Backpacking Packing Guide: everything for Long Term Travel

This packing list is a guide to help you know everything that you need to pack for a long term backpacking trip. This packing guide for travel is ideal for minimalism. Being a minimalist while traveling makes it easier to move around without worry.

What do you really need for long term travels?

Well, the same things that you would take for short term travel. The most important things are your travel documents, and some kind of money.

I know you’ve read multiple guides by now and are just making sure you’re not forgetting anything. Well, don’t worry. The more you travel, the more you just go with the flow and realize that you could truly get away with just the clothes you are wearing, your passport, some cash and maybe a debit or credit card if you don’t want to carry months’ worth of cash on you.

Packing less is really going to help you in the long run. Especially if you’re going on longer term travels, and not just a one- or two-week vacation.

What to Pack With: 40 Liter Backpack

Although you could get by with just your passport and some money, you’ll most likely want to pack a few more things. For first time travelers, take a 40-liter backpack. This will be enough space for all of your extra clothes, toiletries, and anything else you may want to bring with you or back as souvenirs.

A 40-liter backpack will fit as carry-on baggage, size wise, for pretty much all airlines worldwide.

When buying a backpack to travel with, choose one that is either water resistant, or purchase a rain cover. Even if your backpack is rain resistant, it is still a good idea to have a rain cover for it so the straps do not get caught when having to put your bag with someone else such as on a bus or as a check-in for a plane. 

Backpack Rain Cover

Although my bag is a 40-liter and will fit on all airlines as a carry-on, many budget airlines have had a 7kg carry-on limit and I decided to be safe and use a free checked bag with my main bag and put my valuables in a portable 20 liter bag. 

Compressible Smaller Bag: 20 Liter Backpack

I would also recommend bringing a smaller, maybe around 20 liter compressible bag that can fold into itself for many situations. When you’re walking around town in the day to day,  you’ll be keeping your bigger 40l backpack at your accommodation and a 20l backpack will be enough to take some snacks and others around. 

Why a Backpack and not a Suitcase

Most importantly, you’re bringing your things with you everywhere you go. When you pack a suitcase, you don’t think about how much you’re bringing. When you pack a backpack, all that extra weight will hinder you. It makes you bring only the essentials. You’ll either pack light ahead of your trip or realize that you packed too much and start getting rid of things as you go.

When going on long term travels, you’ll start realizing that you can just go with the flow. With this mindset, you’ll realize how important minimalism is.

You could bring a suitcase that is also in the 40l area, and it will save you from heavy lifting. However, a backpack is much easier to bring around when the floor you are walking on is not the ideal conditions.

A suitcase is more convenient when checking into one hotel, staying for a while, and then returning home. However, when you’re traveling longer term and always on the go, a backpack will allow you to navigate many walks that suitcase wheels can’t go on, including a lot of stairs.

Travel Documents

Passports

With that said, start from just your necessary travel documents. Make sure the passport you’ll be using doesn’t expire anytime soon since many countries require at least 6 months before expiration to be able to get stamped in and sometimes out.

Passport Photocopies

Having a photocopy with you can let you keep your passport in a safe or locker at your accommodation which in most cases, will be much safer than having a physical copy with you all the time.

If you lose your passport, having a photocopy will be helpful in quickly getting a temporary passport made at your embassy.

I would highly recommend you make physical photocopies and just throw them all over the place. One in your bag, maybe one in your wallet or day bag, one in your shoe if you want to be extra safe.

Next, a few photocopies wouldn’t hurt. You can use a pdf converter app and just take a picture with your smartphone and save it somewhere secure. If you’re big into cybersecurity and don’t want to risk your passport being on an internet connected device, either safely encrypt everything as you go through the process, or just scan it with a printer and make physical photocopies.

International Driving Permit (IDP) with Driver’s License

If you have any plans on operating a vehicle during your travels, an International Driving Permit (IDP). Even if you don’t plan on it, it’s cheap and easy to get in most countries, so might as well.

