Packing List

Here we cover more or less everything we are carrying with us. We'll update this page when we make changes to the content of our bags. We are aiming for less stuff and lighter weight. It's just the electronics we need as digital nomads that are getting on the way of this plan. But we do try to get there.

What we pack depends on where we are going. This current list is for Spring 2016 in South-East Asia.

Our Bags

The Essentials

• Credit cards + cash (both Visa and Mastercard, just to be secure)
• Travel insurance cards & paper copies (also saved in email)
• Passports & paper copies (also saved in email)
• Emergency numbers (also saved in email)
• Vaccination cards

Mirje

Electronics

• Smart phone (Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, I love it!)
• Lightweight laptop (Asus 303L)
• Tablet (7" Google Nexus 7)
• Kindle (the battery lasts forever, great for long flights / bus rides)

• MP3 player
• Headphones with hands-free set
• Chargers for all above (luckily many things can use same one)
• Usb sticks, memory cards
• Protective cases 

Clothes

• Pair of shorts (for sleeping and to wear under dresses)
• Flower dress
• Black 3/4-length pants
• Black exercise pants
• 3x black leggings

• 2 sleeveless tops (also for sleeping)
• 2 merino wool sleeveless tops
• 2 merino wool t-shirts
• 4 tunics (perfect in hot weather)

• Waterproof jacket (light-weight and tiny)
• Fleece
• Gloves, Buff, ear muffs
• Sharong (multipurpose! Scarf, towel, cover, etc.)

• 9 pairs of panties
• 3 bras
• 1 pairs of thin socks
• Pair of woolen/trekking socks
• Bikini

• Walking shoes (gore-tex, not much use in tropical climate)
• Merrel hiking sandals (good-looking enough for dressing up)
• Flip-flops (back to Havaianas, after too many not-fitting cheap pairs)

Toiletries

• Shampoo bar + tin case (from Lush, we both use the same)
• Conditioner bar (also from Lush)
• Moon cup + washing gel
• Small nail polish + nail polish remover pads
• Shavers
• Spot gel (for breakouts in skin)
• Deodorant (solid stick, so isn't counted as a liquid in a plane)
• Face creams (day + night) 
• Eye serum (I'm getting old!)
• Hair oil
• Sun cream SPF 50
• Sun cream for face (I don't like to use the general one for face, since it feels greasy)
• Soap bar
• Face wash bar
  

• A necklace
• Hair pins + hair bobbles
• Face powder
• Few daily contact lenses (mainly used for snorkeling, not everyday)
• Extra pair of eye glasses in a case
• Mascara + eyelash curler
• Parfume (small stick)
• Red lipstick (great way to look groomed in seconds)
• Eye-liners (in few colors, using these also as eye shadow if needed)
• Brow pencil
• Nail clippers + file
• Pinsets
• Pen sharpener
• Mirror

• First aid kit: band-aids, ibuprofen, cough pills, eye drops, Imodium, etc.
• Electronic toothbrush & toothpaste
• Tootbrush (as back-up)
• Gel stick to prevent blisters

Other

• Case for sim-cards etc. small things
• Business cards (both for company and blog)
• Spork (spoon+knife+fork all in one small plactic piece)
• Lock
• String + safety pins + miniature sewing kit
• Carabiners
• Headlamp (mainly used for reading in bed)
• Snorkel + mask

• Small ziplog pags + plastic bags
• 3 canvas bags (fold next to nothing, can be used to separate things in backpack, grocery shopping, etc.)
• Large + small travel towel (the small one I use for my hair)

Handbag

• Small scarf
• Tissues
• Umbrella
• Small purse (always in Mirje's bag if not used as a purse, includes pen, head ache pills, plasters, small notebook, nail file etc.)
• Water bottle
• Notebook + pen
• Hair bobbles + few pins
• Lip balm
• Wallet

Antti

Electronics

• Smart phone (Samsung S4 mini)
• Lightweight(ish) laptop (Dell Vostro V131)
• Tablet (10.1" Sony Xperia Z4)
• DSLR camera (Canon 100D)
• MP3 player (an old ipod nano)
• Headphones with hands-free set (x2)
• 1TB usb harddrive
• Mini-speaker
• Usb sticks, memory cards
• Wifi booster
• Microphone

• Chargers for all above (luckily many things can use same one)
• Extension chord with 4 plugs and overvoltage protection
• Protective cases

Clothes

• 3 pants: 1 for city, 1 for everything, 1 for exercise/leisure
• Waterproof jacket
• Gloves & Buffy

• Fleece
• 1 long-sleeved dressier shirts
• 5 short-sleeved shirts (2 Icebreakers, 1 polo, 1 dress, 1 T)
• Long-sleeved rash guard shirt
• 2 sport T-shirts

• 3 pairs of sock (two thin ones and a pair of woolen/trekking socks)
• Underwear (enough for a week)
• Swimming wear (with goggles and all)
• Free dive mask
• Tie (!)

• Sport sandals
• Barefoot sneakers
• Flipflops

Other

• A4 plastic folder for documents
• Notepads, A4 and pocket size, a pen and a pencil
• Electric plug adapter
• Extension cord with overvoltage protection (this way we only need one adapter)
• Head lamp
• Small duct tape
• Padlock + lock with a wire
• Umbrella
• Spare eye glasses

• Money belt (I use this during transfers for passport and some cards)
• Extra documents: diving license, opticians prescription etc.
• Travel towel
• Toiletries (deodorant, body lotion etc.)
• Medicines (painkillers, allergy medicines etc.)

Everything packed in small bags of different colors, some more water proof than others.

Our other packing related posts

• Packing Tips from 3 Years on the Road
• What I Have Learnt about Packing
• Packing list: Autumn in Europe from 2013

Need more inspiration?

You can check out the excellent packing list posts these other long-term travellers have made.

• 6 Years of Carry-On Travel: Our Packing List Update by Erin from Never Ending Voyage
• The 2015 Packing List by Mish from Making It Anywhere
• What's In Our Bags - Asia 2013 by Tanya from Magic Travel Blog
• Revisiting a Long-term Travel Packing List by Jeremy from Living the Dream 
• The Contents of My Backpack Two Years On by Lauren from Never Ending Footsteps
• Our Packing List for Travelling Light by Ivana from Nomad is Beautiful
• The Ultimate Digital Nomad Packing List for Travel by Laurence from Finding the Universe
• Her Packing List has packing advice for women for almost every possible situation