Minimalist Travel Packing: 10 Tips to Pack Light for Long-Term Travel

If you’re an overpacker by nature, grab these minimalist travel packing tips to make your trip easier, more fun, and above all, more adventurous!

What’s in our guide to packing for minimalist travel?

During our travels, we often hop between 40 degree heat in Asia to winter freezing temperatures in Europe — and back again. Sometimes we hob-nob with fashionable friends in cosmopolitan capitals and sometimes we are being beset by leeches in a hot and sweaty jungle.

We need to carry everything with us, for any weather or occassion.

If I had my way, I would never travel light; I would totally take way too many clothes with me! But, in that fantasy world, I wouldn’t have to look after my luggage, pack or unpack it, or worry about the cost — monetary, environmental, and to my own personal freedom.

Unless you can afford a personal butler, being weighed down by luggage is a sure-fire way to make travelling a drag and limit your access to off-the-beaten-path adventures.

A heavy bag makes it harder to hop on a bus or ferry, to navigate the crowds in a train station, or to take a detour down a romantic side-street.

The travel packing tips in this post will keep you from going down that sad road.

The million-dollar question is, can you travel light in all weather and all settings, keeping a flexible itinerary, and an undefined return date?

Yes, you can! Read on to take full advantage of…

Our 10 Best Minimalist Travel Packing Tips

You’ll also want to get ready with our minimalist travel gear guide, guide to choosing the best minimalist backpack, and our list of travel essentials for women and travel essentials for men.

1. It All Starts with the Right Luggage

Minimalist packing all starts with your choice of luggage.

This is the place most people make their first misstep, especially for long-term trips. If you buy a backpack or suitcase that is bigger than carry-on size, you’ll never travel light.

You DO NOT want to be that person dragging a suitcase that is almost as tall as they are!

You also don’t want to be one of those backpackers with a HUGE pack on their back and another big one in front.

(Don’t miss: Our guide to choosing the best carry-on backpack or suitcase for your adventures) →

If your travel pack or suitcase is small, it’s going to force you to pack sensibly and pack light. Also, it’s scientifically proven that your stuff will expand to fill all available space, no matter how big your suitcase is.

So limit this expansion right from the start to make packing light a whole lot easier — invest in regulation carry-on luggage. If you’re looking for a great travel gift, new luggage can be a great option.

Which Luggage do We Use (and Recommend)?

If you’re curious, my current suitcase is the hard-sided Alex suitcase from Hauptstadtkoffer while Jane loves her Carry-On Backpack from Standard Luggage Co.

Alongside my carry-on suitcase, I bring a small backpack that is just big enough to fit my laptop, wallet, phone, and other items I need on the plane, at yoga class, or wandering around a city.

So far, on flights that have a “one carry-on item per person” policy, this extra bag has never been a problem. Knock wood.

These are our three favs when it comes to carry-on luggage:

Don’t miss our guide to finding the perfect luggage for your travel style →

2. The Magic of Math

When you’re figuring out how to travel light, you don’t normally think “I’m going to need my math skills for this”. But hear me out.

The value of an item increases exponentially with each additional function it can perform.

This is best illustrated with some examples.

Sarong

It’s a changing room, it’s a blanket, it’s a bed sheet, it’s a privacy wall, it’s a lampshade, it’s a towel, it’s a bag, it’s a sunshade, it’s a papoose in case you decide you want to travel with a baby monkey.

Plus, don’t forget, it’s a shirt or a dress. It might have only cost $5 on the beach in Portugal, but a sarong might possibly be the most valuable piece in your bag.

Neutral shoes

Jane and I have travelled most of the past three years with our Salomon XA PRO 3D GTX trail running shoes.

Not only are they waterproof, comfortable, and warm (but not too hot) — they’re also vegan. They come in some seriously bright shades, but we decided to get neutral colours. We wear them cycling, hiking, walking around cities, and on the plane — and they’ve even taken us to the opera in two different countries.

Yes, it would be nice to bring eight pairs of shoes, one for every day of the week and another “just in case”. But again, we don’t have a personal butler, so our shoes have to work for multiple functions.

We do actually pack two pairs of shoes each. Our Salomon’s and a pair of Keen Whisper Sandals, which are ideal for our tropical adventures.

(Don’t miss: Our guide to choosing the best lightweight walking shoes for your travels) →

Pants for every occasion

I recently got a pair of Bluffworks travel pants, which are the most versatile travel trousers I’ve ever tried. They have hidden pockets and stylish design for city slicking, but they are also durable and light enough to wear hiking. Plus, they are pretty much wrinkle free.

