What to Pack on Your Trip
By NomadicMatt | Published: December 3, 2008Lately, I have been getting a lot of questions about packing for a trip. What do I bring? What should you bring? How much stuff should you take? One backpack or two? Where do you put all your electronics? Lots of questions.
Well, here is my answer: I take as little as possible. I try to take the bare minimum and if I really need something, I buy it. It’s not that hard to find medicine, or clothes, or an umbrella overseas. I try to stick to the same climate wherever I go to avoid carrying lots of different clothes. However, sometimes plans change and I end up somewhere cold. If that happens, I buy a light jacket. I keep it until it is a burden and then I donate it to good will. The more I travel the more I realize I don’t need a lot of stuff. In fact, despite 5 years of travel, I still usually take too much stuff. On the plus side, it usually means I can go a long time between washing my clothes.
What Do I Pack?
Toiletries/Misc.
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Razor
- Shaving cream
- Soap
- Shampoo
- A allergy medicines
- Earplugs
- Tylonol/Ibuprofin
- Small pair of scissors
- Sleeping pills (for long flights)
Clothes
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 1 pair of shorts
- Boxers
- 1 long sleeve t-shirt
- 5-6 t-shirts
- Flip-flops
- Sneakers
- 1 bathing suit
- 1 light jacket
- Socks
- 1 towel
- 1 dress shirt
- Dress shoes
Gear
- Camera
- Extra Battery
- iPhone and charger
- Plug converter
- Moleskin journal
- Video recorder
- Padded lock
- A guidebook for reference
- MacBook Pro
Some of the stuff you probably don’t need. Most people I know take a lot less electronics with them. Your average traveler doesn’t need all the fancy equipment. I do since I use it to run this blog. I tend to take dress shirts and shoes with me because when I visit friends around the world, they want to go someplace nice. Most places don’t want to let you in if you just look like a grungy, backpacker who is still wearing yesterday’s clothes (which I usually am). You really don’t need two jeans either but it’s good to have an extra pair and though they weigh a lot, I like jeans better than I like pants, though I agree with the comments below that they aren’t great if you are going to do a lot of hiking.
Additionally, I bring ziplock bags with me to put my shampoo in. You never know when those things might explode and a few times they have saved the inside of my backpack. I usually take two or three bags with me just have backup.
You really don’t need a lot of stuff when you travel. If I suddenly need something like sunscreen or shampoo, I just buy it. No need to overpack. And that’s really the secret to traveling. Just take the minimum you need and buy the rest along the way. Before I go on a trip, I write down a list of what I think I will need and then usually cut it in half. You never need as much as you think.
However, in the end, there is never a definitive packing list. Everyone has different needs. My list suits my needs. It might not suit yours. But it’s simple here as a reference and as proof you don’t need a lot of stuff when you travel long term.
Updated: August 2011
Sounds like a pretty good list. I’m curious about one thing, though. What kind of camera do you have? I just bought a DSLR, so packing that and its lenses will be tricky.
What type of cell phone do you use? What are the associated costs?
My list is more or less similar though would add a few feminine things. Also instead of shorts, I would add 1 one more pair of jeans & 1-2 skirts.
In gears, I also take some SD memory cards that I have. I also take along a small notebook, credit cards and international driving license.
Why do you need a clock ?
Of course it depends on where to go too. For some places I would also add a mosquito bed net (maybe hydrocortisone for eventual bites too) and a pocket flashlight.
A GPS Navigator – either in the cellphone or a stand alone – isn’t wrong to have either
Man, I realized that even after I took loads of stuff out of my pack when I left on my trip, I still took too much stuff. I’d like to stick to the one jean policy next time and maybe take a smaller pack. And not go to South America in the winter (had to buy extra clothes for that down there).
Great list and very similar to mine. I always carry a Swiss Army Knife, cap, sunglasses, a small torch, two sets of photocopies of key documents and a decent medicine kit (depending on the country) to add to your list. Also a sturdy water bottle if I plan to walk much. There are a couple of excellent packing lists on the net which helps prompt for things that may be important to you and you may have forgotten – simply search on “travel packing list” or similar.
It always reminds me of getting to a hostel and watching a huge bloke weighed down with an even larger back-pack, bulging at the seams, drag out a dressing gown and pillow. And I thought I’d seen most silly things in a hostel.
I’d recommend ‘borrowing’ one of those little pillows from the airline on your way, they make long overnight bus journeys much more comfortable!
My wife and I recently spend the better part of a month in Europe. I think my bag weighed maybe 12 pounds. I bought a couple pair (next time I’ll take only one) of REI adventures pants (on sale, but they’re worth the full price). We found it immensely amusing to watch the people 30 years younger who slogged around with backpacks front and rear, insisting on dressing in the most impractical travel attire possible – jeans.
They’re heavy, prone to stains, and impossibly slow to dry unless you have a clothes drier or hot sun (in which case you have another reason to discover why jeans suck). But I guess for some people that’s a small price to pay for the benefit of looking the same as everyone else.
A Wanderlite Pack worked out great for day trips and shopping.
