So what do you pack when you are leaving with no plans to return?
Well, as little as possible. Although we have no idea how long we’ll be on the road, we shouldn’t need to pack more than we would for a one month trip. Travelling light makes things a lot easier – you can walk around trying to find a place to stay, you can squeeze on a crowded bus and you can run to catch a train. For this trip we are aiming to travel with small enough backpacks that we can fit them on planes as hand luggage to save time at airports, and hopefully be able to take them inside South American buses rather than put them on the roof.
We admire ultralight packers like Tim Ferris and Karol Gajda from Ridiculously Extraordinary, but unfortunately we haven’t managed to do quite as well ourselves. Still, we haven’t done too badly as our backpacks are half the size of most travellers’.
Check out our very first video to see us packing our stuff!
If you can’t see the video click here.
In the video Simon points out some of our space savers including Somerset shaving oil, packing cubes for keeping our stuff organised and Montane featherlite waterproof jackets. Simon’s luxury item is his Martin Backpacker travel guitar, but it’s actually very lightweight and easy to carry along with his backpack.
We did fit everything into our bags, but after this first pack we tried compression bags for our clothes. These worked surprisingly well – squeezing out all of the excess air and giving us some extra space.
Simon’s bag weighs about 10kg and mine is 8kg. This is more than we’d like ideally but it’ll get lighter when we wear our heavier clothes and get rid of some books!
Our backpacks fit into the dimensions required to take on planes as hand luggage, but we do have the travel guitar as well, so we’re not sure we’ll get away with two pieces of hand luggage (UPDATE: We haven’t had any problems except on tiny 18 seater Amazon planes).
So what exactly is in there? Here’s a list of everything we’ll be taking with us as we set off on our indefinite South America travels. It may seem a lot but we’ll be working on the road and visiting different climates. We managed to fit everything into these two small backpacks.
Our fully packed backpacks and travel guitar
All of our stuff
Note: This list was updated in December 2010 and changes made in red.
Our Packing List
Important Stuff
- Passport
- Dollars
- Traveller’s cheques (not really necessary but an extra back up).
- Debit and credit cards
- Driving licence & international driving licence
- Copy of eticket for first flight
- Spare passport photos – made them ourselves for free
- Photocopies of passport – also emailed to family
- Vaccination card
- Money belt
- Wallet
Luggage
- 40 litre North Face Overhaul 40 backpack (Simon)
- 30 litre Vango Transit 30 backpack (Erin). This doesn’t seem available any more.
- Backpack raincover – keeps our bags clean, dry & helps prevent pickpockets
- 1 small combination lock each – the main compartment of our bags are always locked in transit.
- Light cable lock – for locking our bags to things
- Thin cotton shoulder bag – for a daybag
- 2 packing cubes each – 1 large for clothes, 1 small for underwear & other bits
- 1 Compression bag each for our clothes – saves lots of space.
Electronics
- Macbook Pro 13 inch laptop + neoprene case + charger
- Asus Eee PC 10 inch netbook + case + charger – one laptop was not enough for the two of us so we bought this in Buenos Aires.
- Western Digital My Passport 500Gb Hard drive – for backup, unbelievably small and light
- Small mouse – design work without one was difficult
- Travel power adaptor
- Canon EOS 400D SLR camera + case
- Tamron 18-200mm lens
- Charger + 3 batteries
- 2 x 2GB compact flash cards & 1 x 8GB CF card. I don’t really need this much storage as I can upload regularly on to the Macbook.
- USB Card reader - This struggled to read the 8GB card so I changed it for a small USB cable.
- Cleaning brush
- Canon Ixus 100 IS compact camera with 8GB SD card – for HD video and for when we can’t be bothered to carry the big camera (happens often in cities and at night)
- Charger + 2 batteries for Ixus
- Tiny tabletop tripod
- 2 kettle lead power cords (1 US style, 1 European style) – we can use these for our camera and laptop chargers.
