Complete Long Term Travel Packing List for Smart Travel

Thanks for reading. awholeworldtosee.com contains affiliate links. We don’t accept ads or payment from travel operators or manufacturers, but if you make a purchase using one of the links below, we may receive compensation through the automatically monetized affiliate link at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services we use and trust. Read our disclaimer for more information.

Around the world with just a carry-on bag

We all have dreams. Now an adult with a house stuffed full of accumulated junk that I have to dust and shuffle around, one of my goals in life is to fit all my essential gear into one carry-on bag and travel the world hands-free.

A couple of years ago, when my daughter was fourteen, we took a family sabbatical from work and school and travelled around the world together for six months. We visited twelve countries on four continents, from a snowy Japanese winter to the sunbaked Serengeti to London in the rain. We did it with carry-on bags only.

My experience living out of suitcase for long periods as a travel writer for Lonely Planet and Rough Guides and the year I spent backpacking in Africa helped me streamline my packing list for our around-the-world trip.

Below is the list of items I took that proved essential and that I’d recommend to other travellers. I did a lot of research before choosing each item and I paid for them all with own money. My criteria were: as small and light as possible; durable and well-made; and finally, did I really need it?

I am price-conscious, but I don’t always buy the cheapest item available. I don’t want stuff made in a sweat shop and I look for low environmental impact options. B Corp Certification, Fair Trade Certification and membership in 1% for the Planet are indicators of a commitment to fair labour practices and environmental protection.

The Complete Long Term Packing List

Included in the long-term travel packing list below are: the essentials, including what I have found to be a right-sized travel wardrobe; the item I really wish I had brought (but alas, did not); a few nice-to-haves; and the thing I could have left at home. I’ll also share my recommendations for the ideal carry-on travel bag for long-term travel.

The Essentials

These are the items I used regularly on our six-month trip around the world and always travel with.

1. PacSafe Coversafe Bra Pouch (for your money and credit cards)

Because I was travelling on my own with my 14-year-old daughter for part of our trip, in countries I’d never visited far from home, I triple-safeguarded against losing our money and passports (been there, done that). To my daughter’s embarrassment, I stashed some hard currency and a credit card in this handy pouch, which fastens with a snap around your bra strap and tucks into your undergarment. Mine is (I still use it) the PacSafe Coversafe 25 Bra Pouch. Super useful for some peace of mind.

Check prices and get the PacSafe Coversafe 25 Bra Pouch here

I also took a PacSafe passport pouch on a neck strap that can be worn under clothes. This might be the solution for the 50 percent or so of you who don’t wear bras, but I found it too cumbersome for daily wear, especially under light clothing in a warm climate. There are other models available that might be a better fit. Mine was also not waterproof, alas (more on that sad topic below).

2. Cross-body bag

I found that a cross-body messenger-type bag was the most practical solution for me for everyday use. I bought this Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Hobo Bag. I like it because it has an anti-slash adjustable strap, is made of reinforced fabric, and both the outside pocket and the zippered top have additional clasps to thwart pickpockets. It has a tethered key clip inside to which you can attach your keys and/or a wallet, and several compartments including an RFID (radio frequency identification)-blocking pocket for your credit cards. The risk of a thief stealing your credit card numbers with a scanner is low, but the pocket is a bonus.

This bag holds a ton of stuff for a day out and about. At home, I use it as a purse and it gets a lot of compliments, I must say. One flaw after 3.5 years of continuous use: the top zipper has recently broken.

Check prices on the Travelon Anti-Theft Heritage Hobo Bag and get it here

Because I went down a RFID rabbit hole, I also bought a packet of these RFID Blocking Sleeves for our passports and credit cards. At the very least, they protect your cards from damage.

Check the price on Boxiki Travel RFID Blocking Sleeves set and get them here

3. Water bottle

A water bottle is essential when travelling anywhere for any length of time – for survival, to avoid contributing to plastic pollution and to not waste your hard-earned money on bottled water.

I took a Nalgene wide mouth screw-top water bottle (practically indestructible and BPA-free). I prefer the widemouth bottles because they are easier to clean and you can put other things in them (and get them out again).

