A number of people have asked what I take with me for long overseas trips, and how I travel with no backpack or checked baggage. I’m getting ready to head out on the road again in about 10 days, so this is a good opportunity to review how it works for me.
The biggest secret: packing light is actually easier than bringing a ton of stuff.
The overriding philosophy of my packing list is to keep it as simple as possible. That’s basic, I know, but very important. At least for me, travel stress is directly proportionate to the amount of stuff I carry around. I don’t own a backpack and haven’t willingly checked a bag on one of my extended adventures.
Whenever I see people lugging huge bags around or waiting at the carousel hoping that their suitcase arrived intact, I always remember how glad I am to avoid that. It’s not just about simplicity, although I like that too. It’s also about the fact that if you carry less stuff, you worry a lot less. I mostly worry about my passport, wallet, money, and laptop bag — things that are always with me.
When I take off to Haiti, Guyana, Suriname, and the Dominican Republic (with a couple of stopovers along the way) late next week, this is everything I’ll take with me. This time I’m only going to one major region, but my gear is consistent pretty much anywhere I go. The only difference if I’m going to cold and hot climates on the same trip is to add a sweater and change the light jacket for a slightly heavier one.
By far the biggest space in my bag is taken up with running shoes and light workout clothes. I don’t do as much running on a typical trip as I do at home, but whenever I have the chance to exercise, I’d be sad if I couldn’t do something for lack of shoes. At some point I’ll write about all the countries I’ve ran in– off the top of my head, my favorites include Ghana, Macedonia, South Africa, Brunei (not my favorite country in general, but good for running), Easter Island, and Laos.
The rest of the clothes are simple and versatile. One pair of slacks, one pair of jeans, one dress shirt, two or three t-shirts, the basics for socks and underwear. I’ll try to do laundry at least once along the way, preferably twice, but it doesn’t always happen. If necessary, I’ll just go out and buy a new shirt or whatever I need along the way.
I learned this trick in India, where I was going to a new city and the laundry place was not able to wash my clothes before leaving. I went on the street and bought a whole new outfit for about $7, which I wore for the next two days before giving to a beggar in the train station. I thought of it as “renting” an outfit for $3.50 a day.
I like to collect amenity kits from the airline and give them to people at hostels or guesthouses, who are usually thrilled to receive them. The ones pictured here are from Delta and Cathay Pacific. I’ve been wearing contact lenses for so long that I can wear them anywhere – long plane flights, the Persian Gulf, etc.
The only things I absolutely need are my passport, tickets (I’m still using paper tickets from the last Round-the-World trip), and money. I travel with cash – U.S. dollars, in 20s, 50s, and 100s – always new bills with no writing on them. (If you ask for them like that at the bank, they know what you need and will give you only new bills.)
I usually take about $800-1000 in cash with me on a typical two-week trip. I don’t always use that much, but naturally I’d rather bring money back than get stuck without it. Of course, I also take two credit cards, but the fees for overseas transactions are so high that I prefer to use cash whenever possible.
Right after the passport(s), tickets, and cash, I always make sure I have my journal and notebook. The iPod Touch complements these items and helps me check email anywhere there is wi-fi.
I don’t have a world phone yet – I just use Skype. I met a random guy in Johannesburg recently who kept trying to sell me on some telecom service that I could use “anywhere in the world with an internet connection.” I was like, uh, Skype? Yes, he said, but his service was only $50 a month. Uh, Skype is free? Yes, he said, but you can also do video with his service. Uh… I finally gave up and took his business card.
I take several books, a big stack of magazines, and my Nintendo DS on every trip. Yes, I am usually the only guy in the Business Class cabin playing video games, but I don’t care.
Here are a few more photos of the rest of the cargo:
Note: due to space limitations, Liberia the cat does not usually accompany me on my journeys. She likes to sleep in the bag when I’m home, though.
Other Things
Other than the jacket and scarf that I wear, all of the items are packed into the one carry-on bag and one laptop bag that you see here. I also take a much smaller handbag with me (on the bottom right, next to Liberia) that gets packed into the carry-on. I bought this in Hong Kong a while back and use it to carry my notebooks and iPod when walking around during the day.
I also take 2-3 Clif Bars, a travel alarm clock that fits in a side pocket, electrical adapters, and a couple of things that may vary from place to place. However, at least 90% of this packing list is consistent no matter where I am going and no matter how long I’ll be away.
I’d like to say the packing process takes only about 20 minutes, but in reality it’s usually longer. An additional 20 minutes or so is spent looking for stuff, checking papers, and wondering “What am I forgetting?” (This never really gets easier.)
I know that many people are more organized and efficient than I am with packing, but this way works great for me. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the road!
