My packing list
Packing list
This is my attempt at listing which items I bring when traveling, and, more importantly, which to leave home.
Quick intro
Where have I traveled? Many places in Europe, mostly city and oceanside holidays. Afrika, Egypt, South Africa. Singapore, Bali and Java, Bangkok. All these were mostly city and tourist attractions and small hikes. Although a city trip often amounts to 15-20km of daily walking for me. Australia's Eastcoast, from Daintree to Melbourne. New Zealand's South Island, USA, the west coast from snowy Mt. St. Helens Seattle, to Yosemite and Utah, and to the Grand Canyon. Many more hikes, but all single day stuff, even if we started before dawn and finished after sunset. And Canada, where many shorter hikes were taken.
As you can guess, this is not a multi day survival kit. It will not include bedding, tents, tarps, and sleeping bags in the base kit. It is geared to handle casual traveling, where you drop in whereever, in whatever weather is normal, and visit whatever the locals offer. I will list situational items though, as add ons.
Evolution and goals
As a kid, I had a trolley with wheels, and it worked well for a lot of city trips. Then I visited my first metal festival, and needed something that would not get stuck in mud. So I got a hiking backpack. When I left on a trip around the world, that was my weapon of choice (along with my university backpack). Everything from Australia was done on the same set of base luggage, although of course I discarded and added items over time. Back then the primary goal was to pass airline luggage restrictions. My inofficial secondary goal was that I had to be able to carry it all comfortably. That did not mean much, as I am a big guy and ended up leaving with 30-35kg. I could carry it, but I preferred not to. Also, my girlfriend carried a gigantic trolley, which did not follow this secondary goal (at least for her), so I often ended up pulling it in annoying situations.
So my updated goals for this are the following:
- handle local weather. That means temperatures between -5 to 40°C normally. If it goes below, I will layer stuff.
- lasts for a week. If it is up to two weeks, I consider actually bringing more, but usually I just do laundry.
- fit in one backpack. Ideally a normal sized one.
- look somewhat normal. While I might not match the look of the locals, I at least do not want to look rich enough to rob.
- be comfortable
- be lightweight
List
Clothes
- up to 7 pairs of underwear: I've tried merino ones (supernatural), which were nice, but not worth the extra price for me. Currently I'm using Uniqlo Airisms, but any underwear which feels nice works for me. Lightweight and quick-drying are nice extras, but in the end I just bring what is really comfortable. I take less if for shorter stays. For longer trips, they get washed in a sink, rolled in a towel and sat on for some minutes and they'll dry overnight. You could take less and wash more, but they hardly add any weight compared to other stuff I bring, so convenience wins here.
- up to 7 pairs of socks: I try to have one or two pairs of hiking socks in there. Quicksilver works for me, it comes in the anti stink variant, which I really need. The others are for city daytours and just cheap socks I find somewhere. While traveling for longer periods, I chew through them regularily, but every country has cheap black socks. Not always in size 46 though.
- Long pants: Many people recommend otherwise, however I often bring a dark blue pair of jeans of the stretchy kind. Dark or beige chinos also work just fine for me. I like jeans since they seem to magically self clean, and dirt from a hike just doesn't seem to stick to them as much as to other pants. If they get wet, they do take a while to dry though. If I know the weather will be great, I often skip them altogether, and wear shorts when it rains.
- 1-2 Shorts: I like to bring swimming shorts. My personal favorite and absolute recommendation is the Billabong Crossfire X Submersibles for this. They look like real pants, have pockets like real pants, and even have a rear pocket with a zipper and a loop to attach keys if you need to take them swimming. Absolutely genius. They come with a price tag, but I got them cheap at a mall outlet. I bring 2 when I plan on swimming as they can get scratchy if you let them dry while wearing them after swimming, so I just switch them and let the wet pair dry in the sun. They fold up real tight as well, so they aren't much bother to carry.
- Nice belt: Once I had the shorts to directly jump into the ocean, I needed a belt which fit them and would survive salt water (not that the shorts need the belt). I got a Helly Hansen nylon one with a one piece buckle in navy blue.