Check the price and get a Nalgene Wide Mouth Water Bottle Here

I also took a collapsible 1litre Hydrapak Stow Bottle – it folds up to nothing and is durable, but I rarely used it because it’s got a nozzle top, which turns out I find undignified to drink from as an adult. Does the trick though, is practical for hiking, and is the lightest I’ve found (also BPA-free). Lots of people love these.

Check the price and get a Hydrapak Stow Bottle here

The one I’m Jonesing for (although the Buddha says you should not want what you do not have): a Hydaway 750ml collapsible water bottle. It collapses to a disk 4cm x 11cm (1.5 x 4.25 inches) and has a wide mouth screw top lid (also BPA-free).

Check the price on the Hydaway 750ml collapsible water bottle at get one here

4. Shopping bag

A reusable shopping bag takes up no room in your luggage and I used mine almost every day, to carry groceries from the market, clothes to the laundromat, and other things that need carrying round. My nylon bag came in its own tiny carrying pouch that I could slip in my purse. I think I got it at a dollar store for $4. It lasted well through heavy use for a couple of years, which is important. Next time I need a small, packable shopping bag, I’m going to try this Chicobag Compact Reusable Grocery Bag which comes with a carrying pouch. Chicobag is a certified B Corp, which means it meets B Corp’s high standards for fair labour practices and environmental sustainability.

Check prices and get a Chicobag reusable shopping bag here

5. Hardshell Eyeglasses Case

If you wear glasses, hard cases for eyeglasses, reading glasses, and sunglasses are essential travel items. I bought these pretty Molshine hardshell cases which snap shut and stay shut. Also useful for carrying other small, fragile items.

Check the price and order a Molshine hardshell eyeglass case here

6. Polarized sunglasses

7. Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile All-in-One Magic Bar Soap

When I was doing my research, I saw Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile All-in-One Magic Bar Soap recommended by several long-term travellers online. I’m glad I tucked two bars in my suitcase. It was very good advice. I washed most of our laundry in the bathroom sink by hand, using a bar of lavender Dr. Bronner’s soap and another for bathing. Dr. Bronner’s is also Fair Trade Certified.

Check prices and get Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile All-in-One Magic Bar Soap here

8. Laundry Detergent Sheets

An envelope of 36 laundry sheets does up to 64 washes and takes up less space than a greeting card. I use unscented laundry sheets from Tru Earth, which is B Corp Certified.

Check the price and get Tru Earth Laundry Sheets here

9. Microfibre travel towel

Depending on the type of travel you are doing, a packable towel can come in very handy – at the beach, for showering at campsites, or as a picnic cloth. The Bogi microfibre travel towel I have comes in its own mesh bag and takes up about as much room as a pair of socks (size M: 20×40 inches). It comes in several sizes.

Check prices and get a Bogi Microfibre Travel Towel here

10. Compression packing cubes

A great invention. They keep things organized, make packing and finding things easier and the compression helps save space in your bag. I took these Cipway compression packing cubes and they are still going strong.

Check prices and get a set of Cipway compression packing cubes here

11. Book(s)

I learned a long time ago to always travel with a book (at least one). It can turn hours waiting in a noisy bus station into a pleasant interlude. Some people like to travel with a digital book reader because they’re very small and light and can hold a whole library.

If that sounds like you, check prices and get a Kindle e-reader here

My preference is usually for a thick paperback, because it doesn’t require a charger and electricity to work. If you’re looking for recommendations:

Big classic novels like Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray or The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope are good road books for a long trip, I find.

If contemporary fiction is more your thing, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese and The Correspondent by Virginia Evans are two of my recent favourites.

For something light and beachy, try Sunbaked by Junie Coffey.

12. Hardcover notebook and 3 pens

Gadgets

I’m not techy, but these are items I found and still find essential when travelling.

13. Universal travel adapter

We travelled with a cell phone and laptop so my daughter could do some school work and for nightly calls home when her dad wasn’t with us, so a universal travel adapter was essential. The Epicka Pulse Duo 65W Universal Travel Adapter covers 200+ countries. It also has 4 USB ports (2 USB-A ports and 2 USB-C ports) and is highly recommended by travellers. (Note to Canadians: you’ll have to buy Epicka through Amazon.com rather than Amazon.ca).

