- Introduction
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Toiletries
- Electronics
- First-Aid kit
- Others
- Non-Essentials
- Downloadable packing list
I hate packing
This might come as a surprise to some, especially as I have just decided to spend the better part of a year routinely packing and unpacking my entire life every three days.
But it is the truth. I hate packing so much that I had fully researched and compiled my packing list about 4 months before we were due to leave. (The fact that I only packed the night before is by-the-by, and probably goes a long way to explaining why I hate the experience so much).
We were fully aware when we were packing that the countries we have chosen to visit cover a fairly wide range of climates. At times, it can be very frustrating to be carrying around warm weather clothes which you won’t be touching for a month or so, but this is why it was important to me to plan each item of clothing carefully.
That being said, I definitely made some mistakes, and some last minute substitutions to the list which turned out to be the wrong choice. There have been items that I have gotten rid of along the way and a few items that I kind of wish I had brought. Mostly I have been slightly annoyed at myself for bringing too much and not being able to treat myself to as many fun market purchases as I have wanted (although this has probably been good for the budget side of things).
Okay; enough chat. Let’s get on with it:
Clothes
When I originally packed, I included a pair of jeans and a pair of denim shorts which pretty swiftly got donated to hostel staff in Japan. Try to avoid bulky or heavy fabrics like denim. If you are going to be places where it will be colder, layering is your friend. Better to wear everything from you backpack on one trek than to carry something for 6 months that you will only wear once.
Bear in mind how you usually dress, I ended up bringing more dresses than I really needed and not enough shorts because I wore shorts and vest top most days. Other people may be more inclined to wear dresses every day and therefore would only need shorts for the occasional hike.
Most people don’t change who they are while they are away; we learn to survive with less and maybe to wear things one sniff past their wear-by date in a pinch, but fundamentally who you are and what you wear when you are at home doesn’t shift too far to the left.
Bottoms Up!
- 1x Long sports leggings
- 1x Short sports leggings
- 2x Lightweight shorts
Tops and Dresses
- 3x Dresses (one nice and two casual and comfy)
- 4x Vest tops
- 2x T-shirts
- 1x Long sleeved, button down shirt (for temples)
- 1x Cardigan
- 1x Hoody (maybe not necessary for only hot climates)
- 1x Pac-a-mac
I used one of my vest tops as a pyjama top for most of the trip, but occasionally wore it on days out. We stayed in dorms maybe a third of the time so I didn’t want to have to carry around clothing specifically for sleeping when most of the time I wouldn’t be wearing it anyway.
If you are staying in warmer countries, and not spending too much time at the top of mountains, I would suggest foregoing the hoody for something smaller and lighter, like a long sleeved Tee or a light jumper. Remember your layers!
Intimates (Ooh-la-la)
- 3x Bras (One sports, one soft, one underwired)
- 10x Knickers
- 4x Trainer socks
- 2x Hiking socks
- 1x Swimming costume
- 1x Bikini bottoms
- 2x Bikini tops
- 1x Pyjamas (try to use clothes that you can wear elsewhere too!)
Some of the blogs that I read suggested as few as 5 pairs of knickers, which I took pretty literally. After 2 weeks in Japan I had to buy myself another 5 pairs. Sometimes you will have to go a long time between washes and sometimes you will have to wear slightly grubby clothes. This feeling is so much more bearable if you have a clean pair of pants to wear.
Shoes
- 1x Walking shoes
- 1x Flip-flops
- 1x Walking sandals
- 1x Pair of pumps
I toyed with the idea of bringing running trainers too, but I decided against it as I don’t run much at home and it was unlikely that I would be become a whole new person and start to love the sport in the short time I was away.
Toiletries
- Shampoo (solid)
- Conditioner (solid)
- Soap (solid)
- Hairbrush
- Moisturiser (spf30)
- Body lotion
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Deodorant
- Razor
- Nail-kit
- Flannel
- Face wash
- Suncream (spf50)
- Hanging laundry bag with hook
We started off with lower spf suncreams, but the longer we were away, the more we realised that our long-term skin health is more important than a short term tan. It’s a personal choice, but, if you are planning on chasing summer around the world, there is no rush to reach peak tan.
Electronics
- Fitbit
- GoPro
- Phone
- Kindle
- Charging cables
- Adapter/USB hub
- Charging block (15k mA/h)
- Spare SD cards
- Headphones
- Headphone splitter
- Harddrive (2TB)
Obviously some of this was shared, as we were travelling together we found we didn’t need to bring all our own stuff. If you are going solo then this is a luxury you cannot afford. Try to do things which minimise your packing requirements, for example; use electronics that have the same charging cable, and try to minimise electronics in general. A tablet can substitute for a laptop and a kindle.
First-Aid kit
- 3x Paracetamol
- 3x Ibuprofen
- 1x Plasters
- 2x Anti-hystimein
- 1x Antibacterial cream
- Bug Spray (50% Deet)
- 1x Anti-diahrretic
- 1x Rehydration sachets
- Alcohol wipes
- Photocopied proof of prescription
Although we didn’t really need much from our medical kit, we got lucky. I wouldn’t have risked carrying any less than this. We also had a First Aid kit which my mum got me for Christmas. Again, we didn’t need it but we were comforted by it’s presence.
Obviously you will need to check where you are going to decide if you need extra medication such as Anti-Malarials. We decided to avoid anywhere with the risk of Malaria as these tablets can give me a pretty bad reaction.
If, like me, you are dependant on certain drugs to keep you alive, make sure you bring spares, and also have a photocopied proof of your prescription from back home in case of emergencies. In my case, we had about 15 inhalers stashed everywhere throughout our luggage because we were so paranoid about running out or losing them and not being able to replace them.
Other bits
- Towel (Turkish or microfibre, depending on preference)
- Turban (microfibre, a must for me as my hair takes years to dry)
- Sarong (fun thing to buy in a market, doubles up as a beach towel)
- Small handbag/bumbag (I brought a bumbag and purchased a cute little purse in Bali)
- Day backpack (make sure this is big enough for everything you would need for an overnight stay somewhere)
Non-essentials but I sure am I glad I had thems
- Eye-mask (for train rides and hostels)
- Ear-plugs (for train rides and hostels)
- Inflatable neck supporting pillow (for those long travel sessions)
- Padlock (for hostels)
- Packing cubes (actual life savers, especially if you use a top-opening backpack)
- Head torch (if you fancy a spot of camping)
- Playing cards (and any other games you fancy, travelling can be dull at times!!)
- Documents wallet
- Anti-chafe shorts (an actual life saver if you are prone to chub rub)
- Sleeping bag liner (for when your hotel doesn’t quite match the pictures)
I’ve put this all into a handy excel file so you can add your own additional items, delete things you think you don’t need. You can also print it out to physically tick items off the list whilst you are packing, which I find takes away a huge amount of stress.
Downloadable packing list
If you skipped to this part that is fair enough. But honestly, we encourage you to read the sections above. It provides some context into why certain things were chosen and other not, and will help you in deciding what are the important items that should go into your backpack