Since I discovered the One Bagging travel philosophy, I’ve been hooked. To be honest, I kind of did it before—back when I used to fly low-cost airlines around Europe. The difference is that, back then, they were always short trips, and the way I packed was more intuitive than intentional.
For my recent 3-month mini sabbatical, though, I decided to take One Bagging seriously—for the first time on a long, multi-country trip.
The Packing Challenge
The real challenge was preparing for all kinds of weather: from 40°C in Rio de Janeiro to -3°C in the high altitudes of Bolivia.
As I write this from a flight between Cochabamba and La Paz, I can confidently say: I did a good job. I’m about 60% through the trip and have already used everything I brought. The temperature extremes are behind me, and I don’t foresee any problems with the milder Peruvian weather ahead.
For the curious—and for my future self—here’s a detailed breakdown of everything I packed. Unlike most packing lists (especially on r/onebag), I’m organizing this based on how I packed my bag, not by category.
The Bag: Arcido Akra (35L)
After a lot of research, I chose the Arcido Akra 35L. I originally had my eye on the Peak Design Travel Bag 40L, but the price and lack of availability in Europe made me reconsider.
Someone suggested this little-known brand, and I’m so glad I listened. The Akra is a minimalist, well-built, and low-profile backpack that doesn’t scream “I’M A BACKPACKER.” It actually looks smaller than it is when on my back.
Features I love:
- Two main compartments: one for a laptop, one for everything else
- A few extras: passport pocket, quick-access front pocket, sunglasses compartment, side water bottle holders
- Fewer zippers and compartments = fewer points of failure
How I Packed It
Main Compartment
Used: 3 packing cubes + 3 pouches
- 1 pair black jeans
- 1 pair thermal pants
- 1 Uniqlo warmest thermal shirt
- 1 Uniqlo rain jacket
- 1 pair boardshorts
- 1 pair casual shorts (with hidden zipper pocket)
- 1 pair football shorts
- 1 pair gym shorts (with zipper pockets)
- 1 beanie
Small Packing Cube
- 8 boxers
- 10 pairs of socks (some stored inside shoes)
- 1 Buff Polar neck gaiter
- 1 sunga (Brazilian Speedos)
- 1 pair of gloves
Medium-Large Packing Cube
- 3 training tees (synthetic, like football jerseys)
- 6 T-shirts (3 cotton, 3 Uniqlo quick-dry)
- 3 floral-style summer shirts
Toiletries Pouch
- Toothbrush, deodorant, toothpaste
- Soap bar
- Face & body sunscreen
- Beard trimmer
- Nail clipper
- Earplugs
First-Aid Pouch
- Band-aids
- Paracetamol
- Otipax
- Cotton
- Anti-inflammatories
Shoes Pouch
- Adidas Stan Smith (stuffed with socks)
Other Items (not in cubes):
- Decathlon towel
- Havaianas flip-flops
- Swimming goggles
- Luggage lock (attached to zipper)
Computer Compartment
I removed the harness to make space, which let me fit a daypack.
- Backpack rain cover
- Small book (read during the first two weeks, but I kept it because it was a gift)
- Plastic bag (for wet clothes)
- Salomon Trailblazer 10 (used as daypack)
- iPad Air + Apple Pencil + Logitech Folio Touch (stored in the daypack)
Side Pockets
- Water bottle
- Cloth (for cleaning things)
- Baby wipes
- 3-way selfie stick for GoPro
Sunglasses Compartment
- Sunglasses
- Sleep mask
Fanny Pack (Tech Essentials)
- USB-A to USB-C (basic [for the temperamental RG35XX H] and high-quality versions)
- USB-A to USB-mini (for Kindle)
- Anker 313 MagSafe to USB-C cable (my iPhone doesn’t charge via Lightning anymore)
- Anker USB-C to USB-C (3m)
- Kingston USB-C adapter
- Anker 735 Nano II Charger (highly recommended)
- Universal adapter
- Anker MagSafe power bank
- INIU power bank
- GoPro
- Trimmer charger
Small Shoulder Bag
- Passport
- Emergency cash
- Backup credit cards
- Kindle (sometimes stored in the main compartment)
- External hard drive
- €2 AliExpress AirPods clone
- House keys
- RG35XX H retro emulator
Worn Between Flights
- iPhone 14 Pro
- Wallet
- Parachute pants or black jeans (depending on the weather)
- Random T-shirt
- Hoodie
- Baseball cap
- Watch
- Hiking shoes
- Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones (ANC = lifesaver)
- Fanny pack + shoulder bag around hips (belt-style)
Things I Bought During the Trip
- Lip balm (forgot it)
- Brazil tank top (the trendy ones I’m pretty much you’ve seen online)
- Coffee mug (from Filandia, Colombia – clipped to bag)
- Small notebook & pen (also forgot these)
- Alpaca wool beanie
Lessons Learned
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the amount of things I’ve brought, but at this point of the trip there are already some lessons learned:
- Shorts: I thought I packed too many, but I was wrong. Beach days and sports are a big part of my trip and lifestyle. Four pairs (surf, football, casual, gym) felt just right. My football shorts even doubled as pajamas.
- Clothing quality: I wish I had brought older clothes I didn’t care about. I don’t have a dryer at home, so I didn’t expect most laundry to be dryer-based. Some shirts shrank, and my jeans faded. I’m avoiding washing my favorite hoodie for that reason.
- A friend has a great strategy: pack old clothes, donate them as you go, and buy replacements. New clothes = practical souvenir.
- T-shirts: If I count training, regular, and summer shirts together, I probably packed too many. I used them all, but space was tight. For future trips, I’ll try a “Monica’s Wardrobe” strategy—maybe 6 identical T-shirts and 1 nicer shirt.
- Cables: I brought too many. But cutting down would require upgrading devices that still work (like my iPhone and Kindle).
- Personal items: I could combine the fanny pack and shoulder bag, but it’s nice having fast access to important items. In the future, I might move everything into the bag’s passport pocket and stash the RG35XX elsewhere.
- Extra space: The biggest challenge for my next trip will be packing less, so I have room for new things along the way. Right now, everything fits perfectly—but it’s tight.