate the branding but functionally theyr’e great and just 30g per pair.

Jacket

Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody

What was I thinking? A leather jacket weighing 890g and a non insulated raincoat weighing 297. This was not practical, particularly for cold rainy weather. What I needed was that one coat to rule them all. Something weatherproof, insulated, stylish and light… with a hood! Enter the Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody. It ticked all the boxes and I got it on sale too. It also packs down almost as small as my previous Marmot Super Mica (which is pretty incredible considering the thermal protection therein). I wore it in temperatures below freezing atop the Minshan and Emeishan mountains in China and it kept me toasty warm. I hate the overt branding (logo to the chest) but on the whole this is a very impressive piece of gear and its purchase shaved 829g off my base weight.

Thermals

Buffwear Buff

With a January trip to Paris planned I needed to take the thermals seriously, with my new Arc’Teryx Atom LT Hoody it was the rest of me I needed to get covered. First of all I needed a pair of leggings to go under my Prana Bridger Jeans or Outlier SDs. Icebreaker merino would always be my first port of call and these Icebreaker Merino Oasis Leggings delivered the goods. Super comfy, wonderfully breathable and toasty warm. Next up was my Icebreaker ‘chute’ (buff) which was pretty heavy and not very flexible, I swapped that out for a Buffwear Merino Buff at almost half the weight and combined with my Icebreaker gloves, beanie and hoodie I was all set. Hot chocolate at the top of the Eiffel Tower never tasted so good.

Shoes

Dr Martens 8053 Shoes

No change from last year; my trusty Dr Martens 8053 Shoes are my go-to for almost everything from formals, to daily work, to city trekking. I always wear these when flying (rather than packing) as they are heavy. I tend to wear out the soles quickly but for comfort and flexibility

Amuri Cloud Xero Sandals

they can’t be beat. For running and hiking I’m still getting a lot of use out of my Nike Free 5.0 Trainers and for beach walking and feeding dolphins on Tangalooma island I’m still happy with my Amuri Cloud Xero Sandals which are a little more practical than standard flip-flops.

The rest

I still carry a single silver tie – my only non black item of clothing, for those actual formal dinners (only one in the last year), and my trusty 16 year old CK belt which I bought in Hawaii because the sales girl flirted with me. Yeah I’m that shallow.

I’m still getting a lot of use out of my Ultralite Packtowl XL and I swapped my Sea to Summit Daypack for a Matador FreeRain 24 which I wrote about in a previous blog.

That little lot (save for my coat and what I wear on the plane) packs down in to 8 Eagle Creek Specter packing cubes:

• Full Cube = Suit and Shirts
• Full Cube = Pants, Shorts and Hoodie
• Half Cube = T-Shirts
• Half Cube = Boxers and Socks
• Quarter Cube = Thermals
• Quarter Cube = The rest
• Tube Cube = Xero Sandals
• Tube Cube = Nike Trainers

Clothes packed in to 8x Eagle Creek Packing Cubes

48L Samsonite Spark Cabin Bag

My case is a 48l Samsonite Spark Cabin Bag weighing in at 2.5kg, so fully loaded with 7.9Kg of clothes (That’s 9.8kg less what I’m wearing) it’s around 10.4kg.

Interesting to note that 40 of my 48 items of clothing are the same as last year.

Gear and Tech

Top left = Techbag, Top right = Dopp kit, Bottom = Tortuga Air and contents

Dopp Kit

Dopp Kit

• Eagle Creek Specter Washbag (42g)
• Body Crystal Ammonium Alum Deodorant (138g)
• Sunscreen SPF 50+ (47g)
• Antisepctic Cream (16g)
• Nutrogena Shampoo in 60ml plastic bottle (82g)
• Toothpaste (47g)
• Stingose (30g)
• Hard Muk Hair Fiber in plastic tub (26g)
• Alfred Lane Solid Cologne Bravado 0.5oz (22g)
• Colgate Omron Electric Toothbrush Pro Clinical 150 (54g inc batteries)
• Boots Stainless Steel Tweezers (7g)
• Seki Edge Stainless Steel Nail Clippers (32g)
• Philips Norelco Electric Shaver PQ208/40 (128g inc batteries)
• Hearos Baggie – Hearos (14 pairs) (14g)
• Spare Boots Saccharin Sweetner (20g)
• Colgate Omron Heads (x3) (12g)
• Care Dent Tooth Floss Sticks (x5) (5g)
• Care Dent Interdental Brushes (x18) (3g)
• Shaver brush (2g)
• Spare baggies for liquids at airports (4g)