Check current prices and get the Epicka Pulse Duo 65W Universal Travel Adapter HERE

NOTE: The Epicka does not work for Type D (India) or M (South Africa) outlets. If you are planning to visit a country that use these outlet types, individual plug adapters and sets are available from Ceptics.

Check prices and get the Ceptics plug adapter or set of adapters you need HERE

14. Digital luggage scale

I almost didn’t take this because I wondered if it was just a travel gadget invented for people to spend money on, but it proved very useful. We took 22 flights over six months, and I used it every time I packed to ensure our carry-on bags (our only luggage) met the airline’s weight limit. It told me when I needed to redistribute some weight between our bags or jettison something to avoid a nasty shock at the airport. I bought the Travel Inspira Digital Luggage Scale. It’s very small (1cm x 5cm), inexpensive, light, easy to use, and I’m still using it.

Check prices and get a Travel Inspira Digital Luggage Scale here

15. Cell phone

I have the least expensive unlocked cell phone I could find, a Samsung A11. It’s only flaw, in my view, is its mediocre camera, with which I took all our travel photos. Newer models have a much better camera. Most people will want to take a decent camera for their trip of a lifetime. 

Each time we arrived in a new country, I proceeded immediately to an internet provider kiosk in the airport or train station and bought a local SIM card and tourist data plan. Not expensive, and pretty much essential for communicating with accommodation hosts and tour guides, for a translation app (handy), and for directions. Don’t forget the charging cord and headphones or ear buds.

16. Laptop computer

Not everyone needs to take a laptop, but we used it for my daughter’s lessons, video calling home, and watching movies.

17. Wristwatch

A watch is useful in case your cellphone dies or if you are going to be somewhere with no electricity.

18. Small flashlight or headlamp and spare batteries

I’ve had my Petzl headlamp forever. Handy for camping, but also for walking home at night where there are no streetlights and for reading on a bus or in bed.

Check prices and get a Petzl headlamp here

Clothing

What clothing you need for a long trip depends on what you’ll be doing and what weather you can expect. The items below are what I took and take everywhere I travel. The key is choosing items that go together and do double or triple duty.

19. 7 pairs of underwear

I’m going to tell you a little story about travel underwear. Thirty-five years ago, when I was fresh out of school and packing to head to East Africa for a year, I bought two pairs of ‘travel underwear’ from LL Bean. They were amazing. Folded away to nothing in a backpack, were very comfortable, could be washed by hand at night and dry in the morning, and they lasted 25 YEARS! I’m not kidding. Even after they became regular at-home wear, through nine months of pregnancy and then another few years. In fact, I kept wearing them until the waistband detached, just to see how long they would last.

Alas, they finally called it quits and I promptly logged on to the LL Bean website (the internet had been invented in the intervening years) and ordered five pairs of their then current offering of travel underwear. I’m sorry to say they were rubbish. They ran like nylons almost immediately. I would have returned them, but I do have my limits. I’m not going to mail my reject underwear to LL Bean. I note LL Bean does not sell undies any more.

So, I went on the hunt for the perfect pair. I tried All Birds Trinos, but the waistband tore away from the fabric after limited wear. It’s possible they have improved their product since my purchase three years ago.

Then, thanks to online advice from other travellers, I found ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 women’s underwear. They are amazing. Comfortable and well-made. Still looking brand new after a trip around the world. Highly recommended. Also available for men.

Check the price and get Women’s ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Underwear HERE

Check the price and get Men’s ExOfficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Underwear HERE

20. 6 pairs of socks

Two pairs of Smartwool lightweight wool hiking socks (comfortable and durable) and 4 pairs of cotton no-show ankle socks.

Check prices and get a pair of Smartwool wool hiking socks here

21. Down jacket in a stuff sack

On our family gap year trip around the world, we needed to be prepared for a range of climatic conditions including below freezing temperatures and snow in Japan, cool temperatures at high altitudes in Bhutan and Tanzania, and hot days on tropical beaches and in the desert. I invested in a Patagonia down sweater for myself and one for my daughter (as had every other western tourist we saw in Japan that February!). It’s lightweight and warm, and stuffs into its own pocket when not needed. Like everything Patagonia makes, it is built to last forever.