- T-Shirts and shirts: I usually bring one shirt for every 2-3 days. I carry one band/festival shirt for cold weather as they are from thicker cotton material. Then a proper shirt for nice evenings/bars/partys/work (which I iron once I unrolled it), a non-iron shirt with thin, ideally linen or similar material, which does not show wrinkles as much. Take one with roll-up sleeves and thicker fabric if you need something for cold evenings. Sometimes I even wash it in the sink with other stuff as well. And a merino shirt for strenous activities. I really dig the old Icebreaker line with the campers built into motorcycle sidecars, tracked ice crawlers, and gondolas. Unfortunately it seems out of print, so these days I would probably go for this cute otter or look at different brands. The merino shirts I had were used and abused because they really feel good while hiking, regardless of weather, and hardly smell even after being drenched in sweat. However, they start getting holes fast, usually after three to four months of weekly to daily use, and in one disappointing case on the day after buying it. They are all still in use, because nobody cares about a small hole in your shirt while hiking. But for that price tag, the life span sucks. My bandshirts last years of daily abuse in addition to mosh pits (while they eventually develop small holes, these do not start widening like merino does.) If you know a good way of fixing holes in merino besides iron on patches, let me know.
- Shoes: These are my heaviest clothing item. I wear size 46-47 (12 in the US), depending on the brand. I would recommend taking a single pair of ankle-high, broken in shoes, and wearing them regardless of the situation. If you go hiking, take more durable ones. Choose dark and simple designs if you need to hang out and look good. Timberland has some nice ones which currently work for me, but that changes every couple of years. If you have space left and the weather is great, add flip flops. Somehow I have not gotten around to testing sandals yet, but that is something I will look at in the future. I would avoid bringing hiking boots, unless you really need them. On my trip around the world, I could have done all my hikes in normal trail shoes, and would have carried 3-4 kilos less (sometimes literally up the mountain). I will not repeat that mistake.
- Jacket: I would take a light watertight jacket. If you now it will be cold, take a thicker one, or layer with shirts or hoodie.
- Tube scarf or bandana: For the longest time I really underestimated this. I finally learned to love it on festivals. Why? It has so many uses. Wrap around your head as sun protection, and it covers more and is more portable than a hat. You can even let it dangle down to cover your shoulders or arms when necessary, if you get a large one (for festivals I carry several, and a common size is roughly 1mx1m). If you want it cooler, drench it in water. If you want it warmer, or just get out of the air, especially in climatized rooms, trains or cars, wrap your head. It can also be an emergency gauntlet to keep your hands warm. You can also use it as a sling to carry stuff around, which is why many first aid sets have a triangle cloth in them. I have also used it to temporarily fix broken bag straps on a hike. Brand and material hardly matter here, I have used synthetics and linen, but I currently use a merino one which I got as a souvenir in New Zealand. Especially in these times, they can also be used as masks.
- Beanie: if the tube shawl is not warm enough, a beanie is the way to go. Ultra portable as it folds up small, warm, and will not get blown away when a sudden gust of wind hits you after you have climbed the peak and survey land below. The downside is that it does not offer shade. Any kind will do, but again I got a merino souvenir one which is part of my everyday carry even at home.
Optionals
- Sunglasses: If it is sunny, bring protection.
- Glasses, contact lenses and a neckstring: I need prescription glasses at all times, so I always carry mine. I also carry one or two sets of contact lenses for activities where I don't want to risk my glasses or they are just impractical. (Skydiving, skiing, paintball, rafting, basically anything where you wear a mask or move a lot). Also bring a cord to keep it around your neck should it fall off. I also do diving and actually have a prescription mask, which I will bring if I know I will dive.
- Mask: I haven't traveled since Covid, but if I did, I would carry a mask. Several, if I anticipate more than 2 hours in public at once.
- Hoodie: I am a person who walks around in a t-shirt in winter, but sometimes it is nice to have one. If you sit around a campfire all night or pull an all-nighter at a hacking convention. When you need a pillow, just bundle it up. Or just lend it to less hot blooded people.
- Towel: While a towel might just be the most useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can carry, you can substitute it with shirts or the bandana if necessary. Of course, if your hotel already provides, you have no need to carry one. If I carry one, I carry a microfiber towel to save space.