731g in total. Key differences since last year; I swapped my insanely heavy 130g Oral B toothbrush and 125g charger for the quite brilliant 54g Colgate Omron battery powered toothbrush, I also swapped my razor at the same time and wrote about that here, I ditched the lint roller when it ran out, I reverted back to Colgate toothpaste when my dentist advised that non fluoride toothpaste was a bad idea and I ditched the cotton buds when I was advised they were a bad idea.

Techbag

Techbag

• Simple black Pencil Case (53g)
• Spare Logitech Ultimate Ears Headphones 600VI (18g)
• Spare Energizer Lithium Ultimate Batteries (56g)
• USB 2.0 to Micro USB 2.0 30cm Cable (for UE Roll) (12g)
• Neet HDMI v1.4 to HDMI 100cm Cable (28g)
• Anazon USB 2.0 to Lightning 10cm Cable (6g)
• Anker USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (20g)
• SATA to USB mini board Adapter (6g)
• Micro USB (Female) to Mini USB (Male) Adapter (6g)
• Apple Charger Apple USB OZ (for UE Roll) (28g)
• Transcend USB 3.1 32Gb Jet Flash 710S + 2x iPhone SIM Extractors (4g)
• 2x Transcend USB 3.1 64Gb Jet Flash 710S (2x3g)
• Sandisk SD Card Adapter (Micro to Standard) (1g)
• Logitech Bluetooth Mouse M337 (74g inc battery)
• Spare Comply Tx-500 2 pairs and spare UE Clip (2g)
• Gel Mouse Wrist Rest (65g)
• Sony Antistatic Cloth (14g)
• Samsung USB 3.0 A-Male to Micro-B Cable (for Samsung disk) (22g)
• Sodial Retractable RJ45 100cm Cable (24g)
• Amzer Retractable USB Micro 100cm Cable (20g)
• Micro USB (Female) to Apple Lightning (Male) Adapter (1g)
• Rubber Bands (1g)
• SD and Micro SD to USB 3.0 Adapter (7g)
• Kensington PresentAir Bluetooth 4.0 Presenter (25g inc battery)
• Anker AstroMini 3200mAh 1A output Battery (83g)
• Griffin Power Jolt Dual USB Car Charger (12g)
• HDMI to VGA Adapter (10g)

561g in total. Some nice weight loss changes since last year. Firstly the 52g Zevek luggage scale – no longer needed once I’d written this blog and recorded the weight of everything! I ditched the 81g Cyclone Micro Media player as almost all TVs can play video files now anyway (and I play from my laptop via the HDMI cable for those that can’t), I gave away my retractable phono lead as I stream music via bluetooth these days, and I binned the phono splitter as I never used it (sniff). I got rid of the 126g UK Vaio cable and the 46g UK Apple charger. My awesome 21g Stanley 4-way multi screwdriver was confiscated by Sydney security (pointless replacing it) and I ditched the notepad / paper clips as I’m basically paperless now.

Gear

Gear (stored in the various pockets of the Tortuga most of the time)

