The night before you head out on vacation is often fraught with manic activity… send that last work email, give a key to the neighbor, pack the bags…
“Do you think I’ll need a sweater at night?” Better bring it.
“Will it be warm enough to swim?” Bring the bathing suit.
“Any chance we’ll do some horseback riding or skydiving?” Throw the saddle and parachute in there too…
Now what happens when instead of leaving town for a week, you go on vacation… forever.
Packing for Perpetual Travel
“How do you pack?” is a common question. To answer, I’ve put together a list of essentials and nice-to-have items in the tables below. I’ll update these as our packing list evolves, both on this post and on the new Packing List Page.
While it seems ridiculous that someone might pack a saddle and parachute, “just in case”, a lifetime of airport people watching has shown that it is more the norm than not. We take a mildly different approach.
When we were initially planning to embark on this crazy adventure we thought, “What if it gets cold? Maybe we should get some light down jackets, just in case.” This kind of thinking is how we ended up trying on $300 jackets at REI. Do the hard working indigenous people of wherever spend $300 on a down jacket?
No, they buy something local. As do we. Good thing too, as in 5 years I would have paid about $600/hour for use of that nice jacket.
Cold places sell warm clothes. Swimming suits are sold near the beach.
Unless the odds of use are near guaranteed, we don’t pack it.
If we buy something “new” we get rid of something “old”
If we need something, we buy it. If we no longer need something, we discard/donate it.
Bags
We have 2 backpacks, a suit case, and 2 day packs. The suitcase was added after Jr was born.
We check bags. Some people aspire to travel with only carry-on bags. It reduces the risk of lost bags and speeds the exit from the airport on arrival. We did this pre-child.
Now we spend a few hundred dollars per year on checked baggage fees and use credit cards that provide free checked bags (check em out.) This makes life easier at the departure airport and provides for a smooth entry into a new country.
| Stuff | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
  | GoLite Jam2 Backpack x 2 | 50L ultra-lightweight pack. Can be used as daypack / carryon. No longer available, but super reliable - we've had these since before our honeymoon hiking trip. |
  | Samsonite spinner | Light weight / maximum checked bag size. Used primarily to carry all of Jr's gear (toys, books, clothes) |
  | Chrome Messenger Bag | This is my old bike commute bag. Still going strong years later, doing heavy duty as our laptop / electronics / carryon bag. |
  | Cipu Backpack/Diaper bag | Winnie's day pack/carry on/diaper bag. Hers is bright gold in color which makes it really easy to find her in a crowd :) |
  | Packing cubes | Used to arrange/separate clothing for easy access/packing. 1 for shirt, 1 for underwear/socks. When we arrive at a new Airbnb, unpacking is as easy as dropping these into a dresser. |
Clothes
Since we travel with the seasons, we are able to (mostly) avoid extreme weather and extreme bulk. In the event that a cold snap strikes, dress in layers. Or… jackets are sold everywhere. Recent weather in Belgium / Netherlands has been a bit chilly. Winnie bought a shell and fleece from a discount European company (Protest) and had it shipped to our hotel in Brussels (free 2-day shipping.) I was going to do the same, but we stumbled upon a flea market in Amsterdam and found a slightly used Black Diamond water resistant shell for 20 Euros.
Generally, a one week supply of clothing is enough for any length of trip. We’ll do laundry once per week, or more if our rental has a washer/dryer.
Simple packing list:
T-shirts – 7
Socks – 8
Underwear – 8
Jeans – 1
Shorts – 1
Shoes – 1
Sweatshirt – 1
Light jacket – 1
Hat – 1
Sunglasses – 1
Electronics
It is the 21st century, which means we have a few bits and pieces of electronic gear.