Tech
- Laptop and charger: Yes, I actually always bring a laptop while traveling. If I travel with friends, I keep DnD stuff on it. I back up my photos on it. I work on it. I use my free time to plan projects on it. I currently have the Dell XPS 13, which has a nice form factor and battery life for traveling. I can charge it of certain USB-C powerbanks. The webcam positioning of the older versions sucks though. I use the charger for my phone as well.
- Phone: Take photos and stay in contact with the world. Also has your music and books on it. If you stay long enough, get a local SIM card as it's cheaper. Order it 1-2 weeks earlier directly to your hotel (check with them first).
- In-ears: I always take in-ears to for distraction, mostly cheap to mid-range ones. Generally speaking, the better the noise canceling, the better for travel, but when I listen to Sabaton, I can't really say I miss it either way.
- Power delivery power bank and some cables: 2-3 Micro USB and USB-C cables for backup, to keep all devices charged. If I need to charge both phone and laptop, I will daisy chain them (e.g. attach phone to laptop and charge laptop).
- Good LED torch: I learned this one when we started too late on a hike in the Daintree rain forest. In Germany, if sunset is at 8:15, you will still have light at 8:45 easily. In Australia, Sundown is sundown. We had a powerbank and phones, otherwise we would have returned earlier, but 45 minutes of walking through muddy, slippery forests with potentially dangerous animals around with only smartphones as light sources make for a memorable experience. We later got shitty 5$ lights, which had their problems as well. I then got a Olight H2R, which is also watertight, and haven't looked back. It has become part of my EDC rotation (along with 2-3 other pen lights), which allowed me to explore several kilometres of the unlit Ape lava caves at Mt. St. Helens when the weather above ground just sucked too hard. It also makes repairs and searching your bag at night so much easier.
Optionals:
- Travel adapter: If you go to a different country, take one.
- Power cube: e.g. Allocacoc. It is a compact power strip and comes with the option of a cable and integrated USB slots as well, eliminating the need for a separate charger.
- Emergency charger: Should have more than one USB port and enough output to enable quick charge. If yours breaks though, it is easy to get a new one in almost any part of the world. Easier than the right cable anyway.
- Camera: With lenses, my EOS M50 can do stunning shots. I take it despite the weight because I enjoy photography as a hobby and my phone has a shitty camera. If you have a nice phone camera, you might survive without this. However, you should try and take nice pictures, as they make great souvenirs! I would also recommend getting a nice neckstrap or a wriststrap, and possibly a belt/strap holster. They are pricey, but knock offs exist. Either way, always attach a safety cord in case your main strap connector fails. Also take 2 batteries, the charger and an extra SD card.
- Hard Drive/flash drive/SD-card for backups: If you take a lot of photos, you might need it. An SSD has no moving parts and withstands the rough motions of travel more easily. I did lose some photos when my girlfriend's PC died randomly on our trip, and it sucked. So nowadays I backup. You could also just take an SD card, if your laptop can directly read them. (Otherwise don't forget the adapter). If you are not carrying a laptop, there are some dedicated backup hard drives, which will automatically copy and save all photos when an SD card is plugged into them.
- AUX cable: for road trips, especially if you rent the car and are not sure what kind of sound system it uses.
- Noise-canceling headphones: For those loud transports and that dumb crying baby 3 rows over.
- Bluetooth speaker: If you plan on hanging out with friends, coordinate who brings one.
Hygiene
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss: I just take my normal ones. I recently got an electric toothbrush but will probably continue manual brushing while on holiday to avoid even more chargers. I usually don't care about carrying a full size tube of toothpaste.
- Razor and blades: I currently shave with a shavette, which is basically a straight razor, but the blade is a standard shaving blade split in two. I would generally recommend trying out traditional shaving, as it is better for the environment and can be cheaper as well. But for traveling, shaving with a safety razor or a straight razor or shavette has the added benefit of losing the charger. I've carried both shavettes and safety razors in carry on, although the former should usually raise questions. They will generally let you carry it as soon as you show there is no blade in it. You can get a new blade in most hotels and many discounter stores, although I often just chance it and pack one or two blades, still packaged and separated from the razor. If security actually disposes of them, I've only lost some cents. I'm fine with just shaving with water, so I leave shaving cream at home as well. My beard trimmer also remains, I just trim before traveling and it looks fine for a week or two.