• Sony Laptop Sony Vaio Pro SVP1321C5E i7-4500U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD (1050g) 9g less than last year due to new fan and heatsink!
• Kingston SD Card Kingston 512GB SDXC (3g) for backup
• Samsung Portable HD 4TB 2.5″ USB 3.0 (240g)
• Sony Laptop Charger Sony VGP-AC10V10 (270g)
• OSK (Oh Shit Kit) (100g)
• Business Cards x30 (60g)
• Slimfold Wallet (With cards and cash etc) (68g)
• Passport (34g)
• Baggies (17g)
• Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses and Cloth in Ray-Ban Case (82g)
• Mitsubishi Uniball Micro Blue Pen (11g)
• Sharpie (9g)
• Bic Mutifunction 4 Colour Ball Pen (12g)
• Keys (45g)
• Amazon USB 2.0 to Lightning 100cm Cable (18g)
• Ultimate Ears Headphones 600VI (18g)
• Eagle Creek Specter Quarter Cube (for in flight stuff) (14g)
• Kleenex Pocket Tissues x9 (23g)
• Hearos Hearos earplugs in Case (6g)
• Boots Saccharin Sweetner (20g)
• EuroSchirm Light Trek Automatic Umbrella 2014 (353g)
• Ultimate Ears UE Roll Bluetooth Speaker (314g)
• Apple USB 2.0 Lightning 100cm Cable (18g)
• Skross Pro Light World Dual USB Travel Adapter (178g)

2963g in total. Big change here is the weighty 178g Skross charger in place of the lightweght 49g Kikkerland. I loved the Kikkerland but the truth is, it didn’t work very well. The design meant it didn’t fit all sockets, and when it did it would hang precariously – particularly with something plugged in, but worst of all was finding that it just plain didn’t work (Italy, UK and even Australia). The Skross, on the other hand, is triple pronged and therefore maintains its ‘socket grip’ well, it also has two USB charging ports which is very useful.

My four year old Sony Vaio Pro laptop is still going strong. I’ve had to replace the fan and heatsink (which failed very noisily), the battery is down to around half original capacity and the processor is slow compared with modern equivalent (it’s a 4th gen i7) but it still gets the job done and it still hasn’t been beaten on weight (except for the Microsoft Surface range which is tempting but would mean a compomise on ports and form factor).

I still use the UE Roll daily (love this little speaker) and my backup drive is the same 4TB Samsung as I carried last year (minus the case which I figured I didn’t need thanks to the pocket system of the Tortuga.

Bag

My trusty Tortuga Air has seen me on umpteen global trips in the past two and half years and carried my gear to work and back every day to boot. The capacity is 27l but this extends to 35l in a pinch due to a idden zip. The clever laptop compartment at the top keeps my Sony Vaio well protected and easily accessibe for security, and the drop pocket at the top is just a genius idea that I find myself using daily. Considering all it’s been through it’s still standing up remarkably well. It weghts just 1077g so with the 4255g of gear I’m carrying about 5.3kg on my back.

So that’s it – 10.4kg case and 5.4kg backpack when I move. Plenty of opportunity to Onebag light by transferring some clothes to the Tortuga. Not hugely different from last year which makes me think that what I have works pretty well 🙂

Thanks for reading – hope you found this useful.

My 100g OSK (Oh Shit Kit)

When I was about 8 years old my family took a camping holiday in the South of France. The holiday was run by Sunsites who offered a ‘Magpie Club’ for kids. I remember it being a lot of fun; playing games, sports and earning coloured stickers through completing tasks. The gold and silver stickers were the most sought after and one day we were given a scavenger hunt task. I did not win. In fact I came last as I was unable to locate a tea bag. I earnt no gold or silver stickers that day. This scarred me and from that day forward I carried many of the things on the scavenger list in my pocket just in case. This included a tea bag which would regularly split in my pocket… a small price to pay, I felt.

Of course, over the years, I have managed to let go of most of the crap I used to carry in my deep coat pockets, but there remains a core set of small items (notably first aid related) that have proven remarkably useful over the years. Despite being a minimalist I do not believe in getting rid of things which add value to my life and so I created my ‘Oh Shit! Kit’ (OSK).

I carry the OSK with me on a daily basis and the contents are designed to be TSA friendly so even the hyper paranoid security at Sydney (who confiscate TSA approved scissors and screwdrivers) can unclench. My most recent addition to the OSK is the case itself; an Eagle Creek Zip Stash clearly originally intended for cash and coins. It weighs just 16g with the key loop and has three distinct sections for organisation. It’s also water resistant and perfectly sized for the contents.

