What & How To Pack For Long Term Travel

If you’re planning a long term trip or are interested in long term travel, you’ve likely wondered, “what do you even pack for long term travel?”

Companion to that question is, “how do I pack for long term travel,” and “what’s actually important to bring on a long trip?

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When we were planning to leave our jobs and go on a 6 month trip and experience long term travel, I had some big questions. 

And I didn’t personally know anyone I could ask who had done anything like what we were trying to do.

So, I went to the internet looking for answers and quite frankly, didn’t find a ton of relevant information.

Sure, there are posts and videos talking about backpacking and how to shove absolutely every inch of a 60L backpack full of stuff and then break your back while carrying it around the world. 

But, we weren’t planning to backpack and were really going for a different style of travel. We decided we would each be taking one carry-on sized roller suitcase and one backpack. 

Our travel style could be described as comfortable budget travel. Basically, budget travel combined with the comforts we enjoy to create a sustainable style of travel for a long term trip.

The details of what we packed for long term travel can be applied to almost any travel style though, just adapt it for you.

To help you figure out what the heck to pack for your long term trip, we’re going to talk through all the considerations and questions to ask yourself while planning to make sure you have what you need when you embark on this amazing journey!

*For the purpose of this post, we’re going to define long term travel as continuous travel for 2 or more months.*

How To Figure Out What You Need

The best way to figure out what you need to pack for long term travel is to ask yourself the following questions.

Write out your answers and keep them with you as you pack. If any items come to mind while answering these questions, write those down too.

1. What is your travel style? (budget, luxury, backpacker, outdoor adventure, urban, etc.) It may be a mix of a few of these
2. What is your clothing style (do you like to dress nicely, do you not care what you wear, or somewhere in between?)
3. What are some of the activities you imagine yourself doing or are planning to do? (hiking, beach days, horseback riding, walking tours, road trips, photos, etc.)
4. What are comfort items that you cannot imagine traveling without?
5. What are you afraid of not having or leaving behind?
6. Are there any health or other concerns that would require you to bring specific items? (sanitary products, epi-pen, or other)
7. What climates are you planning to visit? Are you sticking to one or planning to hit multiple?

Decide What’s Worth The Weight

You’re going to be lugging this stuff around for the entirety of your trip, with the odd reprieve of checking a bag on a flight. So, you need to be picky about what you bring, because you have limited space!

Figure out what you really need. Like, really need. Because there might be a lot of stuff you want, but don’t need. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

This is especially true for your backpack because that crap can make your back hurt like nobody’s business real fast. 

Leave behind anything that is going to be a waste of space in your bags.

Remember that you can always leave stuff behind as you go! 

In Scotland, I bought a new coat because the Zara one I bought in Budapest was just not cutting it. I gave my old coat to our B&B host and asked if she knew of anywhere it could be donated. She took it off my hands and hopefully it’s now in the hands of someone who needs it more than me!

Practice Packing Before You Leave

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Packing For One Week In Europe, Summer & Winter
10 Tips to Pack Efficiently in Your Carry-On
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This might sound silly if you aren’t the type of person who would just do this naturally, but I promise you need to do this! 

You would regret it if you did not practice packing before you left, only to find yourself on the floor of your room one day before your flight out of the country, freaking out because everything you want to bring doesn’t fit, and you don’t know where to put your deodorant, and it’s all a mess!!!!

Don’t let that happen to you.

You need to pack and unpack and repack multiple times before you go on a long term trip and have it down to a science to make the very most of your space. 

There should be a place for everything and everything should have its place, down to the last item!

Not only will this keep you organized, it will also make repacking your bags for the 30th time while on your trip that much easier. You will unpack and repack so many times that you won’t be able to help but create a system to make it make sense.

Plus, practicing packing before your trip will help you decide what can come with you and what will have to stay.

You Can Buy Almost Anything Abroad

A quick word on question number 5 above. You can buy almost anything you need while you are traveling. 

