Packing List: Everything You Need to Travel the World

In travel, a lot of things go wrong, but one thing that went right was my packing list. I had absolutely everything I needed with me.

On the flip side, I had absolutely everything I needed with me. It was a lot to carry and a pretty penny to check when flying.

I’m not entirely sure how I would do it differently, to be honest. I was traveling indefinitely, across climates, in cities and camping in nature, and there was a variety of gear I needed to suit each occasion. Were there things I didn’t pack that would have been nice to have? Sure, but I didn’t have the space. I barely had the space – and some might argue I didn’t have the space – for the need-to-haves. 

I've created for you two lists: one for backpackers, and one for globetrotters with suitcases. 

I share these lists as a jumping off point. For example:

• You could definitely not bring everything you need with you, and buy things as you go, such as shampoo, and sunscreen. (My reason for packing quite a lot of sunscreen in particular is that in 2017 I had skin cancer, and in many countries where I traveled, quality sunscreen was not available.)
• You could definitely bring fewer clothes and do laundry more frequently or re-wear dirty items. (My number of clothes was set based on long hikes and how long I expected to be in between laundry facilities.) 

How to pack depends on the trip and the traveler, really. I've included some questions you can ask yourself as you are packing for your specific trip to be sure that you have what you need, and nothing more. My two pieces of advice that I can’t underscore enough:

• I wouldn’t recommend bringing more than what you see below.
• Do a test packing day well before your trip to get a feel for the weight and space of your bags and whether you want to make changes.

Here’s what my lists looks like packed:

I actually traveled with a combination of both lists below (minus the places where the list duplicates itself). It made travel days physically painful to carry so much stuff in between planes, trains and automobiles, and over time, that second – and sometimes third, due to international carriers' aggressive carryon weight restrictions – checked bag fee added up. I've since split what I bring with me into two packing lists that represent two different styles of trips: the camping and backpacking trip, and the everything else trip.

Backpacking Packing List

The One Giant Backpack Approach

Containers

• One Giant Hiking Backpack (65L is what I chose)
• One Giant Duffel Bag: To put the backpack in. It's great for flying and bus travel to protect the outside of the bag and the waist straps. Mine folded up into a square that I could easily attach to my backpack with a carabiner when I was wearing the backpack.
• One Giant Raincover for your Hiking Backpack
• Daypack and/or fanny pack for during the day
• Compression packing cubes
• Drybag: You'll need this if you have any down feather items or electronics you want to protect.
• Small key lock for hostel lockers and/or your suitcase.

Wearables

• Clothes and undergarments for 7-9 Days
  • What will the weather be like where you are going?
  • What are the local customs around how much skin you can show without drawing attention? Do you need to bring any special coverings for religious sites?
  • What kind of activities are you planning to do? Hiking? Camping? Beach? Or are you sticking to city life?
  • Will you workout while you travel? 
• Outerwear to consider
  • Down jacket
  • Fleece sweater
  • Fleece pants
  • Rain jacket
  • Rain pants
  • Plastic Rain Ponchos (disposable)
  • Ear muffs or beanie
  • Scarf
  • Gloves
• Bathing suit
• Pajamas
• Shoes
  • Hiking shoes if hiking, or just sneakers
  • Flip flops: I always pack a pair of cheap flip flops for hostel showers and the beach.
  • Closed toe waterproof sandals: These are great especially if you are doing a lot of water-based activities, but also as a nice shoe to change into with socks after a long day of hiking.
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Facemasks: Not necessarily for infectious disease, but good for that too. I found these were good to have when riding the back of a motorcycle, to keep me from breathing in too much dust and exhaust.

Medical & Personal Hygiene

• Toiletries
  • Toothbrush & paste
  • Hairbrush & hair ties
  • Deodorant
  • Shampoo/conditioner/body wash
  • Wash cloth or loofah
  • Face wash
  • Moisturizer
  • Razor & shaving cream
  • Period preference: Tampons, pads, menstrual cup, period undies
  • Bug spray
  • Sunscreen for body and face
  • SPF Chapstick
• Medicine: I bring everything I can anticipate needing with me, as sometimes what you want is not available in the country you are traveling (or perhaps it is, but not at a good price).
  • Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen
  • Travel Prescriptions: I recommend visiting a travel clinic at least 60 days before you travel to make sure that you are up to date on any vaccines you may need for where you are traveling, as well as to pick up any special prescriptions to prevent disease, such as malaria.
    • Food Poisoning: I recommend Ciprofloxacin, works like a charm, but lately I've been having trouble getting the doctors to prescribe it to me, so if you haven't used it before and don't have a preference yet, just take whatever they give you.
    • High-Altitude, for hiking usually
    • Other disease-prevention such as malaria pills.
  • Probiotics and Electrolyte tablets: I bring these for particularly bad cases of traveler’s diarrhea but also good for hikes.
  • Pepto-Bismol or Tums for lighter cases of stomach issues
  • Benadryl and/or Hydrocortisone cream for allergic reactions
  • Other medicine you might want:
    • Seasonal allergy pills
    • Vitamins?
    • Lactaid pills?
    • Eye drops?
    • Birth control?
• First Aid Kit
  • Antiseptic wipes
  • Antibacterial ointment
  • Bandages
  • Gauze pads
  • Medical tape
  • Tweezers 