Any questions? Do you have a packing strategy of your own?
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Also Read:
Developing Your Own Philosophy of Travel
What I Talk About When I Talk About Travel
Beginnings
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Packing List Image by Veruus
April 19, 2009
Chad
You have confirmed my suspicions – it is easier to take less. My last trip to China I took a large checked bag and enough clothes for a week. In reality I (actually my fiance
washed my clothes for me in the hotel, so I ended up just rotating clothes every other day. This time I’m taking no more than 3 days worth of clothes (just to be sure stuff has time to hang dry) packed into a carry on even though I’m staying twice as long. Main advantage to carry on only – I get to see my little lady that much sooner. When you’ve been waiting for 6 months every second of delay once you’re off the plane counts!
April 21, 2009
Jason Olshefsky
I usually end up worrying I’ll have nothing to do and pack too much in the way of things to do (that is, if I’m specifically going somewhere boring or where there’s a lot of waiting). I end up never using that stuff. Perhaps I’ll just pack one book instead. My sketchbook could use to be smaller, too.
Anyway, I’ve been running barefoot for about 3 or 4 years now and I’m much happier than when I ran with shoes (and with much less pain). It’s definitely different, requiring both callous development (gradual training) and an adjusted stride (never heel-strike; land on the ball of the foot). By learning this, you could get away from the shoes too. See http://runningbarefoot.org/ for the best resource on the web.
April 21, 2009
Adam C
Great article.
I find toiletries to be the most difficult. I don’t like getting sick and like to have some good medicines with me. Especially codeine and pseudoepherine for colds and flus which can really strike you down when travelling (and they’re banned in a lot of countries). I also take a hefty dose of vitamins when travelling as my diet sometimes is really bad. I might try combining all my vitamins into a single jar, but am concerned this will make me look like a drug dealer
My other challange is electronics and cables. Think charger for IPOD, phone and camera. I must see if I can find a light-weight solution.
But, after reading so much from Kiwi Flyer and others who do it – my next trip will attempt to be without checked luggage.
April 22, 2009
Daniel Mick
Couldn’t endorse less-is-more any more. I lived with the same basic setup as above for 6 months in India. The freedom is unbelievable. I felt sorry for all the saps with enormous backpacks filled with stuff they never used but constantly had to lug around, worry about being stolen, never finding a place they could store it, unable to carry for day hikes, etc….
My #1 packing tip: extra large ziplock bags.
First, they’re a spacesaving boon (fold clothes nicely, fill, seal, then with a small ‘pucker’ suck the rest of the air out. Reduces volume by half or more). Next, they’re great organizationally (each bag slides in and out with ease thus avoiding unpacking items you don’t need. Also, you can sort by day, clothing type, clean/dirty, etc). Finally, they have all kinds of other benefits such as keeping your clothes dry if you bag gets wet, making baggage checks a zip, and you always have handy ziplocks for what other need arises.
April 23, 2009
Karen
The extra large ziplock bags are great! I use them on motorcycle trips. They keep clothes dry and organized! (A Bonus!!)
April 23, 2009
Brad
Great list. We often go through life with more baggage than we need, in more ways than one. Rolling is the way to go, I do this on business travel and find it takes less space. If needed I can iron on a business trip. I’m torn between a small rolling suitcase/carry-on and a day pack size pack. Find I switch between the two. Rolling is easier in cities but for a distance, or in snow the pack is much better. I also take an empty water bottle.
April 27, 2009
Dave M
Chris: This is actually one of my favorite posts because I got a new job a couple years ago that requires me to travel a lot more than I ever did before. Traveling light has always been a huge desire and challenge for me. Unfortunately, as a computer engineer, I have to take a certain amount of “equipment” besides just my laptop wherever I go. But I’m constantly trying to prune that list down.
As for clothes, I’m a bit of a clean freak, and I get creeped out by the idea of only having two pairs of pants on a 4-5+ day trip.
How do you do that??? I know you said you often do laundry once or twice, but not always. On many of my jobs, I’ll actually get a bit sweaty and can’t imagine wearing those pants, and certainly not the same shirt, for a 2nd day without washing them. 
So, how many days in a row do you typically wear a pair of pants or a shirt? Are any of your clothes those special travel fabrics that you can actually wash in hotel sink and they dry pretty rapidly just being hung up?
The other thing that surprised me about this post is how many books, magazines and notebooks/journals you carry. Since you already carry a laptop, I’m surprised you don’t just use something like OneNote or EverNote for your notetaking and journaling, and make sure you always have a nice collection of e-mags and/or ebooks to read. Seems like that would lighten your load quite a bit.
