One-Bagging for Five Days in Valencia

The reason for our trip to Valencia sucks, but I found some distraction in taking on the challenge of traveling with the included carry-on only. As per Ryanair’s bag policy, that means cramming my clothes and gear for a five-day trip into a “personal item” of 40×20×25cm.

This is the result:

Now—I know that minimalism has gotten a tang of snobbery and toxicity. I’m observing these developments with growing concern and I reject anyone who wants to lure me into buying more stuff in the name of minimalism. For me minimalism is still about intent, sufficiency, and Slow Movement.

Here I simply want to highlight five items that made this little challenge possible:

• The Day Pack Mini by Wayks: The foundation of it all. I hesitated a good while before I pulled the trigger and bought this backpack; it is really small. But I am happy I finally did and can report that it fits Ryanair’s infamous baggage sizers perfectly. Since the backpack is only 17cm deep, it should meet other low-cost airlines’ carry-on baggage policies as well.
• AirLoft Hooded Jacket by Western Rise: I like the versatility of this jacket. It is light but durable and still manages to keep me warm and dry. There are some very thoughtful pockets; especially the back pocket fits a lot! The perfect between-seasons jacket for Valencia’s “winter” with 20°C during the day and single-digit temperatures during the night.
• Essential Pants by Shaping New Tomorrow: Not pictured because I am wearing them; a pair of Essential Suit Pants, to be exact, but I am positive you cannot go wrong with any of SNT’s pants. They are light, they stretch, and they look great no matter what you are up to. I scored four pairs for 20€ each on Kleinanzeigen, formerly Ebay Kleinanzeigen, which means small ads in German and is essentially the German Craigslist.
• Mini Deos by Wild: I’ve been using Wild deodorants for over a year now and these little ones are the travel-sized, plastic-free alternative when I want to save a few cubic centimeters.
• Nike Revolution 4 running shoes in black: Light, comfortable, not in-your-face sporty, and the only pair of shoes I trust from exploring the city to jogging and light hiking. Everything except fine dining, really.

Taking into account that I had to bring my Thinkpad X230 for work, I‘d say without the tech gear you can easily use this backpack for a one-week city trip in a mild climate.