What We Always Pack After 6 Years Of Full-Time Travel

Packing for a trip can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. After living out of suitcases and backpacks as we traveled the world for 6 years, our tried and tested packing list can be applied to just about to any trip. We’ll show you an extensive list of things you can pack for any vacation or long term travel adventure. Simply pick and choose what you need depending on your travel destination and plans.

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The Key Essentials

One of the best things you can do to make life easier when packing for travel is to keep all of your documentation organized. This is especially true for longer trips when you’ll be heading to multiple countries.

We keep copies of all important documents on our phones and additional copies on a hard drive (cloud storage works too) so we can always access them if needed. You can also print out important documents to have a hard copy, but make sure you keep them in a secure place such as your carry-on. Never keep important paperwork, money or valuables in your checked baggage.

Here’s what we always carry with us:

• Passport (with at least 6 months validity)
• Driver’s license or alternate form of ID
• Return tickets or onward proof of travel
• Hotel confirmations
• Travel itinerary
• Credit and debit cards
• Emergency cash in USD ($100-200)
• Travel insurance
• Prescription medications
• Additional passport photos
• Immunization records
• Visas for countries (if required)

Compared to when we started traveling in 2018, it’s now a lot easier to keep important documents like flight or accommodation reservations on your phone. We always make a specific folder in our email and Files App with all the confirmations we booked for that specific trip. But keep in mind, some documents may only load with WiFi or an internet connection so always take a screenshot or print out a hard copy while you still have service.

One of the best tips we received before our first world trip was to carry at least two different kinds of credit or debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. Depending on where you travel, Mastercard might be accepted over Visa so it’s smart to have options. We’ve also found many places outside the US do not accept American Express so if this is the card you typically use, you’ll probably need another card when traveling internationally.

Packing Tip: Bring extra passport photos if you have to apply for visas during your trip. Sometimes you can find passport photo booths in airports, but they aren’t always available and it can be expensive. So bring a few recent passport photos to save time and effort. Generally speaking, visa applications require 1-2 photos.

Backpack Or Suitcase?

The length and type of trip determines if we bring a backpack or suitcase. If we plan a short 1-3 week trip to a city or multiple cities, we generally use a suitcase. But if we plan a hiking or a longer trip we’ll use a backpack. We like travel backpacks because you can get around a lot easier in cities and on public transport, but we do have to carry the weight on our backs which takes some getting used to.

We both used an Osprey backpack to travel around the world in 2018 and they’re still in great shape so we still use them on certain trips. One thing we’ve learned over the years is you have to pay for a good quality backpack. Many of the top companies offer lifetime warranties, and we even used one to receive a brand new backpack after years of wear and tear.

Here are the backpack brands we always use:

• Osprey – We each have travel and hiking backpacks
• Peak Design – We use our Everyday Backpacks for photography trips
• Weekend Duffel – We tend to use these for short domestic trips

We think suitcases are often overpriced. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars, but you need to invest in a good brand. We’ve found most brands offer amazing deals throughout the year, so shop around when the sales are on to score a great price for your upcoming trips. Samsonite is our favorite suitcase brand and during their Black Friday sale a few years ago, we purchased the spinner model for $100.

Here are the suitcase brands we used:

• Samsonite – Well known brand since 1910
• Amazon Basics – Best value option
• American Tourister – Soft side luggage
• Level 8 – A pricier option we like for domestic trips

Travel Tip: After packing, be sure to add these small TSA padlocks to your bag. You can also use these luggage straps or GoWraps to more easily identify your suitcase in the airport.

Clothing Options

The climate of your destination will play a huge role in your travel packing list, especially if you’re traveling abroad. We generally pack one outfit per day unless we’re planning to hike or do outdoor activities that will mean we need a change of clothes.

We always use packing cubes to help maximize the space in our travel bags. We’ve used various brands over the years, and our tip is to look for packing cubes made from quality materials. This is a popular brand and this company sells compression packing cubes if you want to travel with only a carry-on.

Here’s our list of clothing essentials:

• Tops: T-shirts, tank tops, blouses or button up shirts
• Bottoms: Shorts, pants, jeans or jeggings
• Undergarments: Underwear, bras, socks
• Dresses or skirts
• One dressy outfit for special occasions
• A good pair of walking shoes
• Sandals, flats or stylish shoes
• Swim suit and cover up (sarongs are multipurpose)
• Accessories: Sunglasses, scarf, belts
• Pajamas
• Baseball or sun hat
• Lightweight jacket
• Rain coat

For cold weather:

Layering is key for colder climates. Heavy gear is almost always big and bulky, but if you pack multiple smaller layers, this can really help you save on space.

• Heavy coat
• Long sleeve shirt and sweaters
• Waterproof boots or shoes
• Warm hat and gloves

For hiking:

If you’re planning any outdoor activities, make sure you pack moisture wicking materials like merino wool, spandex and nylon. Try to avoid cotton in your active clothing because it will hold moisture against your skin.

• Tops: T-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve base layer
• Bottoms: Shorts, pants and leggings
• Hiking boots or shoes
• Sports bras
• Darn tough socks

Travel Tip: If we pack for a longer trip, we pack enough clothes for about 1 week and plan to do laundry. But we always pack more than 1 weeks worth of socks and underwear. You can always rewear clothes, but rewearing dirty undergarments is not nice.

