The list below contains everything I packed for a year of indefinite travel through Southeast Asia, New Zealand, India and Nepal over the course of 2015 and the items I've picked up along the way.
The most important piece of advice I could give: DO NOT spend too much time and money worrying about what to buy and what to bring. I've broken, sweat-through or lost about a fourth of the stuff on this list. Remember stuff is stuff, and the world is a highly interconnected place. You can get pretty much anything you need on the road. Use the travel budget for what it was meant for: traveling!
Packs
Go light. I was going to bring my trusty 65 litre pack until I read this Lonely Planet article on packing light in my final week of prep and decided to spring for a 40 litre, carry-on-sized pack. I couldn't be happier with the decision.
The upper limit on my carrying capacity has forced me to stay selective about what I carry, avoiding unecessary purchases and shedding items that have outlived their purpose. It has also challenged me to get creative when it comes to acquiring things I need and getting rid of things I don't. I've borrowed from and traded with other travelers, and bought and sold temporary-use stuff (ex. camping gear) from/to secondhand stores. If you can adopt the "go light" mentality, all you really need is a small, carry-on travel pack and a daypack. Here's what I brought:
My "expert" packing system: travel pack on the back, daypack on the front, right before boarding my trans-Pacific flight to Guangzhou.
- Osprey Farpoint 40 lightweight travel and trekking pack
Reviews & Updates from the Road:
- Osprey Farpoint has been great--small enough to squeeze under the seat on packed buses and trains and the zippers lock together really easily with a standard travel lock (=great for sketchy overland travel). Not a fan of the non-stretchy mesh waterbottle pockets though... my water bottles never fit when the bag is fully packed.
- I wouldn't recommend the Timbuktu backpack, which was designed to be more of a commuter workbag. Get a durable hiking daypack that folds up small and has lots of pockets.
- I wish I had sprung for a compression sack. "Going light" necessarily demands a quick and efficient packing system, and the ditty sacks and ziploc bags I brought aren't cutting it. I'm unpacking and repacking every few days and it's a pain to have to roll each item up individually to maximize space in the small pack. With a compression sack, you can just shove all your clothes in and compress it down.
Clothes & Accessories
A few packing principles:
- Layers layers layers in quick-drying fabrics like polyester, nylon and wool so you can do laundry on the go. Bring at least one baselayer set, one insulated midlayer jacket, and one lightweight pair of hiking pants.
- No cotton or rayon and no white or white-like colors. Cotton and rayon are hydrophilic fibers (meaning they absorb everything) and light colors showcase it (ex. epic pit stains from sweating in hot and humid Southeast Asia)
- Everything should be versatile (i.e. multi-use) and everything should go with everything else. Less is more and the more use you can get out of a single item, the better. Note: outdoor/technical gear is great for this purpose and tends to be more durable/packable.
Here's what I started out with:
- 1 pair of lightweight hiking pants (ladies, the more androgynous the better, esp. if you're traveling alone)
- Me sporting my tremendously androgynous ExOfficio hiking pants (which I love) on a trek in Laos. These guys are super lightweight and roll-up too for hot weather.
- 3 lightweight T-shirts in polyester/wool
- 1 pair of running shorts
- 1 long skirt (for temple visits)
- 1 baselayer set for layering in colder settings (tip: HEATTECH from Uniqlo does the same thing as Patagonia Capilene at a fourth of the price)
- 1 tank top
- 1 long-sleeve hiking shirt
- Essentials in fives: underwear, bras, and socks all in odor resistant, moisture wicking, durable, lightweight, & quick drying fabrics. (Review: ExOficcio Give-N-Go Travel Underwear meet all these requirements and are pretty cute too.)
- 1 mid-layer insulated jacket (Review: my NorthFace Thermoball has been great for this and doubles as a travel pillow when stuffed into it's own pocket).
- 1 lightweight, fleece half-zip
- 1 lightweight raincoat (monsoon season)
- 1 pair of leggings (yoga)
- 1 large sarong for multi-use as a scarf, skirt, shawl, dress, sheet/pillowcase, and beach cover-up
- My sister treating all our clothes with Peremethrine pre-departure. A good idea if you're starting out in a buggy place, but it only lasts around 6 washes.