Check prices and colours and get a Patagonia Down Sweater HERE

22. 5 shirts

A cotton blouse for warm weather than can be worn with the pants, skirt and shorts I’ve packed; a long sleeve shirt than can do triple-duty as a hiking shirt, beach cover-up, and for everyday wear; and 3 t-shirts –one long-sleeve and 2 short-sleeve, at least one of which is made of a moisture-wicking fabric for hiking.

23. 3 pairs of pants (trousers)

One that will work for hiking and hanging around; jeans or some other casual pants (wide-legged palazzo pants would be perfect for travel in Egypt, for example); and exercise tights that can do double duty as pyjama bottoms.

24. 1 pair of shorts

A pair that will work for beach days, hiking, and as pyjama bottoms

25. 1 skirt

A knee-length or midi skirt. At my age, I don’t like walking around town in shorts and in some places, it would be inappropriate, so I wear a skirt. In cool weather, I’ll leave a pair of socks at home and pack a pair of 60 Denier tights that match the skirt and dress (they don’t run easily and pack small).

26. 1 dress

27. Bathing suit

28. Sweater

A merino wool turtleneck (for hiking or any time – I take this instead of a fleece jacket; it’s less bulky and a little more polished as streetwear.

29. Pyjamas

30. Rainjacket

31. Sunhat

32. A wool/fleece hat and gloves (for cold weather, camping, hiking)

Footwear

Three pairs.

33. Sandals (unless you’re heading to snow country only)

Teva Women’s Ysidro Sandals, with a cork sole, leather footbed and a leather upper are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. They are perfect for travelling: suitable for a full day walking around town or at the beach and can also pull off a night out. I’ve had mine for five years, wear them a lot and they’re still in good shape. Unfortunately, they’re currently hard to find (maybe discontinued).

If you need/want a dressier option, ballet flats don’t take up much room.

Check prices and colours and order a pair of ballet flats

34. Flipflops

Flipflops come in very handy. For our trip around the world, I wanted a pair of rubber sandals with an ankle strap that would do quadruple-duty as watershoes, beach sandals, shower shoes in communal bathrooms, and walk-around sandals for my daughter in hot climates, so I took a pair of Teva Universal Sport Sandals for each of us. They don’t take up much room and served their purpose, but I’m not a big fan of the tire rubber footbed and flat sole. I chose them over other available options because I got them on sale for $20.

When I’m headed south to the islands and sandy beaches, I take my favourite Oofoos Oolala flipflops instead, which are bulkier but also lighter and very comfortable, with lots of arch support. They are marketed as health aids for senior citizens not to intrepid travellers, but I don’t care.

Check prices and order Oofoos Oolalas here

If all I need is a pair of flipflops to wear in the campground shower or around a hotel room, I take an inexpensive pair of Old Navy flipflops I have. OluKai, which is B Corp Certified, makes slim, light flipflops with grip and support that won’t take up too much room in your luggage and can handle more than walking around a hotel room.

Check out prices and colours for OluKai Uiki Flip Flops and get them here

35. Running shoes

When the weather and terrain are not suitable for sandals, running shoes are my go-to travel footwear. Everyone has their personal preference. I like a lightweight pair with a good tread and lots of cushioning, suitable for sightseeing and day hikes that I can also wear with a skirt and not look like I’ve got big white marshmallows strapped to my feet.

Now planning family trip to Iceland where we intend to do lots of day hikes on possibly wet and rocky terrain, I’ll replace the running shoes on my packing list with trail running or hiking shoes.

Toiletries

To make going through security at airports as easy as possible, I pack all liquid toiletries like shampoo in ≤ 100 ml containers inside a 1 litre clear plastic zippered toiletry bag. This meets airline restrictions on carry-on liquids and the security agent can see everything inside without taking it all out. Solid toiletries, like soap and toothbrush can go in another small zippered bag. I use these ones:

Lermende TSA Approved Clear Toiletry Bag – Check the price and buy it here

36. Reef-friendly sunscreen

I take a 89ml tube of ThinkSport SPF 50+ water-resistant sunscreen which works well and is reef and human-friendly.