Camping

• Tent
• Sleeping Pad (inflatable)
• Lightweight Yoga Mat: I used this as a “floor” in my tent but also I did yoga.
• Sleeping Bag
• Sleeping Bag Liner
• Pillow (inflatable)
• Carabiners
• Multitool
• Headlamp, extra batteries
• Solar lantern (inflatable)
• Binoculars 
• Travel cutlery
• Collapsible Bowl, Cup
• SteriPEN or other water purifying system
• Reusable Water Bottles
• Trash Bag(s), Ziplock Bags: you never know when you might need to separate wet and dry items.
• Toilet paper: 1/4 roll for when it isn't available.
• Travel-sized tissues
• Laundry Supplies
• Disinfecting wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Bath wipes: for when you can’t shower but you need a shower.
• Quick dry towel or Turkish towel
• Earplugs, eyemask
• Snacks you love from home such as trail mix or protein bars
• Hand and toe warmers for high-altitude hikes (thank me later)

Electronics

• Cell phone and headphones with audio jack
• Travel electronics organizer
• Paperclip for swapping SIM cards (if applicable)
• Journal, Pen
• Kindle or Book
• Solar charger and portable power bank
• Charging cables
  • Cell phone
  • Kindle
  • SteriPEN
  • Portable power bank
• AirFly
• Wall plug adapters
• Power Converter
• SSD: file storage
• Travel Router: Extra security for public wifi, extender for wifi, also can be used for laptop-free photo transfers (more on this in my gear reviews post).
• VPN: Not exactly something you “pack” but also can be used as extra security for public wifi. I found it essential to have this to get access to my bank accounts while abroad.

Money & Identification

• Passport and Passport Color Photocopies: Once I clear the border, I never ever carry around my passport while out and about. It stays locked away in my code locked suitcase while I carry around the color photocopy. The photocopy is almost always sufficient. 
• Wallet-sized Passport Photos: These used to be needed more commonly for visa applications, but now a lot of those are done in advance online. It is still handy to have a few with you, just in case. I had to use one in France, for example, to get a public transit card.
• Emergency Contact Info Slips: I tuck a few of these in various places just in case something happens to me.
• Travel and/or Health Insurance Card
• Vaccination Record: Not the white COVID card, though you might want to carry that too. You often need to carry the yellow vaccination booklet with you to prove you received certain travel vaccines as you clear passport control. 
• Driver’s License: If you plan to rent a car. Note that in some countries you may need to have this translated to the local language.  In the U.S. you can get an International Driving Permit in person at AAA for a $20 fee. It is valid for one year.
• Student ID, if applicable, for museums and other discounted tickets
• USD Cash
• Travel credit card(s)
• Debit card(s)
• RFID blocking travel wallet

Suitcase Packing List

The "Whatever Fits in the Rental Car" Approach

Containers

• Big Checked Suitcase: Ideally this suitcase size doesn’t allow you to pack more than 20 kilos/46 lbs to meet international requirements.
• Small Carryon Suitcase: This must meet international sizing and weight requirements, which are smaller than the U.S. Also best to pack it under 10 kilos for those times when they check the weight.
• Daypack and/or fanny pack for during the day
• Compression packing cubes
• Small key lock for hostel lockers and/or your suitcase

Wearables

• Clothes and undergarments for 10-14 Days
  • What will the weather be like where you are going?
  • What are the local customs around how much skin you can show without drawing attention? Do you need to bring any special coverings for religious sites?
  • What kind of activities are you planning to do? Hiking? Camping? Beach? Or are you sticking to city life?
  • Will you workout while you travel? 
  • Will you need anything for a fancy dinner or night out? 
• Outerwear to consider
  • Down jacket
  • Fleece sweater
  • Fleece pants
  • Rain jacket
  • Rain pants
  • Plastic Rain Ponchos (disposable)
  • Ear muffs or beanie or both if you want an athletic option and a cute option.
  • Scarf
  • Gloves (athletic and cute/city option)
• Bathing suit & coverup
• Pajamas
• Shoes: I never pack more than 4 pairs of shoes, one of which is typically flat flip flops, and one of which I wear on the plane, so really maximum 2 pairs of “bulky” shoes are going in the suitcase.
  • Hiking shoes if hiking
  • Winter boots if somewhere cold
  • Sneakers or a comfy shoe for walking around in cities
  • Flip flops: I always pack a pair of cheap flip flops for hostel showers and the beach.
  • Closed toe waterproof sandals: These are great especially if you are doing a lot of water-based activities, but also as a nice shoe to change into with socks after a long day of hiking
  • Dressy shoes for fancy dinners or nights out
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Facemasks: just in case
• Umbrella

