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Let's start with the first step, deciding what backpack to buy. There's a lot of options out there, but my two favourite brands are Cotopaxi and Osprey, each for different reasons. I also really like REI packs, but for this specific size and travel category, they don't currently have a bag that I find fits the bill.
Cotopaxi makes beautiful bags, and each one is totally unique by creating bags out of left over fabric from other companies (in the repurpose collection). The bags also have a lifetime guarantee, are ethically made, and a percentage of profits go to helping empower communities in Latin America. And a bonus? The bags are some of the more affordable options on the market.
Osprey has been a longtime favourite for their focus on both hiking and travel bags. Their stuff is quality, I've put all my Osprey bags through hell and back and have never had any issues. And while I love my Cotopaxi bag, my Ospreys are more comfortable to wear (explanation as to why below).
Backpacks vary hugely in weight, and when you only have 7 kg’s, you can’t waste weight on a backpack. But when choosing a light backpack, remember that the lighter the bag, the less support it will have. So essentially, by choosing the lightest bag, the less comfortable it generally is for actually wearing long term. So I have a couple different bags I recommend depending on your situation:
A quick note before we go on! This article has affiliate links, so if you click on one and then make a purchase, I will get a small commission to help keep the site running. If you have any questions or concerns, please check the Terms of Use!
Step 1: Choose The Best Lightweight Backpack For Travel
The Lightest Pack: Cotopaxi’s Luzon 24L Backpack
This bag is only 420 g (0.93 lbs). It’s incredibly light. I have this bag and use it as my 7 kg bag. It’s ultra light, a great price, and made from re-purposed fabric with a lifetime warranty. Every bag is totally unique, and with these kinds of colours you will never lose which one is yours!
The con’s of this bag are that the top is a drawstring, so it’s not great for heavy rain (though I’ve found a little rain is fine) and it has essentially zero back and shoulder support. Once you fill it with the remaining 7 kg’s, it’s honestly not that comfortable, and the bottom of the bag bunches a bit (which may only be a short person problem - for reference I’m 161 cm tall). But, it is incredibly light, I love the company, and it does the job of getting my stuff from point A to point B!
Another option from Cotopaxi that has a bit more structure is the Cusco 26L backpack. However, as you gain the structure, you also gain a lot of weight. This pack comes in at 700 g (1 lb 9 oz).
The Most Versatile: Osprey Sportlite 25 Hiking Backpack
This is a hiking backpack, so you can definitely comfortably use it in a variety of situations outside of just travel. While I don’t have this exact Osprey pack, I have 2 other’s and have never had any complaints about either of them. They are durable, comfortable, and this one even comes with a rain cover. This one also comes in multiple sizes.
As it's name suggests, for a 25 L hiking pack it's also pretty light! Coming in at 750 g's (1.65 lbs), you get the best of both worlds with this bag.
The Travel Focus Pack: Osprey Fairview 40 Travel Backpack
I have this pack in the 55L (though I think it's the Fairpoint 55L as at the time I think the bag was unisex), but if you’re going for 7kg’s or less, don’t give yourself that much space. The 40 is still pretty big, so you can’t totally fill it, but it fully opens up making it incredibly easy to both pack and find things later. Top loading bags turn into a nightmare after you’ve fully packed only to realise that your charger you need for the plane is at the very bottom 😅 But with the Fairpoint? Not a problem!
With the size and structure built into this bag, it’s going to far outweigh the Cotopaxi options though coming in at 1.55 kg’s (3.42 lb’s). So what you gain in convenience, you lose in weight. Particularly if you have a laptop to bring, this will cut into your weight allowed in a noticeable way. But, no need to bring a separate smaller bag at least!
A good Cotopaxi option for the open full bag is the Allpa 28L, but coming in at 1.47 kg’s (3.24 lbs), I’d go for the Osprey because in my opinion, it’s a better guilt bag and you get a lot more space for times you are going to check your backpack for almost the same pack weight, making it a more versatile bag.
Step 2: Confirm What To Wear On The Plane
You need to wear your heaviest items on the plane. This means any jackets, running shoes/boots, sweaters, etc. should be worn to make the best use of space. You can also consider hiding small books, a kindle or even chargers in your pockets if you are really desperate (if it works it works!).