I also took a handful of CDs with Michel Thomas French and German review courses, and a cheap portable CD player we had lying around. An iPod (I gave mine away a couple years ago) would have been better, but perhaps better still would have been a cheap portable mps cd player – fewer discs to carry, and who is going to steal it when the jean-clad pack animals in the next compartment all have iPods more worthy of stealing?
Mark H, I also used to carry a Swiss Army knife, but if you can fly with one carry-on bag, why be forced to check it and take chances with airline baggage mishandlers?
Also, general hint for travel packing: two lists – ‘wear’ and ‘carry.’
Also, assess your potential sense of loss when packing your camera and iPod. I took stunning photos with a Fuji FinePix a couple years ago in Argentina. I purposely bought an older one off eBay so I wouldn’t be overly concerned if it got lost or stolen – the photos I published immediately on my blog.
You don’t need 20 megapixels to create snapshots. (BTW, I used to teach photography and spent time as a professional photographer).
Also, Matt, do a little experiment: dump the shaving cream. The next time you shower, pull out your razor and shave, if not in the shower (no, a miror isn’t required to shave) immediately after.
I discovered this long ago, and have perhaps used shaving cream twice in the last 20 years.
I also note that your list neglects to mention shoes or reading material. Flip flops are great for hostels and such, but provide no arch support, which won’t be a problem until it is, some years later. I’d dump the guide book and take something more interesting to read. Your best info comes from other travelers, research in advance, and online forums.
(Did you know that Lonely Planet writers are forced to ‘dump’ listings when a new edition comes out, just to make it ‘new’?)
I meant ‘mp3,’ obviously.
The difference between me and you? I Absolutely NEED mascara. And my hair straightener. And 5 pairs of shoes.
Is it obvious I’m not a backpacker?
Interesting read. Makes me feel so materialistic. But, hey, I NEED that straightener to disguise my big, crazy hair!
Jessica N.
P Riehl: I almost mentioned that the Swiss Army Knife doesn’t always make it anymore because of the carry-on bag issue. Thank you for pointing out. Coming from Australia, most o/s holidays involve flying a fair way and I do check luggage then.
Very similar list to mine: I’m a girl so delete razor add skirt instead of 1 pair of shorts and tampons. Usually about 5 books too and it still weighs less than 10kg and is a 30l day pack! I just bough a Asus eee pc which is so tiny it can come too on the next trip
I try to travel as light as possible and i avoid cosmetics..I sometimes carry my laptop and a pair of sandals
Yea, seems to be our one issue, picking a place with one season.
That being said, I had convertible pants made so now I can take one pair of pants, that will convert to capris and shorts.
Oh, and don’t forget the hat, sunglasses, and a small flashlight. Many camps especially in Mongolia may not have lights to guide you to the bathrooms and showers.
Thanks for the insight!
pack one wonderful rubberband, a safety pin, and a weird length of strong string. also, a needle with a bit of black thread, and if you want to splurge, white thread, too. those foolishly flimsy and teeny travel scissors in throw-away kits have come in handy, too….also, a ziplock baggy, containing a couple of handy-wipes. something sticky is going to happen, and you will be glad to have them.
also, i hand-write all flight/itinerary notes into a small journal, where you can also tuck-in a photo or two of loved ones from home. when you are away for months, and someone asks where you are from, you can show them a picture, and exclaim “Mama!”
discussions of shoes and T-shirts all been said and done….remember: your luggage, if not packed lightly, becomes your enemy.
you forgot your deodorant Matt, or is this a trick for always having extra seating space on planes ?
Tell us the truth, Matt !
I would strongly recommend also including a travel light set of scales also for weighing bags.
Many friends have experienced some issues in Spain with regards to the settings on the check in scales for baggage. Despite measuring themselves it is often 3-5 kgs heavier of the check in scales and this has incurred extra costs.
Duct tape is wonderful. and you never know. I take a working but cheap pen and wrap duct tape around it…maybe about a yard. Up to you. And take it with you. It’s about the size of a pen instead of a huge roll of duct tape and you can patch, attach, close, etc. on the run. I’ve even used it to temporarily patch clothes. Try it once when you pack. And if you don’t use it? You can use the pen
) –hope this helps all you travellers! aloha, maria
Good list Matt!
But personally, I don’t take jeans (too heavy and takes ages to dry), I prefer cargo pants (the ones with zippers that turn to shorts), much lighter!
I also NEVER leave on a trip without my Buff (serves as bandana, eye mask, scarf, etc…).
Only thing, as I am a photographer too.. I have a heavy camera and different lenses to carry… Ouch!
It’s great to see so many people sharing their gear lists – I’ll do mine soon. For my last trip to America I had 35 useful things and then an extra 13 things that I picked up along the way or didn’t use the whole trip. After a number of journeys now the list is becoming fairly well refined for function
For all the ladies out there try a divacup instead of tampons. Easier to carry around and WAY better for the planet.
Shampoo has exploded in my bag too many times so I buy it where I’m going.
I buy those mini bottles you get and usually put them in a plastic bag.
