What to Pack for a Year of Travel
After spending weeks curating and editing my packing list for a year-long backpacking trip, and then spending the actual year putting it to the test, I feel well-prepared to tell you what you need to spend 12 months on the road. I have made mistakes on mistakes on mistakes (why did I bring three bathing suits?; why didn’t I pack more allergy medicine?; when, exactly, did I think I’d wear a gorgeous and very, very itchy midnight-blue lace bra?). This guide will tell you which packing decisions of mine to emulate—and which to not.
Scroll down for how I approach packing and for the list itself, and if you, too, have a big trip in your future, read my guide on how I planned for a year of backpacking.
Planned Spontaneity: How I Approached Packing for a Year of Backpacking
I am a planner; anyone who knows me will tell you that. But I’m my own unique breed. I don’t like to have plans and then follow them, necessarily. I like to make a good, solid, logically sound base plan, ready for any number of possible situations, and then make in-the-moment decisions based on current circumstances, all of which are assisted and optimized by my good plan.
Let’s called it planned spontaneity, and let’s put it through a quick example. If I were to go on a week-long vacation to a new city, I wouldn’t plan out every single day. I would download offline maps and language dictionaries, skim a few best-of and long-weekend-in and local-tips guides and make a note on places that I wanted to visit and any restrictive schedules (which museums are closed on Monday and which bar only opens on weekends, for instance), book my first night’s accommodation in a neighborhood I’d read about after looking through the reviews, and check I had any necessary visas / immunizations / cash for that place. Then I’d go. And every day, when I woke up, I’d decide what I felt like: strolling around aimlessly? A guided tour at a museum? Stuffing myself on local food? As I met new people and learned new things, I’d work them into my time there. I’d be well-set-up for most situations, open to newness and circumstance, and ready to do my version of fully enjoying a trip.
So when I decided to backpack South America for a year, I didn’t have a set itinerary. I had no idea where I’d go, where I’d stay, what I’d do. But I did have a well-packed backpack ready for any situation I found myself in.
I’d thought through the climates and activities I’d experience, I researched what I could replace on the road and what I couldn’t, and I thought about my own priorities and what things I didn’t want to compromise on. Doing that led me to the list you’ll find below, which got me through many a spontaneous decision.
Packing Principles to Keep in Mind as You Prepare for a Long Trip
You know that Coco Chanel quote? “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off”? Apply the hell out of that to your packing. You need less than you think you’ll need.
Here are a more principles I now live by that I came to by trial-and-error and not by way of Coco:
- Do not bring anything one-of-a-kind, deeply loved, or irreplaceable. Even if you are a responsible, organized goddess of travel, your things will get stained, waylaid, or destroyed by a well-meaning laundromat employee. I didn’t bring my favorite, super-soft West Wing t-shirt and I thank the universe every day that it’s been safe at home while some other almost-favorite items (a U of M alumni association t-shirt, a ridiculously-comfy sports bra) are getting lost or worn.
- Don’t skimp on things that will bring you comfort or reduce anxiety. Traveling is hard and stressful; you’ll get sick and sad and angry many times throughout your trip. (You’ll spend more time ridiculously, giddily happy, but the bad moments will happen.) Pack a few things that might not be the most logical but will help you when you’re in one of those moments. Mine were extra notebooks (I brought three, even though one would’ve worked; writing in beautiful bundles of paper calms me like nothing else), two silk eyemasks (in case I lost one, which I did [self-fulling philosophy, maybe?]; they help me sleep), and a t-shirt from my old work (somehow, when I couldn’t successfully negotiate housing arrangements in Spanish, putting it on reminded me that I was once very competent at something very hard and I’d get through whatever I was struggling with).
- Don’t pack for the best-case scenario nor the worst; pack for something in between. You will get sunburned; you probably won’t get a bevy of tropical diseases. Arm your medicine kit and your clothes bags appropriately. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere remote with no basic remedies or necessities, but you’ll be able to replenish and supplement what you have with local stores and pharmacies, and other travelers will be able to help you out if you’re in a pinch.