| Electronics | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
  | MacBook Air x 2 | We each have a 13" laptop. |
  | Twelve South Macbook Case | This holds both laptops and looks just like a vintage book. Great for putting on a shelf when you go out. Nobody wants to steal an old book. |
  | iPhone 7 Plus x 2 | We each have an iPhone. |
  | Kindle Paperwhite x 2 | We each have a Kindle. |
  | Wahl Li+ shaver | Battery operated, so can charge and use anywhere. I've blown up too many shavers to use anything else. |
| Google Chromecast | Plug into any modern TV and stream content. Great for rainy days. An Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV stick would work too. | |
  | Dual voltage hair dryer | Some of us have hair. |
  | Power Adapters x 4 | US to Europe/UK plug adapters. |
| Cables / chargers | all of the cables/chargers for the various devices |
Camera Gear
Winnie has a degree in photography and is the creative genius behind our Instagram feed. She also provides most of the photos used on this site, albeit not the header image on this post because her husband is lazy and didn’t want to arrange the luggage for a photo shoot.
| Camera | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
  | Sony a7ii camera | Gotta take advantage of that photography degree. |
  | 55mm lens | |
  | 16-35mm lens | |
  | Portable Hard Drive x2 | backups |
  | SD card x2 |
Jr Related
Jr has his own collection of clothes, toys, and books. This is a completely revolving collection of stuff as he grows/matures/changes interests.
| Jr | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
  | City Tour stroller | Collapses to overhead bin size, rigid frame, 4 wheels great for cobblestones. |
  | stroller rain guard | Great for windy or rainy days |
  | stroller belly bar | prevents rapid unplanned exitx |
  | stroller storage | latte holder |
  | Bizzy Bear books x3 | his latest fav |
  | Nitrobot Attack set | Daddy likes it too |
  | Zoo train set | Jr loves trains. And animals. |
  | small basketball | can also be kicked |
  | Peppa Pig videos | Great for when we need to pack and hustle. |
Stroll in a stroller in Luxembourg (Jr’s 20th country)
Geographic Arbitrage and Taxes
As a nice little bonus, our mobile lifestyle sometimes allows us to get a cash infusion or reduce our cost of living, through micro-imports and tax rebates.
Uniqlo is a great provider of low cost yet reliable clothing, and they happen to be based in Japan. Due to exchange rates and tax rebates, the Uniqlo store in Osaka was the cheapest we had seen anywhere by about 25%. So we loaded up. 2 years later, a large percentage of my wardrobe is still from that store.
When we were road tripping through southern England last year we needed a car seat. I found a great European made one for about $50 with free delivery (last year’s model.) It is still with us today. All of the US / China made brands were 3x the price. We did the same thing with our suitcase, replacing a broken version in Hamburg.
Because we frequently return to Taiwan we will occasionally pack extra goods that can be sold for profit. We’ve sold a stroller, blender, car seat, and some camera gear this way. The profits are small but there is potential for more if somebody wanted to get serious about it.
Storage
For the better part of 4 years we had zero home base and zero storage, beyond a guitar and a box of paperwork in a friend’s basement in Seattle. This year we did something different and put some things into storage in Taipei at More Space. Winnie did all of the research and made the arrangements (she is the brains and I am the manual labor) but they offer full English services.
Aside from our packing list, here is everything we own (a bicycle, a kettlebell, a guitar, kitchen stuff (knives, a countertop oven (kind of an Asia thing), and misc kitchen gear), a child size desk, and a few toys. All of this stuff is completely replaceable but a hassle if we keep bouncing in/out of Taipei every 6 months. So for now, we pay $25/month for temp/climate controlled storage.
I guess I’m a sucker. Or maybe I’m just getting soft in my old age :)
Final Thoughts
Even though our lifestyle is one of perpetual travel, we don’t need to pack the kitchen sink. We have the essentials and a few nice-to-haves, and add/subtract what we need when we need it.
Warm clothes are sold where it is cold. Bathing suits are sold near the beach. With currency advantages and tax rebates, it can often be cheaper to “buy local.”
As our life ebbs and flows, so will our possessions. I’ll update the above tables as they do.
Timely article! I’ve been tasked with finding a backpack for our upcoming trip to Spain.
I like the minimalist pack job. We’ve been working on getting our packing down to just carry on luggage. One week sounds like a good lenght of time to pack for. I gotta double check if any of our Airbnbs have a washer and dryer :)
If you’re interested in the GoLite Jam backpack that Jeremy lists above, there’s actually a version of it still made by mytrailco.com. GoLite went bankrupt, but the founders of it bought back their GoLite IP and started the new company under this name. I’ve been told the equivalent is the Backpack Light 50. I would have opted for this bag had I known it was available. I went with an Osprey Farpoint 55 instead which I’m very happy with.
