How To Travel Light Long Term: 20 Tips + Packing Checklist
Once you learn how to travel light as a long-term traveller, you will never return to consistently carrying large suitcases. There are too many benefits to packing less!
When you carry-on only, airlines will never lose your bags. Paying extra for luggage on budget airlines won’t be an issue. You won’t have to run through a busy train station heaving a 25 kg suitcase or squeeze your bag onto an over-stuffed rack. Large suitcases rarely fit in hostel lockers. The more you pack, the more you’re likely to leave items behind as you travel from place to place.
Packing light is not only good for your wallet (and your back!), it’s also freeing for your mind. You realise just how little you need to survive and thrive. Fewer belongings mean fewer things to worry about getting stolen or lost. It’s another way to push yourself out of your comfort zone and kick over-consuming bad habits.
I’ve travelled for months and months, from Iceland to Thailand, carrying only hand luggage. There is a lot of advice out there showing travellers how to pack light but I’m only sharing tips that personally worked for me long-term! Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned adventurer curious if there’s anything left to learn about how to travel light, this is the guide for you.
1. Invest in Carry-on Sized Bags
As you know, airlines, trains, and buses around the world have different rules about the number, size, and weight of luggage you can take on board. Most will allow a personal item (small backpack, laptop bag, handbag, etc.) and a larger carry-on bag.
It’s a nightmare trying to find one to suit them all! So, invest in two backpacks, bags, or suitcases that work for your style of travel.
I mostly travel in Europe and hate carrying suitcases over cobblestones and up and down metro station stairs. I bought the lightest travel backpack with the highest quality within my budget. So, I use an Osprey Fairview 40L cabin bag and a Kånken backpack as my personal item. It’s my go-to travel light set-up and has been for years.
Related blog post: Packing Tips & Hacks: How To Workaway Out of a Backpack
2. Don’t Pack Last Minute
Learning how to travel light means spending more time packing than you would expect! You don’t want to be packing the night before your trip that everything you want to take doesn’t fit in your bag.
You’ll start stressing and taking out items you actually need!
Pack at least a few days before. Weigh your bags with a luggage scale to check that they’re under transport weight limits and practice carrying your bags. Leave time to buy replacement gear if what you have already is just too bulky.
3. Write a Detailed Packing List
I don’t do this so much anymore, but only because I now pack almost the same items for all my long-term trips (see my packing list at the end). However, it’s easier to spot when you are overpacking with a list. Once I see ‘10x t-shirts’ and ‘4x skirts’ written in black and white, it’s harder to justify packing so many clothes!
Detailed packing lists are also useful if you have to claim travel insurance. If, knock on wood, your bag ever gets stolen, you’ll know exactly what was inside.
4. Pack Enough Clothes for One Week
There are many ‘packing rules’ to help you cut down the clothes you take travelling.
One is the 1-2-3-4-5-6 packing rule: 1 hat, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants/skirts, 4 shirts, 5 pairs of socks, and 6 pairs of underwear. There’s also the rule of three: 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes.
These might work for a backcountry camping trip or weekend city break, but not light packing for long-term travel! I don’t know about you, but doing laundry every four days just to travel light sounds awful.
I plan to do laundry approximately once a week when travelling long-term, so I pack enough clothes for seven days. Well, I pack for eight days, as a small buffer. There always seems to be one machine out of order and five people trying to wash clothes when you are!
5. Pack Versatile, Layer-able Matching Clothes
This is one of the best tips anyone could give you about learning how to travel light.
You need to be able to pull your last clean t-shirt and shorts from your backpack and know they will match*. Blue jeans, plain black vests, white tennis shoes, and beige canvas shorts are not boring clothes, they are capsule wardrobe staples that will go with anything!
Layerability is also essential. For example, I have a corduroy jacket I can wear in warm weather. When it gets chilly, I throw my black North Face packable puffer jacket on underneath. I wear black leggings under sundresses in mild climates and under jeans in snowy weather.