In terms of First Aid I carry:

• 2x Large Elastoplast Plasters 4g – for the elbow and knee grazes
• 8x Medium Medistrip Plasters 5g – for cuts (most commonly used)
• 10x Small Butterfly Plasters 4g – for deep cuts (to hold the cut closed)
• 8x Ibuprofen 5g – my go to pain relief and long haul survival mechanism
• 8x Paracetemol 5g – for pain relief on an empty stomach
• 3x Lemsip 15g – surprisingly useful, mostly for other people who are suffering, but three sachets is enough to curb the effects of an oncoming cold

I also carry:

• Sewing Kit (6x Thread, 4x Needles, 8x Buttons, 5x Safety Pins) 8g – This kit started out as a posh hotel freebie but I replaced the bag with a tiny ziplock and ditched the green and pink thread in favour of black (since I use this the most). I also replaced the needles with three quality needles, added the spare buttons from my suit and shirts, and threw in a few safety pins which do come in (mostly at weddings!)
• Ultra Slim Stainless Steel Nail Clippers (Zwilling J.A. Henckels) 15g – I actually carry these, not for clipping nails, but in lieu of scissors which aren’t permitted in hand luggage. These clippers do a good job of trimming thread but are also strong enough to cut tags off clothing and I’ve even used them to extract a pair of scissors from the retail card (genius design right there).
• Stainless Steel Tweezers 8g – Good for removal of splinters, and ticks (although I’ve never had to deal with that thankfully). I have also used these when fixing computers and phones in a pinch.
• Titanium Pocket Bit 4g – The closest I am going to get to carrying a screwdriver these days but despite the size these things are cleverly designed. The key ring allows a good grip and enables decent torque. I’ve tightened up the screws on chair legs and even dismantled an old laptop with this thing.
• Chapstick 9g – A remnant of Winter living in the UK but still useful for long haul flights in harsh aircon. I’m toying with replacing this with a small tube of antiseptic cream if I can find the right one.
• Finally; Interdental brushes and Floss Stick 2g– These are stored in my Dopp kit but since I don’t carry that with me every day and occasionally need the services for that stray bit of spinach I carry spares here too.

So that’s it – TSA approved and 100g on the nose. Don’t leave home without it 😊

Onebag Packing List 2015

Onebagging means traveling light, packing easily and quickly, breezing through airport security, never having to wait for luggage (or the dreaded lost luggage), being mobile at all times and changing plans at the last minute without having to plan ahead for a case drop or locker, peace of mind of knowing where everything is and having it to hand if you need it, and generally having a happier, lighter, easier time on your trip. I’ve been a Onebagger for many years and having just returned from a Onebag trip round the UK for a month, here’s what I carried.

Backpack

My bag is the Tortuga Air Carry On Backpack (1077g).

My fully packed Tortuga Air waiting to board at Sydney Airport.

I use this bag as my daily backpack for work and for commuting to Melbourne (which I used to do weekly). The compression straps on the side mean that it can be used almost empty and still look good.

The Tortuga Air is the lightweight brother of the Tortuga Backpack, designed to fit perfectly within the size limitations imposed by airlines whilst maximising carry on space. Normal capacity is 27L which may seem on the low side for a month but if you pack sensibly it absolutely isn’t.

The bag features a hidden zip which expands the capacity to 35L, I didn’t use this feature once while traveling but it was great to know I could carry more stuff if I had to. The full specs are here but my primary reasons for selecting this bag were;

• Lightweight (just over 1kg);
• Clamshell style opening for easy access on the go;
• Easy access, well padded dedicated laptop compartment (on the back);
• Easy access top compartment;
• Water bottle pocket;
• Excellent padding on the straps; and
• Expansion from 27L capacity to 35L via a hidden zip.

Airport security was so much easier with a top pocket to empty pockets in to and easy access to the laptop, I kept my liquids at the top of the front pocket too. The bag straps are very comfortable and, while there are no hips straps, the sternum strap does a remarkable job of spreading the load and taking the weight off the shoulders. It helps to pack correctly too – Tortuga offer some excellent advice here.

Clothes

My Carry-on clothes (clothes I was wearing are not pictured)

Monochrome simplicity at its best – yes I only wear black.