Future business plan: start a company, go bankrupt, buy company IP for pennies on the dollar
We almost exclusively book Airbnbs with at least a washer. This is especially a requirement after we’ve been without a washer for awhile.
We are good at packing super light for a two week trip, but moving to Europe saw five bags come along with us. Lisbon hasn’t even been cold enough to unpack the cold weather stuff. Getting here has made me see all the cheaper local options. I lost my wallet and the replaced it with a cool cork one.
If I run into you this weekend I’ll make sure to say hello.
How did you handle jrs sleeping arrangements before he could use a big bed. That was our biggest headache, a pack and play or crib at our destination. I guess you could buy one when you get there, which works if you go longer then vacation.
He sleeps with us
Reporting live from Lisbon and Spain with our 8 month old: all of our airbnbs and hotels have been able to provide pack n plays or cribs.
I hate packing too much also…although I have traveled to locations where stores just don’t exist.
In those rare cases, it might be OK to pack a bit more than necessary, but very few people actually travel to these locations.
I thought your comments about geographic arbitrage of goods were interesting. I’ve heard it’s WAY cheaper to buy expensive camera gear in places like Thailand and then resell in expensive 1st world countries when the trip is over.
Some people claim to reduce the cost of exotic vacations doing this, but I’m not sure how successful they really are.
Winnie was asked if she could buy a high-end hand bag (or 2 or 3) in Paris, and bring them back to Taiwan. With the tax rebate there is a $500-$1k+ potential profit per bag. Weird.
Can you explain how the tax rebate works?
Countries will often refund any sales tax / VAT that you spent while visiting, if you spend enough. This is usually refunded at the airport.
For example, the suitcase we purchased in Germany came with a 20Euro tax refund and the clothes we purchased in Japan had a 9-10% refund.
This list is great. I travelled for all of 2014 with just a backpack and a day pack. As you mention, you can snag some great finds at thrift shops or local stores. I visited Estonia in March two days after leaving the heat of Africa, and the cold weather finds were a lifesaver.
Great tips!
Great list! Thanks for writing this article. I know I one of probably many who asked for it :)
GoLite went out of business and re-emerged as “My Trail Company. The Jam still exists as https://mytrailco.com/products/backpack-light-50l
Nice, thanks! Ours are still in fantastic condition after 8 years of use or so, good to know they are still making them
We’ve been doing 4 week trips out of a backpack for each of us for years now. We use Farpoint 40 backpacks from Osprey. You can sometimes get them for under $100.
All of our clothes were quick dry, so we washed in the sink and just hung to dry. It worked well, but it would’ve been great to have access to a washing machine.
Thanks for all the useful info! If we end up having kids, I’m cribbing all your notes.
Just curious, how come you guys went back to the stroller? I remember your post from Japan where you mentioned the stroller is too much hassle and Winnie switched to body wrap instead?
He doubled in weight and quadrupled in tenacity
Timely article – We’ll be making our first overseas trip with our little guy soon. Do you typically take a car seat with you? We’ll likely stick to walking/public transportation for the most part but can foresee needing a car seat for the odd trip (to/from an airport or A to B in town). Curious how you manage that.
We didn’t travel with a car seat until about age 1 1/2. Prior to that we just avoided cars. We have one with us now, but most of the time it just sits in the corner of our hotel/Airbnb.
We have 2 rental cars planned in the coming months though, so it is cheaper/easier to bring this one with us than to rent.
I’m confused at some of the details. Does the list + your comments mean you travel with two strollers and a car seat? Those alone sound impractical to carry around with you, in particular if you have suitcases, etc…
Or do you just put those in a plane, then carry them to your next hotel/accommodation via taxi?
2 strollers?
Nice list! I’ve always been curious how you guys rock the “traveling light”. We’re those annoying carry-on only people :) Of course our typical trip is 3-9 weeks whereas yours are 12 months per year.