In the U.S. just go to your local AAA, bring 2 passport photos and $20 in cash and you’ll be on your way in a few minutes. For the U.K., I’ve heard that you can do similar at your local post office.

If you plan on renting a motorbike, know that you must also have a motorbike license in your home country as well as having it marked on your IDP to operate a motorcycle or scooter legally in foreign countries that accept the IDP.

Many countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand are known for having relaxed consequences for driving unlicensed such as just a fine, but if you ever get in an accident, your insurance will not cover you if you are not operating the vehicle 100% legally, including being sober.

To read more about renting a motorbike in Southeast Asia, click here.

Printed Travel Insurance Plan

In most countries, you don’t need travel insurance to visit, or they don’t check for it. With that being said, it’s worth it to shell out a few extra bucks to have peace of mind. If and I mean when you do, make sure to print a few copies of your plan and put them in the same places as your passport photocopies.

I bring a first aid kit with me and place an insurance plan in there as well.

You never think you’ll be the chosen one… in the wrong way, but Uncle Murphy has his ways sometimes. You can get emergency medical travel insurance for cheap from Safety Wing for around $42 a month.

If you want a bit of property insurance on top of it and/or plan on doing more adventurous activities, World Nomads is a more expensive, but more comprehensive option. World Nomads requires a quote, and discounts for longer term travels, but most people are charged around $120 a month. My personal plan in 2023 for a 5-month package was around $85 a month.

Both of these Insurances are very backpacker, digital nomad, and long-term traveler friendly. Many travel insurances require you to state your exit AND RETURN date for your trip and have your return with a small time period, but Safety Wing and World Nomads are two insurance agencies that create easy packages that are long term travel friendly.

Just do your research ahead of time and see which insurance is a better fit for you. I was going to go with just the basics with Safety Wing but found out that they will not cover Florida Residents (and residents of a few other states). Lucky me!

Also note that World Nomads has different insurance providers and underwriters depending on your country and sometimes region, so the plans may be different. Again, do your research ahead of time.

Best Way to Bring Money

No Money, just Adventure

Maybe you could test your luck and go with just your Passport. Couch surf or work for accommodation and hitchhike for transportation. Do some work in turn for accommodation and/or food and you may be set.

However, for most travelers, they’ll need to have a mind-altering revelation before going on such an adventure. It is possible though. I’m sure many of you have seen this Ted Talk.

Travel Debit Card

The best solution if you have saved some of that sweet travel fuel is to take some in cash, and put the rest in a good checking bank account with a good travel debit card. Many countries have great banks that offer no foreign exchange fees, good medium market exchange rates, and best of all, ATM reimbursement.

For my fellow Americans, the legendary Charles Schwab Investor Checking Account is the way to go if you don’t have a travel card already. There are also many other banks that offer the same or similar features such as Navy Federal Credit Union, Fidelity. You can find the perfect travel card guide here.

For Brits, I’ve heard that Starling bank is the best option, and there are others such as Mondo that are offered.

For everyone, worldwide, there are also non-traditional banks made to easily transfer your money between currencies such as Revolt and Wise. Both are trusted options by many travelers and international workers.

Cash

Just having some cash as a backup in case your cards don’t work, get frozen, stolen, lost, etc. is always a failsafe. Cash is king.

Just make sure to bring the freshest bills you can find. Exchanges will not accept bills with tears, and many exchanges in Southeast Asia will not accept even the smallest marks or wrinkles on bills.

I noticed that in countries with a quickly inflating currency like Turkey, with the Turkish Lira, no commission money exchanges give a better rate than the exchange rate that your credit card or ATM withdrawal with a debit card will give.

My exchange rate from Visa in February 2023 using the Capital One Venture X was around 18.6-7TRY for $1USD. The no commission exchanges at the time were buying USD for about 19 Lira for $1USD. Not a crazy difference, but it helps if you’re budget traveling and trying to save every penny, or if you are going on a shopping spree.

