This was my first trip that lasted longer than a few weeks where I only used one bag. And spoiler alert: it was truly amazing! I basically used everything I packed and didn’t miss a single thing either. Very happy with that especially since I’m not that experienced with real backpacking trips like this one.

For the trip we started out in Vietnam for 3 weeks where we took a lot of sleeper busses, some boats and of course the plane to get there. We then proceeded to the Philippines for 3,5 weeks where we had scooters, boat tours for multiple days, quite some domestic flghts, taxi’s and more. We ended in Japan where we took the bullet train (Shinkansen) and a lot of metros and a monorail lol. So we basically used almost every form of transportation.

In this post I’ll take you on a quick journey on how I packed, what stuff I took with me and what my lessons were!

The backpack

Like the title said, I used the Pakt Aero 35L for this trip, and to be honest it worked so well, I’m wondering …

Doesn’t look completely packed, but here’s what I’ve got in it:

Laptop Compartment - 15” laptop, charger, mouse, and my wired earphones (the last three tucked into the smaller pocket)

Main Compartment - Tech pouch, packing cubes for my towel, basketball shorts + jersey, toiletries bag, umbrella, sunnies case, and a sweater which ate up most of the space

Front Compartment - Basketball shoes (Kobe 8, size 10.5) still has a bit of room, so you can toss a few small items in there too

Side Pocket – Keys and company ID

Water Pocket – Owala smooth sip 20oz

Shoulder Card Slot – Metro card

Also threw my card holders into the hidden pocket on the back!

P.S. It’s a bit snug overall, but surprisingly comfy, the padding really makes it feel lighter than it is!

Just got my wildcard rainmaker 30. Took about 2 months from when I ordered it. Communication with them was quite good. I’m switching from a North Face Surge. I like many things about the bag so far. I’ll leave a more detailed review after I have had a chance to take a trip. Here are some pics:

I’m at the airport gate with time to kill and figured I’d write a short review of the Aer Go Pack 2.

I was looking for a packable day pack and the Aer seemed to fit the bill. I’ve used it for a week now in South East Asia mostly at the airport and a couple times through the city.

Likes:

- clean aesthetic, I got the black colour and it’s simple and understated. I also like the very minimal branding, only the small Aer tag at the front bottom and an even smaller one on the left shoulder strap

- wrinkly cordura fabric gives it a well-traveled look and looks to be water resistant (haven’t used it in the rain yet although I imagine the front bin will likely get water in during a downpour)

- luggage strap is discrete yet secure and functional

- zipper pulls are very nice, butter smooth to operate and nice zipper “parking garage” for the mini compartment at the top

- speaking of compartments, the mini zippered compartment (à la parking garage fame), is very useful. Sufficiently deep …

The new City Pack Pro 2 came in the post today from Aer’s UK store and I thought I’d share some first impressions for anyone interested in picking one up. For context, I have a TP3 Small in Ultra and a first gen Cordura Duffel Pack as well as far too many non-Aer bags to compare it to.

First and foremost, it’s a CPP2. No major differences from ones I’ve looked at in stores other than the fabric and tweaks to the admin pocket & key tether.

Fabric

I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference at first glance between this and XPAC other than the colour but, after going back and forth a few times between this and my XPAC Aer pouches, the Ecopak is less crinkly and has a slightly softer woven quality to it whereas the XPAC is a bit more papery/plasticky. Time will tell as to how hard wearing it is and whether any dimpling shows up. There are some spots where the stitching underneath shows through and gives it a slightly bumpy line texture but only when you …

I love my Daylite 26+6 but when it’s heavily loaded, it gets very heavy on the shoulder.

I understand why they didn’t add a hip belt : it’s ugly when you don’t need it, it’s dangling everywhere. I undestand also that the bag isn’t made to have a proper weight distribution on the hip even with a hip strap, because it doesn’t get low enough. Fortunately, I’m not too tall (1m75), so I can positvely say that’s it’s night and day when the bag is heavily loaded. My girlfriend did the same with her bag, she’s 1m63 and it’s even better for her.

I didn’t want to permanently sew the belt to the bag, so I sew some little loops on each side and attach the belt with some clips only when I need it. The belt in itself is custom sewed too. It was my first sewing experience, I had a blast and it’s far less difficult than it looks if you never did any sewing.

BONUS : my beautiful precious Hornet keychain

This was my first trip that lasted longer than a few weeks where I only used one bag. And spoiler alert: it was a real success! I basically used everything I packed and didn’t miss a single thing either. Very happy with that especially since I’m not that experienced with real backpacking trips like this one.

For the trip we started out in Vietnam for 3 weeks where we took a lot of sleeper busses, some boats and of course the plane to get there. We then proceeded to the Philippines for 3,5 weeks where we had scooters, boat tours for multiple days, quite some domestic flghts, taxi’s and more. We ended in Japan where we took the bullet train (Shinkansen) and a lot of metros and a monorail lol. So we basically used almost every form of transportation.