- Ipod Touch
- 8GB iPod nano
- In ear headphones x 2
- Large headphones – Simon snuck these in at the last minute and I can’t get him to get rid of them. Completely unnecessary and bulky but they fit in the bag so they are staying.
- iPod cable – so we can charge them from the Macbook
- Headphone splitter – so we can listen to one iPod at the same time
- Cheap digital watch (with an alarm)
- 3G Kindle -we ordered this 10 months into our trip as books were so hard to find (and heavy). It is amazing and now replaces novels, guidebooks and phrasebooks/dictionaries.
Entertainment
- Martin Backpacker Travel Guitar + case
- Spare guitar strings + plectrum
- Pocket size notebook – this is useful to have to make notes when out and about
- Pen
- Pencil + rubber
- Pack of playing cards – we weren’t using them much
Clothes – we are both taking:
- Sunglasses + travel case – Simon lost his sunglasses & case so now has cheap new glasses and no case
- Hiking shoes – North Face waterproof ones. Heavier than we’d like but necessary for long treks.
- Sports sandles (waterproof) – so useful for watersports, river crossings, rocky beach walks etc.
- Thin Fleece
- Icebreaker bodyfit baselayer top – made with Merino wool these keep you warm and never smell.
- Montane Featherlite Smock – tiny waterproof jacket
- 2 x socks (coolmax) – wish we had quick dry ones
- Extra warm clothes- the Andes are cold so we had to pick up an extra thick fleece, thick socks, hat, gloves and scarf, and an extra long sleeve top for Erin. We will get rid of what we still have of these once we hit the Caribbean coast.
Clothes – Simon is also taking:
- North Face trousers – light weight, quickdrying, zipped pockets.
- Cord trousers – decided to keep these as the temperature is often cool in South America & a second pair of trousers is necessary (plus they look more normal).
- Shorts
- 2 x shirts (1 long sleeve, 1 short)
- 1 x tshirt
- 3 x underwear
- Swimming boardshorts
Clothes – Erin is also taking:
- Cotton trousers – couldn’t find any proper travel trousers that weren’t ugly.
- Light jeans – decided to keep these as the temperature is often cool in South America & a second pair of trousers is necessary (plus they look more normal).
- Skirt
- Thin cotton summer dress – I added this at the last minute and it’s great for really hot weather and doesn’t take up much space.
- Board shorts
- 3/4 sleeve black cardigan - sadly lost at a laundry. It was really useful so I will get a replacement if I find one.
- 2 x tops
- 1 x tank top
- 4 x underwear
- 2 x bras
- Tankini swimsuit
- Sun hat
- Thermal leggings – will dump these once we’ve left the cold Andes. These were really useful for cold nights.
Toiletries
- Clear storage bag/cube
- Insect repellant (50% deet) – we haven’t needed any since the Amazon but we’ll pick more up when we need it.
- Riemann once a day suncream (2 x 100ml bottles) – it lasts all day. We ran out of this but are getting more sent to us as it’s so useful.
- 2 x Lush shampoo bars – for hair and body. We ran out but are getting another bar sent to us.
- Toothbrush each + small cover for end
- Tiny 15ml Theramed liquid toothpaste x 2 – we can’t get this abroad so we just buy the smallest tube.
- Travel size hairbrush
- Deoderant (small roll-on)
- Lip balm
- Nail clippers
- Tweezers
- Razor + 2 spare blades
- Somerset shaving oil – this stuff is amazing and this tiny bottle lasted 9 months. We are getting more sent.
- Hand sanitiser (small 50ml bottle). Useful when trekking and when bathrooms don’t have soap.
- Moon cup – a great alternative to tampons
Medical
- Ibuprofen
- Immodium
- Dimenhydrinate travel sickness pills – a lifesaver!
- Few antiseptic wipes + plasters
- Prescription medications
- Ciprofloxacin antibiotic – really useful to have on hand for stomach illnesses. It can be bought cheaply in many developing countries without a prescription.