Our list looks a lot like yours, but with 3-4 shirts and fewer cold weather items. I finally downgraded the laptops to 13″ models this year since there’s a good chance we’ll keep doing the summer perpetual traveler thing for a bit longer.
The kids travel super light now that the youngest is out of diapers and walking everywhere (just turned 5!). They each have a 6-7″ tablet (the cheap Kindle FIRE tabs, in case they break them or lose them it’s no big $ deal to replace). That plus 3-4 days of clothes and a toothbrush is about it. The electronic device is nice – books, games, movies, research, education all in one spot. :) And it weighs well under a pound.
I imagine Jr will have a device of his own one day, but his mother will resist until the end
Ummm uhhhhhh ummmmm it’s for educational purposes… :)
And parental sanity purposes. However it probably is making him totally ADHD.
Nice list!
Do you ever have difficulties finding clothes or shoes in your size in random countries? My husband is fairly tall for the US (~6’3″), and really tall for most Asian countries. It’s hard enough finding shoes for him in the states!
I’m 6’2″ with a 13 3E Foot. No buying clothes for me overseas, other than custom.
I live in fear of ripping out the seat of my last pair of trousers. :)
Maybe travel with a personal tailor
great idea!
in which of your recommended bags would he/she fit best?
We’re getting ready to do a lot of traveling and we’re going to have to make sure we don’t get caught up in “what if” kind of packing. We both have 17′ laptops – so that is definitely something to consider too (not expensive ones). It’s amazing where you go and all that you do with just those belongings. Talk about minimal!
17″ right? 17′ is 17 feet ;)
I couldn’t imagine traveling light with a 15″ laptop let alone a 17″ one. We’ve used an 11″ Chromebook but we’ll need to upgrade to something more powerful once we move permanently overseas.
Ha! Totally ;) Too much typing today! We’ve only traveled to our vacation condo recently – so it hasn’t been a problem. I’m early retiring in 60 days! Time to hit the road…
Awesome, congrats! Where’s your condo? We’re hoping to start a new business and move overseas in about a year since we’ll then be location independent.
Sarasota, Florida – an amazing area on the gulf coast! Tons to do and a lot warmer than upstate NY!
Nice area. I grew up in south Florida and have family in Orlando and Vero Beach. Yes, the weather is great compared to upstate NY!
When packing, less is more. I haven’t done the slow travel thing yet, but even on 10-day trips, we only pack a few days’ worth of clothing and find a way to do laundry at our destination(s).
I’ve also found that weight matters. I switched from a Nikon DSLR system to an Olympus micro four thirds system, and both the bodies and lenses are half the size and weight. Image quality remains superb. You obviously capture some great shots with your Sony mirrorless system.
Like Justin, our kids are getting older (6 & 8) so packing is easier and they can actually carry some of their own weight. And they (almost) never need to be carried.
Cheers!
-PoF
We use the 22″ REI Stratocruiser which has a small backpack/daypack and a larger component that has wheels and can also convert to a backpack if needed (like when trying to navigate through the uneven ground and stairs in Venice). Both can be carried on which is the only way we go.
Love the 12 South computer case tho, may need to snag one of those!
Our family started using packing cubes two years ago and they’re a game changer! Love the idea of just sliding them in a dresser drawer. (It’s those little things that never occur to us!). For our last couple of trips, we’ve had our kids fill their school backpacks with clothes are carry those around. For our most recent trip, we let them pack their own toys. An old Palm Pilot that my son had found at the transfer station came along, as well as our cloth napkins (blankets for stuffies) and about fourteen heavy books. Oh well! They were carrying all that! :)
Jr has a little backpack but 99% of the time I still have to carry it. 1 day…
We recently discovered packing cubes & they’re definitely a game changer! We’re prepping to go on a 4 month trip at the moment and actually switched to Eagle Creek compression cubes as we found these created even more useful space in our backpacks – we have a weeks worth of clothes and have really tried to pack light for this trip. We also use our smallest non-compression packing cube for our plugs/cables/head torch/electronic paraphernalia so it’s tucked away & cables aren’t everywhere!
