Travel Goals

1. Climb to Everest Base Camp.
2. Climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
3. Learn to Scuba Dive.
4. Visit every continent.
5. See the Galapagos Islands.
6. Sail down the Amazon River.
7. Climb Ayer's Rock.
8. Ride the Trans-Siberian.
9. Go into space.
10. Go wild at La Tomintina.
11. See the sunrise from Mt. Fuji.
12. Gaze at Borobudor.
13. Visit the Pyramids
14. Safari in East Africa.
15. Go to the World Cup!
16. See Machu Picchu.
17. Join the Century Club.
18. Visit Antarctica.
19. Do development work.
20. See Petra Jordan.
21. Backpack the Eastern Block.
22. See the Northern Lights.
23. Vegas Baby! Vegas!
24. Greek Island hop.
25. Cycle Tuscany.
26. Visit India.
27. Lounge in the Seychelles.
28. See Morocco.
29. Oktoberfest!
30. Caravan across the Sahara.
31. Visit Tibet.
32. Fly first class.
33. Go to Israel.
34. Carnival!!!!
35. Mardi Gras!
36. Cannes Film Festival.
37. Sundance Film Festival.
38. Eat a sushi meal at NOBU
39. Pacific Island hop.
40. Spend a night in the Ice Hotel.
41. See Glacier National Park.

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What to Pack on Your Trip

December 3, 2008

Lately, I have been getting a lot of questions about packing for a trip. What do I bring? What should they 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. If I really need something, I buy it. I try to stick to the same climate wherever I go to avoid carrying lots of different clothes. If I do change climates and need something, I buy it there. Forgot sunscreen? Pick it up cheap or borrow from a friend. In fact I pack so light, my current backpack is too big and, for my next trip around the world, I am going to downsize. So what do I pack? What do I suggest you pack besides “as little as possible?” Here’s what is in my backpack:

Toiletries/Misc. Packing a Backpack

Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Razor
Shaving cream
Soap
Shampoo
A few medicines
Earplugs
Tylonol/IB Profin
Small pair of scissors

Clothes

1 pair of Jeans
2 pairs of shorts
Boxers
1 long sleeve t-shirt
5-6 t-shirts
Flip-flops
Sneakers
1 bathing suit
1 light jacket
Socks
1 quick dry towel

Gear

Camera
Extra Battery
Ipod and charger
Plug converter
Moleskin journal
Global cellphone and charger
Clock
A guidebook for reference
Laptop (Not needed for everyone!)

That’s what I carry around the around when I go away. Not much at all. If you are a woman, you could (and probablu do) add some feminine products into the mix. However, I don’t really see what else you would need on the road and a non-flashpacker wouldn’t even need all that gear. Pack light, shop on the way if you need too. Your back will thank you and you’ll learn to live with just the essentials. You’d be surprised just how little stuff you really need.

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Posted by NomadicMatt | Filed Under Travel Advice

Comments

17 Responses to “What to Pack on Your Trip”

Daniel on December 3rd, 2008 1:59 pm

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.
Cuckoo on December 3rd, 2008 2:23 pm

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 ?
nicoleantoinette on December 3rd, 2008 6:52 pm

What type of cell phone do you use? What are the associated costs?
Lifecruiser on December 3rd, 2008 8:28 pm

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
Anthony on December 3rd, 2008 9:56 pm

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).
Mark H on December 4th, 2008 2:38 am

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.
Benedict A on December 4th, 2008 10:16 am

I’d recommend ‘borrowing’ one of those little pillows from the airline on your way, they make long overnight bus journeys much more comfortable!
P Riehl on December 4th, 2008 2:29 pm

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’?)
P Riehl on December 4th, 2008 2:32 pm

I meant ‘mp3,’ obviously.
Jessica Nunemaker on December 4th, 2008 3:32 pm

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.
Mark H on December 5th, 2008 2:17 am

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.
Lis - -travel for the over 30s on December 5th, 2008 4:32 am

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
lakshmi on December 5th, 2008 3:22 pm

I try to travel as light as possible and i avoid cosmetics..I sometimes carry my laptop and a pair of sandals
Europe on a Budget: Weekly Round Up on December 5th, 2008 9:21 pm

[...] What the heck do you pack anyway? Matt tells us his strategy: What to Pack on Your Trip [...]
Tina on December 8th, 2008 3:30 am

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!
poetloverrebelspy on December 10th, 2008 1:03 pm

I’ve got a post on all the little things entitled, “What’s in my Bag? that others might find useful.
travel gear tuesday: less is more | Transient Travels on December 17th, 2008 3:30 am

[...] of bug spray is sold everywhere in the winter. Earlier this month Nomadic Matt shared his tips for what to pack on your trip - it was impressively minimal - and I wish I had read it before I [...]