I am very meticulous when introducing things into my life – both physical items as well as spending attention on digital experiences. Below is a curated list I am happy to recommend to anyone interested.

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One Bag Travel

I’m not travelling that much anymore, but when I do, I still stick to the One Bag philosophy. Below you find information about my current belongings and recommendations. The list is a nice resource to point people to, when they ask about what gear I use for travelling.

I rarely check the content of travel hackers like Tynan or Jeremy these days to further optimize my gear. I think I found my own personal enough in the things listed below.

Main Bag

If I am asked to recommend a good bag, I always default to the Pakt Travel Backpack. I only went through a couple other backpacks, but stuck with the Pakt because it packs like a suitcase, looks inconspicious and has enough organisation for me. I wanted the black color, but I found the olive one second hand for really good price. Pakt recently released a new and improved version of the bag, I still rock the original one.

Matador x Carryology Backpack. Yeah, I know, why is there two bags on the “one bag” page. I picked up this 20l daypack recently. Time will tell if I actually use it. It was definitely an impulse purchase – simply because it was a limited edition run by two companies I love.

Inside the bag

I like to have related items in the same place, so I started organizing things into a few pouches.

  • Hygiene pouch: A bamboo toothbrush, Dr. Bronner soap bar, Deo, Qtips, nail clipper and a pack of wet wipes.
  • Food Pouch: A few good snacks go a long way, if you don’t want to spend money on random food just to fill your belly. Usually I carry a pack of nuts, a snickers, small beef jerky packs, few teabags and instant coffee.
  • Emergency Pouch: BIC lighter, emergency sleeping bag, Ibuprofen, Plaster.
  • Boredom Pouch: A set of playing Cards to practice card tricks, shuffling and playing poker. Field Notes notebook and a pen.

Aside from the pouches, I have a few more items in my bag.

  • My trusty SnowPeak Kanpai bottle and a SnowPeak Titanium Cup.
  • My old Gravel “Layover” travel blanket. It weighs basically nothing, has a few neat features for travel and it keeps you decently warm on planes, trains and summer camping.

Clothes

Bottoms

I pack two pair of pants and one pair of shorts. The Outlier Slim Dungarees are hands down the best pants you can buy. They look like black jeans, fit to almost every occasion and can be worn many days without washing. I also pack the super comfortable Vuori Ponto Performance Pants. These are more like lounge pants, but few people will notice that, so they can be worn as regular pants in a pinch. The Rip Curl Boardwalk Global Entry are the best all around shorts for summer and swimming. Add Wool&Prince Boxer Briefs and DarnTough socks to the mix and everything below the belt is covered.

Shoes.

I love wearing my VivoBarefoot Magna. They feel like socks on your feet, but are sturdy enough for hiking and in rough weather. They look decent for barefoot shoes as well actually.

Tops.

The Icebreaker Anatomica Crewe T-shirt has been my go-to for the last 5 years or so. I usually bring 3 of them. The Joe Merino Henley is mainly a layering piece for me, but it is formal enough to wear to a fancier restaurant. I have worn merino hoodies for years, but the Heimplanet Hoodie just looks so great at the moment – it’s not as warm as merino though. Last but not least, the Arc’teryx Norvan SL jacket is a marvel, because it offers great rain and wind protection, but packs down to (and weighs) almost nothing.

Head.

I use a Buff as scarf, facemask and sometimes sleeping mask. I also pack one Shemagh – this ingenious scarf can also serve as a makeshift towel or picnic blanket and can even be used as a bedsheet in a pinch. Truly versatile!

Tech

Laptop

I’m currently rocking a Macbook Pro 14″. To charge it, I use an Anker MultiCharger which is much lighter than the bulky Apple brick and bring the Macbook charging cable, 2x USBC Cables and 1x Lightning Cable. To round things off, I have a nifty Dual USB Stick 128gb) which has both USB-A and USB-C connections.

Software

  • Ableton Live 12
  • Algoriddim Djay
  • Figma & Pixelmator Pro
  • VLC media player
  • Brave Browser

Phone

My iPhone 12 Pro Max is still everything I need from a phone. My only gripe with it is its size. I’ll probably upgrade at some point next year, especially since the iPhone 15 Pro has a USB-C instead of Lightning port. The AirPods Pro are the best headphones I own. Good sound & noise reduction and they are always by my side.

Apps

  • ChatGPT. Soon this (or a competitor) will be the main interface for our phones, so why not get a head start?
  • The Path. A soon-to-be-released meditation app by zen master Henry Shukman. As a beta tester I get to try it out already and it easily beats other alternatives imho.
  • HabitKit.
  • Brave Browser
  • TeuxDeux – excellent task list
  • Otherwise I mostly rely on the default apps by Apple, like Notes, Calendar and Mail. I don’t need my phone to do much more.

Various

I want to read more long-form content, so at the moment I am carrying my Kindle Paperwhite with me again.

As a music curator & creator I was swimming in music gear not so long ago. Then I decided that I want to get rid of all the clutter and focus on the music instead of the gear. The only downside to working in-the-box (aka just with software), that you don’t have tactile control over the music creation. That’s why I keep my Novation Launchpad Pro mk3 and for DJing I use the Reloop Ready. I also own a pair of Aiaiai TMA2 headphones and am tempted to splurge on the ultra sleek bluetooth speakers Aiaiai Unit4 in the near future.

Content

I’m currently updating this section, so hang tight…

Watch

YouTube channels ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

  • Daniel Titchener is an interior designer who shows you how to make the most out of your space on a budget and in style.
  • Nate O’Brien offers a very approachable, down to earth advice on personal finance.
  • PROOF offers great content on NFTs, digital art and crypto.
  • Dan Koe talks about self improvement, one-man business with just the right balance of philosophy and actionable advice.
  • Ronald L. Banks is a poet and minimalist, who talks about why less is more in a very relatable format.

Movies and documentaries.

  • Fight Club
  • The Matrix
  • The Usual Suspects
  • Garden of Words
  • Twin Peaks (TV series)

Books

While I read recently published books occassionally I find myself coming back to classics, which have aged like good wine.

  • Snow Crash (Neil Stephenson)
  • Meditations (Marcus Aurelius)

Listen

Music

Podcasts

Let’s connect!

Every second Wednesday I send a newsletter curating my favourite finds in life, tech and music. I even throw in some short but sweet food for thought which I am curious to hear your take on.