[1] – 5x Outlier Pure Ultrafine Merino Tee (180g)* These tees are voodoo magic or something. I have raved about the benefits of merino previously but these are the softest merino tees I have ever worn (and I have tried many). They weigh slightly more than the Icebreaker Tech Tee but they drape beautifully and feel so amazing they’re worth the extra 55g.
[2] – 7x Icebreaker Merino Anatomica Boxer Briefs (52g)* It has taken many years and many attempts but I have finally found the perfect boxer briefs, they fit perfectly, perform brilliantly, and weigh just 52g per pair. Like all the greatest clothing, they’re merino wool and, unlike the ExOfficio range, they’re anatomically forgiving (!). They also manage moisture far better than Uniqlo Airism and are incredibly durable when compared with Uniqlo Tencel.
[3] – 7x Icebreaker Merino Lifestyle Ultralight Crew Socks (46g)* As an Icebreaker fan these seemed a sensible choice. All the benefits of merino in a dress style sock suitable for use at work and at play. The fit is good and the performance is excellent but these socks have been prone to pilling which is a shame. It may be a reflection of the pounding they receive as I do walk a lot but I am currently on the lookout for alternatives and may be turning to Outlier’s Megafine Merino socks soon
[4] – 1x Icebreaker Merino Sierra Plus Hoodie (465g) Despite being about half the thickness of a cotton hoodie this piece of merino tech clothing manages temperature like nothing I have ever owned. I have worn it in the midday sun at Uluru and the depths of winter in Copenhagen and on both occasions felt comfortable and isolated from the temperatures. It is a beautifully considered top with zipped pockets and an extra zip compartment to the left chest and two internal pockets. It packs down (rolls) remarkably well showing little or no creasing and it dries quickly compared to cotton. Very happy with this.
[5] – 1x Outlier Slim Dungarees (415g) Outlier pitch these dungarees as a ’21st century jean – tough and casual’. For my part I was looking for a lightweight jean replacement that would be comfortable for travel without looking like travel clothing. In the end I couldn’t have been more happy with my purchase. The fit is excellent, the material is very strong but still breathable and comfortable. They wash incredibly well and dry in a fraction of the time jeans take. All in all the perfect travel pant. They are fairly expensive though.
[np] – 1x Crosshatch New Techno Jeans (687g)* Yes I know, the age old Jeans debate, they’re heavy and take forever to dry but they are durable and barely need washing. I also think they look good and despite owning Outlier’s SDs I’m not a denim hating convert yet. These jeans are actually 60% cotton and 40% poly which make them marginally lighter and significantly quick to dry than normal jeans.
[np] – 1x CK Plain Leather Belt (109g)* The oldest piece of kit I own – purchased in Hawaii in 2001 because the very attractive sales assistant was flirting with me. But yeah – it’s just a belt.
[np] – 1x LLD Soft Black Leather Jacket (890g)* My luxury item, who would travel Onebag with a leather jacket? Well rules are made to be broken. I like it and I don’t mind carrying it so ner.
[np] – 1x Dr Martens 8053 Shoe (1288g)* Travel shoes are hotly debated. Personally I favour the ‘one shoe to rule them all’ approach and for me, these are they. Formal enough for work and weddings, comfortable enough for commuting and running for connections, rugged enough for trekking and climbing, environmentally capable enough for -20 to +40. What’s not to like? Definitely go for the ones made in the UK though, they are significantly better!

In total this little lot weighed in at 5440g but by following the standard rule of wearing the heaviest items* (in this case the shoes, jacket and jeans) I ended up wearing 3252g of clothing and carrying 2188g.

The quantities are based around a washing schedule; unlike many Onebaggers I don’t like to want to waste chunks of my trip doing laundry (either at a laundromat or nightly in hotel rooms). Being merino, the boxers and socks are good for two days at least (actually longer but two days is acceptable to the SO), the merino tees are good for three days at least and jeans are good for a week at least (although again – much longer in reality). So this gives me 14 days of underwear, 15 days of tees and 14 days of jeans. In essence I can go away for the best part of a month and get away with just one wash mid way. I actually did two washes this trip but only because the facilities were available.

Formal Clothes

Normally I wouldn’t be carrying  formal clothes on a jolly, but on this trip I was best man at my buddy Simon’s wedding. I was fully prepared to use my extra 7L Tortuga expansion allowance for this little lot but in the end I didn’t need to.

