One Bag Travel: What I Packed for a 3-Month Sabbatical in South America

18 Apr, 2025

Disclaimer: AI was used to "polish" this post. Unfortunately, I lost the original draft, so I decided to keep this "public version". I kind of regret it, but it is what it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Illustration generated in chat GPT from a picture I took

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

IKEA Large Packing Cube

• 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 / Blindfold

Funnypack (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 - probably the best $50 I ever spent!

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.

Monica's Wardrobe. Found on X.

• 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.

#en #trip