Of course there are items that are very difficult to track down and places that are more remote than others. 

But, generally you will be able to find the things you need or want while you are abroad. 

For example, I got a rash on my neck while we were in Turkey (gross, I know). And I was worried that I would not be able to find medicine that I recognized to treat it. But, I walked into a pharmacy there, asked the pharmacist using the Google Translate app, and got exactly what I needed. 

Sure, it required a little faith (and a lot of googling the products), but I got the job done!

We also walked into a hospital in Turkey and were prescribed antibiotics for food poisoning. Before we left home, we were sure to get travel insurance for instances like this!

In every country we visited on our trip, I was able to find tampons and other sanitary products (although be aware that many countries do not sell plastic tampons which can be an interesting experience for the first time.)

I found curly hair products in many countries, medicine I recognized or the equivalent, and clothing stores with everything you could think of.

It can be a misconception (especially for us westerners) that countries other than our own do not have the same amenities or conveniences. In most cases, it’s just not true!

What To Pack For A Long Term Trip

What you decide to pack for long term travel is going to depend on a lot of variables, like where you’re going, what activities you’ll be doing, and all the other considerations I listed above. 

But, I’m going to try to help as best I can and provide two hypothetical packing lists to give you an idea of what I, someone who has been on a long term trip, would pack. 

This is not an exhaustive list with undies and stuff because you can figure out how many undies you need! It’s just items that are important to bring and you don’t want to forget!

These lists will be weather based, so there will be one warm weather and one cold weather list.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you’re not packing for 6 months or however long you’re traveling, you’re packing for 2 weeks. You wear those 2 weeks worth of clothes, do laundry, rinse, repeat. 

Tips For Choosing What Clothes To Bring On A Long Term Trip

1. Bring multipurpose items (like a sarong that can also be a beach coverup, towel, pillow, etc.) 
2. Do spend the money on good quality stuff that will last you through the entire trip.
3. If you don’t absolutely love it, leave it behind. 
4. Layer, layer, layer.
5. Pack like you’re going for 2 weeks, and then when you get low on undies, do laundry and repeat!
6. Remember that you have limited space, be picky.
7. You have to be practical and bring what you will actually wear!
8. Capsule wardrobe: aka, make sure everything can be worn with everything else so you have endless outfit options.
9. Remember you can buy things while you travel!

Read Also:
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What To Pack For A Long Term Trip In Warm Weather

Shoes

• Water shoes: something like these Tevas will be the best option because they’re cute and can be worn outside of water situations, but also act as great water shoes as well.
• Sandals: be sure you get good walking sandals.
• Sneakers: it’s important to always have at least one closed toed shoe option. I would wear these on travel days to save room in your bag and to make running for your plane or train a little easier 🙂 If you’re planning to do some serious hiking, you can bring hiking boots in addition to these or to serve this purpose as well.

Clothes

• Bathing suits: if you only bring one, it will always be wet. But, you don’t need more than two or three because they’ll just take up space. 
• Pants: in some parts of the world, like Turkey for example, wearing pants is more appropriate than shorts or skirts, especially for women. It’s good to have a pair of comfortable pants, not skin tight jeans, to wear for such occasions. 
• Long dresses or skirts: again, more versatile than their shorter counterparts.
• Shorts: bring a mix of casual or nice shorts for just walking around plus some athletic ones that you can wear for activities.
• Tops: bring a mix of casual or nice tops for dinners or just walking around, and some that can be used for athletic activities. Also be sure to bring items you can layer.
• Rain jacket: bring a packable rain jacket that will save you in times that you can’t avoid the rain. An umbrella is difficult when you need your hands free for other things.

Accessories 

• Towel: make it double as a beach coverup for a multipurpose item that will serve you well. Something like this sarong can serve many purposes on your trip!
• Beach bag: a tote or some other collapsible bag is great for the beach as well as groceries, laundry, or other purchases. 
• Sunglasses: don’t bring your nicest pair, but get a good pair that will last the whole trip, I love these from Le Specs that I brought on our 6 month trip.
• Body Glide: for my thick thigh ladies like myself, get you some of this I promise it will save your life.