I should get a small cube for all of the cables. I have a rat’s nest of headsets on the table right now.
Fantastic post GCC! You guys have it down to a science. As we get closer to our FI date, we plan to do quite a bit of traveling and this post will certainly come in handy. Thanks.
We have gone on several trips that were six to seven months in length. We found traveling lite has many benefits. We like to spend a lot of time in the wilderness, high altitude mountains, and snorkeling were we can. Our last trip we had durable light weight packs designed for ice climbing that were under 2000 cubic inches so they could stow as carry on. We had sleeping bags, ground mats, light tent tarp, camp stove and trekking poles (part of tent system), water filter, and a change of clothes. When we weren’t carrying food our packs were under 25 lbs. We had enough cold weather gear for the Himalaya’s and for the Andes. In Tibet we ended up buying twine to make improve crampons for glacier travel with our only pair of low top cross training shoes. When we would get off the bus anywhere, other travelers would need to go straight to their lodging option to unburden themselves from the mountains packs they carried. They always had an “helpful” group of touts to swarm them, which reminded me of a pack of animals circling in on helpless prey. There were days were a more sturdy tent might have been nice, but most of the time we slept under the stars. If you figure out whats important to you, the minimum you need to do what your up to any thing is possible. That sounds like a lot of the finical philosophy that make FIRE possible. Pair down at home or on the road opens up a lot of options. Thanks for putting it out there again, less is more.
Shoes?
I prefer life in flip flops!
They sell ’em at the beach :D
I don’t know if this makes me creepy or just attentive, but the second I saw the line about the packs you’ve had since before your honeymoon hike, I instantly thought “That’s where the name came from!!!”
I think I’m okay with it either way. Great post. My SO and I are planning on slow travelling when we catch FIRE (way slower than you, but hell, freedom means that can change if we want), and I love the idea of only what we can carry. Thanks.
So have do you still have to purge occasionally or do you now have things pretty under control so your “gravity” isn’t pulling unwanted objects in?
I think this is a case of “practice makes perfect” in that the occasional traveller will almost always over pack. In that sense it is better to be a little overcautious, no sense in spending money on a jacket that you have at home if you’re just gone for a week or two. The long travel lends itself to the pack light, buy when you need mentality. I’m a little jealous, but also not at all!
When you do get rid of things, do you try to sell them or just donate somewhere local?
We make extensive use of the kitchens in rentals so that we can cook in for dinner and experience local restaurants for their much cheaper lunch offerings. While most rentals have some basic pots and pans, we’ve put together a traveling kitchen kit that meets most of our needs:
Good chef’s knife
Good paring knife
Vegetable steamer
Small jars of thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, allspice, and tarragon
Stovetop Italian coffee maker and a can of Illy – but know that drug-sniffing dogs have been trained to sniff out coffee since drug traffickers use it to mask the scent of drugs, so your bag may be singled out…
I think if I ever did any long term travel my knives are coming with me. Crap knives drive me crazy.
When I read the list I immediately thought my list would have few electronics. I use my smartphone almost exclusively anyway and am an awful photodocumenter.
We try to go light, but fancy climbing gear bogs us down every time. I guess we’re “saddle and parachute” folks! I’m defense, we tend to go climbing at least three days a week wherever we are (every day on vacation) so our gear gets good use. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people strolling through the airport with a light handbag, but usually we’re a full-on half-exploded junk show everywhere we go. In the move to Spain we had 4 checked bags and 2 mountain bikes for a family of three. Plus 3 carry-ons and three personal items. It’s a bit ridiculous when I think back on it. What can I say? I guess we like our grown up toys. We have minimal clothing and electronics, but those take up less space.
Often I do find myself bringing one pack full of climbing gear. Much easier when climbing sport. I also have a Petzl Sitta harness just for travel (they’re kind of fragile and not the best thing for the gym). The 70m is kind of heavy. I should get lighter draws. But basically: draws, rope, harnesses, shoes, helmet, stick clip (avalanche probe + “epic” attachment), some locking biners…
I’d love to see a post focusing on what you pack for your son and how that’s changed over time. I’m a full-time traveler (almost 3 years now) who’s considering moving up to ‘full-time traveler with child.’ I was excited to see what you have for your son, but all I got was “a stroller and some toys.”
