Please note: The recommendations in this article are specific to long-term, minimalist, and one-bag travelers, and may not apply to all travelers.
1. Bring Less Clothes
This obvious, but often difficult-to-implement tip requires its own mini-list. There are hundreds of ways to do this... but since I'm trying to keep this list short, I'll give you the top five.
- Pack ONE week's worth of clothes max, and commit to doing laundry once a week, or go the minimalist route and wash your clothes every few days in the sink or shower.
- Pack ONE of every outfit type, for example, one hiking outfit, one workout outfit, one "going out" outfit, and one comfort/casual/lounge outfit. Once you have 2-4 outfits, add a second top, now you have 4-8 outfits. And once you've done that; try to consolidate your pants and shoes. Hiking + workout shoes; casual + everyday shoes; gym/swim/workout "hybrid" shorts, etc.
- Create a simple packing rule for yourself, for example, the 5-4-3-2-1 rule, 5x socks/underwear, 4x tops, 3x bottoms, 2x beers, 1x pair of shoes - you can adjust these numbers based on your final destination, but it's a good place to start.
- Layer! No packing advice would be complete without saying this, but cold climates don't require much more clothing than warm climates; one pair of pants, a hoodie, a puffer jacket, a hat, and gloves are plenty for the general traveler. You can take the same "summer" packing list and add just a few items to make yourself winter-ready.
- Stick to warm climates (I know, it's not always possible) but it's a well-known fact, that the hotter it is, the fewer clothes you need. Perhaps a more applicable piece of advice is to simply acknowledge the climate at your destination; if you're traveling to the beach, you can probably get away with 2-3 swimsuits and little else.
Check out 8 Tips for Packing Fewer Clothes for a deep-dive.
2. Bring the Right Clothes
Once you have your neutral-color, multi-functional outfits defined, it's time to upgrade your wardrobe.
Invest in high-quality, travel-specific apparel; clothes with anti-bacterial properties like Darn Tough socks, Exofficio underwear, Merino Wool shirts (SmartWool, Wool & Prince), etc. - these brands are designed to be worn multiple days in a row without washing - but even if you opt for "regular" clothes, you can still wear them multiple days in a row if you're not sweating profusely or rolling in mud. If you consider that insane, think about your bed sheets.
"If you consider that insane, think about your bed sheets."
Pro Tip: Hang your clothes in direct sunlight - UV light will naturally kill bacteria in as little as 20 minutes (up to ~6 hours). You have the world's best washer/dryer combo sitting outside your window, you can use it every day to cut your pack in half (weather permitting).
The biggest thing to remember is that comfort is king while traveling... if you bring twelve pairs of pants, I guarantee you'll be wearing the most comfortable pair 95% of the time, all the rest just take up space.
Note: Quick-dry apparel is great for shorts and pants (since you're presumably wearing underwear), but quick-dry shirts - which are typically right against your skin for extended periods - can hold on to odor, so we recommend lightweight, antibacterial nylon/polyester blends or Merino wool shirts and tops.
If you have the means (and need), consider a packable puffer jacket and/or rain jacket - or opt for a 3-in-1 rain poncho that can double as a beach mat.. (or my personal preference - don't go out in the rain, or deal with being wet, or buy a 30-cent poncho at the nearest convenience store).
Check out The Best Fabrics for Travel Apparel for specific recommendations.
3. Suffer at Airports
Wear your biggest items to the airport, pants, long socks, hoodies, hats, shoes, etc. If you're going to a mostly warm destination, but are worried about cold spells or rainy days, then wear your pants and long-sleeve to the airport, which helps keep your packable items as small as possible.
Note: This also means that when you get to your destination, even if it's 100 degrees (37.8 Celsius), you may have to wear your pants and long sleeves on travel days, and you'll be fine.
On the flip side, if you're running from the winter and flying to a mild or hot climate, leave your cold weather gear at home completely.
I once flew to Medellin in the middle of winter (a city nicknamed "Eternal Spring" for its year-round moderate temperatures - which means I wasn't packing pants) - I'll never forget standing on the tarmac in -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-15.5 Celsius) in my shorts and t-shirt - hoping for no delays.
"I'll never forget standing on the tarmac in -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-15.5 Celsius) in my shorts and t-shirt, praying for no delays."
Was it uncomfortable for five minutes? Yes. Did I look like an insane person? Yes. Was it worth it to fit everything into my 24L standard-issue Dell laptop bag with zero checked luggage? Absolutely.
If you're wearing a winter coat and pants just to get from the front door of your house into an Uber, you're doing it wrong.
4. Be Okay With Looking Like a Tourist
Utilize ugly convertible hiking pants as your “one pant” - you might hate yourself, but don't you kind of hate yourself a little already? Bite the bullet, look like a tourist, and save yourself the annoyance of an extra item in your bag.
