This is my personal packing list travelling the world since over three years. Since I just travel with a carry-on backback (hajk: 50 litres) I don’t have much liquid besides sunscreen and coconut oil which are in a waterproof 100 ml plastic bottle. I wash my clothes around once a week so I do not have to take too many clothes with me.

Of course you need to add more items if you go skiing, fishing, camping, on a business trip (e.g. suit) or if travelling with children.

Important documents and necessities

• Passport, Personal ID, (visa), and international driver’s license if you have one
• Credit and ATM card, revolut card (no fee for ATM withdrawals up to £200 per month)
• Transportation ticket (if not on an app)
• international vaccination card (e.g. yellow fever)
• Money pouch instead of a wallet
• Cash: Bring some cash with you. ATM fees can be pretty high in some countries and often there is a limit of 100 USD per withdrawal (e.g. Laos, Argentina).

Toiletries

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, tongue cleaner, lip balm
• Organic coconut oil or jojoba oil: Body and face cream, waterproof eye make-up remover, and against split ends
• Deodorant (without aluminium) or a crystal rock deodorant (natural mineral salts; lasts up to a year)
• Organic soap (e.g. flaxseed oil, coconut oil, shea butter) for hair, body, face, and shaving. Try which one works best for you. Wet your hair. Stroke the soap over your hair. Rub the soap, rinse, finito! Bush your hair before washing it, not after.
• Safety razor (wet shave): This razor you can probably leave your grandchildren. You only need to buy razor blades (cheap). E.g. Mühle R89 Double Edge.
• Hairbrush or comb, 2 hair ties
• Ultra-thin microfiber quick-drying bath towel
• (Contact lenses, solution and case)
• Nail clippers, nail file, tweezers and foot file (or pumice stone)
• some cotton stick in a small plastic bag
• some toilet paper (instead of tissues). Very handy in most countries!
• Menstrual cup (e.g. Me Luna Size L)

Clothing and accessories

• 1 pair of comfortable nice sneakers and 1 pair of flip-flops or sandals (beach, shower)
• 1 warm sweaters (instead of a jacket)
• 7 pairs of underwear, 7 pairs of short socks
• 1 pair of light trousers, 1 long leggings, 1 ¾ leggings, 2 shorts
• 4 short sleeve shirts, 2 long sleeve shirts
• 1 nice dress
• 1 sports bra, 1 sports-shirt, 1 shorts
• 1 swimsuit or swim trunks, 1 lightweight beach towel
• 1 ultralight raincoat or 1 folding umbrella. Latter only got taken away once in my life in the Philippines.
• 1 plastic bag for the dirty clothes
• for cooler climates: gloves, scarf
• a rope (to dry your clothes)
• small sewing kit: black thread plus 1 needle. very handy.

Electronics

• smartphone and charger: GPS, music, alarm clock, watch, maps (app: Google Maps), guidebook (app: TripAdvisor), language guides (app: Duolingo), calendar
• 1 headphone
• Camera, memory card and charger
• international adapter, two way adapter
• E-reader and charger. Sometimes I can borrow a book from someone, the library or use a wandering library.
• Computer and charger.

Medications and health

• Ear plugs
• Pain relievers: Tiger balm, Roedler oil
• toothaches: lightly chew a clove and keep it in your mouth for 5 mins. It will numb your gum.
• Cold medicine: vitamin C (Linus Pauling), inhale essential oils (e.g. eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme), tea (e.g. sage)
• Motion sickness: ginger
• diarrhea remedies: charcoal tablet
• bruise: Arnica (homeopathy), Lavender (essential oil)
• 3 medical strips, antibacterial ointment (e.g. honey), thermometer
• condoms
• 1 pair of sunglasses plus case, sunscreen and sunburn relief or Aloe Vera
• Supplements: Vitamin B12, Omega-3 capsules
• in general: Medicines and vaccinations specific to the region/activity
• spices: cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, kala namak salt

On the journey

• Inflatable neck cushion for bus travels overnight
• hermetical box (for food) plus lots of food, and one small spoon.
• 1 water bottle: BPA-free (stainless steel would be best but heavy. Aluminium is bad for the environment).

If you need other things along the way, they can be borrowed or purchased locally, often for much less than you would pay at home. So don’t worry. Just go 🙂

Items I rarely take with me

• jewellery: I lost some and it can get stolen
• bra. I rarely wear one. No pressure on my breath muscles. Feels better 😉
• 1 long T-shirt for sleeping. I prefer to sleep nacked. Benefits.
• high heels: Some fancy clubs won’t let you in if you do not wear them (e.g. New York City). But most places accept normal shoes.
• mosquito net: Most places where mosquitoes are a problem will have a mosquito net in the room. Or they have them for sale; often at cheaper prices than back home.
• running shoes: Since I do walk a lot I do not feel the need to go for a run.
• 1 silk sleeping bag: Didn’t use it often enough. But might be handy depending where you go.
• a good luggage lock: not possible to lock my backback. But I recommend depending where and how you travel.