In earlier blog posts, I’ve given you some tips for traveling light, but this post documents everything I took for a one-week trip to San Francisco in July (Temperature: 55 – 70° F).

The Bag

The bag I used was my Patagonia Lightweight Travel Tote Pack – 22L. The bag has two external pockets on each side of the pack. I needed to use that space, but was concerned that loose items might fall out. My solution was to make custom fitted stuff sacks out of some leftover rip stop nylon and cord I used in another project. These aren’t fancy and didn’t take long to make. I found some cord locks on Amazon that keep the bags closed. The bags stayed put for the whole trip, but if I was concerned, I could have used a strap around the bag to keep everything secure.

What’s in the Bag?

Large Packing Cube

1 pair travel pants
2 short sleeve tee shirts
1 merino wool lightweight quarter zip shirt
1 long sleeve blouse
1 lightweight long sleeve top
1 pair lightweight short pajamas
3 pair underwear
2 camisoles
1 travel bra
2 pair wool ankle socks
1 pair synthetic quarter length socks

 

In the Stuff Sacks for the Outside Pockets of the Tote

Flip flops
Clothesline
Small roll of duct tape
Extra plastic bags
Small umbrella
Fold up water bottle
Bandaids, small amount of toilet paper, stall mates wipes in small bag
Spork
Lightweight tote bag

Other Items in the Bag

Toilet kit
Fold up travel backpack
Travel towel
Lightweight rain jacket
Small cube – Flashlight, extension cord, sun glasses, charger cord
Hat
Small airline/hostel bag – gum, ear plugs, sleeping mask, Earplanes, tissues
Exterior pocket – Travel documents

 

What I Wore on the Plane

Underwear and socks
Walking shoes
Long sleeve tee shirt
Hoodie
Stretch jeans
ScotteVest – Phone, small wallet, extra cash, snack, small phone charger

 

Strategically pack the bag like a jigsaw puzzle – no wasted space. Write down how you did it or take pictures with your phone so you can do the same when you return home. There you have it! One bag, 12.5 lbs.