Two Backpacks One Couple

Nick’s Packing List

Our trip is 15 months, a mix of urban travel and outdoor adventure, has temperatures from below freezing to almost 50° C, and has accommodation that includes tents, guest houses, apartments, hostels, hotels, resorts, cabins, and yurts. Needless to say, packing was a challenge. Overall, I’d say I’ve been pretty happy with what I’ve packed. I’ve rated each item on a 0-10 scale. The rating isn’t a rating of the quality of the product (although that can impact it), but reflects how well it fits the trip.

• 10: This was perfectly designed for how I travel and high quality
• 8-9: This suites my intended purpose really well. If it wears out, I would probably get another and not look for something else
• 6-7: It works fine, but in hindsight I would have looked for a different product
• 3-5: Something about this was pretty flawed, either the item itself or my decision to bring it
• 0-2: Bringing this was really stupid of me. It was a terrible product or completely unnecessary

My gateway to one-bag travel was backcountry camping, so I’m used to carrying a fair bit of weight and I wasn’t focused on getting as light as possible. My goal was to have a setup that could at least appear to be carryon and personal item compliant. I definitely don’t meet weight requirements and am probably a little over in size, too, but have had to check my bag surprisingly few times. Our trip is long enough that I wanted to pack things that look and feel good, not just the most utilitarian option.

Bags

ULA Camino • 9/10

Without designing and making a bag myself (which I might try after this trip), I don’t think there is anything out there that fits how I like to travel better than the Camino. As far as construction goes, it is great. I’ve definitely beat it up, but you wouldn’t know it based on how it looks. I am a huge fan of Osprey bags and have been hiking with them for years, so I originally bought a Farpoint with this trip in mind. After a little while testing that out, I realized that the Farpoint is more of a travel bag with some hiking features, and I wanted a hiking bag with some travel features. The Camino fits that niche perfectly. It is comfortable even after 12 hours of hiking. With the two large side pockets and internal bladder pouch, the water access is excellent. Being able to expand the top gives a little flexibility when we need a bit of food for longer hikes or long travel days. I prefer to self organize, so minimal internal organization and no bulky laptop sleeve suit me well.

Matador Freefly 16 • 7/10

The Freefly has worked out pretty well, but might be something I would swap out if I could go back in time. Having a second bag is definitely a must for me. I toss it in the expansion roll-top of the Camino when I need to carry everything, but when the big bag goes in the storage of a bus or the overhead bin I can grab it out of the top and it stays with me. 16 liters is a great size; I can fit a water bottle, rain coat, first aid kit, and some snacks for a hike, or a couple water bottles and extra layers for the two of us if we are out and about in town for a full day. For how light and thin it is it distributes weight well enough and has held up to a lot of use very well. My biggest complaint with the Freefly is bad water access. There are some water bottle pockets on the side, but they are too small for a 1 liter bottle, so water bottles end up in the main compartment. There is also no way to feed a tube for the bladder anywhere except through the zipper. The strip of material that was sown onto the seams mostly tore off the seams pretty much immediately and has been flopping around the inside of the bag ever since, but that doesn’t really bother me as much as the lack of water access.

3x Wool & Prince Signature Crew Neck Tee • 9/10

I’ve been really pleased with how these shirts have performed. The material looks and feels great, they are relatively odor resistant, light, packable, and I like the cut. Being thin and wool, they are pretty delicate and unstructured, but that comes with the territory.

Wool & Prince Signature Long Sleeve Henley • 9/10

It’s nice to have the henley to mix things up a little sometimes.

Wool & Prince 130 Spread Collar Shirt • 3/10

I am not a fan of shirts with an Oxford collar, so I was very excited about the spread collar option from W&P. This shirt really was great until it wasn’t. It fit perfect, which is unusual with my long arms. It is long enough in the torso that it could be tucked in, but short enough that it didn’t need to be. Light enough to wear in hot climates, but great in the cold as well. The material was nice, but just too fragile for travel. This shirt has never seen the inside of a drier, and has only been machine washed (with cold water) less than 5 times. Somehow, one of those times absolutely ruined it, though. Everything else in the load was also wool and completely unscathed. This shirt, however, was completely shrunk, and the fabric has the texture of flannel now. Not sure what my future alternative will be, but this is my second W&P collared shirt to go down this path and there won’t be a third. I’ll hand wash most of the time, but it is nice to use a washing machine every once in a while and I can’t trust this shirt to come out the other side.

