packing for long term travel

“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” – Albert Einstein

After telling people that I’m traveling for about six months, after maybe a question of “why?” or a “you’re going alone?” I am asked “what are you bringing with you?” Before I became obsessed with South America, I figured, meh, besides what I’ll need for Patagonia, I’ll be there during their summer so I’ll just jaunt around in shorts and dresses every day! Um, I was wrong. Really wrong. Take Quito for example: located in Ecuador, also known as República del Ecuador. So I assumed it would be blazing hot any time of year… then I see the temperature is 45° to 65°F year round. On the freaking equator?! So needless to say, I learned altitude in many places in South America is no joke.

So what I have mostly realized, is that I’m packing for basically every single season. In one backpack (well, plus a day pack). Since I already own a hiking backpack for my camping trips, I will be taking my Deuter 45+10L to live out of for the next months. The fit is meant for a woman’s body and it fits me like a glove. If you have an outdoor store near you (such as REI), I recommend going in person and finding the pack that fits your body best.

I was in need of the new daypack earlier this year, and once REI’s anniversary sale popped up, I jumped on REI’s 22L Flash. I’ve taken it on tons of day hikes since then, and it has been nothing but great. My weekend purse was just a small one that didn’t fit much more than my wallet so I was also in need of a new black purse that was big enough to fit my camera in it, however small that it really didn’t fit much else so I would not be lugging around extra things all day. My birthday was conveniently earlier this month and I received this black purse from my sister.

Now on to the real packing list!

By no means do I consider myself a trendy or stylish person. In fact, I hate shopping, and value comfort a lot, so most of the time if I’m not at work, I’m wearing leggings. However, knowing that I have to wear the same clothes, for numerous climates, for months is pretty nerve wracking! I read on some blog a few weeks ago something along the lines of, “as a long term traveler, you will constantly see travelers who are a lot more stylish than you. You need to remember that almost all these people are not traveling for months like you are, but instead on a 2 week vacation with one climate.” I mean yes, but ugh, I don’t want to look dumpy every day! And not only this, but I plan to do a lot of outdoor activities and my packing list will need to reflect this. 

Below you’ll find the clothing for a female long term traveler who likes to do a lot of adventuring, yet does like to look halfway decent every now and then. Will I miss those second pair of jeans? That stylish fall coat? (That non frizzy hair?!) Of course, but when you’re traveling light, you just can’t take it all. If you know me, you know one of my favorite things in life are lists! And this list has been a long time coming as I’ve been jotting down items in my bullet journal since August!

 

adventure gear

• Waterproof Phone Case – I even use this sometimes if I’m just out and about in the rain
• Gloves
• Beanie
• Buff – scarf, headband, hand towel… the uses are endless
• Headlamp – not just for outdoor adventures, but think of trying to find something in your bag late at night or reading
• Windbreaker (Patagonia Houdini) – rolls up into its own pocket so it is perfect for carrying around in my purse
• Puffy Coat (Uniqlo) – not the most stylish winter coat, but packs down so small
• Rain Coat (Patagonia Torrentshell) – if it wasn’t obvious, the lavender items were on sale when I purchased 
• Fleece Lined Leggings
• Smartwool 250 Baselayer
• Smartwool 250 Baselayer Bottoms
• Fleece Hoodie (Melanzana) – Melanzana is a small company based out of Colorado that hand makes every item. Melazana also means eggplant in Italian… you should probably buy this hoodie
• Wool socks
• Dry bags
• Polarized sunnies

 

athletic gear

• Yoga capris
• Numerous sports bras – because honestly, I’ll probably wear these even on non-adventure days
• Running shorts
• Wool Tshirt
• 1 quick dry tshirt
• 1 quick dry long sleeve
• 2 tank tops – 1 cotton and 1 quick dry
• Swimsuit
• Running Belt – I’m being optimistic I’ll have the motivation to explores cities by going on runs