Check the price and get a tube of ThinkSport SPF 50+ here

37. Insect repellant

If you are heading to a climate with biting insects, you’ll need insect repellant. As a Canadian who camps, I am familiar with biting insects. J.R. Watkins Great Outdoors insect repellant 30% DEET lotion is the best bug dope (topical repellant) I’ve used. They also make a DEET-free formulation with icardin, a natural alternative. However, Great Outdoors is only available in Canada.

Check prices and buy J.R. Watkins Great Outdoors Insect Repellant here

If you are in the USA and want a DEET-free option, Picardin gets good reviews from users.

If you’re in the USA: check prices and get Picardin here

38. Soap

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Bar Soap in a plastic soap dish with a snap lid (still using the dish every time I travel).

Get a Coghlan’s Soap Holder for Camping and Travel here

Get Dr. Bronner’s magic bar soap here

39. Toothbrush and dental floss

I’m trying to reduce the plastic garbage I create, and a bamboo toothbrush and dental floss are a good way to do it.

Check prices and get Sea Turtle All Natural Bamboo Toothbrushes with Plant-Based Bristles (not plastic) here

Check prices and get Bamboo Dental Floss from BoonBoo, a Certified B Corp Here

40. Toothpaste

In my quest to reduce the worldly goods I travel with to less than 2 cubic feet while at the same time limiting environmental pollution (beyond flying around the world), I tested Superbee Dentos Toothpaste Tablets. The verdict: okay in a pinch – lightweight and environmentally friendly ingredients and packaging. Nice fresh taste. But I missed the cleansing foaminess of old timey toothpaste. Could just be that it takes some getting used to. So, I took the tablets and a 100 ml tube of toothpaste.

Want to try Superbee Dentos Toothpaste Tablets? Get them here

41. Shampoo and conditioner

My search continues for the ideal shampoo for long term travel. We took solid shampoo and conditioner bars. They didn’t take up much room and we never ran out. However, truth be told, the brand we took was okay but not great, leaving a residue on our hair that felt a bit greasy.

As an alternative, rather than take disposable travel size shampoo, conditioner and face wash, I pack refillable silicone 100 ml Humangear GoToobs, which meet airline restrictions for carry-on liquids.

Check the price and get 100 ml Humangear GoToobs here

42. Deodorant

Took a solid roll-on in a cardboard tube, but still looking for a good one.

43. First aid kit

My kit: waterproof fabric bandaids, polysporin, afterbite, advil, benedryl tablets, peptobismol tablets, blister pads, gravol, tweezers, and an epipen (on the pharmacist’s advice, for my daughter just in case it turned out she is allergic to something). Used the tweezers, a few bandaids, polysporin, gravol and advil.

44. Menstrual supplies (hard to find in some destinations)

45. Spare contact lenses, spare pair of glasses, and contact lens solution

46. Miscellaneous

Comb, razor, nail clippers, hair ties, earplugs, Q-tips, water purification tablets, N-95 face masks, a needle and thread wrapped around a small piece of cardboard (for clothing repairs), and any required meds.

Documents

I took copies of all our travel documents in clear plastic sleeves fastened into flexible duotangs (one for each region and one for general travel documents). I kept all this in a zippered nylon file pouch I got at the dollar store. I took printouts of the following, and left another copy at home with family. I also had copies on my phone and laptop.

47. A copy of our itinerary

48. Copies of all airline tickets, accommodation reservations, and tour bookings

49. Copies of travel visas

50. Photocopies of passports and birth certificates

51. A photocopy of our vaccination records

52. Travel insurance details

The policy number, individual client numbers, and the company’s contact information for travel health insurance.

53. A notarized letter from my spouse stating he agreed to me taking our daughter out of our home country from the start date of our travel until a date a few weeks after our planned return (I have been asked for this when travelling to the USA).

54. Passport photos

4 passport photos for visas (easier to carry them than find a photo shop in a strange place, if you need them).

55. Emergency contact details

For family and our embassy or consulate in each country we visited.