ISTO Linen Shirt • 8/10

I had a surprising amount of trouble finding a linen shirt that seemed like it would be decent quality without an Oxford collar. I’ve loved this one, though. Perfect for staying cool and looking decent in hot sunny weather. In hindsight, I would have packed one less T-shirt and brought another one of these in another color that I could wear for hiking and safaris. My only complaint is that the relaxed fit is…very relaxed. If I had gotten this tailored before the trip I think it would be a 10/10.

Outlier Slim Dungarees • 8/10

Great pair of pants for warm weather and hiking. A little too technical looking to be worn around a city, but for just about any other application they are great.

DU/ER Performance Denim Slim • 10/10

I pretty much live in jeans during my real life, so I travel with them as well, despite the weight. I couldn’t imagine a better pair of travel jeans than these (or non-travel jeans for that matter, they are also my go-to at home). Stretchy and comfortable without giving up the feel and durability of a pair of jeans. Gusseted for his pleasure. The dark wash can be dressed up a bit with a the collared shirts, and I love the slim fit.

Outlier New Way Five-Fives • 7/10

I use these as my swimming shorts in addition to working them into the rotation dry. They are definitely more of a pair of shorts that can be used for swimming than they are a pair of swimming shorts that can be worn regularly. The fabric leans a little more durable than quick dry, but I appreciate that I can just toss the drawstring out and they look a little less out of place in the water. In hindsight, I would have gone for something a little more athletic and quick dry, but these have served me well.

Wool & Prince Shorts • 9/10

I don’t think the exact pair I purchased are being produced anymore, but these have been great shorts. They look good, and I haven’t had any complaints with the material at all.

5x Wool & Prince Boxer Briefs • 9/10

The merino really shines in base layers, and I’ve been happy to have it in the shape of underwear. I haven’t tried a crazy number of options, so I can’t give exhaustive comparisons, but these have served me really well. I might have gotten too large of a size, but after a pass through the drier they fit pretty well, especially in the crotch (don’t need all that extra fabric there (tiny penis)).

4x Darn Tough Men’s Run No Show Tab Ultra-Lightweight Running Socks • 10/10

Darn Tough are the best in the game. I thought about different socks for different applications, but I am glad I just got 4 matching pairs of the smallest possible sock. It makes laundry a tiny bit more straightforward if all of them go together, and I am a warm boy so I have never really wished for them to be any thicker.

montbell Plasma 1000 Down Jacket Men’s • 10/10

This jacket is light, packs down very small, and is surprisingly warm. With the emphasis on weight saving I was worried that it would be delicate, but it has held up great so far.

Wool & Prince Interlock Sweatshirt • 9/10

It’s really nice having something that is slightly warmer, but doesn’t look out of place in an urban coffee shop. No complaints.

Hat • 10/10

I bought this hat from a little old lady in Iceland. There are probably more optimal head insulating solutions, but I like this one a lot and it is one of the few pieces of my kit that isn’t completely soulless so I’ll be keeping it around.

whitepeak Genuine Merino Wool and Possumdown Blended Gloves • 8/10

I haven’t needed these too often so far, but they have done their job when called upon.

Hirbawi Gray Hirbawi Kufiya • 10/10

Sun hat, neck scarf, beach towel, picnic blanket; I’ve used this way more than I would have guessed. Originally brought along more specifically for some desert countries, it’s ended up at the top of my bag all over. I am not a fan of wearing hats and don’t like the oily feeling of sunscreen, so it has been particularly great as sun protection.

Wool & Prince Buff • 10/10

Almost exclusively used as a sleeping mask. I also use it as a sleeping mask in my regular life.

Matador Ultralight Travel Towel – Large • 2/10

We have had towels provided way more frequently than I thought we would. When we haven’t, there have been very few times when I thought it was less inconvenient to need to dry the towel than it was to just air dry my body.

Proper Cloth Everyday Mask • 10/10

It has been nice to have a mask handy for the occasional necessary use of public transit with a cough.