Here is the full list:
– a stroller
– some toys
I hate really hate to be a stickler, but…
“Go Curry Cracker on May 1, 2017 at 9:53 pm
We didn’t travel with a car seat until about age 1 1/2. Prior to that we just avoided cars. We have one with us now, but most of the time it just sits in the corner of our hotel/Airbnb….”
You can see why I didn’t think your list was comprehensive. Mostly though I’d just be much more interested in a travel/minimalist take on the first few months of life when (most people would lead me to believe) that a baby needs a ludicrous amount of stuff.
sorry, we have a strict no stickler policy.
But seriously, you’ve already captured everything.
I’m not a full time traveler but travel fairly often and have been traveling with my son since he was an infant. In the early days we travelled with an Ergo so I could wear him everywhere, his diapers, and some onesies and pants or those one piece outfits. We used cloth diapers but really if you use disposable and your kid isn’t sensitive you can probably just travel with enough of those to get you to your destination then stock up when you get there. I also breastfed so I didn’t need to bring formula or bottles. As he got older he got his own little backpack that he can wear (and that easily clips onto mine) and has some toys in it and some snacks. He usually finds things to play with wherever we stay (kitchen stuff provides tons of entertainment). He’s 3 now and I’ve added his own tablet to the mix. Clothes are one pair of jeans, one pair of cargo pants and a few pairs of comfy cotton pants and some shirts. I travel with his car set and use this car seat cart for the airport. He can sit in the seat while I’m rolling it through the airport. He’s fairly petite so I still use the ergo too.
It’s a myth that kids need a lot of stuff, especially in the early days, but really at any time. It’s just so easy to get swept up in the notion that you need 5 different things to put the kid in (swing, bouncy seat, pack and play, etc.), and a bunch of toys to keep them occupied and designer duds so they win the cutest baby of the day award.
What an amazing experience. I did the European backpacking thing and it was the experience of a lifetime. How cool you are doing this with your child! awesome!
Greetings! Great post as always – really enjoy reading up on your financial facts and advice.
I was wondering if you ever considered Housesitting as a means for income. Since you seem like a well-seasoned traveller it can be a great way to fully immerse yourself into another city or culture. It is a low-maintenance job and has the benefit of free accommodation. Housesitters have the chance to earn some money on the side while still having time to work and relax – on the job! It’s the perfect job for retirees – it keeps you busy but not overly so. I recommend visiting a website like Housesitter.com to view opportunities for you!
You have so much STUFF! Really need to pare it down there, buddy. ;)
We just switched from a backpack each to an RV, and now are flipping out about how much SPACE we have. Half our cabinets and underneath storage are just empty.
Even though it’s small by RV standards (21.5′), going from two 45L backpacks (for both of us + baby) to this feels like a ridiculous amount of space. We backpacked Europe one summer with a 28L bag each, so we always had extra room in our 45Ls until the baby came along (at which point we’d only have room if we were low on diapers–once we switched from reusable, which we used for the first 9 months after the first week’s meconium).
It’s amazing how little you really need, to have everything you need. Way to set an awesome example, I bet you’ll inspire many people from this post. :D
Nice list. I think you’ll pare down a lot once Jr. is a bit older. These days, we don’t have to pack big toys. We have card games and other small games to keep us amused. He also like playing app games now. That’s not good at home, but great when we travel.
I’m one of those people who don’t like to check baggage. It’s so much easier to just carry a pack. Our kid will have to carry his own stuff the next time we take a big trip…
What will you do when your kids goto school? My son started preschool and the school schedule makes it impossible to do this long term traveling now
World school / road school
Edventureproject is about a big family doing just that. Whole community of world schoolers out there.
@gcc thank you for the post, it helps me rest into living out of a 35L and feel like I’m splurging.
Hi guys! Question! What do you guys plan to do for school K-12? Settle down somewhere? If so, where? If not, perhaps home school?
Thx!
Sam