One Week， One Backpack: Putting our gear to the test

Hi there,

As you know,we’re big proponents of one-bag travel. To that end, I recently spent a multi-week trip overseas meeting and aligning with our business partners to plan out future styles and ensure the highest quality products possible. It felt like the perfect chance to put our clothes to the test - sort of an extended version of our classic one week, one backpack challenge.

Here’s what I was up for:

• Length:12 Days
• Cities:5
  • Oslo, Norway
  • Busan, South Korea
  • Hong Kong, SAR
  • Shenzhen, China
  • Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam\xa0
• Climates:3
  • Cold: 25-35ºF (Oslo, Busan)
  • Temperate: 60-70ºF (Shenzhen, Hong Kong)
  • Hot: 85-95ºF (Ho Chi Minh)
• Flights (public - no private jets here!):10
• Activities:Board/partner meetings, factory tours, annual holiday dinner, hiking, running, dinner with friends

Here’s my general packing strategy:

1. Wear 1, pack 2
2. Everything I pack needs to be hotel-sink washable
3. Color coordinated pieces for easy mix & match
4. Fewer, better layers for climate, dressing up and exponential outfitting
5. No single-use pieces

My packing list - mostly our gear:

1. Kinetic Blazer- Navy
2. Kinetic Light Layer Jacket- Navy
3. Kinetic Pant- Navy
4. Pace Tapered Chino- Black
5. Hybrid Button-Down- Blue Stripe
6. AeroZero° Dress Shirt- White
7. Composite Merino Mock Neck - Black
8. Composite Merino Zip Polos- Navy & Grey (Doubles as a workout top)
9. Composite Merino Boxer Briefs(3 pair)
10. Atlas Ankle Socks(1 pair)

And a few favorites to round things out:

1. Merino wool socks (2 pair)
2. Janji AFO Running Shorts
3. Ponto Pacific Shoes (Travel / Meetings)
4. Tracksmith Eliot Runners (Running / Exploration)
   

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^ Plenty of leg room!

I hate checking bags, especially for trips where I’m flying every other day - the risk of lost luggage is just too high. Traveling with just a backpack means I never have to worry about crammed overhead bins, and I can go straight from the airport to meetings or exploration without needing to stop at the hotel.

^ A selection of outfits across my 12-day journey

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While 12 days may feel like a long time, frequent travel and a packed itinerary made for very little true downtime. Packing and dressing the way I did helped me hit the ground running each day - a testament to how the right clothes let you do more with less.

Safe Travels,

\xa0 Gihan Amarasiriwardena President + Co-Founder \xa0 PS: Updating your work wardrobe for the new year? Reply here directly, or schedule aone-on-one virtual shop-alongwith me!