Miscellaneous
- Moo business cards – they have lots of different photos from our travels on the back.
- Travel towel – Simon has a small pack towel, which he hates but hostels usually provide towels so he rarely needs it. Erin uses a very old, threadbare towel that packs up small.
- Small roll gaffa tape – fixes everything
- Head torch each – really useful for places with no electricity or power cuts
- Earplugs – essential (for Erin, Simon sleeps through anything)
- Eye mask – pick up a free one on the plane
- Tiny sewing kit – a few needles and some thread
- Few ziplock bags – always come in handy
- Toilet paper – it’s useful to have some on hand. A whole roll isn’t necessary.
For more tips on travelling light see our post How to Travel Long Term With Only Carry-On Luggage. Our Gear & Products Page has detailed write ups of our favourite items.
Disclaimer: The Amazon links are affiliate links so we get a tiny commission if you buy anything through them. The other links are not.
What are your top tips for packing light? Do you have any questions for us? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!
We are Simon Fairbairn &
64 Comments
Erin & Simon,
Awesome! I love reading packing lists.
Now that I built a guitar in India and will be traveling with it I can no longer consider myself an ultra light packer. But it’s worth it.
How do you like the Martin Backpacker? I had a Washburn Rover and got rid of it. It just didn’t produce enough sound.
Baby Taylor is a really sweet travel guitar, but a lot bigger than both the Backpacker and Rover.
Tangent?
Congrats on your never ending voyage!
Karol
.-= Karol Gajda´s last blog ..[Video] Failure Doesn’t Exist =-.
Hey Karol,
If I had built a guitar myself you’d bet I’d be carrying that bad boy wherever I went – maximum kudos!
I love my Backpacker, it’s a wonderful little instrument. I found it’s got a nice balance between size and weight and tone quality – though if I’m honest, the bass end doesn’t have as much thickness to it as I’d like.
For jamming on the beach or round a fire, it’s perfect. I’ve even played a gig with it and it did just fine. Most people I play it to are surprised at how good it sounds given its size and shape.
Si
.-= Simon´s last blog ..Developing A Plugin – Part 5 =-.
Wow! I can’t believe you’re bringing such a comparatively small pack! Inspiration for me. I’m looking at packs now and want as small as possible for the same reasons you’ve listed. Not sure how small I’ll manage, though.
.-= Adam´s last blog ..My First Rental Car =-.
Hi Adam, we found that if you just buy the small bag then you have to make it all fit in! The compression bags have been great for creating extra space.
Now we are on the road we don’t feel the need for bigger bags at all. We can fit them inside the buses with us, and even this size feels too much when you are trying to find a guesthouse in 37 degrees celsius heat. We wouldn’t want to be carrying more.
Look like a mission impossible backpack, full gear up, you would miss anything important when traveling around the World. What about a survival kit, such as a mirror?
I love these types of posts – get to see how others manage.
I take pretty much the same type of gear – packing cubes are amazing for keeping things organized and they also save space.
Unfortunately I’m going to be in Seoul next week….and its freezing so my gear has gotten a little heavier due to warm clothing
.-= Anthony Feint´s last blog ..8 Simple Ways You Can Earn a Passive Income =-.
Yes, packing cubes are so awesome. Warm clothing is a big problem. Using compression bags should help create more space. We are going to have to buy some warmer clothes when we get to the Andes.
Hi Erin,
Great packing list. Here’s a gadget that I would never go on a trip without now….Altec Lansing Orbit M speaker for iphone/pod or computer.
http://www.alteclansing.com/imt237-orbit-ultra-portable-music-speaker%20for-phones.html
Awesome piece of kit,
Adrian
Oh man, I’m leaving in 9 days and I still haven’t packed my bag yet. I know it’s a huge mistake but I’m so petrified to put it on.
The strange part is that I hardly have any clothes, it’s all travel gadgets!
I promise I will pack it this week. Cross your fingers for me.