Formal clothing (required for a wedding)

[1&2] – 1x Brook Taverner Slim Fit Cassino Suit (958g) I wear a suit for work most of the time, the challenge has always been finding a suit that performs well as a travel suit and looks good in the boardroom. Brook Taverner have excelled here, the Cassino (and the Avalino before it) are machine washable – which makes a huge saving in the money and simplicity stakes, and they are crease resistant so can be worn straight from being folded in a bag. Moreover with 44% wool content they look great and are remarkably comfortable in all weather (even the Sydney summer sun). They’re not too cheap retail but they almost always have a 50% sale on.
[3] – 1x M&S Pure Cotton Formal Shirt (227g) I’m holding out for Wool & Prince forthcoming black merino button down shirt which I suspect will soon become my goto shirt forevermore. However, for now there are no decent black merino shirts so cotton will have to do. I did try the Icebreaker Seeker Shirt but it just hangs like a sack and is not at all suitable to be worn with a suit. I have to give a nod to Formal Friday who do make awesome shirts but their Charcoal shirt which looks so great on the website just wasn’t black enough for me.
[4] – 1x Pure Silk Tie (60g) No tech here but if you’re going to a wedding go for a silk tie over a poly one, even if you toss it afterwards.

So 1245g of formal clothes in total, not inconsiderable considering this was only worn for one day of the trip but totally worth it; a truly brilliant day.

Washbag

Eagle Creek Washbag and contents

I try to keep a generic washbag ready at all times for trips – I also try to keep it as light as possible – currently 707g.

[1] – Lint roller (24g) Required for suit!
[2] – Alfred Lane Bravado Solid Cologne (23g) Recent discovery and brilliant stuff – one teeny tiny dab and you smell great for the day. Love the smell too, as does the SO.
[3] – Muk Styling Mud in tub (36g) This is a water based styling product that smells great and holds incredibly well. It’s available in 85g tubs but to save weight I transferred to a smaller (more durable) plastic tub.
[4] – Dr Bronner Pure Castille Soap (60g) Most Onebaggers use Dr Bronners. It’s the ultimate cleaner – good for hair, body, clothes, dishes, even teeth (if you’re brave). It’s entirely natural and a few drops go a very long way.
[5] – Savlon Antiseptic Cream 15g (18g) Antiseptic cream is a necessity but finding the ultra small 15g tubes is tricky. As far as I can tell they’re only available in the UK.
[6] – Colgate Toothpaste (86g) There are more lightweight alternatives (like tabs) but I prefer toothpaste.
[7] – Borghese Hand Lotion (11g) I got given this on Thai Airways flight. A teeny tiny bottle that’s remarkably good at preventing dry hands on long haul flights.
[8] – Panasonic EW-DS90K Electronic Toothbrush (41g) By far the lightest electronic toothbrush I could find. Requires just one AAA battery. I use Energizer Lithium batteries which last much longer and weigh less than Alkaline.
[9] – Chapstick (9g) Generic and cheap but required for long haul flights
[10] – Oral B Satin Tape Floss (15g) I prefer tape floss over normal anyday.
[11] – Philips PQ203/17 Micro + 2HD Travel Shaver (130g) & brush (2g) I prefer the convenience and speed of electric shaving over wet shaving – and I’m willing to lug the extra few grams involved. The shaver takes two AAA batteries which are Energizer Lithium batteries.
[12] – Seki Edge Nail Clippers (32g) By far the most effective nail clippers I have ever used, they cut through anything like butter and it’s good to have something that can be used in lieu of scissors when traveling.
[13] – Tweezers (7g)
[14] – Spare Hearos Earplugs 5x pairs (4g) These really are Hero’s! The most effective earplug by a long way (assuming you fit them correctly) and incredibly comfortable.
[15] – Body Crystal Mineral Salts Deodorant (138g) Yeah this is a bit tree-hugging hippie crap but it is remarkably effective at controlling the stink. The mineral salts are actively anti-bacterial which kills the source of BO, it leaves no residue (important for blacks!) has no smell, and crucially lasts forever (well certainly more than a year!)
[16] – Swisspers Q-Tips (4g)
[17] – Lifeventure Unbreakable Travel Mirror (24g) I actually carry this mostly as a holder for the Tweezers and Nail Clippers. I don’t recall using it as a mirror in a while.
[18] – Eagle Creek Specter Pack-It Quick Trip Washbag (43g) Super lightweight washbag which I am very happy with on the whole (although it does get a bit wet in steamy shower rooms)