- Neutrals are your best friend. Don’t bring stuff you can’t wear with everything. Every piece of clothing should be able to work with every other piece of clothing. Get creative with pieces but stick to basic colors, and add in fun pops of patterns with souvenirs you buy along the way. Bright scarves, sarongs, or shirts are great, easy-to-pack mementos that you can put to use as you travel.
Choose Wisely: Pick Your Pack
Before you can pack all the stuff you need, you need a receptacle to put it in. Here enters one of the most important decisions a backpacker can make: what will your backpack be?
Ask yourself:
- How much space do you need? (For a year of non-camping-heavy backpacking, you’ll need something between 40-60L, depending on how much stuff you want to bring. Bulky hobbies like photography or diving may put you beyond that range.)
- How much weight do you need to be able to carry? How much support do you want? Will you need back padding, a wire frame, or just basic chest straps?
- Do you care about style, colors, or patterns?
- And importantly: how much can you spend?
I chose an Osprey Farpoint 55 liters (size medium/large) after online research, consulting with traveler friends, and going into an REI to try it on (weighted up!) to see how it felt. It matched my needs and my budget, and I couldn’t be happier with how it worked out.
I knew I wanted a fully-open backpack (i.e. not one that only opens at the top, where you have to dump it out every time you want something at the bottom), and I loved that this one came with a matching daypack. I always travel with the big pack on my back, strapped across my chest to distribute the weight, and the little one hooked around my shoulders on the front.
It has been my constant companion these last 14 months through seven countries and two continents, and I know it has many trips left in it.
Backpack to Baby Packs: Module Packing Is Your Friend
Now that you have your backpack, you think you’re done? Nuh-uh. To avoid digging through your luggage in a panic trying to find your favorite hiking socks or your headache medicine or your computer charger, break up your big pack into many smaller ones.
I use packing cubes and souvenir bags to do this. I’ve been using these packing cubes for a year and like them. They’re not the most durable option—almost all of mine have lost the little cotton zipper pull after a year of work—but they were super cheap and they continue to work, even a little banged up. I started off with a few Glossier padded envelopes, too, but as those fell apart (they are so terribly made and impossible to reuse; what a waste of plastic), I replaced them with locally-made little bags I picked up at various markets.
My bags are broken up into:
- Big packing cube: full body / bottom. Pants, dresses, socks, underwear and bras, bathing suits.
- Medium packing cube: head / neck / top. Shirts, jackets, gloves, hats.
- Medium packing cube: general toiletries.
- Small packing cube: dirty laundry, folded very tightly.
- Daypack: electronics, notebooks, medicine, change of clothes and upon-arrival toiletries (toothbrush, glasses case).
- Small zippered bag: makeup.
- Small zippered bag: medicine.
I always carry my passport and my wallet literally on my body (usually slipped into my sports bra) and have random bits of cash and credit cards hidden in every one of the bags.
And Now…Your Lists
Ask yourself before coming up with your list:
- What climates will you be in?
- What activities do you want to do?
- What electronics or hobby materials will you need?
My list was developed for a year of travel around South America, where I’d be traveling through climates that usually ranged from 55 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and dipping into cold (nighttime in Chilean/Argentinian Patagonia) and wet (in jungles of Ecuador) regions. I planned lots of short hikes (ranging up to full-day hikes, not usually overnight hikes; if I did overnight hikes, I rented needed equipment like tents or cooking sets), swimming and beach enjoyment, and city exploration.
I don’t have any special hobbies; I knew I would blog, so I brought a computer, and I relied on my phone for photos. I know lots of travelers who went with additional cameras (GoPros, Nikons), but I didn’t want to deal with the weight and the hassle, and my iPhone 8+ took professional-level photos in all types of conditions.
Here’s what my pack currently contains.
