My International Packing List
As a professional vagabond - I travel tremendously light.
Last year, we spent nearly a month between Europe and Toronto for a friend’s wedding. Both Rebecca and I each took a single carry on and a backpack for the whole trip where we included a suit, 3 pairs of shoes each, dresses, and enough clothes to get us by for the entire time we were away.
It was the most liberating thing in the whole world: no waiting for luggage, worrying about it getting lost/stolen/broken, and lugging huge suitcases around. Were I to do it again, I would probably have brought less, as well as not used a rolling bag - it’s not so easy to roll around on cobblestones and broken sidewalks.
Here’s what I took to Montreal on our most recent trip:
Bags
Wandrd Prvke 31
Duffle Bag
Aer city sling (Inside duffle if TSA gives me flack)
Why I don’t use a roller bag
I have used roller bags in the past, the issue with them is that if you come across any rocky, or cobllestone roads, you will have a hard time. I personally believe that carrying is better overall, if you are physically capable of it. Now that we have our daughter and a stroller to bring, rolling bags just cause more issues than they are worth.
One lesson I learned is if you have a waist strap for your backpack, it is very worth using it as it takes a lot of the stress on your shoulders off.
Clothing
Pants
1 Pair Jeans
1 Pair dress joggers
1 Pair Workout joggers (wear on plane)
2 pairs of Shorts
Belt for dress up/down
Shoes
White dressier minimalist shoe
Everyday white shoe for walking
- You can wear white shoes everywhere and for any occasion if you keep them clean. Black minimalist shoes would work here too, just they are not as dressy/classy as white.
Jackets/tops
Hoodie (worn on plane)
Uniqlo flannel shirt (worn over hoodie on plane)
Under garments
Enough underwear for 1 wk
Socks for 1 wk + 1 dress pair
Tops
Dress shirt (didn’t wear)
2x polo (only wore one of the two)
5 T-shirts
Technology
Camera Gear
Sony A7iv
- Two batteries for this camera
Sony ZV-1
DJI mavic mini 3 pro - Battery in drone (Didn’t get to fly)
DJI Action 3
Rode wireless go system
Deity D4 Mini Mic
Ulanzi tiny carbon tripod
Ulanzi Pro Strap
Computer
Thinkpad T14s
Samsung 2TB rugged SSD
Card reader for micro/standard SD cards
Miscellaneous
65w GAN charger
USB-C cables x2 (1 C to C and 1 A to C)
Micro USB cable
Kobo clara hd E-reader
Toilettries
Phillips Trimmer
Safety razor (buy blades when arriving - I have had zero issue bringing them accidentally in my carry on (not in razor, in box) but don’t recommend that)
Contacts/extra contacts/Solution
Sonicare Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Atomizer w/ scent
Tylenol/Advil
Notes:
Travelling with a Baby
Admittedly, we did check one bag for Rebecca and our 8 month old. But, as she gets older, I see the validity of taking big suitcases with us less and less (starting to eat regular food, less stuff needed). We took her stroller as a carry-on, I had my two bags, and my wife had the diaper bag with all the stuff for changing/feeding our daughter on the plane.
Moving around the world, Establishing a Homebase
If you are moving your self from location to location, a checked bag will likely be within the wheelhouse. Big bag to homebase that you are building, then carry-on only to the various satellite locations. We are planning on going to Portugal in January, so will check big bags to Porto or Lisbon, establish a homebase, and then move around Europe from there.
I will write articles in the future regarding establishing a homebase for perpetual travel.
Some resources to get you started:
https://tim.blog/2014/08/08/carryon-luggage/ https://tim.blog/2007/07/11/how-to-travel-the-world-with-10-pounds-or-less-plus-how-to-negotiate-convertibles-and-luxury-treehouses/
Conclusion
This packing list easily got me through a week in Montreal. I was able to wear the shirts multiple times, and I would wash my clothes if I needed to extend the trip indefinitely. There was nothing that I was lacking, and I didn’t use all of the camera gear, would have loved to fly the drone around Old Port, next time.