10 Days in PEI Packing List

This has been lightly edited from the original reddit post, which you can see here.

I first looked into the one-bag lifestyle during my grad trip, and I’m proud to say that I’ve come a ways since my 65L backpack (checked) onebag days. I’m pretty frugal, and the items certainly reflect that. Hopefully this can help anyone else who feels like they “can’t get into onebagging” because they can’t afford all the cool technical (expensive) items this sub talks about.

A little background about me and my setup - we’ll be staying in the same hotel for the 10 days of our trip - 2 transport days plus 8 full sightseeing days. Our plan is to do a mix of city stuff (strolls, museums, restaurants) as well as some outdoorsy stuff. My regular style is mostly athleisure, since I find it to be the most comfortable and practical (plus stretchy everything is great). I plan on working out at the hotel gym at least 5 times during my trip, mostly weights, and do a couple of light hikes. I’m not fussy with hair, skincare or makeup while travelling, with the exception of my brows. I usually onebag (or 1.5bag) it on the way to my destination, and twobag it on the way home.

The visual packing list

The bag(s)

I use a 34L Jansport Big Student backpack. I bought mine from Canadian Luggage Depot for about $40CAD all in, but they’re usually somewhere around $65CAD. It’s a top loading bag, but I use packing cubes anyway so it’s fine. I like it because it’s 1. cheap 2. lots of colour options 3. not too heavy and 4. has a ton of pockets. I have to be careful not to overpack the front pockets, else it expands into a ball and doesn’t fit in the overhead bin. The S-shaped straps also fit a bit weird on my chest, and I wish it had a sternum strap, but it’s fine for regular travel use.

On the front, I wear a Uniqlo single strap backpack (got on sale for $12.9), which doubles at a tech pouch during travel. During airport security, I don’t have to pull out all my electronics separately, I just put my phone in and throw the entire bag in the bin. I like this style more than their V1 since there’s the additional top pocket for small things, plus the internal pockets help keep my stuff organized. At home I usually use a smaller Lolë Belt Bag now (thanks Costco!), but previously I used it as my EDC.

The travel outfit

Following the principles of “bulkiest items worn”, the travel fit is

• WindRiver Women’s Downpour Waterproof Hyper-Dri 3 Rain Jacket from Mark’s (previously Mark’s Work Warehouse). It’s pretty roomy, has zipped pockets and a mesh lining, velcro cuff sleeves, and has worked so far to keep me dry during a wet hike a few months ago. Only complaint is that the sleeves are a bit too short for me (I’m 5'8). Also, if you wait for a sale, I’ve seen it go down to $49.99 from $99.99, plus you can probably stack it with the various coupons/ Triangle card deals that come up all the time. If it’s too hot then I hang it from the Uniqlo bag.
• Old Navy PowerSoft Cropped Quarter-Zip Performance Top for Women is a cute lil cropped quarter zip with thumb holes. It’s the smooth and soft Powersoft material, and the quality isn’t too bad. You’ll see that a lot of my clothing is from the Old Navy PowerSoft line as it’s fantastic value when you get it on the 50% off days and stack it with the 30% email signup bonuses. Anyways, the colour I have is no longer available online but it’s more of a purplish colour (Mythic?) than this one.
• Knix Catalyst Sports Bra. Knix’s sizing system is weird, but if you get the right size, this particular bra offers a ton of support and has a back clasp and adjustable straps, so you’re not struggling to remove it after a sweaty workout. I have it in the Berry colour, and it’s the only dedicated sports bra I’m bringing on the trip. Other people have said it holds up well and dries decently fast which I am banking on.
• Knix Period Underwear is my go-to for travel and everyday, since I’m prone to random spotting from my birth control. I bought the period pack for teens from their KnixTeen site, since it was a bit cheaper. At the time I bought mine (2020?) I think they went up to teen XL, which fits me (adult M-XL in underwear, yeah I know) and if you buy the bundle you save more than buying the individual pairs. They’re the silky stretchy nylon(?) material and wash and dry very quickly. I bring a total of 4 pairs, including the one I’m wearing.
• Old Navy StretchTech Water-Repellent Jogger Pants for Men are my go-to for spring and fall, as they are just the right thickness, very stretchy, have pockets (including a side zip pocket behind the slash pocket), and water-repellent. They’re labelled as men’s pants but I don’t have quite enough hips for that to be a problem.
• Vessi Everyday Move is my “one-shoe”. It holds up okay for workouts, and is waterproof (though not mudproof… I still need to clean them up from my last trip), and looks okay for normal city stuff. I backed their first kickstarter, and this iteration is a lot nicer than the first pair I got in 2018. There’s not a lot of ankle support or grip on the bottom, so I wouldn’t recommend them as a one-shoe if you plan on doing intense hikes. I would recommend waiting for one of their 30% off sales, which is probably the most of a discount I’ve seen.
• Puma Women’s Athletic Sock are the old-reliable from Costco. They aren’t anything special, but I’ve had some pairs for a few years now and I haven’t worn a hole in them yet. I bring a total of 3 pairs, including the pair I’m wearing.
• Water repellent SPF 50 hat is pretty foldable and not structured on the top. I got mine from the ~Facebook~ Meta campus gift shop so it’s just some branded technical hat, nothing special. The link is the closest I could find based on the label on the inside of mine.
• Glasses, because I don’t want to waste a pair of contacts for just sitting in the airport and falling asleep on the plane. If I had monthlies I’d wear those, since it helps reduce mask fogging.
• KN95 mask, mostly because a lot of people are highkey gross and somehow manage to be worse in the airport.