Jane likes my Bluffworks so much that she keeps trying to steal them!

Don’t miss my complete guide to the best men’s travel pants →

3. Synthetics Save Space (and Animals)

Synthetic fabrics make great insulating layers and underwear. As vegans, we have had to learn to embrace synthetics, since most winter clothes are made with animal products.

Synthetics aren’t ideal to my eco-mindset (I would rather use all-natural materials) but wool, down, and cotton don’t hold up well in wet weather, and they certainly aren’t quick drying.

So, for the sake of minimalist packing, comfort, lightness, quick-drying properties, and warmth, I usually choose synthetics.

Of course, now, there are lots of great options for sustainable clothes made from natural fibres!

I pack Bluffworks travel t-shirts, which are quick drying t-shirts with moisture-wicking and anti-stink properties. Perfect for those hot sweaty days of travel where you just don’t have time to do the laundry.

Speaking of which, since they are quick dry, I can wash them at night and have a fresh t-shirt dry and ready to wear in the morning.

Find more details about what we pack for long-term travel on our minimalist packing guide.

4. The Role of Laundry in Minimalist Travel Packing

Speaking of laundry…

Let’s get this out of the way early and let’s get real: if you want to travel light, you’re going have to get used to washing your socks and underwear every other day or so. You can do it by hand in the bathroom sink, or if you’re a little more grungy, in the shower, using your feet to stomp out the dirt.

Other laundry duties include washing t-shirts every few days.

Pro travel light tip: Roll your wet, clean clothes in a towel and twist the roll. Some of the water from the clothes will transfer to the towel meaning your clothes will take less time to dry.

You don’t need to wash your pants/trousers as often. They can usually wait until you have a washing machine available or you send your clothes out to a professional laundry service. I highly recommend this every once in a while — machine-cleaned clothes can be really exciting after a few weeks on the road!

Asian cities usually offer good, cheap laundry services, especially in the neighbourhoods where backpackers stay. If in doubt, ask at your hostel/guest house/hotel.

In Europe and North America, the most budget-friendly way to get clean clothes is at a laundromat. Plus, you get the added bonus of having an “authentic” local experience. Hooray. If you Airbnb it, access to a washing machine is often a juicy part of the deal.

5. Grooming Tips for Minimalist Travel Packers

When we stay in hostels with shared bathrooms, we get to see what toiletries other people pack. Jane often reports back to me about the mini-suitcase many women carry filled with make-up brushes, blow dryers, full-size shampoo bottles, a selection of moisturizers and god knows what else.

Guys are less likely to fall victim to this packing faux pas, but I have to admit, my shaving kit is a major focus of downsizing for this trip.

I’m getting rid of a bunch of random stuff that has collected in the bottom of my very large shaving bag over the last few years. As I said, stuff expands to fit the space available.

Update: Jane and I both use these sweet Eagle Creek Pack-It toiletry bags now. It keeps our toiletries organized and limited to only the most important items. It’s perfect.

I’ll let Jane throw down some…

Travel beauty advice for girls

Hey ladies, I know you want to look good on your travels, but here’s the real deal.

You do not need to keep the same beauty routine on your trip as you do at home.

You’re not heading into work every day and being judged by your coworkers, you do not need to cover the bags under your eyes from too many late nights followed by too many early mornings, you do not need to slap a cake of make-up on to hide your wrinkles.

So cut your make-up back. Waaaay back. A complicated make-up routine will weigh you down and hold you back. Then, figure out a hairstyle that will not require a blow dryer and a curling/straightening iron.

Trust me. When the riches of London or Hong Kong are calling to you from your hotel window, you will not want to spend an hour getting beautified.

Those girls you see on Instagram with their cute little dresses and their perfect make-up never experience anything besides their face in the mirror.

Get over yourself, go outside and live your life instead!

Pro travel light tip for women: You can buy your favourite brand of feminine products almost everywhere in the world, so don’t pack more than a month’s supply. Better yet, invest in re-useable items like the ultra-compact Diva Cup and a set of re-useable pads like these amazing FemmeCloths from Etsy.

Pro travel light tip: Instead of shampoo and conditioner, just bring a bar of natural soap that can be used for all purposes. Store it in a mini Tupperware with a no-leak clickable lid — you can probably find a suitable-sized one at the dollar store.

6. Keeping Your Electronics Under Control

If you’re hitting a lot of countries on one trip, pack a small outlet extender that includes at least one USB slot and switches to multiple plug ends (UK, US, & EU will cover MOST of the world).