.-= ayngelina´s last blog ..My Trio of Travel Secrets =-.
Yep, now’s a good time to start packing! You still have time to get rid of stuff if it doesn’t fit/ weighs too much. Whatever you do weigh it and make sure it’s under 10kg – any more and it’ll just be hell to carry around. Good luck!
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Photo of the Week: Himalaya Village =-.
Awesome guitar. I’m going to be a walking backpacker myself, so I’m thinking that I have to have a more balanced pack that distributes the weight better and keeps it closer to my body, but still I’m bringing a standard guitar in addition to that. I’m not quite sure how to carry it though, so it’s gonna be a challenge. I still got 4 months though, so I’ll figure something out.
Put up a clip of you playing it!
.-= Samuel´s last blog ..Walking_About: RT @GotSaga 5 Magical places of #Norway that you never heard of http://ow.ly/1xkEQ #travel #lp =-.
Hi Samuel, your walking trip sounds amazing. I would really consider the backpacker guitar to save on weight if you are having to carry everything!
Good idea – we will post a clip at some point.
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Photo of the Week: Akha Village =-.
Yeah, I do see the benefits of such a guitar – but as we’re saving up all our money to extend the trip as long as possible – and at the same time wish to put our money into volunteer-projects – I’ll probably not prioritize a new guitar at this point. But serious thanx for a good recommendation!
Thanks a bunch for this post! This gives me alot of insight into how I should go about our first major backpacking trip.
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Change is Never Easy =-.
Hi Erica, I´m glad it has helped you. It can be overwhelming deciding what to take for your first trip. The main thing to remember is that most things can be bought in other parts of the world too.
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Big Islands and Big Boats: Brazil’s Costa Verde =-.
Wow. Impressively small packing list.
I love how specific your list is! Thanks! It will be very useful. I’ll most probably just copy it exactly (at least those that I can get in the Philippines).
.-= Lilliane @wanderlass´s last blog ..Bali bumming =-.
Glad you found it useful Lilliane. Good luck with the packing!
I have a challenge ahead of me, a 1400 square foot house worth of stuff to get rid of.
Nick Laborde´s last post ..Weekly Dose of Travel Awesomeness – Planning
We had a lot of stuff in our 3 bedroom house too. It did take a lot of effort but we got there – a combination of selling stuff and giving it away to charity worked well. Good luck!
me too. 1450 sf home and contents, and most everything else.
I read a handy tip from Rick Steves, the PBS travel guru: Pack your backpack a week or more before your trip and start wearing it now, before you leave. Take it to work, shopping, wherever you normally go. You’ll find out real quick if you REALLY need to haul something around.
I wish I had followed that advise on my recent trip to Europe. We ended up shipping stuff home that we thought we needed to have with us.
That’s a really good idea! Pretty much everyone ends up bringing too much stuff.
I have a martin backpacker myself as well as a few others. Anyone ever try the Voyage Air. Every time I pack the travel guitar it is my most exciting item. I don’t know, I just love it. I get excited packing it…lol. I’m gonna own a bunch of these things one day.
Michael´s last post ..Voyage Air VAOM-06 Travel Guitar Review
Hehe I wish I could get away with that, well done. Being a professional photographer and nomad has it’s challenges. This page on my blog http://www.flemmingbojensen.com/blog/whats-in-the-bag/ shows the gear I carry and that’s before even thinking about adding a few shirts, shoes and a tooth brush
Being a photographer certainly does make things harder. I couldn’t carry more than my SLR camera, and sometimes I even think about getting rid of that: it takes up about 25% of my bag!
Hello! Like you guys, my boyfiend and I are giving up our 9-5′s in January for open ended travel. We’re starting in Argentina and cannot wait to live the life of a digital nomad, but the planning can be pretty daunting!
I have been reading alot of your posts lately and have found them incredibly helpful, but I wanted to ask you about vaccinations: Which vaccinations would you recommend as necessary for world travel? And did you get them all before you left or are you getting them as you travel?