In the main bag

• Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable 30L Backpack is my day bag if I need to bring a ton of stuff like extra water and food, e.g. for full day hikes where I don’t expect to be eating out. It also doubles as the bag I use to bring home souvenirs. If I have enough to actually warrant using this bag on the way home, I throw my Uniqlo bag inside it. Usually on sale around $25CAD.
• AliExpress packing cubes - sold by many different stores, in many colour options. I usually only use the two smallest cubes and the medium pouch. The zippers are flimsy and there’s not compression straps but it’s a cheap and good enough organizer.
• Patterned Flip-Flop Sandals for Women (Partially Plant-Based) are an experiment for hotel slippers/ pool + beach shoes. I used to go with my Birkenstock Arizona EVAs (comfy, lightweight, can be worn with socks as hotel slippers or out as regular sandals) but they take up so much space, while these ones basically pack flat. I got these ones for a toonie. They’re less comfortable, but it’s a cheap way to figure out if the space savings are worth it.
• Bagels for airplane snacking, but also to prevent myself from packing too much other crap. Once the bagels are consumed it frees up a decent amount of room, plus the plastic bagel bag can be reused in a pinch.
• In the smaller front pockets I have Clorox wipes, a pen, extra hair ties, a carabiner, cheap sunglasses I got from a career fair (thanks Google), a foldable grocery bag (Chicobag), and a mosquito headnet. Once you experience the ability to breathe without 20 bugs forcing their way into your nostrils, you’ll never go without a mosquito headnet ever again. As for the shopping bag, I just checked and it is indeed a Chicobag (company swag branded). I like it mostly because it packs into its own bag neatly, unlike some of the other foldable bags I have that fold into a bulky triangle.