In this post I’ll take you on a quick journey on how I packed, what stuff I took with me and what my lessons were!

The backpack

Like the title said, I used the Pakt Aero 35L for this trip, and to be honest it worked so well, I’m wondering …

I’m a man in my mid-30’s and have been one-bagging for over 10 years. I’ve gone through a few phases (the “buy all the fancy containers” phase, the “shave off a few ounces” phase) and nowadays I’m no longer strictly a one-bagger, but I still don’t check-in luggage. Here’s my 2 week toiletries kit that I’ve come to love, in case it inspires any conversation. Always open to feedback:

1. 2 Gallon ziplock bag - big enough to use as wash bag if I don’t have access to a sink/bathroom. I also like that I can easily change the shape of my toiletries bag (small and round vs long and skinny).
2. 10x disposable contact lenses (I don’t wear them while flying so 10 lasts about 14 days)
3. Pill box (Advil, melatonin, and 15 day supply of my prescription drugs)
4. Dramamine/Bonine (I spend a lot of time on boats)
5. Gum folding toothbrush
6. 15mL travel toothpaste (lasts me 14 days). I’ve tried toothpaste tablets in the past and I …

I have a Dragonfly, and recently bought one for my wife and my daughter. I bought my daughter the Ultra version, as there’s a greater likelihood of her being on foot in a rainy environment.

I have to admit, I’m a little jealous of the ultra, I like how much it holds it’s structure. The pack hacker review mentioned it feeling “icky”. But I don’t find that to be the case.

Anyway, thought I’d share. White robic, ultra, gray robic.

I finally get to post something here. It’s my first time onebagging and Hokkaido winter seems a… strong choice

I’m currently taking a year abroad in Japan and we have a whopping 2 month spring break. So, I’m going up to Hokkaido (3d Hakodate, 3d Sapporo, Niseko somewhere in there) with a group of friends. After that, we break apart and me and one of them are going to make our way down Japan via backpacking/train-hopping. He has family coming early March so we’re doing Kantou (the east/northern part of the main island) and I’ll drop him off in Tokyo. Then I’ll pick up a friend and we’ll head south for another 2-3 weeks to cover Kansai. Mostly south/west of Osaka. Honestly, its mostly just sketched in terms of plans, but shouldn’t be too big an issue since its just 2 people. Also, yes, the irony of going south moving into spring isn’t lost on me. I’ll post an update when I’m back in Tokyo as I drop off the heavy …

hi i started following this subreddit 5 years ago preparing for an extended solo trip to europe, and the reviews and research i read lead me to the cotopaxi allpa 42l backpack! 5 years later and many adventures later i want to say thank you to the community here for leading me to this companion. i have never been one to fully optimize my packing but i never had issues using this as my one bag over my year abroad or any of the following travels. i used a set of packing cubes as needed but the interior compartments made it workable without. ive had some wear on the outside and did my own paint job at one point:) but the interior has held up perfectly. have a great day yall!

I’ve been using the CPL16 and have been loving it so far. I carry it almost every day, and I really like how much I can fit into it. I also own a Bellroy Venture Sling 9L, which I use occasionally when I want to travel light.

The thing with the Bellroy sling is that its large capacity makes it easy for me to overpack without realizing it, and it ends up looking a bit too bulky.

So, I thought maybe I should get the Evergoods CAS2. The capacity is smaller, and it looks much slicker.

I just got it today, and here’s what I’m carrying. In my head, I’m already a minimalist… but clearly, I’m not 😅

• Kindle Paperwhite 12 (7-inch screen — I was worried it wouldn’t fit, but it fits perfectly)
• Compact camera
• Wallet (okay, I probably need a smaller one)
• Power bank
• Pocket tool
• Reusable shopping bag

Honestly, this is a bit more than I should be carrying. At one point, I genuinely thought the zipper wouldn’t close. Thankfully, it did! Though it definitely felt tight while zipping up but from the …

Got the email this morning and looked at the collection, very disappointed. It’s very washed out and unappealing for my eyes. Whoever asked for a shade of brown that looks like it sat in the sun for 10 years is beyond me. Well let’s hope the next color is actually fun and exciting. Putting this out there, reds, greens, blues hell, throw us some purple. Anything but…whatever this is.

Recently purchased this new on the b/s/t thread after having sold mine last year (and seriously regretting it soon after).

Pictured is my typical work carry. Those are two small coolers inside the main compartment, not tech organizers. Laptop in an Osprey sleeve and two folders are hidden behind them. The zip pouches are from Watson Gear. Top qap holds my sunglasses in a Bihn Ghost Whale.

MPL22 ecopak

CAP 0.5 1 2

CAS 2

I saw online someone did this using fidlock but is there another way to attach this? Like Velcro or just any other option? Please help!!! Thank you