I appreciate any advice you have to offer! Thanks
Hi Brittany,
It depends where you live. In the UK we got almost all of our vaccinations for free, so it was worth getting them there. We got Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Diphtheria & Tetanus. We had to pay for Yellow Fever, which you need for many places in South America (not Argentina though). We also paid for Rabies for our last trip, but I don’t think you really need this unless going to very remote areas.
If you are from the US where vaccinations are expensive then it will probably work out cheaper to get them when you get to Argentina. On our last trip we bought malaria pills in India for much much cheaper.
I would recommend going to a doctor to confirm all of this though, as obviously we aren’t experts, and it all depends where you are going.
Good luck with your planning!
I appreciate the insight, thanks so much!
i want to leave everything behind…sell house, and all inside, most every item that i own…can’t wait to leave…job, home. 52 widowed and need something else in my life
It is most liberating and highly recommended – good luck!
We are so impressed that you fit all that stuff into these two tiny backpacks!! Our backpacks are way too big and too stuffed with all kinds of crap – our New Year’s resolution will be to get rid off some things and to travel lighter
Btw – we only found out about the Lush shampoo bars after we had left, but a friend brought us a few to Mexico and we love them too!
Globetrottergirls´s last post ..Top 20 things we miss from home
Most people do have bigger bags, but we still feel like we have too much stuff! The Kindle will help to get rid of some book weight. Lush bars are great. We are getting some more posted to us.
I was just wondering, do you find that you can fit more in your bags as you are sharing certain items between you? For example, your medical items, toiletries & electricals. I’m also planning on getting a 30-40 litre pack but as I’m travelling alone, I wonder whether I’ll be able to fit as much into my pack?
It does help but I still think a 40 litre bag would be plenty of space for 1 person. I think I could manage with my 30 litre but it would be a bit of a tight fit. 40 litres will give you some contingency space.
Hey there,
How are you able to take a carry-on with tweezers and razors?? That is the only thing holding me back from going that route.
We have taken tweezers and razors on the plane and they haven’t said anything about them, so it seems to be OK. I wouldn’t let it stop you.
Really useful page! I’m going to Malawi for 2 months this June and hoping to get by with 35l bag (My first time travelling). It was a quick spontaneous decision to go there so haven’t had as much time to prepare but am hoping it will all come together.
Good luck with it!
Hey guys,
I like this post a lot, it sounds quite some stuff doh, especially all that electronic… I’m planning to stay away from electronic as much as I can during my upcoming trip, so no PC with me but I’ll try to stick to a 2h/week internet cafe’ regime
So hopefully a 30L bag should be fine for 3 months…
Thanks for sharing!
Well if you aren’t working then not taking a laptop will definitely save space. Good luck with it.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again very soon!
hey guys, i was just surfing the internet on backpacking tips and i found your site… i’ve had a read through it and it’s really inspiring me… i’ve wanted to go travelling for some years now and the past couple of weeks it’s become a massive desire for me. i literally want to just go away forever or a very long period of time at least! i’m 18 years old, just finished my a levels and i live with my dad. i don’t have a paid job so i don’t have a huge amount of money and i’ve already looked at sites and organisations such as vso for ideas and opportunities. i was just wondering if you could possibly give me any advice etc. for a first time young aspiring traveller!
thanks
Hi Alex, that’s great you want to travel. Our first trip was inter railing around Europe for a month – it was a great test trip and we learnt a lot about what to pack, finding places to stay etc. For our trips we have always gotten jobs and saved up for 1-2 years so that we can afford to leave. I would recommend this if you can or you could always look at volunteering, teaching English, working on a cruise ship or getting a working holiday visa for Australia or New Zealand. Many places want you to have a degree to teach English though. Have a look at the wanderingearl.com site for more inspiration – he has been travelling for more than 10 years and started with not much money. Good luck!
