Minimalist Packing for Long-Term Travellers
I’ve been travelling full-time since May of 2023, so I’ve perfected the art of minimalist living.
When I first began my nomadic lifestyle, I left with one large suitcase, one small (carry-on size) suitcase, and a backpack. I’ve since cut it down to just one large suitcase, my backpack, and a tote bag for extras.
You soon learn that you can live with much less than you think, especially when you have to keep unpacking/repacking every few weeks and carrying all your luggage from place to place.
In this guide, I break down exactly what I travel with as a full-time nomad!
Backpacks & Suitcases
When I was 21 and backpacked Australia for a year, I travelled with a traditional “backpacker’s backpack”. Six months in I traded it for a suitcase (the backpack life was not for me). So I knew when I was leaving to pursue travel full-time at age 29, I would be taking suitcases.
These are the exact suitcases I travel with now:
The American Tourister Curio Spinner Large and the American Tourister Curio Spinner Carry-On:
Yes I have yellow suitcases (you can always spot it right away at baggage claim!). These suitcases have held up very well for me so far, and they come with a 10 year global warranty.
For backpacks, I travel with my Herschel backpack. I love the look of the Herschel brand and think their products are very good quality.
Packing Cubes, Packing Cubes, Packing Cubes!
I absolutely swear by packing cubes, and they help keep my clothes organized so well. You can buy packing cubes lots of places now, even Amazon.
Personally, I use three main cubes and keep them organized as follows:
Shirts
Pants
Pyjamas & workout clothes
For underwear and socks, I use two mesh laundry bags to keep these items all together and easy to find.
My large items like my sweaters I roll up as tightly as I can and squeeze them in between the packing cubes in my suitcase.
Minimalist Packing: Clothes
When you’re travelling full-time, it’s important to have clothes and outfits that you can mix and match, and ideally lightweight.
Here are all the clothes I travel with:
10 x T-shirts, 10 x Tank Tops
6 x Pairs of Pyjamas
2 x Sweatpants, 2 x Jeans, 2 x Other Cotton Trousers
2 x Leggings, 1 x Workout (shorter) Leggings
4 x Sweaters, 3 x Cardigans
2 x Dresses
1 x Demin Jacket, 1 x Rain Jacket
1 x Swimsuit
Underwear & Socks (don’t keep count of these honestly)
For shoes, I own one pair of Vessi sneakers which are my day-to-day shoes (I highly recommend Vessi!), one pair of Adidas running shoes, one pair of slip-on sandals, and a pair of comfy slippers. That’s it!
Other Travel Essentials
In addition to clothes, here are other items I pack in my suitcase:
Two microfibre towels (one body size and one for hair)
Toiletries. I try to keep these minimalist too, I usually have: shampoo, conditioner, face wash, moisturizer, mouthwash, toothpaste, and micellar water.
Makeup and electric toothbrush
A travel neck pillow
Small hot water bottle
Crochet hooks & stitch markers (I like to crochet and order Woobles kits a couple times a year)
Three small stuffed animals
Two reusable shopping bags
Baseball cap, beanie, scarf and gloves
An Airtag
What’s In My Backpack
I mainly use my backpack for all my electronics and fragile items that I don’t want to pack in a suitcase:
Laptop (I have a 13-inch MacBook Pro)
iPad and Kobo e-reader
This Herschel tech organizer that I keep all my charging cables and adapters in
Mug (I like to take my favourite mug everywhere to have coffee in)
Bluetooth Speaker
Handheld Luggage Scale (super handy to have!)
I also carry a tote bag, which has my essential items like purse, wallet, passports, sunglasses, and water bottle (and any last minute things I forget to pack get thrown in here).
Packing Light
Remember, you can always buy what you need at your destination.
You don’t need to pack everything “just in case” even when travelling long-term.
Items like period products, sunscreen and electric toothbrush heads I don’t travel with all the time, and just buy them when I need them.
Living this type of lifestyle means I can’t purchase much because I literally do not have the space for it in my suitcase. I can buy the odd souvenir t-shirt here and there, but larger items are basically off limits (however this does help me save money too).
One souvenir I do buy in every place I go is an iron-on/sew-on patch. I’ve turned my denim jacket into a wearable souvenir!
To Sum Up
You truly don’t need as much stuff as you think you do, I promise. If you’re planning to leave for long-term travel soon, keep track of the clothes you wear on a regular basis, and only pack these ones. Don’t bring items you only wear once or twice a year. If you’re travelling in a warmer climate first, don’t pack a winter jacket because these are so annoying to carry around when you don’t need it. Instead, buy one if or when you need it (even at a thrift store, for example).
Every 6-12 months, if you feel like you’d like some new clothes, donate some of your old ones to make room in your suitcase for new purchases.
If you have any questions about minimalist packing, what I pack, or travelling long-term in general, feel free to contact me here!
Happy Travelling :)