Clothing and Shoes Packing List:
- Two pairs of long leggings
- Two pairs of cropped leggings
- One pair of jeans
- One pair of loose pajama pants
- One pair of zip-off hiking pants
- Two pairs of shorts
- Two dresses—one cotton for a beach cover-up or lounging-around-the-hostel dress and one for going out
- Two jumpsuits—one full-length and one short, both for going out or more formal occasions
- Four t-shirts
- Three athletic tops
- Two tank tops
- One long underwear top for layering
- One sweater
- Three pairs of hiking socks
- Three pairs of normal socks
- Six pairs of underwear
- Two normal bras
- Two sports bras
- Two bikinis
- One one-piece
- Rain jacket
- Down jacket
- Ball cap
- Nike Frees
- Hiking boots
- Flip-flops
- Brown leather sandals
- Category MVPs:
- Black Nike Frees, which go with everything from cuffed jeans to workout shorts. Insanely comfortable for long days of walking. I’ve work them to museums, clubs, forests, and they’ve never let me down. Truly the comfiest, most versatile shoe ever.
- This Patagonia stretchy hiking top that I absolutely love and that has shown 0 signs of wear after 14 months of steady use.
- These hiking socks that keep my feet warm, dry, and smelling not-bad, even after eight or ten hours of trekking through mud and melted glaciers.
Toiletries and Makeup:
- Travel-sized shampoo and conditioner
- Travel-sized micellar water and sleeve of cotton pads (I used to use Neutrogena face wipes, but ran out fairly quickly and felt like I was producing an unnecessary amount of waste with those, so switched over to this method)
- Full-sized deodorant
- Neutrogena sunscreen
- Off! insect repellent lotion and these Avon insect repellent wipes
- Two pairs of glasses and one case
- 6 pairs of contacts
- Contact solution
- Jar of Neutrogena moisturizer
- Bag of makeup with the basics, which I’ve used far less than I thought: mascara, eyeliner, brow powder, concealer, cheek tint, perfume roller, solid perfume, and a few lipsticks
- Travel pack of Q-tips
- Small hairbrush
- Razor
- Tweezers
- Nail clippers
- Pack of hair ties
- Pack of tissues
- Category MVP:
- This all-natural deodorant for when I’m in super humid, hot regions and copious sweating has my poor armpits breaking out in heat rash
- A few of these perfume rollers, which are tiny, weigh nothing, and let me smell like taking tea in a rose garden on a warm summer morning
Medicines:
- Claritin, Benadryl, and Sudafed (I get bad allergies to dogs and cats and have hay fever)
- Cortisone cream (for bad bug bites)
- Thermometer
- Ibuprofen
- Cough lozenges
- Generic brands of DayQuil and NyQuil
- Burn covers
- Canker sore covers
- Neosporin
- Bandaids
- Prescribed malaria medicine (never took, as I ended up not going into the Amazon), altitude medicine (Acetazolamide, which I did take, not sure how well it worked; I went to the hopistal anyways), and antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, to take in case of a GI bug, which I did take).
- Category MVPs:
- My thermometer, which has helped me snap out of swearing that I’m near death when I’m actually just slightly feverish. I like this one for its simplicity.
- Things I had originally that I took out since I never used them: Immodium (always found it better to just wait it out to travel if this happened, or treat the underlying issue with antibiotics), moleskin (bandaids were easier), powdered electrolytes (the one time I needed them, I was in a place with Gatorade, which I much prefer), and athletic tape (I just wasn’t getting injured enough to need to tape my knees, ever).
That’s it—the full contents of the 14 or so kilos (look at me, talking in kilos!) that I strap onto my back (and front) every time I head somewhere new.
I’ve acquired a bit more stuff here in Buenos Aires—two additional pairs of shoes, a bit of artwork, a few pieces of completely impractical clothing like white flowy pants, which I love even more for their impracticality— but I’ll leave it all behind the next time I hit the road.
Let me know if you have any questions or I can help you with your trip prep in any way! I love this stuff, friends. Truly.
Hello! Thought you should know: nothing in this post is sponsored. I’m sharing links to things that I found on my own, that I use regularly, and that I truly love. I do have a few affiliate links in this post, which means that if you end up buying any of the stuff I’ve recommended with the links included here, I may earn a small commission. As I try to find new ways to continue to fund my travel, I so appreciate your support.