Osprey Ultralight Garment Folder • 7/10

4x Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Medium • 9/10

These fit nearly perfectly in the Camino, in addition to being pretty light and durable. I use some tape on the handles to be able to tell which is which. I’m not sure how helpful the garment folder really is as everything tends to be pretty wrinkly anyway, but it also works pretty well with my packing scheme.

Raincoat

Norrøna falketind Gore-Tex Jacket • 10/10

After doing a ton of research, I went in to a store to try to try on an Arc’teryx Beta, and ended up walking out with this jacket I’d never heard of. I couldn’t imagine a better jacket for travel (or general outdoor activities). Super waterproof, great fabric, packable, light, pit zips, high pockets for access when wearing a hip belt, internal chest pocket, and it just looks good. Could not be happier.

Shoes

Arc’teryx Norvan SL 3 • 8/10

Unfortunately, it looks like this shoe isn’t made anymore, so I’ll have to find something new to hike in. I like barefoot shoes for the day to day, but for more serious hiking appreciate a little more barrier between my feet and pointy rocks. These shoes provided that and just about nothing else, which is perfect. They’re super light, provide great traction, and I like being able to tuck the laces away into the little lace pocket. My only real complaint is that they’re a little too breathable—sand and dust make there way in through the sides of the shoe. My only not as real complaint is that the fabric behind the laces isn’t elastic and bunches up when tied, which isn’t uncomfortable at all, but looks kinda bad.

Vivobarefoot Geo Court • 8/10

I’ve seen a lot of packing lists with trail runners as the only shoes, and I just couldn’t do it. I would feel out of place walking around a city or in a restaurant. My first plan was to use the Vivobarefoot Ra, and I ordered a pair a year and half before our trip to test them out and get used to wearing barefoot style shoes. Holy shit they are the ugliest shoes I have ever worn. I didn’t want to toss something just because it looked bad and I wasn’t going to donate them and subject someone else to them, so I wore them up until our trip. For the full 18 months, every time I put them on Kajsa laughed at me. I was glad I did the test run, though, because I knew I needed to look in another direction. Luckily Vivobarefoot also makes a shoe that doesn’t look like a clown shoe, the Geo Court. I was originally worried about the thicker soles, but after some long days of walking around I’ve been happy for them. The Geo Court’s look about as good as I think any barefoot shoe can look, which is to say, passably.

Bedrock Cairn Evo PRO Sandals • 9/10

Such a great pair of sandals. I’ve done some pretty intense hiking in them, which was admittedly much more pleasant after getting my feet more used to them. They’ve held up super well. I’ve used them a ton over the past two years, and although they are starting to show some wear, that is way longer than I would have expected them to last.

Eagle Creek Shoe Bag • 8/10

It’s able to fit whichever two shoes I’m not wearing, and is pretty necessary to keep the rest of the bag cleaner.

Keychain

• Loop • 10/10
  • Great for easily adding on apartment keys or car keys when we rent a car.
• Concert Earplugs • 10/10
  • After going to too many concerts in my early twenties without ear protection I’m now a little overprotective of my ears. I use these all the time for all types of loud noises.
• Sleeping Earplugs • 6/10
  • Love the case, but the Matador earplugs are just ok. I don’t use them often, but when they’re needed, they’re needed.
• Silicone Ring • 7/10
  • I use this way more when I have a regular gym routine at home, but every once in a while while traveling there is something I would rather not wear my wedding band for to avoid damaging it or my hand.
• Whistle • 1/10
  • I have no idea why I bought or brought this, but it was on my keychain before the trip started so I didn’t take it off.
• SIM Card ejector pin
• Padlock key

Vaultskin Manhattan • 9/10

Vaultskin definitely looked like some kind of scam instagram brand, but it’s hard to find a minimalist wallet that doesn’t look like a teenager’s first wallet, so I gave it a go. After 3 years it is just starting to show signs of wear. It’s a little small for some larger bills around the world, but that has never been too inconvenient. I tend to use the same travel card for everything abroad, so having external easy access for that is perfect.

Vaultskin Kensington • 9/10

I like the Manhattan enough that I got Vaultskin’s matching passport wallet as well. I like having somewhere to put my passport, vaccine card, backup credit and debit cards, and any additional papers I need to have for some reason.

