Most packing lists assume you’re fine doing laundry every three days. I’m not. If I’m working remotely in a new city every month, I don’t want to spend my afternoons hunting for laundromats.
This list is designed for a seven-day rotation with one laundry session per week. It keeps you under 7kg total weight, works across three-season climates, and doesn’t look like you’re cosplaying a tech bro.
The constraints
- Total weight target: 7kg packed
- Bag size: 35L or smaller
- Laundry frequency: Once per week (7 to 8 days between washes)
- Climate range: 15°C to 30°C (spring/summer/early fall in most regions)
- Work context: Coffee shops, coworking spaces, client video calls (need one “nice” outfit for Zoom)
If you’re going somewhere colder, add a down jacket and swap shorts for a second pair of pants. If you’re going somewhere hotter, drop the long-sleeve and the jeans.
The full packing list with weights
| Item | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bag & Organization | ||
| Osprey Farpoint 40 (38L actual) | 1,100g | Lighter than most 35L bags |
| Peak Design packing cubes (2) | 180g | One for clean, one for dirty |
| Clothing | ||
| 3x merino t-shirts (Icebreaker 150) | 450g | 150g each, wear/wash rotation |
| 1x merino long-sleeve (Icebreaker 200) | 220g | Layers under jacket, Zoom shirt |
| 2x boxer briefs (Uniqlo Airism, worn + packed) | 100g | Wash one while wearing one |
| 2x wool socks (Darn Tough) | 120g | One pair worn, one packed |
| 1x lightweight pants (Uniqlo chinos) | 280g | Looks fine, dries overnight |
| 1x jeans (Levi’s 511, worn on travel days) | 0g | Doesn’t count if worn |
| 1x shorts (Patagonia Baggies) | 180g | Gym, sleep, casual days |
| 1x rain shell (Patagonia Houdini) | 210g | Packs into its own pocket |
| 1x packable down jacket (Uniqlo Ultra Light) | 400g | 15°C and below |
| Footwear | ||
| Trail runners (Salomon, worn on travel days) | 0g | Doesn’t count if worn |
| Sandals (Xero Z-Trail) | 280g | Hostel showers, casual wear |
| Tech | ||
| 13” MacBook Air M2 | 1,240g | Can’t go lighter without iPad swap |
| MacBook charger + cable | 240g | USB-C, shares with phone |
| iPhone + case | 200g | Main device for everything |
| Lightning cable (Anker braided) | 30g | Don’t cheap out on cables |
| Anker PowerCore 10000mAh | 180g | Two full phone charges |
| Airpods Pro | 50g | Noise-canceling for flights, calls |
| USB wall adapter (dual port) | 60g | Charges phone + battery overnight |
| Toiletries | ||
| Toiletry pouch | 40g | Small zip pouch |
| Toothbrush + toothpaste (travel size) | 50g | Refill toothpaste monthly |
| Deodorant (decanted into 15ml bottle) | 30g | Native or similar, lasts 3 weeks |
| Shampoo bar (J.R. Liggett’s) | 55g | No liquid, no leaks, lasts forever |
| Sunscreen (50ml tube) | 55g | Refill as needed |
| Nail clippers | 15g | You’ll need them eventually |
| Prescription meds + basic first aid | 40g | Ibuprofen, band-aids, antacid |
| Documents & Misc | ||
| Passport | 40g | Keep in bag, not on your body |
| Wallet (slim, no RFID nonsense) | 50g | Cash, 2 cards, that’s it |
| Sunglasses + soft case | 50g | Cheap ones, assume they’ll get lost |
| Pen (Fisher Space Pen) | 10g | For arrival cards |
| 3m paracord | 20g | Clothesline for drying laundry |
| Microfiber towel (Cocoon, small) | 80g | Faster drying than hotel towels |
| Kindle Paperwhite | 180g | Optional, could skip for phone reading |
| Total | 6,715g | 1,285g headroom to 8kg |
That’s 6.7kg with margin for a water bottle, snacks, or souvenirs. If you drop the Kindle and the down jacket (in warm climates), you’re at 6.1kg.
Why three t-shirts is the perfect number
Two shirts is cutting it too close. If one is drying and the other is on your body, you have zero buffer for a rainy day or a missed laundry session.
Four shirts is overkill. You’ll default to wearing the same two anyway.
Three gives you a rotation: wear, wash, spare. On laundry day, you wash two shirts, wear the third. By the time you need the washed shirts again, they’re dry.
Merino is non-negotiable. Cotton t-shirts reek after one day. Merino wool handles 2 to 3 wears before odor builds up, and it dries in 6 to 8 hours. That extra wear per shirt is what makes the seven-day rotation possible.
The two-pants strategy
One pair of lightweight pants, one pair of jeans. The jeans live on your body during travel days (airports, long bus rides). They don’t count toward your packed weight. The lightweight pants stay in your bag for daily wear.