For me, when travelling somewhere really warm or humid I generally won’t bring jeans. Instead, my flight outfit looks like this:
- Light, flowy pants (think linen or cotton)
- A t-shirt or long sleeve
- A cardigan or hoodie (optional)
- A rain jacket or windbreaker
- Socks
- Running shoes
- Scarf or sarong (optional but is handy to have—doubles as a blanket and can be used to cover up at religious sites)
- Hat
- Phone (in my pocket)
Planes are cold! And so are buses, museums, mountainous areas at night, etc. So no matter how hot your destination, wear pants on the plane and bring a jacket (you may need the pockets anyways!). You may look ridiculous in this outfit. For example, your scarf or sarong may not match your windbreaker AT ALL. Also wearing a sun hat, depending wear you are departing from, may also look ridiculous. But that’s totally fine! We are budget travellers in this moment and we can take some of it off after our bags have been weighed anyways (though put it back on for boarding just in case, but I’ve never see backpacks being re-weighed, only suitcases).
Step 3: Pack Everything Else
For the rest of the packing list, this is my ultimate list of everything you can bring for a carry-on in 7 kg's.
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Essentials (in my opinion):
- Tank top or T-shirt x 2 (neutral colours)
- Cute top x 2 (something with a bit more personality than just a neutral tank. It’s not necessary but it’s nice to have at least one! I included a zebra print top and a crop top)
- Sporty shorts x 1 (my pair is from Lululemon. They have a lot of pairs that double from hiking shorts to cute day time shorts. Definitely recommend checking them out!)
- Sightseeing bottoms x 1 (can be more shorts, a skirt, whatever you like. I’d go for linen or something light if you are going somewhere humid. If you are going somewhere dry, jean works)
- Versatile skirt x 1 (this has gotta serve several purposes. Going to the beach and need a cover up? Going out? Casually exploring in the day? It’s gotta check all the boxes and match your t-shirts or tank tops)
- Dress x 1 (another item that thrives on versatility and should work for all occasions as the skirt does!)
- Bathing suit x 3 (you can absolutely do 1 or 2, or even 0 if you know you won’t swim but I love bathing suits so I bring 3)
- Sunglasses x 1
- Underwear x 8 - 10 (this is kind of personal preference, but if you sleep in different underwear than you wear in the day, or if the destination is particularly hot and sweaty or if you will go swimming, you will need more than 1 pair per day so bring enough for 5 days with that in mind!)
- Socks x 3 - 4 (location dependent)
- Microfiber towel x 1
- Adapter x 1 (if needed)
- Phone charger x 1
- Under 100ml sunscreen x 1 (you will buy more on the road, but always good to bring some for the first couple of days!)
- Face moisturizer x 1
- Pill bottle x 1 (fill one bottle with anything you might need, don’t carry around multiple bottles it’s too much weight!)
- Travel comb x 1
- Toothbrush x 1
- Small first aid kit x 1 (include band aids, blister kits, anti infection ointment such as polysporin and alcohol swabs)
- Reusable earplugs x 1 (mine are the Loop Experience Plus because full noise cancelling makes me uncomfortable, but they also have a Quiet model for full noise reduction, or the Switch to have even more versatility than the Experience Plus!)
- Passport x 1
- International drivers license x 1 (if you plan on driving - also note you then need to bring your local drivers license as well)
- Wallet x 1 (with only the essentials! Credit card, debit card, cash, health insurance card if applicable. You don’t need to bring your Bath & Bodyworks membership card that has been in your wallet since middle school. BUT! I do recommend bringing your student card, regardless of it you are still a student. You can often get student discounts so if your card has no expiration date—bring it)
- Day bag x 1 (I am using the Uniqlo round mini shoulder bag)
Optional items: Makeup and skin/hair care
- Waterproof mascara x 1 (if you are going somewhere hot and humid, the air can make non-waterproof mascara run - wild I know)
- Waterproof eyeliner x 1
- Small eyeshadow palette x 1 (don’t bring the whole giant thing, if it has a highlighter, darker colour and something middle ground or sparkly you are good to go in my opinion!)
- Razer x 1
- Cover up stick x 1
- Hair oil x 1
- Hair elastics x 3
- Deodorant x 1
- Full skincare routine (depending on the person this may include a lot of stuff, so try to transfer what you can at least into smaller containers!)