- Comb: just take a small one
- Shampoo: buy a travel sized one, drop it in a ziplock bag. I just skip conditioner while traveling.
- Hair gel: try to get a smaller container and refill.
- Deodorant: buy a deodorant roller or gel stick to prevent TSA complaints.
- Fragrance: take a nice, robust looking bottle or even better swipe some samples on your next visit to the mall.
- Airline safe file: in case you rip a nail and want to file it down.
- Condoms: Keep it safe
Optionals:
- Pedicure scissors: If I'm just a week away, I just do this right before I depart and it is fine.
First aid
- something against headaches: I get killer headaches from ACs if I'm not careful, so usually ibuprofen is my drug of choice
- wound desinfectant: I carry a small dose for nasty cuts and stuff.
- band-aids, blister tape, leukoplast: combining these two should cover all small scraps. It also helps prevents blisters.
Optionals:
- sun screen: if you hope for sun, bring sun screen. I usually don't because my partner brings 4 different kinds anyway.
- blister prevention cream: Even better than tape. Cover sensitive areas, make sure to use your hiking socks and worn in boots and it will change the entire experience.
- motion sickness medication: I personally never use this one, but routinely hand it out to others on diving and sailing trips.
- something to stop and start bowel movement: Again, personally never used these, but it really sucks if you have only two days in an exotic location but can't leave the toilet as your digestive organs have decided they need a timeout as well
- Hiking kit (tape, band-aids, wound dressings, rescue cover, bandages, emergency scissors): If I know I will be hiking, I take a full kit (the 15$ car kit kind). TSA shouldn't be bothered by the scissors, but check your guidelines. While I never had to treat anything besides scratches, I have used the bandages to tie a detached sole back onto my girlfriend's shoe in the Blue Mountains, which held for over another hour of hiking and made the way home much simpler.
Other:
- Backpack: to carry all this around. Nothing too flashy. Should have water bottle holders. If it has external loops, add some carabiners, to hook in a travel pillow, your flip flops, or a hat when pressed for space or they are wet. You might look into different opening styles if you are worried about pickpockets. Ideally all listed items fits into a single back pack. Add a colorful dongle, wrap the handle or stick on a patch to make it easily recognizable as yours.
- Travel cubes: So practical. I use one for clean and one for worn stuff.
- Ziplock bags: Bag medicine and all liquids. Keep some extras for wet clothes and random stuff.
- Notebook and pencils: To keep a diary and notes without pulling out your phones. That way you aren't fucked if battery runs out. I try to get soft covers which fit my pockets.
- Playing cards: A card set is relatively light weight compared to the possibilities it offers. Learn a few different games as well, and you can use delays and layovers to make new friends.
- Watch: Something robust and not too flashy. I personally like watertight and oceanproof (so no leather wrist strap) as well. That way I can go to the beach and still be in time for dinner, without my phone.
- Travel wallet: Something to keep your credentials, flight tickets, credit cards and everything important on to your body, preferably hidden.
- Water bottle: Can be carried in empty and refilled after TSA to save money. I have tried collapsible water bottles before but experience taught me to only carry them in outer water bottle pockets to prevent water damage after leak
- Snacks: Like the snickers ad suggests, a bit of food can really change your behaviour at the right time. When flying, make sure to eat up before you arrive, as many countries have very limiting rules on which foods you can import.
- Shopping bag: It can fold up really small and allows carrying so much more, especially when you shopped groceries or have wet clothes after swimming.
Optionals:
- Travel guide: How else would you know what you need to stand in front of for a maximum of likes from the internet? Talking to locals?
- Map: Either in the travel guide or separately.
- Compass: Nice to have outside cities. Of course you need to know how to use it.
- Sling/belt/day pack or purse: I generally drop of my clothes at the location I'm staying at and carry my backpack as a day pack. I know of many others who carry a separate smaller bag. Both work well.
- Full suit, dress shoes, black socks, dress shirt, belt: If you need them (weddings, conferences, etc.), take them. Don't forget your accessories and undergarments, e.g. tie, shirt stay, pocket square and nice watch.