Travel Credit Card

Now that I’ve mentioned my main travel credit card, a travel credit card on top of cash and a good travel debit card (which are the most important), can add many useful benefits for both the coupon shopping lover and the frequent traveler. Some cards are geared more towards luxury while others are simple, but get the job done.

Either way, if utilized correctly, you’ll get more out of the card than what you spend on the annual fee.

For example, the Capital One Venture X is the simplest high-end travel credit card. There is a $395 annual fee, but before you look away, you get $300 in statement credits every year for travel purchases on their travel portal (operated by hopper). You also get 10,000 points (equivalent to $100 if spent in the simplest way) anniversary bonus every year you renew your card.

If you reach the $4000 spent in the first 3 months for the sign up bonus of 75,000 points, this card is a no-brainer for anyone who will spend $300 in travel every year. This travel includes flights, hotels, or rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel Portal.

If you spend $300 on travel every year, the card pays for itself, but then what benefits do you get? Here is the official list of benefits that may change over time, but currently, the Capital One Venture X has a large premium selection of perks.

Insurance

The Venture X card has many insurances such as flight delay insurance, baggage damage or loss insurance, primary rental car insurance for collision and theft, phone insurance (up to $800), and visa infinite extended warranty policy. The insurances are handled under Visa, in their Visa Infinite Program, which is known for good customer service.

Complimentary Airport Lounge Access

With the Capital One Venture X, you get access to Capital One’s own lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, as well as over 1,300 lounges in the Priority Pass Network. Airport lounges will frequently run you $40+ per person, per visit, but with the amazing travel credit card that Capital One offers, you can get a Priority Pass Select Membership that will allow you and two guests to enter complimentary.

No foreign Transaction Fees, Good Exchange Rate, and Widely Accepted

Many free credit cards have this perk, but it is still good to know that travel credit cards make it easy to pay without the fees.

The exchange rates with Visa are very good and you almost never have to worry about a bad exchange rate in most countries. There are exceptions however, in countries with a black-market exchange such as Argentina, where you can get almost double the amount of Pesos for USD if you exchange away from official exchange rates.

In some countries, only cash is accepted. However, in countries where Card is widely accepted, Visa is the standard. I was once at a gelato place in Italy and asked if I could pay with a Visa. He laughed and said of course. It’s well known that Visa is the standard. Mastercard is very close in more recent years. Discover/JCB is not as common, but more commonly accepted, and American Express spends a lot on marketing, but does not even come close to the gold standard of a Visa, especially for budget travelers.

If you have money and go on luxury travels, American Express is very frequently accepted, but many regular and hole in the wall type places that accept card do not accept American Express because they charge vendors a much higher fee than Visa or Mastercard.

If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely not looking to stay at 5 star resorts with travel plans done by agencies. You’re looking for an adventure, but just want to be a little more prepared than the average hippie.

More than Essentials: Extras to Pack

Clothes

So, you want to bring a little more than just what you’re wearing? Understandable. So how much is too much?

Again, clothes are not hard to come by anywhere you’ll be going, and you’ll most likely buy some on your travels anyways. Go ahead and start packing your 40l backpack and you’ll see how much you can fit with everything else. Then, cut that in half.

I can’t emphasize enough that you do not need to bring clothes. A few pairs of socks and underwear will be nice, an extra shirt or two that you can rotate between before doing laundry, a pair of pants, and extra pair of shorts if you’re in warmer climates, and you’re set.

Even in warmer climates, a pair of pants are useful for cold AC, for many places you need to dress appropriately such as religious areas (churches, mosques, temples, etc.), airport lounges (free with travel credit card), and other nicer areas where you won’t be able to get in without dressing well.

