BowTied Passports Travel Packing List
& Why I travel with an Osprey Backpack
I’ve been asked a couple of times about my packing list. I feel like there are a million pages like this, so I held off on the post until now.
But something I have never seen talked about is the backpack I use. So this post will mainly be an advertisement for the bag. ( Yes. I do get a commission through the Amazon links)
The Osprey Porter 46
I’ve been traveling for over a decade, and everything revolves around this backpack.
I bought it ten years ago after researching both camping and international trips.
Yes. It was nearly the same price ten years ago, but I’m hyping it up because the only damage it’s taken after treks through the jungle, desert, planes, boats, and buses has been the zipper pulls popping off.
I love it because of its front-loading instead of from the top. The 46L version is also the most significant size allowed as a carry-on for flights, which means I’ve never had to pay for it, and you can compress a lot more stuff into it and find it easier than a top-loading backpack.
A backpack this size lets me “overpack” without worrying about needing more space.
Here’s what I can fit inside it
Clothes
1 Light Jacket
4 Shirts - 2 shirts will usually be more dressy
Two pairs of pants - Blue, Black, and Khaki ( you’ll be wearing one pair )
2 Pairs of shorts
Seven pairs of socks and underwear
One pair of swimming trunks
One pair of workout clothes
One extra belt
A pair of tennis shoes
* I put the tennis shoes in the backpack and wear my dress shoes or whichever shoe is most bulky to save space
* I roll the socks and underwear into balls and put them inside my shoes
Electronics
I’ll usually take all my big electronics, but if it’s a shorter trip, I’ll leave the laptop & camera and take my drone and phone.
16inch Macbook Pro
Sony A7iii + 2 lenses
DJI Mini 3 - I use a “mini” because they are under 250 grams. Past that size, you might run into problems where some countries don’t allow it without being registered; even with the extra batteries, it’s light and collapsible enough not to cause a weight or space issue.
Extra Cell Phone - I typically have my main iPhone and a cheaper Android emergency phone that I don’t mind getting stolen or searched.
All the wires and plug I use will go into ziplock bags for organization.
I’ll also carry:
6 Foot Charging cables
2 Anker Powerbanks - 1 will be the large 20kmAh, and one will be a smaller pocket-sized one. The large one usually stays with the bag, and the pocket size one is for short day trips and such
Rayban Stories - This is a luxury purchase. But they double as a good set of sunglasses but have a camera, so I can occasionally record walking through random markets.
Toiletry Bag - I used to be cheap and put all my stuff in a ziplock bag. I’ve upgraded to a property toiletry bag and tossed in many ziplock bags. Often the bag is pretty empty. You can always buy nearly every toiletry item you need. I see no reason to pack that stuff if the trip lasts over three days. I’ll believe it when I’m there and give whatever I no longer need or don’t want to carry away. ( I try not to throw it in the trash, I’ll stuff it in a ziplock, and there’s usually some person in need on the way to the train or airport that I can give it to.
Cheap Backpack - Even with all that stuff packed into one backpack, there’s usually space for one of those cheap jansport-style backpacks. The Osprey is too big for a day backpack, so stuff a cheap bag in the bottom of it for day trips and errands.
*Again - I didn’t want to write a long article about packing lists, but if you have questions, feel try to leave a comment or DM me on Twitter.
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