In the tech pouch

• Amazfit Zenbuds (bought off their Indiegogo/ Kickstarter). Not bad, cheaper than the Bose ones, app is adequate, helps deafen the sound of my partner snoring. A full charge lasts a bit more than a week, and it comes with multiple eartip size options.
• Anker 735 Charger (Nano II 65W) - this I got from AliExpress, but I think you can also get it from Amazon or their website. Two USB-C chargers plus USB-A, and the prongs at the end fold which is nice, no stabbing myself when digging around in my bag. I got it for around CAD$50. Much better than carrying multiple chargers.
• 10k mAh Power Bank - mine is an old one with no branding I got back in 2016 fro some warehouse sale. It’s USB-A for charging so I need to bring a couple of duplicate cables :( but it feels wasteful to replace it when it otherwise works perfectly fine.
• Speaking of cables - I have USB-A to USB-C, USB-A to micro-usb (to charge the powerbank), and USB-C (for phone and Zenbuds)
• Sunscreen stick (Aveeno Baby, 50SPF mineral sunscreen for sensitive skin). I would recommend a different one if you have darker skin or don’t like mineral sunscreen, as it does leave a cast. However it’s cheap and not liquid, so it works for me.
• Hand sanitizer spray (Bath and Body Works) is a new one for me, since roadside stalls and food trucks don’t usually offer a place to wash your hands before eating.
• Kobo Clara HD for travel day and rainy day entertainment. I have it hooked up with Overdrive and loaded with other ebooks, and I also use Pocket and have it sync the articles I’ve saved to read later. Images don’t load great (e.g. with Pocket) but other than that, it’s much better than endless scrolling a website.
• Uma Hana coin purse - this one’s a gift from a friend, I usually empty it of all but two of my credit cards, one debit card, driver’s licence and health card. The material is waterproof but the zippers most definitely are not.
• Water bottle strap - again, trying something new this time. I got this off AliExpress, and it hooks onto the neck of those disposable plastic bottles. I plan on buying a sturdy bottle of water when I land and reusing the bottle for the trip, rather than lugging around my own.
• Phone and passport (of course). Phone is due to a replacement since it screams at me every few days that it’s running out of storage because I took a few photos. The OS takes about a third of the space and there’s no expandable storage, RIP.

Medium packing cube (clothes)

Most of this is from Old Navy’s PowerSoft line, which I usually get during their 50% activewear sales and stack with their email signup code. Sometimes they’ll have random items on deeper discount. I tried to include the exact colours of items I’m packing in the image to give a better sense of how things look together, but some were unavailable when I went to get images.

Tops

• Uniqlo Pocketable UV Protecion Parka is from the men’s section, and I have it in a nice oversized XXL. I prefer this over the Airism ones I have due to its zipper pockets and more lightweight, easy to dry material. Not as good as a layering piece but it worked in June… we’ll see how it holds up for September. They’re on the website for $49.90 right now, but I got them on sale for $29.90, and in a light tan colour instead of the grey.
• Old Navy PowerSoft Cropped Short-Sleeve Top for Women is cute with that cutout back detail and can be worn for my workouts or just as is. Might be uncomfortable for bigger arms.
• Old Navy Light Support PowerSoft Longline Sports Bra for Women is light, provides good coverage but very light support. Would wear as more of a relaxed piece.
• Old Navy PowerSoft Sleeveless Shelf-Bra Support Dress for Women is great for more dressy events, while still being very comfortable. It has a built in bra top with light-med support, and shorts with pockets (that are long enough to prevent thigh chafing). However, if you have to use the bathroom while wearing this without a bra… you’ll end up half naked in the stall, tiddies in hand wondering where you went wrong. Worth it though.
• Old Navy UltraLite Performance Cropped Ribbed Turtleneck Top for Women (no longer available), light, has thumbholes, stretchy, and slightly dressier than the tshirt. I’m actually bringing the green one that’s a similar colour to the longline bra top. Depending on how the weather looks for the week, I might swap this one out for another one of the t-shirts, another longline bra top, or just remove it altogether.