Tech

Sony Vaio Pro SVP1321C5E Laptop

[1] – Sony Vaio Pro SVP1321C5E Laptop (1059g) I purchased this machine in June 2013 and over two years later nothing has come close to rivaling its specs. The processor is a 4th gen Core i7 (1.8GHz), it sports 8Gb DDR-3 RAM and an incredibly fast 512Gb SSD (which is where most competitors fall short), the super bright full HD 13.3″ display is touchscreen, battery life is around 7hrs and it tips the scales at a smidge over a kilo. It is a solid performer and it looks fantastic, I have received many compliments during presentations over the years. On the downside it doesn’t have an Ethernet or VGA port which means carrying two adapters most of the time (from USB 3.0 and HDMI respectively), but this is a small price to pay for such a capable piece of kit. It recently handled the upgrade to Windows 10 without issue too.

Tech bag and geeky gear

My tech bag (819g) is also fairly generic and lightweight although I do swap out a couple of bits for daily use.

[1] – Sodial Retractable RJ45 Ethernet Cable 1m (23g) This and the USB 3.0 / Ethernet adapter are required to repair the family’s routers as I tour the country
[2] – Amzer Retractable Micro USB Cable 1m (20g) with Mini USB Adapter (6g) and Lighting USB Adapter (1g) This is a lightweight way of bringing three cables – especially since I never need them all the same time
[3] – Sodial Retractable 3.5mm Phono Cable 80cm (11g) Good for playing tunes from the iPhone which I tend to do using other folks’ (heavy) speakers
[4] – Splitter 3.5mm Phono (5g) Excellent for sharing tuneage – although the SO wasn’t with me this trip so could have saved 5g there…
[5] – TX-500 Comply Foam Buds, Elacin ER20S Musician Earplugs, Spare Headphone Clip (8g) The Elacin’s are great for avoiding tinnitus after gigs, the spare Comply Foam buds are necessary as they do fail.
[6] – Spare Ultimate Ears 600VI Noise Isolating Headphones (18g) Music is very important to me and the prospect of being without it because the kit has failed is not acceptable. Onebaggers don’t allow for redundancy often but 18g is a small price to pay.
[7] – Ultra slim HDMI Cable 1m (27g) This was the lightest HDMI cable I could find although the search continues…
[8] – Apple Lightning Cable 1m (17g) I have an iPhone, so this is a must.
[9] – Apple USB Charger (Aus) (28g) The lightest charger block, works well with the Kikkerland for global charging
[10] – Sony VGP-AC10V10 Laptop Charger (Aus) (289g) Man I wish there was a lighter solution, but again it works well with the Kikkerland and has a USB charging point too
[11] – Sony Anti-Static Cloth (14g) Essential for a touchscreen laptop, good for wiping sunnies too
[12] – Kikkerland UL03A Travel Adapter (49g) Brilliant piece of kit this – the lightest universal travel adapter. However – no good if all you are converting *from* UK socket to ROW
[13] – Microsoft Business 5000 Bluetooth Mouse (80g) I have had this mouse for a long time. It’s good but I’m sure there are better smaller solutions – currently looking at the Microsoft Bluetooth Designer Mouse
[14] – 2x Transcend USB 3.0 Flash Drive 32Gb (8g each) The fastest USB 3.0 drives I have used – and cheap too.
[15] – Anker AstroMini 3200 Portable Battery Backup (83g) Very useful piece of kit for long days of photography (given that I use my iPhone as my camera). This came in very handy at the wedding!
[16] – Anker RJ45 to USB 3.0 Adapter (20g) Lightweight. Cheap. Works well. Bosh.
[17] – Griffin Power Jolt Dual USB in car charger (12g) Teeny tiny double USB charger for car charging ports. Excellent for road trips (although not so easy to get out of the car socket)
[18] – Generic Tech Bag (92g) This is actually fairly heavy for a tech bag, I am currently looking for a lighter alternative

Personal

Personal bag and contents

My personal bag (435g) is the one I keep with me at all times – it sits next to me on planes and it’s always at the top of my bag for easy access.