Aside from all that… Can I just say — I freakin’ LOVE your blog and your writing style!!! It seems like I’ve been reading your stuff non-stop since I found a link to your manifesto on Seth Godin’s site a few days ago. I already finished the manifesto, and plan to start your “279 Days” report later today.
Thanks for everything you do!
Dave
April 27, 2009
Dave M
Here’s something I found a couple years ago that might help others pack a little lighter… It’s a shaving oil called “Shave Secret”, and it comes in a tiny little bottle you can have in your carry-on. You only need like 3-5 drops (so one bottle lasts quite a while), rub it on (after wetting), and shave. The stuff is amazing and has prevented razor burn & bumps for me. I get mine at Walmart, but you can also get it at http://shavesecret.com/. Check it out!
May 6, 2009
Dawn McCaslin
First, I’d like to say that my partner and I just finished a 10 day trip to Denmark, Norway and Sweden with little more than a carry-on each and one small camera-backpack. I used to be a two-suitcases and 20 pairs of shoes kind of girl so this was a major feat and personal victory.
Secondly, someone mentioned using Dr. Bronner’s organic soap for a number of things to help conserve on space. While I agree that it works beautifully as body wash and laundry detergent, using it as toothpaste was a horrific experience so I would recommend that people try it at home before opting not to bring toothpaste. @_@
Happy traveling, everyone!
June 24, 2009
KarenJ
Oh yeah, ziplock bags are a great idea. As for the toiletries, bring small bottles and buy bigger when you arrive. Unless you’re headed for a tent in the bush, there is NOTHING you can’t find when you get there (and at the least you’ll find it at the airport). Yeah, it may be a bit more money — especially if you leave it behind every time you move to a new location — but it’s totally worth not having to lug it across an ocean in the first place.
And you get the added bonus of shopping in a local market or pharmacy and seeing all kinds of interesting products and labels (e.g., baby shampoo with a heretofore “unknown” floral scent and Thai characters). This is always one of my favorite parts of going to new countries and locales (also shopping in grocery markets).
People wear contacts all over the world; I have never had a problem finding solution when I need it. Just make sure you buy sealed products so you know they’re legit.
June 26, 2009
JUWIL
Wow, lots of very helpful information here. Thanks everyone!
I am planning a 10 month trip around the world and after finding all these wonderful tips on light packing I believe I will be able to make do with my 30L backpack. Nobody (in my circle) seems to believe I will manage with this backpack…
For those of you out there who wear contacts, have you ever tried the night and day contacts? You are supposed to be able to wear them for a month without having to take them out, it saves a lot of hassle and apparently is good for the eyes because the lens are more breatheable than traditional ones and there is less risk of infection because you’re not touching them every day. I absolutely LOVE them and am planning on taking some along without having to worry about contact lens solution.
July 1, 2009
Darrick J Lee
I wish they made long term contacts in my prescription. Alas, I have to settle for 10 hour ones which barely last a work day for me. My eyes are too advanced for the surgery so I’ll have to check back in 5 years. As a result I still have to carry glasses and solution when I travel.
I have been looking for good size carry on bags/luggage to store everything and wonder what other people use. I have managed to consolidate all cables to be usb powered which can be charged through the laptop or a usb brick. I learned to bundle pack and that makes everything much easier. I’ve gone on short (2-3 day) trips with everything wrapped in a big sheet…
I love finding out what/how other people pack… A collective of ideas results in an efficient travel process… and I like efficiency…
July 16, 2009
Tim Richards
Totally agree with your philosophy; I always travel with just one cabin luggage-sized bag (actually a small backpack). A few small differences with your list, ie I only take one pair of shoes, a pair of black walking boots which also look fine in restaurants.
July 20, 2009
Jon
I travel about once a year and have been taking less stuff with me on each trip. After reading on your site and some other websites about how much easier it is to not have checked baggage, I thought I would try it on my trip to Iceland and Sweden next month. But Icelandair allows one carry on with a 13 lb. limit! And one “handbag”. I can’t manage that. I wonder why their weight limit is so much less than other airlines?
July 24, 2009
karen
I use extended wear contact lenses, you put them in and leave them in for 30 days then throw them away. Yes, you can sleep in them, it is great being able to see when you wake up! No solutions required
August 28, 2009
Ralph
Black is the color that shows no color… I always take dark colored clothing and accessories that hide all the dirt and surprise messes that come with traveling. Simple but true.
September 1, 2009
Joel Runyon
I always pack the night before. I can never just pack in advance. For some reason my brain doesn’t really understand that I need to prepare for my trip until about 3 hours before I have to head for the airport.
That said, I’m a chronic overpacker. I’ll layout everything I think I need for my trip, which is an ungodly quantity of clothes. Then I go through and get rid of half of that and then split the remainder into half again.
