My Sunday Thoughts on Packing & Travel

Hey, Johannes from GearUpYourLife here…

And for a long time, I was very much in the backpack-only mindset.
One bag. Carry-on only. Minimal, efficient, optimized.

And to be clear, that approach taught me a lot.
I started traveling like this more than two years ago, especially through Southeast Asia and South America, and it completely shaped how I think about gear and packing.

And even today, if someone came to me and said:
“Hey, I want to travel for three months across two or three continents — what do I need?”
I’d still recommend a simple, safe 40–45 liter backpack setup.

But over time… something changed for me.

Where things started to shift

Nowadays and I hear this more and more from you as well… circumstances change with every trip.

For example, we have people in this community like Frank from Utah, a professional tennis player.
He’s not just traveling with clothes, but also with rackets, shoes, training gear, recovery tools, it’s bulky, heavy, and honestly just awkward to pack.

Then I often hear from parents saying things like:
“I’m traveling with kids and I have no idea how this is supposed to work with just a carry-on.”
Sometimes it almost sounds panicked.

And I usually ask a simple question:
Why do you feel like you have to travel with just one backpack?

I remember asking myself the same thing in December a couple of years ago, on a flight to Kyrgyzstan — where my girlfriend’s grandmother lives.
I wanted to bring a lot of things, ran out of T-shirts while packing, and suddenly thought:
“Why does this feel like I’m doing something wrong?”

I was going away for three weeks. and wanted to gift and buy a lot of stuff. Taking a suitcase wasn’t a failure, it was just very practical.

Real life doesn’t always fit minimalist rules

Backpack-only or carry-on-only travel can be amazing.
I still love it.. especially for short trips our general vacations or trips where you need to move fast and switch Locations often.

But right now, for example, I’m in Greece for three months by car, producing content along the way.
And if I’m being completely honest, my setup looks like this:

Two carry-ons.
One checked bag.
Two sling bags.
Two daypacks.
And yes even a foldable daypack.

Please don’t take this as an example 😅
A lot of this is content-related and i bought it here on the way, usually in this 3 Month with car scenery it probably would be one checked luggage,one Carry on and on daypack. But the point is: context matters.

Especially in winter, I notice how difficult this topic feels for many people.
And I just want to say this clearly:

Backpack-only or carry-on-only is not always the best option for everyone and that is totally okay.

If I’m going to Amsterdam for two days?
Small 20–25L backpack, a sling, done.

But every trip is different.
And your setup should support you and not stress you out, just because it could cost 20$ more.

Why I updated the guide

I think the idea that everyone has to travel with one backpack is a bit too rigid.
Different trips. Different rhythms. Different priorities.

What matters isn’t how small your bag is
it’s whether your setup actually supports the way you travel.

That’s why I updated and published a new, more grounded Backpack Starter Guide on the website.
Not as a rulebook, but as a starting point especially if you’re still figuring out what works for you.

👉 You can find the full guide here
(clear breakdown, no ultra-light pressure)

Travel evolves.
And I think our packing philosophies should evolve with it
or, if they already work for you, stay exactly the same 😅

i would Love to hear your thoughts on this topic !

Safe travels,
Johannes

P.S.
As some of you may have already noticed, I just uploaded my year-in-review video with my 50 best purchases of the year.
And honestly, it’s doing really well so far…which makes me super happy 🙏

If you haven’t seen it yet:
👉 My 50 Favorite Travel Gadgets You Can Buy (Best I’ve Bought in 2025)