ROAV Jett • ?/10

I have no idea what to rate these. The design is incredible. I thought folding sunglasses were a little bit of a gimmick, but decided to give them a try anyway. I was quickly proved wrong. Being able to have my sunglasses in the same front pocket as my wallet was so much more convenient than I thought it would be. Going in and out of buildings throughout the day or transitioning from afternoon to evening became a tiny bit simpler, which I appreciated a lot. Unfortunately, I had an issue with my lenses that has put a damper on my enthusiasm. It got a little warm in the desert in Namibia and the two layers of the lenses began to separate. It started small, but over time has made both lenses pretty difficult to see out of. I wouldn’t mind just getting the lenses replaced, but I haven’t been able to find someone in person who would be able to do it yet. If I were back home, I would just mail them off to get new lenses, but I use them pretty much every day and am a bit of a moving target so I wouldn’t know where to have them shipped back to. On the one hand, the temperatures were pretty extreme so I could understand an adhesive not holding up. On the other hand, it seems a little silly to not be able to bring your sunglasses to the desert, where you need them the most. The glasses were still in warranty at the time, but ROAV did not respond to my email.

Belt • 10/10

This is some belt that I got while visiting the leather tanneries in Fez, Morocco. It’s just a strip of leather with some holes in it and a simple buckle on one side, which is perfect. Before getting this, it was surprisingly difficult to find a simple, quality leather belt, and I have no interest in a more technical belt material. Half the reason I want a belt in the first place is to make an outfit look a little nicer and technical belts have the opposite effect.

SEIKO SNE573 • 9/10

I love this watch, it is an absolute tank. I rarely take it off, and with the 200m waterproof rating it is nice not to have to worry about what I’m putting it through. It’s the perfect balance of nice enough that I enjoy wearing it, but not too nice that I am stressed about what could happen to it. I have always liked the look of dive watches, but have tiny childlike wrists so they generally look silly on me. Fortunately the SNE573 is quite small, so I can wear it and not look like a kid trying on my dad’s watch. I like metal straps, so I put an aftermarket strap on from Uncle Straps.

Fenix HM50R v2.0 Headlamp • 10/10

We have enough camping in the itinerary that some kind of a light was necessary. Small, light, powerful enough, waterproof, USB C rechargeable, this thing has been great.

ABUS 64TI/30 Titalium Padlock • 10/10

I don’t really trust combination locks, so my wife and I got a couple of these that are keyed together. Because we each have a key that works for both and keep a backup tucked away somewhere, I feel pretty confident we will always be able to get back into a locker if we lock it. So far, this has worked for every locker we’ve needed it for, and is small and light.

Lighter

I’ve had 4 or 5 of these taken away by various security agencies, so I have had a variety of lighters over the course of the trip, but the BIC ones are my favorite. Cigarettes not pictured.

Fisher Space Pen • 8/10

Kajsa thinks this was a silly purchase, but she has never had a pen explode on the plane before. I’ve definitely written with better pens, but I like feeling confident that I won’t get ink all over everything on any given flight.

GEARAID Heroclip Small • 6/10

Not pictured because I keep it on the daypack. Great for creating a hook in bathroom stalls that don’t have one, and for making it easier to hang the laundry line. I’ve definitely used it, but could probably live without it.

Google Pixel 9 Pro • 9/10

• bellroy Leather Pixel Case • 7/10

We decided not to bring a more serious camera, so we got new phones heading into this trip to be able to take some decent pictures. Sometimes we like Kajsa’s iPhone photos more, sometimes the photos from the Pixel turn out better, so it is nice to have both. I had my last phone for almost 5 years, so it’s fun to be on something new. I’m also happy to be back on a Google phone. I use Google apps for pretty much everything and, unsurprisingly, they integrate pretty well with the Google phone. I love the feel of the leather case, but some of the adhesives also suffered from the extreme heat in Namibia.

Sony WF-1000XM4 • 10/10

• AZLA SednaEarfit Crystal • 9/10

Between listening to music on bus rides, watching a movie on a plane, or keeping up with daily podcasts, I use these all the time. With great battery life, solid ANC, and good sound, I’ve been super pleased with them. The standard foam tips have nice noise cancelling, but aren’t super durable, so after they tore I replaced them with the AZLA tips. I’ve been very happy with them as well.