What To Pack For A Long Term Trip In Cold Weather

Shoes

• Boots: probably the most important thing you’ll bring is a good pair of boots that keep your feet warm and keep blisters far away. I swear by my Blundstones! Plus, they slip on and off making them great for airport security.
• Sneakers: something more casual that you can wear for big walking days that aren’t as bulky as your boots. Shoes take up a ton of space so 2 pairs for cold weather might be the best option.

Clothes

• Coat: most important is a good coat, and ideally something that can pack away easily. Don’t skimp on this! And get one with a hood for when it rains.
• Layering shirts: long sleeve and short sleeve shirts to layer under sweaters so you can stay as warm as possible, but also be able to strip down to your base layer if you end up getting hot. 
• Sweaters: bring some good wool sweaters, like this Everlane one, that will keep your temperature regulated in the cold and when you’re warm inside.
• Gloves: you’re really going to want some, I promise! Get some with the tech fingers so you can keep using your phone with them on.
• A hat or beanie
• Wool socks: they keep your feet the right temperature and are less likely to smell than cotton socks.
• Fleece pants or leggings: if it will be very cold where you are, jeans or leggings just won’t cut it. Lined pants or leggings will be a much better option to keep you warm!

Accessories

• Sunglasses: just cause it’s cold doesn’t mean it isn’t sunny.
• Umbrella or parka: an umbrella can work, but it’s annoying when you really need both hands. A parka style cover like this will work better and go over your coat. 

Other Things To Be Sure To Pack

• Sound machine: if you like to sleep with a fan or not, a sound machine will help you sleep in loud hostels or airbnbs. 
• Crossbody bag: keeps your valuables close and ready at hand while you’re moving!
• First aid kit: basic stuff like bandaids, Neosporin, Benadryl.
• Headphones: small ones are easiest to pack and take up the least amount of space.
• Laundry bag: whether this is a packing cube you use for dirty laundry or a mesh bag, keep your dirty clothes separate to keep your clothes clean longer
• Scent sheets: this sounds strange, but it will help mask the scent of your dirty socks… They pack easily too!
• Universal adapter: be able to use the plugs in any country. This one has traveled to 20 countries and still works great!
• Travel jewelry box
• Wrinkle eraser: you can get a travel size of this spray at Target! Keeps your clothes looking nice on the go!
• Kindle: if you like to read (or would like to read more) a Kindle is the best way to bring books with you on the go. Pair it with a Kindle Unlimited Subscription and you’re ready to go!
• Copies of documents: have digital and physical copies of all your documents (ie. passports, vaccine records, insurance, etc.)
• Important Phone Numbers: if you don’t already know your emergency contact’s phone number by heart, write it down in a notebook that you keep with you in the event your phone dies and you can’t charge it. Also, embassy numbers where you’re visiting!

If you’re bringing any large electronics like a camera or laptop computer, don’t forget the necessary chargers, and pack these items in your carry-on so they’re safer. 

Packing Tips For Long Term Travel

1. Use compression packing cubes
2. Bring a suitcase with compression straps: brought this one to 18 countries and is still like new!
3. Buy a hanging toiletries bag
4. Keep your charging cords and electronics in one place, like this tech case.
5. Roll your clothes when packing!
6. Use the space inside your shoes for socks, perfume bottles, or other small items.
7. Wear your bulkiest items on the plane.
8. Attach large items to the outside of your backpack or carry on (sandals, hats, packable jackets, hiking boots)
9. Use a pill box to organize any small items you need to bring (can also double as a jewelry box).
10. It’s all about being efficient. Bring the travel size version of anything you can, and get creative!

If you have questions about how or what to pack for long term travel, comment them below!