Finally, choose versatile items. Believe it or not, I wear a super comfortable jumpsuit with spaghetti straps on long-haul flights and out to bars. I pair it with a long-sleeve top in winter and style it as is in summer.
*I don’t always pack a 100% matching wardrobe, but no one’s perfect!
Related blog post: 10 Essential Things To Pack on Your Workaway Trip
6. Pack Lightweight, Quick-Drying, Easy-Wash Clothes
Leave behind any item of clothing that is dry-clean only or needs handwashing. You’ll groan every time you need to wash it and will throw it in the machine (and cross your fingers!) anyway.
I learned the hard way to pack clothes of a similar colour. I own a formerly bright white now murky grey Mickey Mouse T-shirt as evidence.
Choosing the right materials for light travel can be tricky. Clothes made from nylon and polyester are lightweight and dry quickly, but they’re not the most environmentally friendly materials. I try to limit thick wool and cotton clothes but still pack some.
Bamboo, linen, and Merino wool are fantastic light and quick-drying natural materials perfect for travel clothes.
7. Bring a Maximum of Four Pairs of Shoes
I almost listed this tip as ‘three pairs of shoes’, but there are circumstances when you might need to pack four. Shoes are incredibly bulky so you should pack as few as possible! But, I will sometimes pack four as long as one of those pairs is flip-flops/sliders.
For most trips, I wear quality boots, a pair of tennis shoes, and sandals/flip-flops. It’s easier to travel with two pairs if you’re only travelling in warmer climates.
8. Use Packing Cubes and Stuff Sacks
People who learn how to travel light long-term without using packing cubes and stuff sacks confuse me. These little, flexible pouches help you keep your luggage organised when you travel. I think they are essential!
Compression bags are popular so you can pack more items into a smaller backpack. Honestly, I don’t love them. When travelling light long-term, my goal isn’t to fit as many items as possible into my cabin bag. It’s to only pack what I need and can comfortably carry!
I usually have two packing cubes: one for tops, pyjamas, and shorts and another for bulkier dresses, jeans, and sweaters. I have one small stuff sack for underwear and a swimsuit and another for socks. I’ll also pack a dry bag which I use as a laundry bag or for storing wet swimwear.
9. Ditch ‘Nice to Have’ and ‘Just in Case’ Items
Have you ever wished you could carry Mary Poppins’s carpet bag? You could pack everything you might need for your trip and your bag will never overflow or be too heavy!
Unfortunately, we don’t live in her world, so you should only pack essential items you know you will need. I like to return from any trip knowing I used everything in my bag.
Related blog post: Woman Who Never Travels With More Than 5 kg
10. Prioritise Packing Hard-to-Find Items
Let’s say you’re staring at your overflowing luggage and think every item is essential. No one, especially not me, can convince you otherwise.
Some will say, ‘If you are travelling where people live, you can find everything you need there!’ That’s not always true. Plus-size travellers often struggle to find well-fitting clothes abroad, and certain medications won’t be available.
Prioritise packing items that are more difficult to find in the destinations you are visiting. For example, I’d take out T-shirts and some toiletries that are easy to buy anywhere.
11. Invest in High-Quality Essential Clothing
Not all of your travel clothes need to be of the highest quality, but you’ll be glad you invested in a few key pieces. They’ll be good to wear again and again without falling apart, meaning you can minimise how many items you pack.
Merino wool can be pricey, but I no longer buy socks made from any other material. They are warm and comfortable yet breathable. I don’t know what magic is at play, but they don’t hold odour either!
Another item of clothing I invested in was a GORE-TEX waterproof raincoat. I’ve owned it for five years and I’ve been so glad to have it during downpours. The same goes for waterproof hiking boots.
12. Hook Carabiners on Your Backpack
This how-to-travel-light hack isn’t so you can pack tonnes more items by hanging them outside your pack. But if the ability to attach one or two things to your pack means you can bring a smaller bag, it’s worth it!