Apple 2020 Macbook Air

• Matador Laptop Base Layer • 10/10

This is the laptop Kajsa has used for a while now and it wasn’t something that needed to be replaced just for this trip. She uses it a lot more than I do because she does a lot more planning and booking than me (for which I am very grateful). It has served us well, but I have no idea if we would have gone with something else if we didn’t already have it. The Matador carrying case is perfect, though. The Camino doesn’t have a padded laptop sleeve, so this thing keeps the laptop nice and safe.

Charging Kit

Eagle Creek Pack-It E-Tools Organizer Mini • 10/10

Anker Prime Power Bank, 12,000 mAh • 6/10

MOGICS Adapter • 10/10

Anker Nano II USB C Charger, 65W • 7/10

2x Anker USB C to USB C Cable • 10/10

Anker USB A to USB C Cable • 10/10

I was pretty serious about making sure everything electronic I brought charged with USB C. This made the charging setup pretty simple. Everything here has worked flawlessly, but in hindsight I was a little too focused on being able to charge things quickly. As it turns out, I almost never am in a rush when I’m charging. If I were to go back in time I would have swapped the Anker powerbank for the Nitecore NB10000 Gen 3, swapped the charger for the Anker 45W version, and dropped one of the USB C to USB C cables. I would give up a little charging speed, but lost a lot of weight. Either way, it’s like the Eagle Creek organizer was made for this setup, which is very satisfying.

• Case • 8/10
  • A waterproof toiletry case doesn’t let things air out, but I like knowing that the rest of my bag is safe from whatever liquids or sprays are in here.
• Hook • 10/10
  • I use this to hang the bag up if there isn’t space or there is a lot of water on the counter.
• Electric Razor • 4/10
  • No complaints about the razor itself, I just prefer a traditional razor. I brought this so I would be able to dry shave when needed and avoid having to worry about shaving cream. It has definitely been useful in a few situations, but probably not worth the weight after I picked up a razor anyway and used that more often.
• Razor
  • I tend to grab whatever is available whenever I need a new one.
• Toothbrush • 10/10
  • I planned on replacing this as I went with whatever was available as well, but I liked the Marvis one enough that I bought more to swap them out every few months.
• Flosser + Replacements • 10/10
• Eyedrops
• Nail Clippers • 10/10
  • Kajsa hates these, but I think they’re neat.
• Ear Spoon • 8/10
  • I like not having to be quite as dependent on Q-tips, but still use them when they are available. This works better than I thought it would.
• Soap Case + Soap • 10/10
  • Great case, great soap
• Tweezers
• Comb • 10/10
  • I don’t use shampoo often, so I have this to scrub my scalp in the shower. Incredible comb. Turns out titanium is not a good comb material, I’m kind of glad I lost that one and replaced it with the carbon fiber.
• Mirror • 5/10
  • I’ve used this a few times, but probably not enough to be worth packing. Nice enough, though.
• Mouthguard
  • I grind my teeth at night.
• Toothpaste
  • I tend to grab whatever is available whenever I need a new one.
• Deodorant
  • I tend to grab whatever is available whenever I need a new one. Native is my preference, but I’m not picky.

Sleeping

Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass 30 • 10/10

• REI Compression Stuff Sack

I feel like a lot of mid to higher end sleeping bags have a surprising amount of features, which I don’t really understand. The Bishop Pass is just a human shaped sack to sleep in, and that is exactly what I want out of a sleeping bag. With the compression sack it gets pretty small, but is one of the bulkier consequences of the hiking trips we have planned.

MSR PocketRocket® Deluxe Stove • 9/10

I’ve been using various MSR stoves for a long time and have loved all of them. If I hadn’t had so many lighters taken away by airport and metro security I would have wished I had gone with the smaller and lighter non deluxe version of this stove, but it turns out the self lighting feature is great for travel.

Toaks Ultralight Titanium Spoon • 9/10

Light and is a spoon. No complaints.