I usually end up with 1-2 pairs of pants/khakis. And about 5 tshirts (you can always re-wear them and its not as disgusting as it sounds). Usually I have about 2 pairs of shoes and plenty of socks. There’s not really a whole lot worse than running out of socks. (This is all null and void, if you’re traveling to some warm, tropical climate where there are beaches and you can simply go barefoot or in sandals which is preferred).
November 2, 2009
Michele
My father had a rule for our family of 6 when we would leave on a trip for possibly 3-10 months. We got 3 pairs of pants, shirts, underwear and socks. Anything else we did without. We would drive from Homer, Alaska to Costa Rica in central america. I think we always smuggled crayons and paper into the car too.
November 6, 2009
Andrew Leunig
Great site, can endorse your travel approach. I haven’t checked a bag domestically or internationally for over 2 years.Our family of five has even traveled carry-on only (although I later discovered that my wife had stowed some of her stuff into the kids bags!).
For your one carry-on bag I can recommend the Airboss by Redoxx. Not cheap at USD $225 but the bag is very well constructed and has a Lifetime Warranty. I am targeting a 20 year useful life. Doug Dyment, the one-bag maven had a hand in the design. I’ve had mine for about 2 years and it is one of my favorite possessions. The bag works well, either carried or over the shoulder. Very flexible.
November 12, 2009
Julie Anna
Thank you for posting this! During my travels in South America this year I had my big backpack stolen with all my basic needs in it – but I was way overpacked. Fortunately my MacBook, iPod, camera, journal and passport were not in that bag. However, ironically, having my bag stolen was the best thing that’s ever happened to me with the packing problems I had. Now I totally agree with the simplicity of what you are saying to pack. We just don’t need that much STUFF.
I do the same thing in India – buy new, local dress, wear it while I’m there, and give it away before I depart the country. It helps me be a bit more accepted as a Western woman and helps out someone who needs the clothes more than I do. Since I’m abroad for about 5 months at a time, I’ll sometimes buy seasonal and then give it away before I depart as well.
Great tips! Thanks Chris!
November 12, 2009
gary s chapman
I am a professional photographer that travels quite a bit. Nine times out of ten I only travel with carry on and that includes photo gear. I have a checklist that I consult each time before packing. It can be found at this link if you are interested.
I have learned a lot from all of you on this list. Thanks
November 30, 2009
Michelle
It might seem a bit back to front, but if I do forget stuff when I travel, I try to see how well I get along without it and if it’s not missed much, then I just drop that off the list next time – it’s worked for me.
December 11, 2009
John
I just travel wearing 3 of everything – t shirts, jumpers, pants, socks etc and rotate them every day.
I win?
December 23, 2009
Bender
I am fascinated by other people’s packing lists, but I have yet to find one suited to the kind of traveling I do. I’m a stagehand touring with broadway shows, usually for 5 – 6 months at a time. We trek all over N. America going from Canada in January to Florida in June and everywhere in between. So, I obviously have to pack for multiple climates. Chances are, I’m working everyday and getting gross and sweaty and may be sleeping on a bus 4 nights out of the week. (The other nights we get a hotel room!) So, I can’t just pack 2 pair of undies and pray I have time to do wash in a sink somewhere every other day!!
Any suggestions? Thanks!
January 20, 2010
Abbie on the Road
on week long trips I use a backpack that has a laptop section. Since I usually wear the same pair of jeans for that time and a pair of shoes that are cute yet comfortable… I can pack everything I need in it! This limits me to ONE bag that I can carry onto the airplane and not even have to put in the overhead! So wonderful!!
February 18, 2010
Rod
Great article. I’m obsessed with packing light.
A few things I’ve discovered:
1) Columbia River pants with zip off leg bottoms that convert to shorts. Lots of pockets and very durable.
2) Fenix 30 flashlight. 220 crazy-blinding lumens, tiny package. (they even say you can use it for self protection as it will wipe out night vision) Turn it down for over 60 hours of reading light. Complete with headband to make it a headlight. Awesome.
3) Micronet toiletry sack, and towel which folds up into nothing.
4) Benchmade 1100 pen. Light and indestructible.
I used to always have my swiss army knife (mostly for the corkscrew!) but thats a no-go on flights now…
Rod
February 26, 2010
Mark Dowdell
Chrono Trigger is one of the best video games ever created. My eyes lit up when I saw that in your photos. I didn’t even know it was out for the DS. It seems like an indespensable item, for sure.
March 22, 2010
Ash
Coming late to this article, but it’s fabulous! I’ll definitely try this out on my next trip. I love the idea of buying clothes to wear and then donating them to someone before taking off. The more I travel, the less I take with me, but I usually take a backpack and the temptation is always to fill it!
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