This works because jeans are durable and don’t show dirt. You can wear them for five days straight without anyone noticing. The lightweight pants you wash weekly.
If you’re somewhere hot, swap the jeans for a second pair of lightweight pants and add a second pair of shorts. But for most climates, jeans + chinos + shorts gives you full coverage.
The laundry math
With three shirts, two underwear (plus one worn), and two sock pairs, you can go seven days before washing. On day seven, you do one load:
- 2 shirts (keep 1 for wearing during laundry day)
- 1 underwear (keep 1 for wearing)
- 1 sock pair (keep 1 for wearing)
- 1 pants
- 1 shorts
Wash in a sink or machine, hang on a line, dry overnight. Everything is ready by the next morning. If you’re in a humid climate and things don’t fully dry, the merino shirts and Airism underwear are fine to wear slightly damp (sounds gross, but it works).
That’s three hours total per week on laundry. Compare that to every-other-day washing, which is six to ten hours per week of laundry logistics. You save 20+ hours per month.
Tech weight breakdown
The MacBook Air M2 is the lightest real laptop you can get at 1.24kg. The M1 Air is 1.29kg. The 14” MacBook Pro is 1.6kg (360g heavier, which blows 5% of your weight budget for a slightly bigger screen).
If you’re doing light work (writing, spreadsheets, web apps), you could swap the laptop for an iPad Air + Magic Keyboard and save 400g. I can’t do that because I need real Docker and terminal access, but it’s an option.
Phones are 200g no matter what you buy. The iPhone 15 Pro is 187g. A Pixel 8 is 187g. The Samsung S24 is 168g. Your choice, but factor in the weight.
Cables and chargers add up fast. The Apple 67W charger is 240g. A tiny Anker Nano is 45g but charges slower. I go mid-range: 60W for the laptop, dual-port adapter for phone and battery. It’s a compromise between speed and weight.
What’s not on this list
Laptop sleeve. The Osprey Farpoint has a built-in padded laptop compartment. External sleeves add 150g to 300g of dead weight.
Toiletry bottles for conditioner, face wash, body lotion, etc. You don’t need them. Shampoo bar handles hair. Hotel soap handles body and face. If your skin freaks out without moisturizer, buy a small tube locally and restock as needed.
Travel towel bigger than 40cm × 80cm. Hotel and hostel towels exist. The microfiber towel is backup for sketchy situations or beach days, not your primary towel.
Books. Kindle or phone. A paperback is 300g to 400g and you’ll finish it in three days. Total waste of weight budget.
Second pair of shoes. Controversial, but trail runners + sandals covers 95% of scenarios. If you need dress shoes for a wedding or client meeting, buy cheap ones locally and donate them after.
Workout clothes. Your shorts and a t-shirt work fine for the gym. Dedicated gym clothes are a luxury you can’t afford at 7kg.
Cold-weather modifications
If you’re heading somewhere that hits 0°C to 10°C, make these swaps:
- Add: Merino base layer bottoms (200g)
- Add: Fleece or puffy jacket (400g for Patagonia Nano Puff)
- Add: Beanie (50g)
- Remove: Shorts (180g)
- Remove: Sandals (280g)
That’s a net gain of 390g, putting you at 7.1kg. Still under most airline limits. Wear the jacket and beanie on the plane to save bag space.
What we’d do differently next time
I’d skip the Kindle. I carried it for six months and used it maybe 20 times. I read more on my phone because it was always in my pocket. The Kindle lived in the bottom of my bag and pulling it out felt like extra work. That’s 180g I could’ve saved.
I’d also bring one fewer pair of socks. Two pairs is overkill if you’re washing weekly. One pair worn, one in the wash. You’ll survive the six hours while they dry.
And I’d swap the Patagonia Houdini rain shell for a cheaper Frogg Toggs jacket (90g instead of 210g). I used the rain shell maybe 10 times in 200 days. It doesn’t need to be bombproof.
How to adapt this list for your trip
Start with this list as the baseline. Then:
- Remove items you know you won’t use. Don’t pack “just in case” items.
- Weigh every item on a kitchen scale before you pack. Write down the numbers.
- Add up the total. If you’re over 7kg, cut the heaviest non-essential item.
- Do a test pack at home. Wear the bag for 30 minutes. If your shoulders hurt, it’s too heavy.
The goal isn’t to hit 7kg exactly. It’s to stay under 7kg while bringing everything that makes your life easier. For some people, that’s a second pair of shoes. For others, it’s a nice shirt for client calls. Adjust based on your actual needs, not theoretical ones.
This list keeps you fed, clothed, clean, and ready to work in any city for a month. It’s not the lightest possible setup. It’s the lightest practical setup.
If minimalism is the goal, go lighter. If comfort is the goal, bring 9kg and accept the tradeoff. But 7kg is the sweet spot where you stop thinking about your bag and start thinking about where you’re going next.