The same concept applies across the board - pack comfortable, functional clothing, and forget about style -no one cares what you look like when you travel, you're going to look like a tourist no matter what you do, so you might as well use it to your advantage and minimize your pack.
5. Pack ONE Pair of Shoes (Okay, Maybe Two)
Pack one pair of comfortable trail-running shoes, they'll cover you for 95% of activities on any trip. You won't look as cute as you'd like, but hey, you're traveling, no one cares!
Side Note: If you do decide to pack multiple pairs of shoes, Xero Barefoot and Vevobarefoot offer great, space-saving options.
Check out How to Choose the Best Shoes for One-Bag-Travel for a deep-dive on shoe selection.
6. Minimize Toiletries
Simplify your bathroom routine. Can you survive with just mini mascara and eyeliner? Can you get away with a single bottle of all-purpose soap? Do you even need to bring soap? Answer: Probably not, if you're staying in private rooms, AirBnbs, or hotels.
You could take this to the extreme and not bring any toiletries; it may sound insane until you remember that you can find most of what you need at any convenience store.
Bonus: Hitting the malls, shopping centers, grocery stores, and convenience stores in a new country is one of the most rewarding things you can experience while traveling!
7. Pack Packable Packs
Phew, that's a mouthful, but what I mean is... exactly what I said. Packable day bags (check), packable fanny packs (check), packable tote bags (check) - these things take up almost no space, yet give you tons of flexibility for extra carrying capacity when you need it.. think grocery store runs, beach days, gym packs, short hikes, day tours, etc.
Many one-bag travelers are two-bag travelers in disguise, check out How to Choose the Right Backpack Size for One-Bag Travel for more details.
8. Forget The (Water) Bottle
Blasphemy, I know... it seems like everyone has a personalized stickered water bottle these days, but here's the deal.. many, if not most places, have questionable tap water, so you're going to be buying bottled or jugged water anyway.. there's a simple, easy, environmentally friendly solution:
Step 1) Buy a bottle of water on the first leg of your journey (ideally glass, since it's easier to recycle, but plastic is fine if you're worried about dropping it).
Step 2) Reuse that bottle of water for the rest of the trip.
There's a bonus here.. you won't care if you lose it, and you won't feel nearly as guilty if you forget your travel bottle and have to buy a new one. If tap water is a concern where you're staying, go to the grocery store, buy the biggest jug of water you can find, and fill up your "trip bottle" as needed.
If you're adamant about bringing a water bottle, consider a space-saving collapsible or foldable water bottle.
Check out The 14 Most Over-Packed Items for Long-Term Travel for more thoughts on what to leave behind.
9. One Cable to Rule Them All
Pack ONE power cable per charger type, or even better, a single split cable, I don’t even bring a portable charger with me anymore (but I understand some people are incapable of plugging in their phones at night), in that case, opt for a small, pocket-sized phone charger.
For the power-hungry digital nomads, I'm a big fan of the Anker Nano 6-in-1 Charging Station. I recommend Anker products for any charging needs; everyone's requirements are different and it would be impossible for me to recommend any one item that's perfect for everyone, so it's worth visiting their site and finding the right tool for your needs.
10. Follow THE RULE
Lastly, it all comes down to this.. follow the rule - the one rule, the ONLY rule that truly matters when it comes to packing, and it's simple.
If you're unsure if you'll need it, don't bring it.
You're traveling to an airport, so you're traveling to a place where people live, the people who live there need things to survive (specific to their location/weather/climate), i.e. you can purchase whatever you need to survive in that location, wherever you are in the world.
I'm guilty of this too, but it's amazing how easy it is to forget.
If you're traveling to the beach, you can buy cheap towels, sandals, sunglasses, hats, etc. from any shop along the coast.
If you're traveling to the mountains, you can buy hats, jackets, gloves, shoe spikes, etc. everything you could need to stay comfortable in inclement weather.
If you're traveling to the Amazon, you can buy mosquito nets, long-sleeve shirts, and piranha repellent when and where you need it.
I could keep going, but hopefully, you get the point - anything you could need is available - if you need it, when you need it.
If you're not sure about something, leave it behind, you probably don't need it, but if you do need it, someone will have it - it's as simple as that.
Check out 6 Simple Packing Rules to Minimize Your Pack for more a minimalist's manifesto.
Conclusion
That's it folks, the only packing guide you'll ever need - until the proliferation of wearable multi-screen contacts, haptic gloves, and Elon's mind-reading brain implants, at which point, your backpack will get even smaller. Can't wait.
As always, happy travels.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1563624/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7064263/#:~:text=Sunlight%20has%20long%20been%20recognized,and%20to%20many%20aquatic%20environments.