For colder climates, the pants you’re wearing, and an extra pair will suffice. The only extra that you will need are jackets, and maybe long johns if it’s extra cold. The easiest jackets to bring are puffer jackets or marshmallow jackets. This is because they are easily compressible and provide the best warmth for the size and weight.

For warmer climates, having hybrid or quick dry shorts are a good idea so you can use them as swim trunks as well.

If you need anything more, just buy it on your travels. You’ll thank me later.

Toiletries

Okay, just think, what is needed for a day to day basis?

Here’s a basic list for everyone:

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss

Alright, that really is all that everyone needs.

Jokes aside, here’s some more things that you may be thinking of bringing:

• Vitamins, Medicines, First Aid: Having some Vitamin D to keep your immune system running strong isn’t a bad idea. A first aid kit and a few OTC medicines for common illnesses aren’t a bad idea either. If anything, pack a basic first aid kit.
• Comb/Brush (if you regularly do)
• Deodorant (Even if you don’t use, it’s a good place to hide some emergency cash)
• Sunscreen (harder to find good sunscreen in certain countries [especially Southeast Asia])
• Shampoo & Conditioner (Can just buy when you get to your destination. Bring if you want, just remember security for carry-on allows only 100ml bottle in a 1 quart sized bag).
• Razor (again, can buy on arrival. Don’t bring safety/double edge blades. It counts as a weapon in security)
• Skincare (if you care)
• Pads/Tampons (if you don’t prefer 100% natural)
• Quick dry Towel (Would highly recommend. Many hostels, depending on the country, charge for towel usage.)
• Quick dry Hand-Towel/Handkerchief (Many restrooms don’t have anything to dry your hands with. Small item that’s useful in many ways)
• Makeup (if you really care, but nobody really cares while you’re traveling. You’re a dirty backpacker anyways).
• Hand Sanitizer (if you’re conscious of germs. Again, you’re a dirty backpacker)
• Locks (Not a toiletry, but a good idea to keep your things safe)

Electronics to Bring

Smartphone

At this point, who doesn’t use a smartphone? Of course you’re going to bring it. It’ll be useful for maps, pictures, and many other things.

Sim Card

What you do want to remember is to unlock your phone before traveling so you can use a local sim card. Even if your phone carrier in your home country has international capabilities, you’ll almost always find better deals with a local sim card.

It is also very possible to travel without a sim card and just download offline maps and use your phone for photos. This is what I did for my first three weeks of traveling through Eurpope, and I just made sure to backup my photos to a cloud storage and contact people when on WiFi.

Cloud Storage

I would highly recommend getting a cloud storage service to backup all your memories often while traveling. You never know if you lose or break your phone. I met a friend in Bangkok who just bought a brand new iPhone and had it pickpocketed soon after. He didn’t even care about the price of the phone, but more about the lost photos and videos that were on the phone.

If you use apple devices, I cloud offers cheap icloud upgrades started at 99 cents for 50gb. I would start from there and upgrade when you need more. There are numerous great cloud storages as well such as google drive, and dropbox. All with their own unique integrations for certain apps and devices, but all of them will work fine.

Portable Charger

At certain times, you will not find an outlet. On my sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, it was a 13 hour ride with no outlet in my area. In times like this, a portable charger will come in handy.

I have also heard stories of people having e-tickets on their phones, only to have their phone die just before entry and not being able to get in.

You can find quite affordable portable chargers online, and you could even buy them while traveling, but it’s not a bad idea to bring one at the start of your trip. I would recommend around a 10,000mah size as it will be enough to charge most phones multiple times, but the size of the battery will be portable.

Any miscellaneous to bring

You’ll know if there’s something essential. If you can’t think of anything, congratulations, you’re all packed up.

Travel Preparation Guide

What else to do? You got your packing done, but there are a few things that you need to do in advance, or many want to know how to do before you’re off on your adventure.

Here are some articles that can help:

• Can I take a hiking backpack as a carry on?