Pack Hacker: Source of inspiration for the Orlémur travel pillow

First, a love-at-first-sight moment with packing cubes.

During a trip to China with friends in 2015, I used packing cubes for the first time. These are rectangular pouches designed to organize clothes and belongings inside your bag. I was immediately won over by how practical they were in so many ways: everything has its place, you no longer have to turn your entire bag upside down just to find that pair of socks buried at the bottom, and they help reduce wrinkles while protecting your clothes.

That first backpacking trip was a real eye-opener. I realized that having the right gear can make a real difference in your overall travel experience.

From that moment on, I couldn't imagine leaving home without my packing cubes, even for a weekend getaway. I've offered them to many of my friends and family, and most of them still use them today.

Discovering Pack Hacker.

As someone passionate about travel and travel gear, I naturally came across videos from the American YouTube channel Pack Hacker in 2017. Their tagline, "Your Guide to Smarter Travel," perfectly captures what their content is all about. Its founder, Tom Wahlin, shared tips and insights on traveling light, drawing on his experience of spending two years as a digital nomad with nothing but a 40-liter backpack.

Following my eye-opening trip to China, and then another journey through Argentina and Uruguay that same year, my own travel philosophy began to take shape. It aligned perfectly with Pack Hacker's approach: traveling light frees your mind and allows you to make the most of every journey.

This is the idea behind One Bag Travel: traveling with just one bag.

Inspiration through Pack Hacker.

My first source of inspiration came from Pack Hacker's content, which put a strong emphasis on multifunctional travel gear. When one item serves several purposes on a trip, there's no need to pack a separate item for every single use. This saves valuable space in your bag and helps reduce its overall weight.

This very idea became one of the founding principles behind the ORLÉMUR Ultimate Travel Companion, a product that works both as a packing cube and as a travel pillow. Filling the pillow with the clothes you're already taking on your trip also makes better use of your luggage space, while eliminating the need for memory foam or polystyrene beads — both petroleum-based materials that are often difficult or impossible to recycle. Pack Hacker is well known for its in-depth product reviews and remarkable attention to detail. Their videos inspired me in many ways: from exploring technical solutions and improving manufacturing quality to selecting the best materials and components for my own product. I looked forward to their weekly videos every single week.

In early 2022, I signed up for an annual membership, which gave me access to the Pack Hacker Pros community. It was a great opportunity to connect with other travel gear and bag enthusiasts. The Pros community also helped me gain a better understanding of what seasoned travelers really look for in their gear.

In late 2022, Pack Hacker organized a community meetup at its headquarters in Detroit. I was disappointed that I couldn't make it, but the team invited members who couldn't attend to stop by and meet them whenever they happened to be in Michigan. That invitation stayed with me...