Over the past month I’ve been getting ready to go on an extended trip, country hopping around the world. Figuring out what to pack has been a lot of fun and an eye opening experience. I realized how much random stuff I had and how little of it I actually needed to live, especially since I wanted to travel light with just a carry on 40L backpack. It motivated me to get rid of a lot of my things in my house before leaving on my trip.
In the end I donated about 80% of my clothes and threw away a ton of random boxes/trinkets I had been hoarding. A lot of things were hard to part with because I had initially kept them as ways to remember little bits of my past, but I figured that those experiences and memories are either in my head or have become a part of me, so it doesn’t mean I’m letting go or forgetting those things, I just didn’t need all those little trinkets piling up in my garage and closets.
In the end I was pretty proud of the way I simplified both my house and my backpack. I’ve included my long term packing list below:
Electronics
- 2 Power Banks
- 1 Universal Travel Plug Adapter
- Various charging cables
- Camera
- Mini Tripod
- Extra SD Card
- 2 Camera Lenses
- Laptop
- Phone (not pictured, used to take the picture)
Personal Products/Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- Glasses
- Contact Lenses (2nd biggest pain in my travel butt)
- Contact Lens Solution (biggest pain in my travel butt, can’t get through most airport securities with the big bottles, so I have to buy them at every country I got to. I brought these small travel sized ones as a last resort)
- Contact lens case
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Hair Gel
- Bandages
- Alcohol wipes (for first aid)
- Benadryl (for insect bite itch relief)
- Nail clippers
- Scissors
- Razor
- Gauze
- Athletic Cloth Tape
- Mosquito Repellent
- Earplugs
- Compact, quick dry towel (normal towels take up way too much space)
Misc
- Passport
- Swim trunks
- Buff (this little tube shaped cloth is amazing. It can be a scarf, a headband, face mask, sweatband, anything you need really)
- Ziploc Bags (Great for dirty clothes, wet towels, super versatile)
Clothes
- 6 pairs of normal, ankle high socks
- 1 pair of wool socks
- 6 pairs of briefs
- 2 short sleeve cotton t-shirts
- 2 long sleeve cotton shirts
- 1 dress polo
- 1 pair of shorts
- 1 pair of slacks
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 hoodie
- 1 weatherproof jacket
- 1 pair of sandals
- 1 pair of Adidas outdoor terrex scope high GTX hiking shoes. I can’t pack any shoes due to space so whatever I was wearing the day I left had to be what I was going to wear my entire trip, so this was something I mulled over a lot. But I chose these shoes, and they are amazing. I got them when I first started traveling and doing bigger hikes about a year and a half ago. They are tough, waterproof shoes that have gotten me through every kind of terrain. Ice, rocks, sand, mud, water. These are absolute monsters on any trail and the high ankles give them a boot look and has saved my ankles on rocky/narrow trails countless times. The best part is they look good and not out of place when I’m walking around in cities or in a restaurant.
In terms of clothes I’ll be relying on laundry at the hostels I stay at and for specific weather needs like my Everest trek, I’ll have to buy clothes as needed and donate them afterwards.
This is it for a year.