Core Items

Ever forgotten your hiking boots and had to drive 3 hours round-trip back home to get them? Or forgotten your contact lens case and chased around Athens on a Saturday looking for an open pharmacy to get a replacement? I’ve done both. I need a list! A detailed list!

Over the years we’ve developed a modular packing list that works for us. The core items that go on every trip are covered here.

Clothing

The absolute minimum is two of everything so you can be washing one while wearing one. We’re not that strict. (But then we often come home with things we never wore or didn’t need.) Most of our trips are four weeks or more. We take about the same amount of clothing regardless of trip length and do laundry as needed. If it’s not visibly dirty and it doesn’t stink (when you take it off!) it’s clean. Saves on laundry.

• We choose quick-drying synthetics or merino wool over cotton or linen, which take too long to dry and can wrinkle. Merino wool is naturally antimicrobial and doesn’t retain odors so it doesn’t need to be washed as often. It will also keep you warm even when wet.
• We plan around light layers. Short sleeves that can be worn under long sleeves for more warmth. Long-sleeved items that can be worn together or separately.
• We plan around separates, not outfits. My goal is to be able to pull out any top and bottom and wear them together.
• We look for multipurpose items. Zip-off pants. A sarong or turkish towel that can also be worn as a wrap or scarf (or for cooler weather a pashmina). Rash guards that can be worn as leggings or shorts. I wear cotton t-shirt dresses to sleep in but they’re still dresses.

We don’t go clubbing or to restaurants where you need to dress for dinner. So no high heels, suits, or ties. We do a lot of walking so we take clothes with that in mind.

Here’s my list for any trip. I’m female, so the list is biased that way. His list is similar, though shorter.:

• T-shirts (2): One to wear and one to wash. For hiking and a light first layer. One T-shirt is usually good for 2-3 hikes. Yes, it might get sweaty but you’re just going to sweat it up again, right?
• Other Shirts (2-6): A couple will be long-sleeved for cooler weather or sun protection. I like something that zips or buttons up the front versus a pullover for flexibility.
• Bottoms (3-6): These could be pants, shorts, or skirts. I find separates more flexible than dresses and I despise jumpsuits.
• Bras (4): A combination of regular and sports bras.
• Underwear (4): I could get by with three or even two but they don’t weigh much or take up much space. He has ExOfficio travel underwear that dries more quickly than cotton underwear. Important when washing them in the sink.
• Shoes (3): Sigh. Shoes are the one thing I struggle with since I’d like to take more but they’re heavy and take up lots of space. I shoot for two pairs that are good for walking — one of them dressier if needed — and something slip-on for around the room. Gore-Tex if it will be wet.
• Socks (2-4): Typically merino wool, more for cooler climates where I’ll be wearing shoes daily rather than sandals.
• Sleep T-shirt Dress(es): It’s a small luxury but I’m more comfortable sleeping in a cotton t-shirt dress. And it’s still a dress, so not limited to only sleeping in.
• Jewelry: I take lightweight pieces I don’t care about losing.
• Hair Ties: When my hair is long enough.
• Buffs: They’re great for restraining hair in the wind and a solution for bad hair days. And they can double as a hat or scarf.
• Hat: I take a hat for sun protection.
• Other Accessories: I have a travel purse and may take a smaller bag to hold my phone and wallet.

Medical and Hygiene

These are the items I am most likely to forget and so this is where I need a list! (I’ve managed to take off without a toothbrush, which was easy to replace, and my contact lens case, which was impossible to replace and which is why I no longer travel with my hydrogen peroxide-based contact lens solution.)

I streamline for travel. At home I have a multi-step skincare routine. On the road I wash my face and put on my prescription cream. No way am I carrying all those products with me, much as I like them! I don’t even carry a hairdryer, so you won’t see one of this list.

• Prescriptions and vitamins
• Deodorant
• Hairbrush
• Bar shampoo: One less item for the 3-1-1 bag!
• Toothbrush, toothpaste/powder, dental floss: I switched to tooth powder to save on liquids while traveling and liked it so much I use it daily now.
• Soap: We’ve stayed places that didn’t provide soap. We carry a small bar of Dr Bronner’s castile soap to wash my face so I don’t have to carry face wash. (Again, cut down on the 3-1-1 bag.)
• Pain reliever and pocket first aid kit
• Sunscreen: At least enough to get us started.
• Chapstick with sunscreen
• Spare eyeglasses (we have had them break)
• Contacts, contact solution, contact case, saline: And extra contacts.
• Razor and shaving gel (For him)
• Washcloths/facecloths: Something we use and can’t count on outside the USA, so we bring a couple of microfiber clothes. (They dry faster than cotton.)
• Nail clippers
• Toilet paper: For day hikes if nothing else.

Laundry

Payment Methods and Identification

For more information on payment methods and travel documents you may need, see Often Necessary but Unexciting Items.

• Identification: Driver’s license and/or passport as needed.
• Credit Cards: We use credit cards when we can since the currency exchange rate is better and it’s easier to keep track of expenses.
• Wallets: Our travel wallets contain just what we need for the trip.
• Cash: If you’ll need it.

Other Essentials

All those little things I’ll forget if they’re not on a list. (Sometimes even if they are! Lists are only good if you use them.)

• Mobile phones and chargers
• Backup drive: We carry a thumb drive so we can copy photos from our phones to the drive. It acts as a backup and also makes it easier to download the photos when we get home.
• Electrical adapters (we only plug in electronics do we don’t need a converter).
• eReaders and chargers
• Sunglasses
• House key (yes, we have forgotten this).
• Plastic grocery bags for shoes or dirty clothes.
• A couple of reusable bags for shopping.
• Ziploc bags just in case.
• Small bottle opener for consuming local beer!
• Water bottles that fit my travel purse.
• Bandanas for sweat rags and general mopping up.
• Nightlight for finding the toilet in the middle of the night.
• Trekking poles: We have collapsible trekking poles that became essential after I blew out my knee on a trip. So now we have to check a bag.

That’s our list of core items that go on every trip.

• We also have optional items that depend on the particular trip and activities.
• Often Necessary but Unexciting Items has details on less tangible things, like insurance, travel documents, etc.

Here are two sites that we’ve found very useful for packing advice:

• One Bag: The Art and Science of Travelling Light: Don’t be put off by the dated looking website. There’s a wealth of information here. 
• Travel Fashion Girl: In addition to great general packing advice, the site also has helpful information on packing for specific destinations. (Helpful even to my husband and to non-stylish me!)