Since late 2024, frequent business trips have become a regular part of my job. Whenever I find myself in a new city, I try to make the most of my free time by exploring it. Over the past year, I've spent more weekends away from home than at home.
Most of the time, I get around entirely on foot or by metro and bus, usually spending two or three days exploring a particular part of the city. I also occasionally stay in hostels or travel on overnight trains. In both situations, space is often limited, and a backpack is simply much easier to handle than a suitcase. Whether I'm traveling with a suitcase or not, the one thing that's always with me is my backpack.
Over the past year, I've continuously refined what I carry in it. Some items have been replaced, some have earned a permanent spot, and others were gradually added after proving their usefulness trip after trip. At this point, my setup has become fairly stable.
This article is a record of the things that almost always end up in my backpack—and, more importantly, why they've stayed there.
Backpack
Since this is a What's in My Bag post, let's start with the backpack itself.
From 2022 to 2026, my everyday backpack was the Incase City Compact Backpack w/ 1680D. It stayed with me until a trip to Vietnam, where one of the zipper seams finally gave way, forcing me to replace it.
Overall, I was very happy with it. I especially liked the magnetic water bottle pocket, its excellent water resistance, and the level of protection it provided for my laptop. Over time, however, a few shortcomings became increasingly noticeable:
- Limited organization. I carry quite a few small items every day. Putting them all in the front pocket made the bag bulge, while throwing everything into the main compartment meant they all settled at the bottom.
- No luggage pass-through. It couldn't be attached to the handle of a rolling suitcase, which became inconvenient during business trips.
- Poor self-standing ability. After several years of use, it became increasingly difficult for the bag to stand upright on its own.
- Limited capacity. For me, it was just large enough for an overnight trip with clothes, toiletries, and my laptop.
These are, of course, personal preferences rather than objective flaws.
When it came time for a replacement, I chose the Tomtoc T71. Compared with the City Compact, it offers better organization, completely separates the laptop compartment from the main compartment, and adds a luggage pass-through, making it a much better fit for how I travel today.
That said, the T71 isn't perfect either. It adds a side carry handle that I rarely use, while replacing the external water bottle pocket with an internal one. As a result, if I keep an umbrella in the side pocket, my water bottle has to go inside the backpack instead.
I also occasionally take week-long trips on budget airlines that don't include checked baggage. In those situations, even the T71 starts to feel a little too small, so I keep a 40L Tomtoc T67 for trips that require extra packing space.
Technology
Macbook Air M1 13"
One of my biggest regrets this year was not buying the M5 MacBook Air at the duty-free stores in Hainan during the May Day holiday. After Apple announced a price increase at the end of June, I've accepted that I probably won't be upgrading my laptop this year.
Despite its age, my M1 MacBook Air is still holding up surprisingly well, so it'll have to stay with me for a while longer.
iPad mini (A17 Pro) Mainly used for reading. It's optional, depending on the trip.
iPhone 16 Pro My personal phone, wallet and everyday camera. Not used for work.
As much as I dislike Apple's arrogance, the iPhone is still the device that best fits my needs.
Another major reason is Apple Wallet. It has effectively replaced my physical wallet by storing my credit cards (especially now that iPhones sold in mainland China finally support adding Visa cards), my T-Union transit card, and my Octopus card. These days, I rarely carry the physical cards anymore. It's far more convenient and significantly reduces the risk of losing my cards or having them skimmed.
Xiaomi 13 — My work phone.
I've used Xiaomi phones for almost my entire smartphone life. During college, I switched to Meizu for two years, but its absolutely ridiculous product design (please forgive the language, but I'm still genuinely angry about this even today) cost me every photo I took during that period. Meizu Cloud subscriptions could only be renewed from a Meizu phone—not from a computer—and once the subscription expired, all cloud data was permanently deleted. I never imagined that I could lose all of my memories simply because my phone had failed, despite having cloud backup enabled.
Xiaomi's hardware and software may not be perfect, but they've always been stable and reliable enough for me, which is why I continue to trust them.
Another reason I keep a Xiaomi phone is for work. I rely on its built-in automatic call recording for regular phone calls, WeChat voice calls, and WeCom voice calls, so I always keep one Xiaomi device as my dedicated work phone.
Earbuds? No!
You might be wondering why I don't carry a pair of earbuds.
I currently own both the AirPods (2nd generation) and the AirPods 4 with ANC, but neither of them ever makes it into my backpack. If I really need earbuds, I'd rather bring my Audio-Technica IM70 with a third-party Bluetooth cable.
At some point, my iPhone and AirPods—especially the AirPods 4 with ANC—seemed to become completely incompatible. During use, the connection would start acting up roughly every 20 minutes. It wasn't the kind of disconnect where you simply reconnect once and move on. Instead, they would repeatedly disconnect and reconnect every few seconds.
The worst case I ever recorded was 12 disconnect/reconnect cycles in a single minute.
For the foreseeable future, I don't plan on buying another pair of AirPods. Based on my own experience, Apple's hardware quality, software quality, and arrogant after-sales service simply don't justify the premium they charge.
DJI OSMO Action 4：My dash camera and secondary camera.
I commute by motorcycle quite often, so the Action 4 doubles as my dash camera. It's also incredibly useful whenever I need a second camera for time-lapses or third-person shots. Compared with carrying a larger camera, an action camera is much more compact, durable, and convenient for these situations.