Bottoms

• Old Navy High-Waisted StretchTech Cargo Jogger Pants for Women are thin and dry quickly. Multiple pockets, but be warned that there are no actual fasteners for the cargo pockets unless you attach velcro/ buttons yourself.
• Old Navy Packable Nylon Swim Trunks for Men – 5.5-inch inseam are another experiment - I’m tired of wearing one-pieces to the pool and then having to struggle to pee while peeling off a wet swimsuit. On the other hand, I feel a little too exposed walking to the hotel pool in a two-piece bikini. I was hoping these swim trunks could double as normal shorts, but they have zero stretch (I should’ve sized up), and very swishy sounding compared to the softer swim/board shorts I’ve seen. Open to recommendations for shorts that can withstand the chlorine of a pool, but can also comfortably worn to workout (i.e. at least somewhat stretchy).
• Old Navy High-Waisted PowerSoft Loose Shorts for Women – 3-inch inseam are the go-to for workouts and any hotter days that require shorts.
• Old Navy High-Waisted PowerSoft 7/8-Length Cargo Leggings for Women are a slightly more functional pair of regular black leggings. I was intrigued by the cargo style pockets, but they’re not quite large enough for my phone compared to most side pocket leggings. Depending on how the weather looks, I might swap this out for another pair of the PowerSoft shorts so I have a spare to alternate between going-out/ gym.

Small packing cube (underclothing)

• George Women’s Bonded Bralette, my last trip started my obsession with quick drying, lightweight bras. I originally brought 3 crop tops/ tank tops with build in bras, but they took forever to dry after being washed, and the double layers were a pain to wash as well. I bought this at a Walmart across the street from the hotel. It’s not the most supportive for larger cup sizes, but it dries fast and packs up small. I removed the cup pads.
• Maidenform Seamless Comfort Pullover Bra, same story as the previous bra. Slightly pricer. I also removed the cup pads. I don’t want to spend too much on these since at home, I’m still very much a “crop top with built in bra” gal, and I still have hope I’ll lose enough weight for them to shrink and not need quite as much support. Otherwise I am open to lightweight, supportive bras for 36DDD!
• Puma Women’s Athletic Sock x2
• KnixTeen Leakproof Underwear x3
• Joe Fresh Square Neck Bikini Top (no longer available online), decently supportive, clasps in the back. Purchased for half-off, ~$16.
• Old Navy UltraLite All-Day Performance Crop Tank Top for Women, as a coverup for working out or as a sleep shirt. Lightweight and soft. I have mine in a solid highlighter yellow colour that surprisingly does not show the dark sports bra underneath while dry, in incandescent light.

Medium pouch (toiletries)

Sometimes I can get away with distributing the items that go in this bag into the two clothing packing cubes instead, and just use a Ziploc for liquids (airport security). Depending on the swaps I might be making in those cubes, I might be able to leave the bag at home.

• Contacts (10 pairs of dailies)
• Travel sized toothpaste from the dentist
• Small container of painkillers (ibuprofen, acetaminophen)
• Tweezers
• Mascara (Covergirl Lashblast Volume Waterproof), which I mostly use for brows instead lol
• Razor handle + blade (Edge brand from Costco)
• Sonic toothbrush (Phillips Sonicare Diamond), with brush head and cap, fully charged before the trip
• Detangling hairbrush - this one is new, I didn’t bring anything on my last trip, my hair was being awful and I couldn’t do anything about it. I got this one from Miniso and it comes with a lid to protect the bristles.
• Antiperspirant (Gillette brand from Costco)
• Solid shampoo bar (from AliExpress, surprisingly good)
• Solid laundry bar (from my mom, no idea where it’s from. Probably Chinese in origin)
• Mesh soap bags - one for each bar of soap. Can use soap directly through the mesh bag, and then hang to dry
• Extra Ziploc bag (usually throw the smaller items in that one so they’re easier to find, but also for the soap in case I need to travel with them still wet)

EDC use of the tech pouch

After I get to the hotel, I usually end up plugging in most of my tech stuff so I have this pouch emptied. For regular city adventures and short hikes, I bring

• Water bottle
• Water bottle strap
• Sunscreen stick
• Packable shopping bag
• Phone
• Mosquito net
• Wallet/ coin purse
• Carabiner
• Extra masks
• Power bank
• USB-A/ USB-C cable
• Sunglasses
• Extra hair tie
• Painkillers
• Disinfectant wipes
• Hand sanitizer spray