I finally bought the Twist from Oneadaptr. It’s a multi-country adapter that also holds an Apple computer and 4 USBs. I’m so glad to have streamlined my set-up to this one versatile piece.

Still, our phones, travel camera, portable hardrives, and laptops can get pretty out of control when we travel. Electronics should be treated like everything else — if you don’t NEED it, don’t bring it.

Yeah, it’s nice to have a Kindle e-reader with you but maybe just use the Kindle app on your phone instead.

And do you really need your laptop or can you do without it for the duration of your trip? What about your gimbal, tripod, lenses, drone, and other camera equipment?

Only bring what you’re going to need – that stuff and all the associated plugs get awfully heavy really fast! Plus, I promise, unless you’re a pro photographer, you won’t use most of it most of the time.

7. Watch Out for the “What Ifs”

Always think in terms of what you can do without — not what will be handy on your trip.

If you think you might use it, don’t bring it.

When in doubt, leave it out.

Watch out for the what if game.

“What if I go to a fancy party?”

“What if I decide to take up hiking?”

“What if I need to build a shelter in the wilderness like Bear Grylls?”

When it comes to packing light, if it’s a “What if?” it’s a “No”.

Note: If you are doing a backcountry wilderness trip or a kayaking trip, obviously you will want to pack all the necessary safety gear!

8. Pack It Up, Pack It In

Finally, it’s time to pack!

One of the “extras” I can’t do without is packing cubes.

They compress my clothes and let me fit a little more into my suitcase. But most importantly, packing cubes help me keep my suitcase organized so it never becomes one big rat’s nest of clothes.

To unpack at any stop on my trip, I just take the cubes out of the suitcase.

If I stay somewhere for more than a few nights, I might unpack my cubes completely — when it is time to pack up again, the cubes make re-packing easier. I have one cube for t-shirts, one for shorts and trousers, one for underwear etc… so it’s super simple to reorganize, pack, and be waiting for my Uber driver to arrive with time to spare.

Jane and I both use the Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter cubes.

They are lightweight nylon that weighs almost nothing on its own, but they are also sturdy and come with a lifetime guarantee. We are just retiring some old Eagle Creek cubes we have been using for more than 20 years — they are tough!

Pro travel light tip: Roll your clothes instead of folding them (and then put them in packing cubes). This minimizes wrinkles and maximizes space. Bulkier items (which you shouldn’t bring in the first place) don’t do well with rolling and are generally better folded flat.

9. It’s Time for Your Weigh-In

When you’re packing, put heavier items at the bottom of your suitcase. If you’ve got a wheelie suitcase, the heavy stuff goes at the end where the wheels are; it’s easier to roll a bag along airport hallways and bumpy sidewalks with the weight down low.

Always check the airline’s carry-on restrictions and make sure your carry-on is underweight — unless you want to take the chance of paying crazy fees at the check-in desk.

If you carry a daypack (or a purse or any “personal item”) onboard as well, it’s rare for it to be weighed. If your carry-on is close to the weight restriction limit, carry any of heavier items in your daypack.

Some airlines still allow free checked baggage, and I check my bag whenever possible. Just because I know how to travel light doesn’t mean I want to carry that weight if I don’t have to.

Pro travel light tip: Never leave your laptop or anything of value in your suitcase when you check it. Locked or not, computers, cameras, and other valuable items can be damaged or stolen while in transit.

10. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

When you’ve been out on the road for a while with your light suitcase, it’s time to re-assess your packing choices.

First of all, look in the mirror and tell yourself…

“Hell yeah. Well done!”

Ok, now come back to reality. We still have work to do.

It’s time to check in.

Not with another airline, but with yourself. What have you accumulated? I don’t mean emotionally or spiritually. What has been added to your slowly expanding, and harder to carry, carry-on?

Remember that every little bit of space helps. Small items you pick up on the road add weight, fill space, and turn your carry-on into a drag-on. Every week or so take a quick inventory of the extras that have found their way into your bag. You’ll be amazed at what you find.

Pack Rat No More

It is almost time for me to pack. I think this is going to be my best Light Pack ever and I have to say I am excited about having less stuff with me than I carted around earlier this year. As much as I’d love a different shirt to wear every day, I’d much rather have less to carry each week as I move from country to country.

How is minimalist packing going for you? If you have questions or ideas about what to bring and what not to bring, please post them below. We’d love to hear your tips for how to travel light!

♥  Happy adventures, Stephen & Jane