I usually have two carabiners clipped on the outside of my backpack. One is for a hat, the other is for my boots. Since they’re usually my biggest pair of shoes, I must wear them when transporting all my luggage. Having a carabiner gives me the option of wearing another pair instead.
13. Use a Combo of Solid, Mini, and Full-Sized Toiletries
Packing a small bottle of your favourite moisturiser makes sense when taking a short weekend trip, but not long-term. And if you decant a small amount into a small reusable container, what are you supposed to do with it once empty?
Solid toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body soap, etc.) are so much smaller than full-sized bottles. They last just as long, so they’re a winner for me. Everything else I use is already in a small enough container anyway.
As with clothes, I love toiletries that are dual-purpose. For example, I use Aloe Vera gel as shaving cream which is also great for sunburn.
14. Swap to Lightweight Gear
Many everyday items have a lightweight alternative when you want to travel light. No, they’re not always the same quality but the lighter weight and smaller size are worth the payoff.
Yes, I’m talking about microfibre towels! I have used the same one since I first started travelling in hostels many years ago. There is no way I can travel long-term without one. I also use a smaller hairbrush, a travel jewellery pouch, and a tiny umbrella.
15. Don’t Skimp on Safety Essentials
There’s a temptation to remove ‘just in case’ items from your luggage that you’ve packed for your safety to free up space. While packing a first aid kit for a weekend trip to Paris might be excessive, it's not if you’re backpacking in Cambodia.
Packing a water bottle with a built-in filter might take up a lot of space in your bag, but you’ll be glad to have it in Peru to avoid buying dozens of plastic bottles. Sun hats and sunglasses might also fall under this category. You’ll be happy to have them when you need them!
I probably carry too many padlocks (one for each backpack, a cable lock, and a luggage lock) but I always feel safer.
16. Invest in a Universal Travel Adapter
All long-term travellers who want to know how to travel light need a universal travel adapter! I’ve been using the same one for so many years and can’t imagine a time when I travelled without one.
Universal travel adapters can fit almost any electrical socket in the world. Usually, they have a Type A (USA), Type C (Euro), Type I (Australia), and Type G (UK) plug. The best ones have USB sockets as well as a plug socket so you can use one adapter for all your devices.
17. Rethink Your Electronics
Speaking of electronics, consider not packing a laptop. Hear me out! Even the smallest laptops are heavy and breakable. Expensive laptops make you a target for petty thieves too.
Unless you travel long-term as a digital nomad, consider getting a tablet with a magnetic keyboard instead. Or, just use your phone! Travelling is a great opportunity to unplug and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Also, leave your hair dryer and hair styling tools at home. That’s easy for me to say as someone with manageable straight hair, but they might not work in countries with different voltages anyway.
Related blog post: How To Start an Online Side Hustle Using Workaway
18. Don’t Pack Flight ‘Comfort’ Items
Travel pillows. Blankets. Eye drops. Sheet masks. Compression socks. Lounge sets. Footrests. There are tonnes of items on the market to make flights more comfortable. While compression socks have health benefits, most items are only useful for the hours you are in the air.
These are all the items I take when embarking on a trip with at least one long-haul flight: an eye mask, earplugs, a scarf, a hoodie, and an inflatable neck pillow. That’s it! Everything but the inflatable neck pillow has a dual use. You are probably already bringing comfortable clothes so there’s no need to pack a specific aeroplane outfit.
19. Most Trendy Hacks Aren’t Sustainable
Many travellers swear by the ‘pillow’ hack. This is where you bring a full-size pillow case filled with clothes instead of the soft filling to bring more on a flight without paying for extra luggage.
Sometimes people wear coats or pants with many pockets instead. Often, it works! But these are still extra items to carry around. It isn’t sustainable for long-term travel.
Another trendy hack is soaking tiny sponges with soap or shampoo and letting them dry so they will lather when you add water. Again, what are you going to do with the sponges afterwards? Most of these trendy travel hacks are creative and work but aren’t sustainable long-term.