Wow, I’m impressed, A. by how little you manage to live with and B. how much it still is you can squeeze in relatively small backpacks.
I should seriously reconsider what I am planning to bring with me. I have a lot more space in my pack (55 L and 25 L), and am really wondering how I’m going to squeeze everything in, which is in fact ridiculous…
Fem´s last post ..MAORI in Museum Volkenkunde: laatste kans!
It is amazing how much you get get into a backpack if you pack it right. Compression bags make a big difference to us – they squeeze our clothes down to about half the size. Have a test pack before you go and then you can decide what things to leave out. It’s a good idea to walk around with the backpack on for a while – that’s always a good way to convince you to leave some stuff behind!
hey guys my husband and I are going in febuary to india, se asia, oz and nz
we have paid for our main flights and also working visa in oz and bought all the things we need to buy to go away with!
we also have accomadation for 2 weeks in india sorted and plan to stay with family members for some of our time in oz! so thats nice!
im still panicking we wont have enought cash! by time we go we looking at 8-10 grand between us! i was hoping for 15 but my hubby had few debts to pay off
do you think that will be enough for us, thanks
ps i used ur packing to a t… love it
It really depends how long you are going for and how long you spend in India and SE Asia as opposed to Oz and NZ, which will be way more expensive. If you find funds getting low you could always look into working in exchange for food and accommodation (helpx and wwoof), couchsurfing and even house sitting. I am sure you will make it work. If you travel slowly that’s cheaper too. Good luck!
we plan to be in
india 6 weeks
3 months 2 weeks in se asia
7 months in oz
6 months in nz
we also dont have a flight home yet as we werent sure if we might go else where after nz
we plan to work for about half of our time in oz and half of our time in nz
il have to check out those websites thanks alot
If you are working them I’m sure you’ll be fine. Good luck!
Wow, I can’t believe how little you travel with.
Just discovered your site via Jetsetcitizen, really interesting.
Don’t forget you can wear extra clothes when you fly to help get round the baggage limit. You can also carry things in your pockets. The airlines don’t weigh the passengers – yet!
Amazing how little stuff you manage to live with. I don’t think I could go as far as just carry on luggage if I did what you’re doing,
but you’ve proved that it’s possible!
Good luck on your trips – Im looking forward to following you on your travels via your site.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Welcome to the site and thanks for reading.
We’ve been lucky that our carry-on bags have never been weighed so we haven’t had a problem taking them on planes. That is a good tip though. We actually feel like we still have too much stuff – there’s definitely things we could cut out!
Wow. I’m so glad you made this list, and have kept it updated! We just finished 7 months in a pop-up camper and are getting ready to hop a plane and start our Latin America tour. This, of course, requires a gear make-over! Your setup seems to be very close to what we have been envisioning…
I did notice one thing that caught my attention a bit. I see no phone. Obviously Skype and things like it allow for a lot of communication when you can sit down and have good bandwidth, but what about mobile? What if you two separate for errands and such? Just wondering how you handle that.
Glenn Dixon´s last post ..Wisconsin and the Dells
We have actually never travelled with a phone and don’t miss having one. There are a few occasions when it would be handy but that doesn’t happen often enough to justify carrying one. We aren’t apart that often but when we are we just do what people did in pre-mobile phone days and just arrange a place to meet etc. Most people we meet do carry phones though so it’s really up to you. We are so connected via the internet that we don’t really want to be even more connected.
Well I have to admit that not having to worry about a phone or SIM cards would certainly simplify things. But I do still plan on getting a data card for our mobile hotspot. As someone who happens to remember what it was like in those pre-mobile phone days, it’s a bit scary to consider going back voluntarily. Of course we’re also selling the last of our possessions, which most people would consider pretty scary, so…….
Glenn Dixon´s last post ..Anywhere in Texas, RFD
Simon would love an iPhone! But we can’t really justify the expense right now. There are times when having access to Google Maps on the go would be handy. We really don’t miss a phone though – we are just used to it.