Attachment
Charger：
- Xiaomi 67W Desktop Fast Charging Power Strip
- CUKTECH No.10 mini 120W Charger / No.6 65W Charger
I own three CUKTECH GaN chargers: the No.10 and No.10 Mini, both rated at 120W, as well as the No.6, a slim 65W charger. For backpack-only trips, I usually carry just the No.10 Mini and the No.6. When I'm traveling with a suitcase, I also bring along the Xiaomi 67W Desktop Fast Charging Power Strip.
Although this article is mainly about what I carry in my backpack, I have to give a special mention to this power strip.
It solves a surprising number of everyday travel problems. On conventional trains, it's common for four to six passengers to share a single AC outlet. In hotels, wall outlets sometimes struggle to hold the weight of larger GaN chargers. At temporary workspaces, the nearest outlet is often frustratingly far from the desk.
In moments like these, pulling a power strip out of your backpack instantly makes you everyone's favorite person.
The power strip also includes two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, while supporting Xiaomi's 67W HyperCharge protocol. It easily handles charging all of my everyday devices, and in return adds very little bulk to my travel setup. For me, it's one of those small pieces of gear that consistently proves its value every time I travel.
Power Bank: CUKTECH CP12 Magsafe Power Bank
Cable: CUKTECH 240W Magnetic Braided USB-C Cable x2
Sunglasses: Xiaomi Mijia Polarized Over-Glasses Sunglasses
Since I wear prescription glasses every day, fit-over sunglasses are really my only practical option. The Mijia pair offers surprisingly good build quality and feels much more premium than I expected.
ZEISS Lens Cleaning Wipes
These are great for cleaning not only my glasses, but also phone, tablet, and laptop screens. I usually buy the 220-pack for home and simply throw a few individually wrapped wipes into my backpack before each trip.
Miscellaneous
Card Holder: I use MUJI's retractable card holder, although I removed the original lanyard. It carries my ID card, a China T-Union transit card, and my travel permits. I bought it after accidentally losing my ID during a trip to Xiamen, and I've since attached an AirTag so that, if I ever lose it again, I'll have a much better chance of finding it.
Passport Case：For international trips, I also carry a dedicated passport wallet. I'm currently using MUJI Passport Case, and its biggest advantage is the modular insert system, which lets me rearrange or expand the contents as needed. I use the three included zipper pockets to store Hong Kong dollars, Vietnamese dong, and my Hong Kong landing slip. As I travel to more countries, I can simply add extra inserts for additional currencies or travel documents instead of replacing the entire wallet.
Clothing
Beyond that, my travel clothing choices are fairly flexible and mostly depend on what clean and available items I have at the time, rather than a fixed set of preferences. So here, I'll only cover the types of clothing I usually bring, rather than listing specific brands or models.
Shoes: Nike AJ312 / Nike Trail 4 / ASICS GT-2000 13
These three pairs of shoes serve very different purposes. The AJ312 is a lifestyle sneaker focused on aesthetics, with slightly better comfort compared to the Dunk, but still primarily design-driven. The Trail 4 is a trail running shoe equipped with GORE-TEX, making it suitable for wet conditions and uneven terrain. The GT-2000 13 is a stability running shoe, available in a wide-fit option, offering balanced comfort for daily training and workouts.
Base Layer: HeatGear / Nike Pro / any Jock Briefs
Whether I'm traveling or at home, I usually wear jock briefs, Under Armour HeatGear, or Nike Pro. They're lightweight, pack small, and dry quickly, making them ideal for both everyday wear and workouts during business trips. Because they dry so fast after washing, I can comfortably pack fewer changes of clothes. Their body-hugging, subtly sexy design is another reason I like them, as it naturally shows the results of my daily training without feeling over the top.
Swimwear: Low-rise briefs are my go-to swimwear. I like how they highlight my physique in a natural, confident way. They reflect the results of months of consistent training rather than trying to create an illusion. Confidence isn't built in front of a mirror—it's earned through daily training.
First Aid Kit
- Wound Care: Bandages、Sterile Dressing、Povidone-Iodine Swabs
- Disinfection: Alcohol Prep Pads
- Muscle & Joint Pain: Voltaren Diclofenac Diethylamine Gel
- Digestive Care: Bacillus licheniformis Live Capsules, Diosmectite Powder
- Pain & Fever: Fenbid Ibuprofen Sustained-Release Capsules
All of my emergency medications are stored in a hard-shell case.
I originally kept them in a small soft pouch. However, after using it for a while, I noticed that blister-pack medications such as Fenbid and Bacillus licheniformis capsules could easily be damaged by the constant pressure inside my backpack. Once the aluminum foil seal develops a crack, the medication is no longer ideal for long-term storage.
I eventually switched to a hard-shell case. It protects the medications from being crushed during daily use, and it also makes switching backpacks much easier—whenever I change bags, I simply move the entire case instead of reorganizing everything.
It's a small and inexpensive change, but it has significantly improved both the protection of my medications and the convenience of my everyday carry setup.
Over the past year, this setup has been constantly evolving. Every business trip and every journey has taught me something new, helping me identify new problems while also eliminating items that seemed useful but never truly earned a place in my backpack.
I'm sure this setup will continue to evolve, and I'll keep updating this article as it does. But for now, every piece of gear here has accompanied me on enough journeys to prove that it deserves a place in my backpack.