Good call on the plug converter! It’s overlooked so often, then you can’t use your electronics abroad! Unless you want to fork out a ton for a converter overseas, which isn’t fun…
I definitely second (or third or fourth or whatever) everyone in the comments saying jeans are a bad idea. Heavy, slow drying, don’t breath well when hiking around … I will never travel with a pair of jeans. My main pair of pants I take are some polyester khakis. They’re light, compressible, breathable, quick-drying and the color doesn’t really show dirt and the like (and khaki goes with pretty much everything as far as shirts). I love them.
I also agree with the duct tape idea. Instead of a pen, I wrapped some around a pencil and broke it off so that the pencil’s just slightly longer than the width of the tape. I didn’t use the pencil for writing, though (I actually broke off the end with the point).
The only other thing I saw that I disagreed with was the number of shirts you took. On the road you don’t have to bother trying to wear something different every day, so I took half that number. That way you can wear one, wash one and have it drying and have a third for the next day or if you need to change for some reason (spills, rips, etc.).
I see it in your picture, but you didn’t mention it, so I will: Ziploc bags. Bring a few gallon size and a few in a smaller size, quart or whatever. They’re wonderful for separating different things, keeping up with small things, storing wet clothes or anything you think might spill in your bag, waterproofing cameras or other electronics, carrying extra food … they’re just incredibly useful.
And last thing, I promise. If you’re a guy, buy a dark, solid color swimsuit and you can use them as a pair of shorts if needed instead of wearing some brightly colored, garish one. I only took one pair of shorts and my (dark brown) swimsuit, instead of two like you recommended; one less thing to pack!
Jeans are nice to wear out on a night on the town!
Two and half years after this article’s been written, I think it’s safe to say that a lot of people can consolidate size, space, and stuff with some of the then-newer technologies now being a bit cheaper. As for Matt’s list, you could have an unlocked iPhone take the place of a quad-band cell, mp3 player, clock, guidebook/reference, a library of novels, and even a point-and-shoot camera. And if you can’t live without a DSLR, the newer mirrorless cameras make it so much easier to pack a high-end camera on-the-light also. The stuff you carry may have a higher value attached to them, but if space and weight are invaluable, then I think it’s worth as many affordable pennies as possible to cut down on it wherever you can.
Oh, and don’t forget to properly “ranger roll” anything that’s rollable. This isn’t your normal t-shirt roll. If you don’t know what it is, look it up on youtube or ask a family member who’s ex- or active-military. You’re in for a super space-saving treat. (After that, then you can pack all the nice jeans you want. I personally can’t live without my 511s.)
Glad to see you advocate for jeans. I am leaving soon to travel for a year and will definitely be taking 2 pairs – in part because I’ll be traveling largely through cold weather climates and khakis/lightweight pants just don’t keep you warm! And I want to be able to blend in a bit when I’m going out, especially in larger cities. I also live in jeans at home, so why should it be any different when I travel?
How do you get by without a headtorch? I found this to be essential, many places had frequent blackouts or no electricity atall and i would have been screwed. Saying that though, i became pretty expert at packing in the dark too! Oh and yeah I am glad i took a pair or jeans, agree with Katie above, important to have clothes that make you feel yourself, like when you are at home.
I have a flashlight.
I’d replace the scissors with some kind of multitool affair. My leatherman has proven invaluable countless times
And definitely no to jeans – if you want warmth then you can always put thermals on underneath whatever else you are wearing, plus they are light and easy to pack.
Great advice. I prefer light hiking zip off trousers to jeans but other than that, it seems like I am on the right track, thanks Matt.
Likwewise I’m surprised with the jeans. I’ve always been told to bring pants that are lightweight and dry quickly Maybe when I travel I will do 1 jeans and 1 pants. Thanks for the blog post!
I like jeans. Vanity over comfort sometimes. My pack only weighs 9 kilos so it’s not a big deal to have a pair of jeans in it.
What about shoes!?
I don’t pack them. I wear them on my feet.
I live by these three simple rules when it comes to traveling:
1. If I forgot it and I need it, most likely I can find it at my destination [Band-Aids fall into this category. I have bought Band-Aids, plasters and Hansaplast (and a knee brace at that) in a variety of countries.]*
2. If I won’t be able to buy it at a local vendor AND I absolutely need it – do not forget it [an extra pair of contacts, my glasses and prescription medicine fall into this category]
3. Checked luggage is potentially lost luggage [plus, in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight, you are seen as a less flexible traveler to the airline because it's an ordeal for them to find your luggage or if you are running late for a connection, you know your luggage will be with you - wherever you wind up. But...after an international trip, I'm usually game to check my luggage. I can do without my dirty laundry for a few days if the luggage goes missing. I just make sure to pack the necessities...again, my glasses fall into this category!]
* I have a permanently packed toiletries bag loaded with everything I would need, including an extra pair of contacts, that is ready to travel at a moments notice (and it’s been used at a moments notice). It’s so ready to go that I just need to remember to pack my glasses. And, of course…there are some random adhesive bandages from various countries in there too.
Looks like you are always ready for an adventure then huh?
I’m taking the plunge to South America on Monday! Great tips here!
Matt: How big (liters) is your pack?
I’ve been warned about jeans as well. Luckily these new North Face cargo shorts/pants are killer! I got a Buff too.
HGP