Toiletries And Personal Care

It can be easy to over pack on toiletries so just remember, you can typically find anything you need on the road. However, if you prefer a certain brand of product, we recommend bringing that along with you incase you can’t find it. We store all liquids in TSA approved containers or use solid soaps to eliminate the need for liquids.

Here’s what we pack in our toiletries bag:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Dental floss
• Mouthwash
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Soap or body wash
• Face wash and moisturizer
• Deodorant or anti-perspirant
• Hairbrush or comb
• Reef safe sunscreen and aloe vera
• Lip balm with SPF
• Eyewear necessities
• Nail clippers
• Tweezers
• Q-tips

Since we travel as a couple, we only bring one set of tweezers, nail clippers, etc. If you’re traveling with a group, split up the personal products to save the weight and space in your suitcase or backpack.

Women’s extras:

• Makeup
• Makeup remover
• Feminine hygiene products
• Hair products
• Razors
• Perfume or body spray
• Hair ties and bobby pins
• Straightener and curler

Travel Tip: Feminine hygiene products and razors can be difficult to find depending on where you travel. Always have a few backups on hand in case you can’t find them.

Men’s extras:

• Beard balm or oil
• Beard brush
• Shaving kit
• Hair trimmer
• Hair styling clay
• Belts or ties

READ: Road trip packing checklist

Carry-On Essentials

We always keep all of our electronics in our carry on bags. This way we know it’s safe and we can access it easily at anytime.

Here’s what we keep in our carry on:

• Phone and charger
• Drone and accessories
• Laptop and charger
• International travel adapter
• Cameras with charger, memory cards and extra batteries
• External hard drive
• Kindle or tablet
• Portable charger (look for fast charging technology)
• Noise cancelling headphones

For longer trips, we bring a surge protector power strip to help us charge many items at once. It’s also a great way to power our Macbooks because Mac chargers are heavy and often fall out of plug sockets when inserted into international travel adapters.

To keep all of our chargers and cords organized, we use this electronic organizer and this one fits our bulkier chargers along with the international travel adapter. Another great accessory is this cord organizer to prevent everything getting tangled.

Miscellaneous

When we first started traveling, we washed clothes in the sink and then let them hang to dry on this clothesline when exploring for the day. But we quickly found it to be tedious and our clothes weren’t getting a proper wash. So now we always have travel-sized laundry detergent to use in washing machines and we carry dirty laundry in a simple garbage bag to keep our clothes separated.

Here are a few more every day basics we pack:

• Water bottle
• Travel pillow, eye mask and ear plugs
• Travel journal and pen
• Snacks
• Door stop alarm (great for solo travelers)
• Umbrella
• Travel size laundry detergent

One more item to consider is a first aid kit. It’s not practical to carry around many items, but having a few on hand can really help in an emergency. Start with this emergency kit and only take the items you need.

Here are the items we use in our travel first aid kit:

• Pain relievers
• Antibacterial ointment
• Emergen-C
• Band-aids
• Fever reducers
• Cold medicines
• Allergy pills
• Motion sickness tables
• Diarrhea and laxative tablets
• Antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer
• Insect repellant (deet-free)
• LifeStraw
• Travel size sewing kit

Travel Tip: We always have hand sanitizer and small tissue packets just incase the restrooms do not have toilet paper. Trust us, never leave your hotel without these two items because they will save you in more ways than you can imagine.

Travel Packing Tips

Last but not least, here are a few important tips to consider for the perfect international travel packing list:

• Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with friends and family back home. This way your loved ones know your plans, so if something goes wrong during your trip they know where you were supposed to be.
• Pack minimalistic and light. You can always buy more clothes on the road and packing light means you won’t have to haul around extra weight.
• Consider multi-functional items. Don’t bring items you’ll only use once during your trip.
• Quality gear will save you money in the long run. When we first started traveling on a budget, the cheaper gear we used did not last very long. So if can, buy quality gear from reputable brands to ensure it holds up during your travels.
• Leave the flashy jewelry at home. The key to staying safe when traveling is laying low and blending in so don’t travel with your expensive diamonds.
• Think about your color choices and logos. Nothing says I’m a tourist faster than a neon green t-shirt or Red Wings baseball cap. Keep your colors neutral with minimal writing so you don’t stand out in the crowds.
• Skip the hair dryer. Most hotels and accommodations offer a hair dry so save the weight in your bag and leave it at home. We bought a travel hairdryer in the beginning and it was a waste of money.
• Keep liquids separate from the rest of your items. We always double pack liquids in plastic bags to avoid them spilling all over our clean clothes.
• Wear bulkier items on the plane. If you’re getting close to your weight limit, take out the heavier items in your suitcase to decrease the weight in your bag.
• Cheap flip flops are great for public showers. If you plan to use public showers during your trip, pack a pair of cheap flip flops so you don’t have to stand in your bare feet.
• Bring written prescriptions. It’s always a good idea to have a written prescription that can easily be filled while you’re away.

More Packing Guides

• Road trip packing checklist essentials
• What to pack for a day hike
• Osprey Farpoint 40 review
• Peak Design Everyday Backpack review
• Level 8 luggage review

Want more travel planning content? Head over to our Travel Planning Guides to see how you can travel better!

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We hope our tried and tested travel packing list helps you prepare for your next trip!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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