[1] – Soap2Go Anti-Bacterial handspray (12g) This is the lightest variant I could find of this product.
[2] – “Oh Shit Kit” (35g) containing plasters, 3x Lemsips, painkillers and other useful medication.
[3] – Hearos Earplugs in plastic case (5g) See above for my love of Hearos.
[4] – Boots Saccharin Sweetner 1000 (20g) Teeny tiny, lightweight and fantastic for sweet tea.
[5] – Moleskine Mini Notebook (37g) Despite being almost 100% digital there are times when only paper will do.
[6] – Passport (35g)
[7] – 2x Uniball Pens (10g each), 1x Biro (6g) I prefer ink pens but sometimes a biro is necessary (credit cards etc).
[8] – Keys (92g) Assorted keys to the various houses I would be staying in (folks are so trusting!)
[9] – Pocket Tissues (23g)
[10] – Baggie of baggies (16g) It is surprising how often baggies come in – good for keeping coins together, storing smaller tech like headphones and adapters, and keeping cuff-links together when you get the as a surprise gift for being a best man.
[11] – Baggie of rubber bands and paper clips (8g) I seem to find a use for rubber bands and safety clips on every trip.
[12] – Business cards, credit cards and travel cards (35g)
[13] – Cash UK Pounds (4g) Weighing currency and wondering what the hell you’re doing…
[14] – Silnylon Travel Bag with loads of pockets (87g)

Other stuff

I also carried with me (mostly on my person):

[1] – Sea to Summit Ultrasil Packable Daypack (73g) An incredible piece of tech, a usable 20l daypack that is water resistant and packs down to something no larger than a juggling ball. Brilliant. Sea To Summit recently ‘upgraded’ this bag to a larger 98g version which I like a lot less.
[2] – Basic Grey Case for Sunnies (42g) and Sunnies (26g) Just cheap ones because they get scratched so easily
[3] – Ultimate Ears 600VI Noise Isolating Headphones (18g) These are the most robust quality earbuds I have ever used. They are significantly better sound quality than Sennheiser or those truly awful Beats cans. They have an inline remote for volume and playback control, they also use foam buds which are so much more comfortable than rubber.
[4] – 2x Eagle Creek Silnylon Packing Cube (Half) (18g each) I am a recent convert to packing cubes, whilst I have always been a compartmentalised packer I previously opted for clear plastic bags reasoning that they weighed so little it was a more effective solution for the ultralight packer. However I recently discovered Eagle Creek’s Specter range of silnylon ripstop cubes which are incredibly strong, retain their shape for packing ease and weigh next to nothing. I used two of these – one for tees and the other for underwear & socks.
[5] – Slimfold Micro Soft Shell Wallet (18g empty / 60g full) This is a brilliant minimalist wallet. It easily fits notes and up to 8 cards. It isn’t quite big enough for UK notes but doesn’t struggle with Aussie notes. Prior to the Soft Shell I had a Tyvek wallet which was also super durable but showed it’s age fairly quickly. After 6 months the Soft Shell looks as good as new.
[6] – iPhone 6 128Gb (129g) No I’m not an Apple fan but they do make the best phones. This one stores all my music and replaces so many pieces of kit I used to carry. It is my communication center, camera, calendar, contacts list and calculator… and that’s just the c-words.

4x Outlier tees packed in to one cube and the 6x Icebreaker boxer briefs and 6x Icebreaker socks in the other.
Oulier Slim Dungarees and Icebreaker hoodie to the right.

Tortuga Air with suit, shirt and tie in the left section and 2x packing cubes
Oulier Slim Dungarees and Icebreaker hoodie in the right.

Tortuga Air with clothes in the main compartment and 3x smaller bags
(Tech Bag, Washbag and Personal Bag) in the front compartment.

Tortuga Air fully packed bag ready to go. Total weight 7700g with plenty of room to spare.