Travelling just with one bag - Equipment

Project Licence, Red., Internet article, 2026.

Remote work and travelling (with practitioners once wistfully called "digital nomads") has gotten a lot easier for more people with working from home and home office at least partly still available in jobs around the world1 (although some, as Gupta and Van Nieuwerburgh,2 see it as the "Office Real Estate Apocalypse").

Table of Contents

 

At the heart of mastering the one-bag lifestyle as a remote worker you have to juggle weight vs gain. It helps to focus on those things that are necessary for your individual lifestyle. From the various recommendations focus first on versatile clothing, compact tech, and multi-use gear. The goal is to pack for 7-10 days and utilize laundry services along the way. The below list has been compiled from a varienty of sources (see the links) and is optimized for around 35–40 liters (see e.g. Infinite Backpack Travel for a much lighter version with around 12 liters) of baggage  for any climate. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

 

🎒 Baggage & Organization

  • 35L–40L Travel Backpack: The core of the one-bag setup. Look for clamshell openings and ergonomic suspension. Popular favorites include the Tortuga Travel Backpack or the Peak Design Travel Backpack. [1, 2]
  • Packing Cubes: Essential for compressing clothes and organizing your bag. They allow you to pack and unpack in seconds. [1]
  • Packable Daypack: A lightweight, folding bag to use for exploring or carrying your laptop to coffee shops once your main bag is at your accommodation. [1, 2]

 

💻 Remote Work Essentials

  • Laptop & Charger: Your absolute lifeline. A lightweight machine with robust battery life is highly recommended. Battery packs are heavy but might also be worth it.
  • Foldable Laptop Stand: Prevents "tech neck" by elevating your screen to eye level. It is a necessary ergonomic essential for working long hours.
  • Bluetooth Keyboard & Mouse: Pair these with your stand for a complete workstation anywhere in the world.
  • Noise-Canceling Headphones: Critical for focusing in loud cafes or busy shared workspaces.
  • Universal Travel Adapter: Ensures you can plug in across multiple continents; look for one with built-in USB-C Power Delivery (PD).
  • VPN Subscription: A must for securing your data on public Wi-Fi networks and bypassing geographic restrictions. [1, 2, 3, 4]

 

👕 Clothing & Wardrobe

Stick to the "3-5-7" or "54321" method and prioritize wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying fabrics like Merino wool. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  • 5-7 Tops: A mix of high-quality tees and 1-2 button-downs/blouses suitable for video calls.
  • 3 Bottoms: 1 pair of versatile trousers (jeans/chinos), 1 pair of breathable shorts, and 1 pair of comfortable travel/gym pants.
  • Mid-Layer: One lightweight, packable sweater or fleece.
  • Outerwear: One high-quality waterproof and windproof jacket.
  • Underwear & Socks: 7 pairs of high-quality, quick-drying merino underwear and socks.
  • Shoes: Max of 2 pairs. One comfortable pair of stylish everyday walking/running shoes, and one pair of versatile sandals or flip-flops. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9]

 

🧴 Toiletries & Health

  • Solid Toiletries: Solid shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bars save space, last longer, and won't spill or trigger liquid limits at airport security.
  • Microfiber Towel: Dries significantly faster than standard towels and takes up a fraction of the space.
  • TSA-Approved Clear Pouch: Keeps your liquids organized and easily accessible for security checks.
  • Basic First Aid & Meds: A tiny pouch with pain relievers, cold medicine, band-aids, and your prescribed medications. [1, 2, 3]

 

🛂 Documents & Miscellaneous

  • Passport & Visas: Keep these along with your vaccine cards in a secure, quick-access pocket.
  • Digital Copies: Save encrypted PDF copies of your passport, credit cards, and insurance in your email or cloud storage.
  • Travel Insurance: A must-have for digital nomads to protect against unexpected medical emergencies or trip delays.
  • Laundry Sheets: Pre-measured laundry detergent sheets that won't spill in transit and are perfect for sink-washing. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Backup Plans

You need a good backup strategy, should use online services and cloud storage (your own page or one of the usual or not so usual suspects, like tuta and mailbox.org). For a good intro see Personal Data Framework.

You are not alone

As always there are a variety of communities (one, two, three) around the web to share so called "onebag" experiences, packing lists, equipment recommendations and contingency plans in case of loss. And as always, there is a relevant xkcd comic - enjoy. Reddit also offers some communities one can check:

Links

 

Endnotes

1. Aksoy, C, J Barrero, N Bloom, S Davis, M Dolls, P Zarate (2022), “Working from home around the world”, VoxEU. Online (260613) at https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w30446/w30446.pdf 

2. Gupta, A, V Mittal and S Van Nieuwerburgh (2022), “Work From Home and the Office Real Estate Apocalypse”, NBER Working Paper No. w30526. Online (260613) at https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w30526/w30526.pdf