After three weeks traveling across the United States from Los Angeles to New York with just 4.5kg of gear, a onebag traveler shared brutally honest lessons on r/onebag - including why they should've brought a second long-sleeve shirt and why the travel perfume was a leaky mistake.
"I think after the trip the reports are always more helpful, as you know then what worked, and what didn't, or what you would change next time," the traveler wrote, offering detailed breakdowns of their minimalist packing list after real-world testing.
The Route and Conditions
The trip covered Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC, and New York over 20 days. The West Coast was "pretty warm," but on the East Coast, "especially in New York, it got pretty cold and very windy."
This temperature variation provided the perfect test for a minimalist packing approach - and revealed its limits.
What Worked Perfectly
Several items earned enthusiastic praise after three weeks of daily use:
The titanium spork proved invaluable. "The second time I brought it, it just so much easier when you have something you can use for eating anything from the supermarket, and you don't have to use that nasty wooden or plastic cutlery," they wrote.
The Nanobag sling - "It's just so tiny and yet strong. And I love the duck version of it" - provided a packable daypack solution that eliminated the need to carry the main backpack everywhere.
The Tomtoc sling bag worked double-duty as a tech organizer inside the main pack and a standalone daypack. "First time I brought a second bag, which I could use as a daypack, and it's really more convenient than having to bring the big backpack all the time."
Nail scissors came in handy "very often, not just for cutting nails" - a versatile tool that justified its small footprint.
The Critical Mistakes
Some omissions and inclusions became clear only after weeks on the road:
"Bring a second long sleeve shirt, it was not as warm as expected," topped the regret list. With only one Forclaz merino long-sleeve, cold East Coast days meant layering the merino under short sleeves or rewearing it constantly.
The travel perfume leaked, creating a mess and proving unnecessary. "Leave the travel perfume... it's not really needed when travelling, as long as you are not stinky," they concluded.
No clothesline meant improvising hang-dry setups in hotel rooms. "In a few hotel rooms we had issues hanging all our clothes," they noted, recommending a simple travel line for future trips.
The tripod went largely unused. "Leave the tripod at home, we only used it twice, and it was not really even needed then." Extra weight for minimal benefit.
The manual toothbrush was "fine" for short trips, but "for three weeks not" - recommending an electric toothbrush despite the added weight and charging requirements.
The Daily Washing Routine
With minimal clothing, daily maintenance became essential. "Clothes were washed everyday in the shower," the traveler explained. Their first stop included "an apartment with a washing machine, which made our life a lot easier."
The routine worked: whenever gym shorts were dry, they were "either packed for the next stop, or worn again for the gym session." The travelers hit the gym 13 of 20 days, making athletic wear a priority.
The Complete Loadout
The 4.5kg total weight included:
Worn: Mammut Ultimate VII Softshell jacket, Ortovox merino short-sleeve, CRZ Yoga pants, Uniqlo Airism underwear, Falke TK5 socks, New Balance 990v5 shoes
Packed clothing: 3x Uniqlo Airism underwear, 3x socks (2 Darn Tough, 1 Falke TK5), 2x Uniqlo Airism short-sleeves, 1x Forclaz merino long-sleeve, Asics running shorts
Tech: iPhone 17 Pro, Garmin Epix 2 Sapphire watch, AirPods Pro 3, iPad mini 7, 66W charger, 45W/10000mAh powerbank, basic tripod
Toiletries: Toothbrush, 20ml toothpaste, razor, mini perfume, 10ml containers of deodorant/beard cream/hair wax, nail scissors, toothpicks, Q-tips
Bags: Osprey Daylite 26+6 (main), Tomtoc T-33 3.5L (tech/daypack), Peak Design small packing cube, Nanobag sling
The Value of Post-Trip Reviews
Unlike pre-trip packing lists that theorize ideal loadouts, post-trip reviews reveal what actually matters during extended travel across varying conditions.
Commenters appreciated the honesty. "This is so much more useful than the 'here's my perfect packing list' posts," one wrote. "Real-world testing is what matters."
Another noted the gym frequency impact: "13 gym sessions in 20 days definitely changes your clothing needs. Most packing lists don't account for active travelers."
The Onebag Philosophy Tested
Three weeks is long enough to truly test minimalist travel claims. The traveler proved onebag living is absolutely viable for extended multi-city trips - but also that perfect optimization requires experience and adjustment.
Their willingness to daily wash clothing, accept limited outfit variety, and prioritize function over fashion made the approach work. But the East Coast cold exposure revealed that even careful planning can't predict every situation.
Key Takeaways for Onebag Travelers
Based on this real-world test:
1. Pack for the coldest expected weather, not the average 2. Multi-use items (sling bag, spork, nail scissors) justify their space 3. Single-use items (tripod, travel perfume) rarely do 4. Daily washing works but requires discipline and occasionally, machines 5. A packable daypack transforms city exploration 6. Comfort items (electric toothbrush) become worth the weight on longer trips
As the traveler concluded: the goal isn't theoretical perfection, it's practical functionality. And that only comes from hitting the road, testing your loadout, and honestly assessing what worked.