- 1 bathing-suit & rashguard (for surfing)
- 1 baseball cap and 1 wide-brim hat (Lifesavers on the islands; one can only burn so much).
- 1 pair of polarized, UV sunglasses & a hard case
Here's what I've acquired on the road:
- a watch. Using a phone as a watch makes sense in San Francisco, not in Siem Reap, Cambodia where phones are picked off travelers every day. I bought one in Pnom Penh for $5 and have been really happy with it... just be prepared to negotiate prices if you plan to buy in SEA.
- A couple cute tanks, a pair of jeans, shorts and a dress. I went overboard on "travel clothes," i.e. highly-functional, not-extremely-flattering stuff. Bring at least one or two things you feel decent-looking in for getting drinks with fellow travelers.
- Some warmer stuff as I head into winter here in New Zealand. I wouldn't necessarily start out with this, unless you plan to head straight into a cold climate. It's been easy to pick up warmer stuff at secondhand stores here and I plan to sell it back when I leave in a couple months. What I would, however, recommend even if you don't plan to travel to any colder climates is a base-layer longsleeve top and leggings, a lightweight insulated jacket (like the Thermoball), and a good pair of warm socks. Even in hot, hot Southeast Asia, I used these on over-airconditioned buses, hilltribe homestays and feverish nights in hostels while sick with traveler's diarrhea (inevitable).
Shoes
Not a lot of room for error here, esp. if you're going light. Shoes take up a ton of space and weight, so choose wisely. Here's what I started with:
- Chaco modeling in Ayutthaya, Thailand
- kayaking adventures. Not so great as shower shoes or casual slip-ons--difficult to take on and off).
- 1 pair of Merrell hiking shoes (Review: great versatile walking and hiking shoes. Love that they're waterproof--essential for rainy weather).
What I've picked up on the road:
- A pair of cheap flip flops. Communal hostel showers are nasty and you'll want something on the bottom of your feet.
- Pair of slightly more durable black flats. Anything without a little bit of cushion and tread (ex. my TOMS) will be destroyed in under a month. Make sure they're decent-looking enough to wear out for drinks from time to time.
- The Merrell hiking shoes have been great for the three treks I've been on, but I'm getting shin splints trying to run in them. Wishing I had invested in some hardy trail runners instead, which would have covered me in both scenarios. Whatever you choose, make sure your main walking shoes are waterproof.
Technology & Cameras
See the master prep guide for my recommendations on technology setups. I'm not a big picture-taker so the HDR setting on my smartphone plus the GoPro has been more than enough for my photo documentation needs. Here's what I brought:
- unlocked Moto X smartphone (plus the correct SIM card removal tool)
- Nexus 7 tablet with a Bluetooth Keyboard/Case (for blogging)
- GoPro Hero 3+ Camera
- Joby Gorillapod (that works with both my smartphone and the GoPro)
Reviews from the Road:
- I got the cheapest possible keyboard case ($25 MoKo) and am wishing I got a slightly higher-priced, higher-quality one. It's quite tiny and doesn't prop itself up well on a lap.
- Gorillapod over selfie stick all day every day. It's way less embarrassing and you'll get more candid, natural-looking shots. Compare and contrast below:
Angkor Wat Sunset via Selfie Stick
Angkor Wat Sunset via Gorillapod
Travel Essentials
- All-purpose soap, a universal sink stopper and a clothesline to do laundry on-the-go (Review: my Sea to Summit travel clothesline has been so great for this purpose. The little cinching beads work great in lieu of clothespins).
- Eyemask and earplugs (Review: SO necessary for travel days and loud nights in hostels. My REI combo set is great--the earplugs are connected by a string so you can't lose one or the other, and there's a little pouch in the front of the eyemask to tuck them in during the day).
- 1 bug-repellent Travel Sheet/Bag Liner (Review: My Sea-to-Summit one has been great as a barrier against overused hostel sheets and for keeping warm on those feverish nights I mentioned. Not sure how bug repellent it actually is though.)
- Headlamp with rechargeable batteries & charger (Review: my BlackDiamond Gizmo headlamp is super lightweight and has a dimmer = more than enough to meet my travel needs. For batteries/charger, I went with this Sanyo Eneloop set and it's worked great so far.)
