I am going to X for X weeks! What do I need? Everyone asks at some point. You plan and plan and plan and ask and ask. When you finally get there you always realize you packed stuff you didn’t need. I saw so many travelers with giant 80L+ backpacks. What in gods name was in there! I was able to travel for 12 full months with only a 45L pack and I never thought I was missing anything. This isn’t me bragging how I can get by with less but a lesson in reasonability.
It’s the year 2014 and absolutely anywhere you go you find modern comforts and items. Cloths? Soap? Electronics? Toiletries? No matter what it is that you need someone is selling it. Anything you may need or may have forgotten can be bought very easily and usually cheaper than it would cost at home.
You do not need 3 pairs of shoes. If the climate is cold one pair of shoes is enough. If the climate is warm then one good pair of sandals is enough. Trust me if its hot you are not going to wear those shoes anyway. If you are traveling long enough for the seasons or climates to change then give away or mail back your unused clothes and get some new ones locally. Why would you want to carry warm weather clothes all through the winter?
Toiletries are just as easy to get. Trust me Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, and Unilever are everywhere! There was not a country that I visited that you could not buy Ax for Men or Nivea products. It is all the same stuff. If you realize you absolutely have to have a tube of crest toothpaste then just go buy one. Or if you are really adventurous try to buy products local to the country. In China I bought Darlie toothpaste in Green Tea and Jasmine flavors. It’s crazy awesome and it was fun buying.
Realistically all you need is one-week worth of clothing. I don’t care how long you will be gone for, one-week of clothes is enough. Make sure everything has multiple uses and that they will all match up no matter how you wear them. You do not want to make outfits. You want shirts that go will all of your pants, and pants that go with your shirts. When you get down to your last outfit just do laundry. If you are camping this could be hard but absolutely every hostel or hotel I stayed at anywhere in the world had some way for me to do laundry or tell me where to go. For $5 USD a week I always had clean clothes.
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Recommended Packing List.
- Basic toiletries. toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, multi use soap.
- One-week of interchangeable clothing.
- One pair of shoes, super cheap shower flip-flops if you want.
- A small travel towel not made of cotton.
- Basic electronics A camera, Kindle/iPad, extra SD cards, chargers and batteries.
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Things to Avoid Bringing!
- Any item with only one use.
- Multiples of similar items.
- Anything that you think you might need once.
- Clothing you are attached to or can’t afford to lose.
- Anything that is hard to wash.
- Books (Get a cheap Kindle!)
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If you are bringing an iPad then you don’t need your Kindle. Don’t bring your favorite shirt because it may get lost or trashed. If you have multiple electronics find a 3-in-1 USB charging cable. Bring one mobile phone that accepts Sim cards. Less Less Less! That should be your number one rule. These are items you need to carry with you when traveling why carry around anything that takes up room or adds weight if you don’t need to?
Remember we are in the modern world. If the weather gets nice and you can go swimming then just buy a cheap swimsuit. Even in the poorest areas in the smallest countries you can buy whatever you may need. If you are somewhere so poor that they don’t sell swimsuits then go in your underwear I guarantee that is what the locals do. You are traveling to go on a vacation from your normal life. You don’t need to bring your normal life with you and if you did I guarantee you won’t use any of it anyway.