Hi guys
Love reading your blog
I have one quick question I normally travel with a 25ltr day pack but that is for Asia no need for warm weather gear. Am of to South America next week so have up sized to a 40 ltr have you had any problems taking a bag this size onto any planes or buses ?
I lied 2nd question there was no email or digital cameras when I last travels for a long time what is the best way to store pictures safely while on the road ( not taking laptop only Iphone.)
Thanks in advance and Travel safe Matt
We have never had a problem taking Simon’s 40 litre onto planes or buses. Sometimes it doesn’t fit that well under bus seats and he has to sit with it between his knees. Not very comfortable but at least it’s secure.
It’s gettin’ serious folks! Bought some ultra-lightweight clothing yesterday at REI. One long-sleeved base layer shirt for me, and we each picked up a Sierra Designs microlight jacket that packs into a tiny sack. We also looked at backpacks but WOW there are a lot of choices. We were especially attracted to the packs that included separate daypacks, but I’m not sure how we’re going to handle that. We intend to stay for 90 days or so in each country, so I’m trying to determine our normal usage patterns. Will we need separate bags for the gadgets and laptops? Maybe, maybe not…
Glenn Dixon´s last post ..Anywhere in Texas, RFD
Glad to hear it Glenn! It took us sooo long to find a backpack! There is a lot of choice, and yet we found it tough to find exactly what we wanted. We are happy with our choices though.
We don’t have a separate daypack as all of our electronics can fit into our main bags. Most people can’t travel this light, but we find it a lot easier only having one bag to worry about. You will need something at the destination though for hikes and wandering around cities. We use a foldaway cotton shoulder bag, and when we need something sturdier (for longer hikes or taking the laptop to cafes) we empty out and use my main pack as it’s daypack size anyway.
It ultimately comes down to how light you can (or want to) travel. Good luck with it!
I must say, I found having a separate daypack was invaluable to carry and protect the laptop, as well as throw my coat in when days went from cold and rainy in the morning to blazing sunshine the afternoon.
Thanks for the insight into your personal world. It is such a contrast to the ‘norm’ of modern life where possessions are so highly prized. Very interesting post, thanks again
Sharon T´s last post ..Where To Work In Australia
Hi guys,
I just got back from a 2-month travel round Southern and Northern hemispheres, with a combined (large:55L / day-pack:15L) weight of 11Kgs.
Having such a capacious pack didn’t make any difference, as it was just packed less-full, and it actually allowed me to buy some running shoes halfway round as I was putting on weight! Running in each place I visited was great fun, and I have returned home much fitter
The number one thing I learned after a few weeks on the road was that you don’t need any more than the essentials! You’ll never play your travel chess, you’ll wear your smart shoes once, you’ll rarely wear your smart shirts, you don’t really that spare laptop battery!
My (final) bag contents was:
1 x light/warm jacket
1 x large packing cube: 2 jeans, 1 jumper
1 x large packing cube: 3 T-shirts & 2 shirts
1 x small compression sack: 5 x undies & 5 x socks
3 x footwear: running shoes, day trainers, flip flops
1 x small packing cube: cables, adapters, electronic extras
1 x small packing cube: toiletries & medicines
1 x travel-toiletries bag: toothbrush, paste, earplugs, etc
1 x 12″ laptop
I also bought a small USB-charged electric razor as I like the stubbly look, which was a great find.
Also, I can highly recommend the Osprey Farpoint packs, as they have a very clever design that allows them to remain VERY lightweight. Some of the packs I tried when shopping in real life were heavy when you picked them up empty – the Osprey is virtually weightless.
Anyway, thanks loads for your great travel tips and awesome blog.
PS. Simon, I’m also a web dev, and it’s great earning decent money as you travel – much easier and better-paid than picking fruit! Nice one!
Thanks for this Dave. It’s great to hear from others who are packing light too. Glad to see you’ve embraced packing cubes – they keep your stuff so organised. The Osprey packs sounds great.
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