12 Minimalist Packing Essentials, Part 5: Day Bag & Backpack

I’m currently on a 3-month around-the-country (mostly by train) trip, the country being the USA. It seemed like a good time to update my packing list with the twelve items I now consider essential.

11. Day Bag

Minimalist Packing Essentials: Day Bag Folded

Background
I love my Tom Bihn Side Effect, but I actually left it at home this time. It’s great for everyday minimalist carrying, but when I’m traveling I often carry more than the essentials during the day: water, sun block, extra layers, snacks, utensils, and even a meal or two. I could empty out my Synapse backpack and take that, but I try to avoid it unless I’m taking my netbook somewhere. Museums, attractions, and stores are often not backpack-friendly. It’s usually a silly policy — I’ve definitely seen handbags larger than my Synapse allowed in museums where I had to put my backpack in a locker — but it’s an aggravation nonetheless.

I wanted a bag I could wear cross-body, but which would compress into nothing when I wasn’t using it. For a while I couldn’t find anything and I decided this bag just didn’t exist. Then I realized I shouldn’t be looking at travel bags, but at reusable grocery bags. ChicoBag makes a few different bags that met my requirements. I decided on the Hobo rePETe, which has a zipper and drawstrings that make the bag smaller or larger.

Pros

This bag worked well for my daily needs, and I actually used it as a reusable shopping bag in grocery stores.
Since it resembles a purse, I was never asked to check it anywhere.
It’s surprisingly strong for how light and thin it is.
I was able to attach a Tom Bihn key strap to the inner zipper.

Cons

I think the bag was a little too big for my needs, and encouraged me to over-pack snacks and things, since I knew I could just dump them in here. It was also difficult to find anything.
My plastic utensils poked little holes in the bottom of the bag.
The strap made me a little nervous about security, since it’s two straps tied together. They never came apart, but I still kept my valuables in my jacket pockets whenever I could.

Bag Features: Zippered main compartment with interior zippered pocket that becomes the bag’s pouch, magnetic side pocket.
Bag Price: $15 at REI.

12. Backpack

Still my Tom Bihn Synapse 19, of course. I visited Seattle on my trip so I got to snazz it up at the Tom Bihn Factory Showroom with one of their whistle sternum strap halves and a new zipper pull (I had broken it only a couple of days before, conveniently). I also purchased a 3D Mesh Organizer Cube (pictured above with my cosmetics) and a Travel Tray. I’m trying out an Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter Half Cube for my clothes (also pictured above).