The nice-to-haves

It’s nice to have some just-for-fun things in your bag, if you have room.

56. Travel games

A bag of tricks – games, activity books, crayons – is essential travel gear if your children are small. I still pack a deck of cards. This compact Space Bingo has a magnetic board that keeps things from falling all over the place.

Check prices and order Space Bingo here

57. Paint box and some postcard size canvases

This travel paint box is perfect for the artist in your group (fill it with paint).

Airtight 16-Well Palette Box with Lid and Collapsible Brush Basin

58. Trainer chopsticks

Everyone else in my family can use any kind of cutlery, but I need these.

Get reusable learner chopsticks here

What to carry it all in… A tale of two carry-on travel bags

We limited ourselves (or I limited everyone) to a one carry-on bag and the “one personal item” (a daypack) that airlines permit in the cabin.

59. A carry-on travel bag

I love my Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack. It’s beautiful. It’s made of durable high quality materials and workmanship, with a water-resistant coated fabric exterior and pockets of various sizes inside and out including a secret compartment. It opens like a clamshell with zippered compartments on both sides, has comfortable padded shoulder and waist straps that tuck away for transit, 3 grab handles, anti-theft YKK zippers, and a padded sleeve for a laptop with easy access for security screening at the airport. It weights only 2lbs 15 oz and at 22 x 12 x 10 inches, it is carry-on size. Cotopaxi is also a Certified B Corp.

I got the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L because I wanted a carry-on travel bag that could also serve as a backpack for our planned three-day trek on the Milford Track in New Zealand. I use it all the time now as a travel bag.

Check prices and colours and get the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L here

My daughter, at age 14, found the backpack too heavy for her to carry along with her daypack. The solution was a wheelie bag. It was the ideal choice – roomy but still carry-on size and made walking miles through the airport from gate to gate or from the train station to our accommodation a breeze.

We bought a hard-sided spinner suitcase from Swissgear and it went the distance (still going strong).

Check prices and get a carry-on Swissgear hard-sided rolling suitcase here

Cotopaxi now also makes a carry-on size 38L roller bag and it is gorgeous (although close to three times the price).

Check the price and get a Cotopaxi 38L roller bag here

The thing I really wish I had brought, but alas, did not

60. A waterproof passport holder

One evening before sunset, we disembarked from our dahabiya (sailboat) on the banks of the Nile and strolled through a riverside village and out into the Sahara Desert. That night, I learned a hard lesson I want to share with my fellow travellers: carry your passport in a waterproof bag.

As we walked, the plastic bottle of water I was carrying in my shoulder bag leaked and soaked my passport in its non-waterproof pouch. Yes, it serves me right for having a single-use plastic bottle of water in my bag. That’s karma, I guess. My passport photo was damaged, which I didn’t notice until a border agent pointed it out to me at the airport. Fortunately, passports are scanned by digital readers these days and I was able to continue to travel on my passport, but I held my breath through eight more border crossings. I have to replace my damaged passport, which will cost about $200.

I’ve learned to always carry passports, phone, and other valuables in ziplock freezer bags (which is what they were in when we left home, but anyway…).

At some point I might invest in a more purpose-built case like the Nite Ize RunOff Waterproof Travel Pouch, which gets good reviews from other travellers.

Check out the Nite Ize RunOff Waterproof Travel Pouch for yourself here

What to leave at home

The thing I brought with me but never used: A travel pillow

We took 22 flights, including three overnighters of 10 hours +. I thought a travel pillow would help us sleep on the long-haul flights, but we didn’t really use them. Ours were not that comfortable, were awkward to carry, and eventually, we ditched them. It could be I just haven’t found the right one, but I’m not sold yet.

That extra top

As you’ve probably discovered yourself in your travels, you can probably leave at least some of the clothes you take with you anywhere home and be fine. You might get bored of seeing yourself in the same outfit every other day for six months, but you likely won’t be in one place long enough for anyone else to clock it.

Final Thoughts

Something to remember is that millions of people live out there in the world where you are headed and all you really need is your passport and some money. I can say from experience that even those can be replaced, even if you have to enlist the help of your embassy (been there, done that).

Bon Voyage!