 

urban wear

• One pair of jeans
• Leggings (Girlfriend Collective) – the best leggings I’ve ever owned!
• Olive pants (prAna Meme)
• Jean shorts
• 3 cotton tanks
• 3 “fancy” tanks (to be honest, I’m not quite sure what is the determining factor on something being “fancy” is)
• 2 cotton long sleeves
• 1 “fancy” blouse (Uniqlo) – anti-wrinkle!
• 3 cotton tshirts
• 1 “fancy” tshirt
• 1 superfine wool sweater
• 1 cardigan
• 1 dress – my closet is full of neutrals, so I’m trying hard to include a couple bright items
• Underwear – I plan to bring about 2 weeks worth… in order to have to do real laundry as least often as possible
• Bralettes – all about that comfort life

 

shoes

When it comes to shoes, it was one of the hardest things for me to narrow down because they take up so much space!

• Hiking Boots (Ahnu Sugarpine) – some people may opt for trail runners which cover hiking/sneakers, but I need ankle support… luckily these are super lightweight
• Mesh Sneakers
• Fancy, but hippie sandals (Teva) – I’m an old lady who just wants happy feet
• Nice boots – I’ve been debating this one for a while, but honestly boots are all I want to wear once it hits 60 at home, so why would I not want to in South America as well?!
• Chacos – I wear these every.single.day. currently… all about that crunchy life
• Of course, socks too!

 

electronics

• Chromebook
• Wireless Mouse
• Samsung S8 – make sure to see if your phone is unlocked for SIM card use… if not, look into buying a cheap phone there
• Headphones
• Mirrorless Camera – I’m not one for souvenirs (and limited spare room in my backpack) so I figured I’d treat myself to a nice camera where the photos will be my souvenirs
• Kindle – if you don’t already know this, you can rent books for your kindle from your library for free! Check out Overdrive
• Phone Tripod – for when you want that artsy instagram post, but you’re alone
• Portable Phone Charger

 

toiletries 

My bathroom is filled with face and hair products – not because I’m a beauty addict, more just because I enjoy the routine and keeps my skin and hair in check (plus face masks are just fun). We shall see how this minimal life goes…

• Sunscreen – for some unknown reason, it seems the price of sunscreen is 3x in many other countries
• Face Sunscreen (I swear by Shiseido)
• Bugspray
• Earplugs
• Tweezers
• Facewash
• Toothbrush+toothpaste
• Shampoo (Lush bar)
• Nail clippers
• Basic makeup – foundation, blush, mascara, lipstick (lipstick makes me feel more put together)
• Moisturizer
• Chapstick
• Deodorant
• Razor
• Mirror
• Headbands – one word: flyaways #finehairproblems
• Prescriptions – malaria plus any other personal ones
• Advil
• Melatonin
• Benadryl
• Imodium
• Zicam

 

miscellaneous 

• Passport (plus numerous copies)
• Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate – read up on where you are traveling to verify if it is required
• Packing Cubes – game changer, NEVER traveling without them again
• Sleeping Bag Liner (Sea to Summit)
• Wallet
• Sewing kit – mostly for the safety pins
• Locks – for keeping your belongings safe on bus travel and hostels
• Travel Towel – the compactness and weight of this versus a regular beach towel makes the price worth it
• Yoga Mat – #yogaeverydamnday
• Journal plus pens – I’m a bullet journal connoisseur
• Sunnies – I’m bringing super cheap ones because good chance they will accidentally end up in some body of water or broken at the bottom of my bag
• Scissors
• Reusable Water Bottle
• Snacks – because I’m kind of obsessed with food
• Reusable bag – not sure exactly why, but it has been ingrained in me never leave my house without one

 

I’m sure this isn’t 100% perfect and at some point I’ll question why I didn’t bring mini hair straightener, or why I am lugging around my nice boots. If I forgot anything, I’m sure it will be something I can pick up overseas.

 

See anything obvious I missed? Let me know in the comments!