Journal

I'm writing this at the end of April and all the signs are that Australia is well on the way to controlling Coronavirus. There's a lot of itchy feet out there and while international travel, except perhaps New Zealand, is certainly off the cards until 2021 it's...

The global pandemic emergency has obviously canceled travel plans for people worldwide. It has also stranded many overseas backpackers in Australia and New Zealand who are now facing an uncertain 2020 without work, or a place to stay or family support. We've spoken to...

We've talked before about how packing light can enable spontaneous adventure when traveling. One perfect example is hiking. In Australia and New Zealand we think of hiking (or tramping for you Kiwis) as trudging through the bush and camping under the stars. But in...

Lightweight travelers are often away from power outlets for extended periods of time and hence rely on power banks to keep our phones and gadgets charged. A little known hack to maximise the efficiency of your power bank is to use a short, good quality cable. All...

When you’re travelling on-the-go in the age of being ‘tethered to our technology’, you need to be sure that you've got your devices charged for a day of adventure. However, if your phone battery is low and you desperately need it to navigate around town, it can be...

Is travelling with one cable finally possible? It looks like one-bag travellers may be in luck. The trusty USB – the workhorse port used in everything from phones to cars – is about to get even more useful. We’re talking about USB-C, potentially the holy grail of...

One-bag travellers are constantly trying to find life hacks to make their journey a little easier. Whether that’s tracking down the best lightweight version of a sleeping bag, to learning new methods of clothes folding to maximize space, you can bet we’re always...

We’re serious about lightweight travel here at Below7. We’ve spent years perfecting travelling with just one-bag, and we’ve made some great discoveries along the way. When it comes to staying below the 7kgs carry-on limit, every gram we save counts. We’ve got 5 tricks...

I have long legs and this means that long distance flights in standard economy class seat are agony. This is why, over the years, I've developed a strategy to improve my chances of being assigned a free exit row seat. Check-in at the airport The first thing I've...

We’re a team of seasoned one-bag travelers here at Below7, and when it comes up packing for an overseas trip, we’ve learned a thing or two about what to pack (and not to pack). The same applies for what to do before you embark on a major overseas experience. We have a...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnis2Ev1bLQ Budget airline scams $,000s out of travellers This video is a great example of how budget airlines, particularly in Asia, are using baggage weight as a way to charge excessive penalties on customers. How to avoid this...

We’re always on the lookout for ways to reduce the load and make travelling more convenient. One way to save on space and weight is by condensing your travel gear by packing multi-functional items that can be changed to suit your various needs. After all, packing...

With the exciting adventure that is traveling to see the world, comes hand in hand with the reality that it’s actually killing it slowly. Air travel is the leading cause of air pollution, contributing 4.9% of human-caused climate change. Planes inevitably produce...

We all know about the carbon footprint associated with traveling. Air travel is the leading cause of air pollution, contributing 4.9% of human-caused climate change. We can’t give up the thrilling, enlightening and eye-opening experience that travel can bring, but...

The scenario: you’ve booked your trip. You’re already picturing yourself there. Exploring a new environment, trekking the new land, trying new foods. But then reality hits and you’ve got to get packing. The possibilities are virtually endless.7 continents on earth.7...

Have you ever heard the term “one-bagging” and wondered what it’s all about? Put simply: “one-bagging” is sort of considered the holy grail of minimalism. There’s minimalism, and then there’s one-bagging. It’s the concept of streamlining your life into a single bag....

The minimalism movement has taken the world by storm. Some may think it’s about owning less than 50 items, having hardly any furniture in your home, and rotating between 2 sets of outfits... but we see it as a tool to assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear....

You’ve booked your new overseas adventure and you’re intending to only take carry-on this trip. “What to pack?” is the million dollar question. We’re seasoned carry-on travelers here at Below7, and over the years we’ve refined and tweaked our packing list to be ready...