- 1 backpack rain cover
- Bug repellent: deet and non-deet (for body and face/neck, respectively)
- Self-assembled first-aid kit w/ malaria & travel meds (see master prep guide), my regular meds & pills and some bandaids + athletic tape
- Steri-Pen (Review: I thought this might be a cautious over-buy. Three bouts of deathly travelers' diarrhea in and I'm using it all the time--mostly to treat the water I use to wash my face and brush my teeth. Worth considering)
- Dry-sack for electronics (necessary during monsoon season)
- A rescue whistle & rubber doorstop (check out Legal Nomads' Jodi Ettenberg's post on traveling safely as a solo-female traveler)
- Small padlock w/ cable (Note: lifesaver during overland travel and necessary for locking your valuables up in the hostel. Zip-ties are also good to have as a theft-deterrent on smaller bags during crowded train travel.)
- Travel scissors
- Small roll of duct tape
- Neck wallet for passports, cards, cash & important docs (Review: I was really unsure about my Eagle Creek neck wallet when I bought it, but it's been great for keeping all my important stuff in one place. Get one in nude or another neutral color and it will double nicely as a small cross-body purse when you go out for drinks.)
- A bunch of passport-sized photos for visas (Note: you can get em' at Costco in bulk for cheap!)
- Hydroflask Watter Bottle & a regular 1L Nalgene (Review: left my Nalgene behind in Thailand. Too bulky/annoying to haul around empty and the Hydroflask is more than enough--plus it keeps hot things hot (for tea) and cold things cold (water on hot days)).
- Moleskin Notebook
- Hand sanitizer and biodegradable toilet paper (Note: You will need more of this later, but might as well have some to start. SE Asian bathroom have no TP or soap).
- 2 sets of earbuds
- 3 books (plus 2 in e-book format on tablet)
What I've picked up on the road:
- Lost my headlamp and got a new one as soon as possible; so necessary for early morning hostel packing, late-night reading, and general night usage on treks. Get a free flashlight app on your phone as a backup for when your lamp is dead or lost.
- An inflatable neck pillow for long travel days/nights (ex. my 3-day bus, plane and travel trip from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Auckland, New Zealand). The standard kind you can pick up in the airport is too bulky to lug around, but an inflatable one is light and packable.
- Energy bars and multivitamins or Emergen-C. Seems trivial but having some snack food and immunity-boosters on-hand is so essential when you're moving around so much. You never know when you're going to be stuck in a crowded airport or bus stop.
Toiletries
- Diva Cup (ladies, say goodbye to tampon waste and expense)
- All-Purpose Camp Soap (Note: I use this for everything, including washing my clothes)
- Sunscreen SPF 30+ & Aloe
- Toothbrush and Toothpase (Note: Bring small sizes and buy more when you need it. I've had no trouble getting essentials anywhere).
- Industrial Strength Deoderant (and i mean it)
- Small Camp Face Towel (again, the quicker-drying the better. Packing wet stuff SUCKS).
- Small mirror (often crowded or non-existent in hostels)
- floss & small mouthwash
- razor
- a million chapsticks
- nail clippers
- Hanging toiletry bag (doubles as a shower caddy and mirror stand when hung)
- Minimal makeup (Note: I can't even remember what makeup is for. So not necessary when traveling. What you do put on will melt right off in the heat. In retrospect, I would have been fine bringing nothing other than a light, waterproof mascara and some cherry chapstick).
Camping/Trekking Gear
Leave it at home. I've met so many travelers who brought sleeping bags and other camping supplies and got rid of them in their first couple weeks.
Making it work on the Abel Tasman trek in New Zealand
I've been on one overnight trek and two multi-day ones. On all three, I've made the Osprey travel pack work and just rented tents/pads/anything else I've needed. That said, on one of the multi-days I had a buddy who carried most of the load and on the on the other, I stayed in trek huts with bunkbeds (Milford Track "Great Walk" in New Zealand). If you plan to do some serious, solo-trekking you'll need to bring a bigger pack.
Don't overthink it and don't stress too much. You will lose or break a fourth of this stuff within the first couple months guaranteed. Most things can be bought on the road and, if not, there are shipping solutions.
Now head back to the master prep guide and finish the last step.
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