For makeup that’s generally all I bring, and find I don’t really end up wearing that often anyways while backpacking. But sometimes you wanna look cute, so pick the highest impact items you have and go with them! You may notice foundation is missing, but in hot places I find you just sweat it off so there’s no point to bring it.
Optional items: Work and entertainment
- Book or kindle x 1 (many hostels have book exchanges, so you can just bring one but then keep exchanging it along the way for new ones as you move from place to place!)
- Notebook x 1 (I like to journal when I travel, Could I do this on my phone, yes, but there’s something special about writing it down)
- Pen or pencil x 1
- Adult colouring book x 1 (I have brought my Magic Garden coloring book all around Europe, Australia and Asia and have no regrets over the weight it cost, but will admit that I no longer bring this with me)
- Airpods x 1 (or other headphones!)
- Mini speaker x 1 (bringing a speaker can make anywhere a good time. From hiding under abandoned fruit stands from a freak thunderstorm to waiting for that bus that’s two hours late, it’s a real mood lifter)
- Laptop x 1
- Laptop charger x 1
- Camera x 1
- Camera Charger x 1
Things Not To bring When Packing A 7 Kg Carry-on
Anything you can easily buy and leave on the go! Think big sunscreen bottles, body lotions, shampoo and conditioner, body soaps, laundry detergent, etc. I often see all of these things on packing lists but I have never not been able to find these things locally in any place that I have ever been. It may not be the exact brand you use at home, but it works! The one thing that I may bring out of any of the above is conditioner as a lot of hostels have soap and shampoo but not conditioner, so for the first night or two if you don’t have time to go shopping yet bringing this can be handy. But otherwise, I wouldn’t bother.
I also didn’t include a hair dryer or any straighteners or curling irons. You don’t need to bring a hair dryer as most places will have one you can borrow or at least rent. For people who’s natural hair is a bit wild, having no straightener or curling iron can also seem like a nightmare. But it’s too heavy and even with an adaptor, if it doesn’t match the voltage of the country you are going to it will not work and may even just break.
I don’t know what it is, but adapters cannot handle hair straighteners. So, my best advice is to get comfortable with hairstyles you can do without one such as braids, ponytails, twists, etc. Besides, everyone else is in the same boat and especially if you are going somewhere like SE Asia, no one else is doing their hair either.
If you absolutely cannot go without a straightener and it’s pushing you over on weight, buy a cheap one when you get there and leave it behind in the free box of whatever your last hostel is! Another option is the battery powered mini straighteners, but I don’t know how well they work.
Some other things I left off this list only apply to certain destinations. For example, a water bottle. If you are going somewhere where it’s not safe to drink the tap water and filtered tap water is not readily available, bringing a water bottle becomes a waste of space and weight.
I know it’s awful from an environmental perspective to continually buy bottled water when visiting these kinds of locations, but it’s not worth getting really sick over. There are bottles of water that claim to be able to filter any water to make it safe, but I don’t currently have a good recommendation. But if someone does have a good recommendation for this, please let me know!
My Final 7 Kg Bag
Final bag weight 6.6 Kgs
Destination for this specific pack: Thailand for 3 weeks
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Optional items included:
- Laptop and charger
- Mini speaker
- Kindle
- Mini notebook and pencil (didn’t use, semi regret bringing)
- Airpods
- Camera
- Makeup (mascara, eyeliner, mini eyeshadow palette, mini lip gloss)
- Skincare routine (used mini versions of everything possible, or else put into a smaller container)
- Deodorant
So, can you do it?! My first backpacking trip I took a 55 L Osprey backpack (Osprey Fairpoint 55 L—still an awesome travel backpack if you are willing to pay the airline fee’s and need to bring more stuff) and paid for the carry on bag fee’s. I was going for up to a year, would go through multiple climates, and honestly wasn’t sure what was necessity and what wasn’t. Now, I would probably never use more than a 40 L bag for backpacking (and even then, only for a cold climate), and could comfortably go for months on a 24 L with only 7 kg’s.
It takes doing laundry more often, but the freedom of having just a small pack is fantastic and makes moving around so much easier!
What do you think? Let me know if I missed any of your essentials, or if I’m even bringing too much!
And as always, wander on friends ✨