Medical & Personal Hygiene

• Toiletries
  • Toothbrush & paste
  • Hairbrush & hair ties
  • Deodorant
  • Shampoo/conditioner/body wash
  • Wash cloth or loofah
  • Face wash
  • Moisturizer
  • Razor & shaving cream
  • Period preference: Tampons, pads, menstrual cup, period undies
  • Bug spray
  • Sunscreen for body and face
  • SPF Chapstick
  • Makeup and makeup remover
  • Travel-sized perfume
• Medicine: I bring everything I can anticipate needing with me, as sometimes what you want is not available in the country you are traveling (or perhaps it is, but not at a good price).
  • Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen
  • Travel Prescriptions: I recommend visiting a travel clinic at least 60 days before you travel to make sure that you are up to date on any vaccines you may need for where you are traveling, as well as to pick up any special prescriptions to prevent disease, such as malaria.
    • Food Poisoning: I recommend Ciprofloxacin, works like a charm, but lately I've been having trouble getting the doctors to prescribe it to me, so if you haven't used it before and don't have a preference yet, just take whatever they give you.
    • High-Altitude, for hiking usually
    • Other disease-prevention such as malaria pills
  • Probiotics and Electrolyte tablets: I bring these for particularly bad cases of traveler’s diarrhea but also good for hikes.
  • Pepto-Bismol or Tums for lighter cases of stomach issues
  • Benadryl and/or Hydrocortisone cream for allergic reactions
  • Other medicine you might want:
    • Seasonal allergy pills
    • Vitamins?
    • Lactaid pills?
    • Eye drops?
    • Birth control?
• First Aid Kit
  • Antiseptic wipes
  • Antibacterial ointment
  • Bandages
  • Gauze pads
  • Medical tape
  • Tweezers 

Usables

• Lightweight Yoga Mat (I have one I can fold up into my carryon)
• Binoculars 
• SteriPEN or other water purifying system
• Reusable Water Bottles
• Trash Bag(s), Ziplock Bags: you never know when you might need to separate wet and dry items.
• Toilet paper (1/4 roll)
• Travel-sized tissues
• Laundry Supplies
• Disinfecting wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Quick dry towel or Turkish towel
• Earplugs, eyemask
• Snacks you love from home such as trail mix or protein bars
• Hand and toe warmers for high-altitude hikes (thank me later)

Electronics

• Laptop and protective carrying case
• Cell phone and AirPods or other headphones
• Travel electronics organizer
• Paperclip for swapping SIM cards (if applicable)
• Journal, Pen
• Kindle or Book
• Solar charger and portable power bank
• Charging cables
  • Laptop
  • Cell phone
  • AirPods
  • Kindle
  • SteriPEN
  • Portable power bank
• AirFly 
• Wall plug adapters
• Power Converter
• SSD: file storage
• Travel Router: Extra security for public wifi, extender for wifi, also can be used for laptop-free photo transfers (more on this in my gear reviews post).
• VPN: Not exactly something you “pack” but also can be used as extra security for public wifi. I found it essential to have this to get access to my bank accounts while abroad.

Money & Identification

• Passport and Passport Color Photocopies: Once I clear the border, I never ever carry around my passport while out and about. It stays locked away in my code locked suitcase while I carry around the color photocopy. The photocopy is almost always sufficient. 
• Wallet-sized Passport Photos: These used to be needed more commonly for visa applications, but now a lot of those are done in advance online. It is still handy to have a few with you, just in case. I had to use one in France, for example, to get a public transit card.
• Emergency Contact Info Slips: I tuck a few of these in various places just in case something happens to me.
• Travel and/or Health Insurance Card
• Vaccination Record: Not the white COVID card, though you might want to carry that too. You often need to carry the yellow vaccination booklet with you to prove you received certain travel vaccines as you clear passport control. 
• Driver’s License: If you plan to rent a car. Note that in some countries you may need to have this translated to the local language. In the U.S. you can get an International Driving Permit in person at AAA for a $20 fee. It is valid for one year.
• Student ID, if applicable, for museums and other discounted tickets
• USD Cash
• Travel credit card(s)
• Debit card(s)
• RFID blocking travel wallet
• Paper copy of travel itinerary, including flight, hotel, transportation booking numbers and relevant contact information

Free Packing Checklists You Can Print

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