- Sewing kit: You can get these in small packages in many hotels, just ask at the reception. It is basically 1-2 needles and some different colors of string, perfect to fix small tears and ripped off buttons. If you don't know how to do that, youtube is your friend.
- Multitool: If you travel for longer or to go camping, and want at least some form of tool. I like the Leatherman Surge. Of course this is not TSA safe, so it has to be checked.
- A book: It is nice to have non digital distraction which can't run out of battery. It is also another reason to bring a flashlight.
- Fake wallet: Your everyday use wallet. Never keep more than 20 bucks in it. Drop in a few old, unimportant cards in it. If you get mugged, hand it over and look pissed to make it convincing. Don't refill it in public. Luckily I also never actually had to use this one.
- Small games: My current go-to's are Unstable Unicorns and Frantik (basically Uno on drugs). Always good to strike up conversation.
- Water bladder: If you hike or walk a lot, this might be interesting. I personally recommend just getting a bottle adapter for the straw.
- duct tape: It can fix a lot. I've glued shoe soles back on, backpacks together, taped together bandages so they would not slip off. This one does add a lot of weight though, and TSA does not like full rolls in carry on.
- paracord: Same as duct tape, it can be very helpful to fix things and works as a clothesline after washing things or swimming. You can also use braiding paracord as a hobby or diversion on its own.
- Lighter: Nice to have while camping. Good conversation starter. You can also seal the ends of paracord with it or singe worn synthetic fibers to reduce the ugly strands of frayed fiber sticking out. Storm lighters might not be TSA proof, so beware.
- Travel pillow: Make sure to find the one which works for you. I like the trtl pillow, the first version actually more than the second one. (I like the concept of the second one more, but I think I ordered the wrong size. It is still quite comfy though).
- Sleeping mask: I personally find the feeling weird and like to keep my eyes open. Also, I just use my beanie or my tube shawl if necessary.
General tips:
- Going lighter allows you more flexibility. You use less power to lug your stuff around, so it is less stress. If you only have carry on, you don't need to check-in bags at the airport, so you can arrive later. You don't need to drop stuff off with the hotel first after leaving the plane. You might still want to though. You can sometimes also travel cheaper.
- Airlines weight your bags, not you. Wear your heaviest set of clothes and boots, tie both your hoodie and your jacket around your waist. At least for check-in.
- Normally, when you start packing less in smaller bags, your first limit will be volume. Check out Ranger roll folding technique, KonMari for mental preparation, and buy some packing cubes. Even the cheap ones are so good that I honestly can't imagine traveling without them. Besides compression they also allow you taking your backpack apart on the street to get that stupid thing on the bottom and repacking it within seconds.
- If you travel in a group, make sure someone walks behind the people with the backpacks to prevent pickpockets.
- If in a city: check for tourist tickets. London and Paris for example have 3 day tickets with both public transport and entry into many local attractions, and the pass includes many fun ones which are less known as well.
- Meetups are a great way to get to know locals. Just check online, e.g. Meetups.com
- If you get mugged, better your valuables than your life. Give everything up which they ask for. Make sure that that is nothing essential by carrying only copies and small sums in the obvious places. Never flash your cash stash to avoid temptation.
- You don't need everything. Remember, this setup is meant to work where other people also live. If you are missing something, just buy it. Things like an umbrella, a second water bottle, a lunch box, or another shirt in case yours rips are available in all parts of the world. Even if they do not fit you perfectly, that will not ruin your trip. And it is way cheaper than paying for extra baggage both ways.
There you have it. This is what works for me. It is not the lightest possible setup, but it is my middle way between comfort and weight. My one week backpack usually weights 8-12 kgs with this, and gets lighter as soon as I drop of clothes at my destination.
If this is too light or heavy for you, adapt it. If you need running shoes because you jog every morning, take them. If you don't need a laptop, leave it out. Ultimately, this is just meant as inspiration, and a way of giving back my experience after a year of traveling. And it will be a fun reminder to look back on in future years. I read many of these kind of posts before I started my voyage, and still overpacked. I wanted to take a multimeter of all things. Luckily I convinced myself to leave it behind. I actually ended up buying one for a job along the way later though, but I definitely would have regretted lugging it around the world.
Obviously your mileage may vary. However, if you feel I might be missing something, let me know what you would change about my kit.