RIP Toaks Titanium Folding Knife • 5/10

This was unfortunately taken away by an enthusiastic airport security person. I keep forgetting to replace it. When we do have a butter knife we use it all the time for cutting and spreading food. The folding feature was awful, though, and I would much prefer to have just gotten a full sized one.

VARGO Titanium Chopsticks • 0/10

While not consequential, this is my least used item on this packing list. I liked the idea of avoiding single use chopsticks on our Asia leg of the trip, but I think I’ve used these 0 times. Even when I had them on me (and I forgot a fair bit), every establishment either had reusable chopsticks or refused to not give me disposable ones.

VARGO Titanium Pot Lifter • 7/10

Pot grips are definitely a quality of life improvement when cooking on the stove, but I go back and forth on whether the (admittedly small) amount of space taken up by these was worth it. When I’ve forgotten pot grips camping before, I’ve always managed to work something out.

VARGO Titanium Bot • 4/10

This was my only true fuckup of the packing. I did test it out a fair bit, but not enough as it turns out. I don’t want to knock the product, because there is certainly a good application for it, but it isn’t long term travel with occasional camping. I thought it was going to be perfect, though. I already had a fair bit of bulky stuff that was required for our camping sections and I wanted to avoid having to bring a dedicated pot, too. I was definitely bringing a liter water bottle, so this seemed like a perfect way to pretty much save a pot’s worth of space in my pack. In hindsight it would have been space well used. The Bot works great as a pot. No issues there. As a water bottle, it leaves a lot to be desired, and I use it for that wayyy more often than as a pot. It is super loud to open and has a very abrasive sound. Not quite nails on a chalkboard, but in the same territory. Kajsa has banned me from opening it during the night. Forget drinking water at any performance or temple where it would be rude to make noise. It also does not handle elevation change very well. Go up and it leaks, go down and it seals itself so that it is impossible to open by hand. It has been pretty easy to unseal it with a credit card after I figured out what was going on, but still pretty annoying. It also can only really hold 800mL of water, despite being a way more inconvenient shape than a liter water bottle. It might be able to technically fit close to a liter, but if you actually fill it all the way up you end up spilling water all over when you open it because of the shape of the lid. All of this adds up to it being functional, but way more annoying than I would like for something that I use almost every day.

MSR Guardian • 10/10

This might be the most objectively space and weight wasting item on the list, but I love it. Between my aversion to single use plastic water bottles, the water quality in some of our destinations, Kajsa’s glass stomach, and the camping we are doing, some kind of water purifying solution was a must. I’ve used drops, tablets, UV, and gravity systems before, but I prefer pumps. And the Guardian is the best pump I’ve used, or am aware that exists.

MSR Dromlite Bag + Hydration Bag Converter • 7/10

When I needed to replace my last bladder, I got this one because it screws onto the Guardian. Which makes pumping way easier, until you need to unscrew it. Not using that feature makes me feel like I probably could have found something better out there. I like how small this setup packs and how light it is, but the converter feels like it could have a way lower profile. As it is, it can make packing around it a little annoying. I also tossed an Osprey bite valve on it because I prefer that to the one it came with.

Matador 8L Dry Bag • 8/10

This occasionally gets other uses, but mostly I use it as dirty clothes storage and a laundry bag. I like being able to seal away dirty clothes.

Sea to Summit Clothesline • 6/10

Works great, but I’ve needed it less than I would have guessed.

Sea to Summit Laundry Wash

We mostly grab hand wash powder as we travel, but this is a nice small backup that has come in handy a few times.

First Aid

Nite Ize Waterproof 3-1-1 Pouch • 8/10

We’re doing enough camping and hiking in remote areas that I wouldn’t feel comfortable without at least a small first aid kit. Kajsa carries our pharmacy, so this is just to cover external medical problems. Luckily we haven’t needed it for anything other than some small burns, scrapes, and blisters (not even ours for the most part), but I am still happy to have brought it. The first aid items mostly come from MyMedic. There wasn’t anything out there prebuilt that fit what I was looking for, and they made it pretty easy to order the specific things I wanted. I spent a while looking for an appropriately sized waterproof bag that had some level of organization, but I couldn’t find anything. I already had this around and it has worked fine, but I’m glad I haven’t needed to get anything out in a hurry.