20. It’s Okay to Pack (Some) Unnecessary Items
My last tip on how to travel light long-term is permission to pack ‘unnecessary’ items. Consider this your green light and thumbs-up for packing things you don’t strictly need. Unless I’m long-distance hiking, I bring a mirrorless DSLR camera wherever I go. Do I need it? Absolutely not. Do I like photography and prefer to travel with it? Heck yes.
I also pack at least one paperback book when I travel. I like swapping books in hostels and seeking English-language bookshops in unlikely places. Is my book heavier, bigger, and more burdensome than an electronic reader? Of course! But you’ll have to claw the second-hand Sally Rooney novel I bought in Bratislava from my cold, dead hands first.
Sample Packing Checklist
Disclaimer: You should never follow any example or sample packing list point-for-point. There is zero chance that you are travelling to the same destinations and have the exact same travel style as someone else.
But it might be interesting to see how I travel light and what I pack for most trips with my go-to light packing list. The climate for this list is spring/autumn in Western Europe.
Personal Items:
1x Phone
1x Keys (plus a bottle opener keyring and a safety whistle keyring)
1x Travel wallet (Passport, photocopies of my passport, international driving licenses, vaccination printout, prescription information, spare passport photos, EHIC, etc.)
1x Wallet (space for two currencies)
1x Portable battery charger and phone charging cable
1x Universal travel adapter
1x Umbrella
1x Water bottle
1x Tote bag
1x Pair of sunglasses
1x Notebook and pen
1x Book and bookmark
1x Eye mask
1x Earplugs
1x Inflatable travel pillow
4x Padlocks (one with a long cable, one for hostel lockers, two for backpacks)
1x Mirrorless camera plus one spare battery, SD cards, and charging cable
1x Handbag pouch (nail file, hair ties, hair clips, pain killers, adhesive bandages, solid perfume, a pack of tissues, chewing gum, and lip balm)
Cabin Bag:
8x Pairs of socks
8x Pairs of underwear
4x Bras (including one sports bra)
8x Tops (including vests, T-shirts, shirts, and Merino wool hiking shirts)
1x Pair of pyjamas (usually a regular vest top and comfy shorts I can wear outside)
1x Swimsuit
1x Leggings/cycle shorts
1x Jeans
1x Trousers/shorts
1x Skirt and tights
1x Dress/jumpsuit
1x Cardigan
1x Sweater/fleece
1x Packable puffy jacket
1x Light jacket (denim, corduroy, etc.)
1x Raincoat
1x Sandals/flipflops
1x Tennis shoes
1x Boots
1x Scarf
1x Beanie or cap
1x Small handbag
1x Belt
1x Microfibre travel towel
1x Waterproof phone pouch
2x Packing cubes
2x Stuff sacks
2x Carabiners
1x Dry bag
1x Toiletry bag with medications
1x Makeup bag (if I’m flying, I pack a reusable clear plastic bag for liquids and use this as a makeup bag once I’ve landed)
1x Laundry bag plus colour catcher sheets, stain remover stick, and solid detergent pods
1x Laptop and hard drive (my personal item is too small to fit my 13-inch laptop, but if I need to check my cabin bag or store it underneath a coach, I put it in the tote bag I carry in my personal item and keep it with me)
Of course, I’d try and wear my bulkiest clothing when moving all my stuff from place to place. I never pack jewellery options, only what I like to wear every day.
Use These Tips to Travel Light on Your Long-Term Adventure
I hope you learned something you didn’t know about how to travel light long-term from my tips. Not all of this advice will work for you. Even I don’t follow it 100% of the time! But I can say with total surety that the lighter you pack, the freer you feel.
Taking part in work exchanges with Workaway is a sustainable way to extend your long-term travels and deepen your connections with other cultures. I’ve been travelling with Workaway since 2017 and it’s provided me with some of the most enriching experiences I’ve ever had. Find out how it works and sign up to be a Workawayer today!
About Rebecca
Rebecca caught the travel bug when she spent a summer as a camp counsellor in the USA during university. She quit her job in 2017 and started volunteering with Workaway as she grew her remote freelanc
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