what i keep in my backpack
written , last updated
i used to be the kind of person who could fit their entire life into a airline-personal-item sized bag. i still kind of am, although i'm slowly trying to transition away from that.
i don't think this is a way you should aspire to live.
i was traumatized into being like this out of necessity: i ran away from my parents at 18 (for reasons out of the scope of this article), and afterwards i lived under the constant threat of being kicked out on short notice for years. i still carry many of the survival mechanisms i developed during this time, long after they've outlived their usefulness.
even after i had control over my own life, i always ended up frequently traveling from place to place due to a weird combination of social and financial factors. keeping my life minimal just made sense.
the issue is that this is such a limiting way to live. it makes most hobbies impractical, as you are constrained by the small quantity of available space in your backpack. it ends up costing you more in the long run, as travel is expensive and you end up being forced to buy things in smaller quantities.
a lot of things in life are built around the assumption that you have a consistent home. getting healthcare becomes more complicated. doing your taxes becomes more complicated. everyday life becomes more complicated. everything wants an address, and you'll need to pay for a mail forwarding service to have a consistent one.
the idea of having a home to come back to is comforting. living in a place that feels familiar to you is comforting. being able to have a consistent schedule and not having to constantly worry about short term concerns just makes life easier.
but, there are situations where the benefits of living like this can outweigh the drawbacks. in the interest of helping out anyone else who is considering living this way, here's a peek into my life.
this is what what i keep in my 21L backpack:
| category | item | explanation or comments |
|---|---|---|
| toiletries | toiletry bag | keeps things organized and clean. there's no good reason not to use one. |
| toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss | make sure the toothpaste is within the TSA liquids limit (<=3.4oz). | |
| razor handle and cartridges | ||
| hair ties | ||
| nail clippers | if you struggle to use ordinary clippers, special needs nail clippers are worth trying. | |
| medications, stored within an appropriately sized bag | a 30+ day supply is recommended, as unexpected delays happen. | |
| clothing | 3x all-weather outfits (short-sleve shirts, pants, socks, and underwear) | it's often worth carrying additional pairs of socks and underwear, as they can get lost easily and they don't take up very much space. |
| waterproof jacket | if you plan on traveling to regions where you will likely encounter snow, you should seriously bring winter boots. | |
| essentials | reusable water bottle | remember to empty it before going through airport security. |
| caffeine gum | having a legal stimulant with you at all times is incredibly useful. caffeine gum is far cheaper than buying coffee and has a much faster onset than caffeine pills. | |
| electronics | laptop | many tasks are much easier to do with a larger screen and mouse + keyboard. |
| usb-c pd charger & usb-c pd cable | make sure to bring one that is high enough wattage to charge your laptop. | |
| in ear monitors ("earbuds") | much lighter and more compact than headphones. | |
| usb-c dock | recommended if your laptop lacks any of the following ports: usb a, hdmi, ethernet, or an sd card reader | |
| usb 4 + pd cable | optional, but useful to have on hand. |
however, i'm not being paid by any product manufacturers to recommend specific products. these items are what i actually use.
that's it.[1]
however, what isn't included can be just as important as what is included. here's some notable omissions:
| category | item | why i don't carry it |
|---|---|---|
| toiletries | deodorant | i'm allergic to most deoderants, and it arguably isn't that necessary anyways. |
| body wash, shampoo, conditioner | too difficult to transport. whatever is at the hotel or my friend's place is good enough. | |
| separate body and face razors | some razors can do an acceptable job at both. | |
| shaving cream/gel | too difficult to transport. i typically buy this at the place i'm staying if i plan on staying there for an extended period of time. | |
| hair comb or brush | using your fingers is usually good enough. | |
| essentials | umbrella | having a waterproof backpack and jacket is usually more practical. |
| electronics | separate wall chargers for laptop & phone |
you rarely end up needing to charge both devices
at the same exact time. in these rare cases, plugging your phone into your laptop to charge it works fine. |
| usb-c pd battery pack |
batteries are heavy, and you can usually use
your laptop as a battery pack to charge your
phone. however, if you plan on staying in more remote areas, picking up one of these and possibly a usb-c solar panel can be worth the additional weight and cost. |
|
| dedicated cellular hotspot | most recent smartphones offer acceptable performance as a hotspot. | |
| tablet |
i generally find that there are almost no use
cases where a laptop or phone cannot acceptably
accomplish the same task that a tablet would be
used for. if you need a device for drawing digitally, a usb-c drawing tablet will be much lighter and cheaper than buying something which runs a full mobile operating system. |
|
| external drive for storing backups | i leave this at my primary residence[2], as theft is a much greater concern than technical issues. | |
| documents | a folder containing essential documents (birth certificate, diplomas, voter registration, device backups) | i leave this at my primary residence[2], as getting new copies of these documents can be very difficult and costly. |
you will probably want to modify this to fit your own needs, and that's fine. just remember that less is more.
footnotes
[1] due to specific medical conditions that i have, my backpack contains a small number of items not mentioned on this page. these items will not be relevant to you unless you have the same medical conditions as me.
[2][2] okay, the idea of a "primary residence" doesn't always map cleanly to reality. what i'm really trying to say here is that if i'm going somewhere temporarily, i try to avoid bringing along anything that would seriously screw me over if it got stolen. it's ultimately up to you to evaluate what's the safest place to store your stuff.