Packing for the Independent Traveller

What Do You Really Need to Take With You?

The truth is simple: far less than you think.

What you pack depends entirely on the kind of trip you’re planning, so there’s no single “right” list. Over the years, we’ve developed a basic travelling kit that works whether we’re away for a week or six months — especially on trips where we have no idea where we’ll end up. For trekking, road trips, cruising, or anything more specialised, we simply add the extras we need.

A full packing checklist sits at the end of this post, but let’s start with the basics.

Basic Travelling

Light (7–10 kg each) in a medium backpack (50–70L) or a cabin‑size wheelie bag.

Perfect for trips in one climate zone, one travel style, and under a few months.

Aim for 10–12 kg maximum. If you have boots, daypacks, or extras hanging off the outside, you’re carrying too much. If your bag creeps over 12 kg, it’s time to let something go.

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Extended Travelling

Medium (10–15 kg each)

For multi‑climate, multi‑style, long‑term travel, sticking to 10 kg becomes almost impossible. You have two realistic options:

• Add a small check‑in wheelie bag or backpack.

• You wheel one bag and carry one on your back. We often leave the “out‑of‑season” bag at a base and loop back to collect it. If you can’t loop back, it’s still manageable and rarely needs unpacking.

• Switch to a larger roller bag.

• Softer than a suitcase, waterproof, with strong zips — great if you’re staying in one place for a while, have a car, or don’t mind taxis.

• But stairs, dirt roads, and sand? Not fun.

Travelling With a Car

As much as you like!

Long trips where you live out of your car are heaven. You can divide everything into storage tubs — cheap ones are perfect, as you’ll likely give them away at the end.

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Trekking, Backpacking & Camping

Specific gear required

These are wilderness trips where you camp out and walk a lot. We don’t do as much of this now, but when we do, we hire or buy gear locally. It’s usually easy to find what you need. Donate it back at the end.

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General Packing Tips

• Don’t stress about checking your bag. Lost luggage is still rare. Keep valuables with you and relax.

• If you can’t afford to lose it, don’t take it. Insurance is expensive — leave valuables at home.

• Travel light. You will always carry things you never use. Donate them and keep only what you love.

• Use colour‑coded packing cells. They make packing and organisation effortless.

• Don’t over‑buy before you go. Get the expensive items and essentials at home (jacket, bag, boots). Replace small items as you travel. Cold‑weather gear is best bought in cold places.

• Take multi‑purpose items. A sarong is the perfect example — shawl, scarf, towel, blanket, sheet, skirt, beach cover, tablecloth, even a bag.

• Know the rules for hand luggage. Liquids under 100 ml, in a zip‑lock bag; no scissors or pen knives.

• Choose your backpack carefully.-55L (10 kg) for most women; 65L (12 kg) for men,

  avoid backpacks with wheels — they’re heavy and impractical, don’t overspend — (Decathlon has excellent options), Look for compartments, good frames, padded straps, and a size that doesn’t sit above your head, a rain cover is optional unless hiking

• A small 30L daypack is ideal for daily use

Trekking, backpacking and camping (specific gear).

This are wilderness trips where you camp out (sometimes for long periods) and walks lots!.

SOME SPECIFICS

Clothes

• Quality hiking pants — lighter, faster‑drying, and far more practical than jeans.

• Lightweight down jacket — packs small; ours doubles as a neck pillow.

• Waterproof, wind‑resistant shell — goes over your jacket for warmth and rain protection.

• One good set of clothes — for dinners, events, or when you want to feel a little polished.

• Dark colours and quick‑dry fabrics — hide stains, dry fast, and don’t need ironing.

• Zip pockets — invaluable for security and convenience.

Electronics-These are often the heaviest items in your bag. When travelling solo, they take up a bigger percentage of your weight.

• Laptop and iPad

• Two iPhones

• One international adaptor (we often carry two small country‑specific plugs instead — lighter and smaller)

• Power bank

• SSD hard drive with movies, music, and backups

• Phone lanyard

First Aid: Just enough to get you to a chemist or doctor.

• Prescription medications (with scripts)

• Spare reading glasses and sunglasses

• Basic first‑aid items you personally rely on

Stationery

• A few pens

• Bulldog clips

• Highlighter

• Permanent marker

• Small diary or notebook (even with online journalling, a paper backup is handy)

Repairs

• Needle and thread

• String

• Spare shoelace

• Super glue

• Small piece of wire

Food Kit: We always carry a small food bag with:

• Zip‑lock bags

• A few utensils

• Snacks

• Tissues and wet wipes

• Insulated water bottle (wide‑neck)

Washing

• Elastic travel clothesline

• Small scrubbing brush

• Laundry sheets (dissolvable; great for handwashing or machines)

Shoes: can make up half your weight.

• Good light boots can replace trainers, keep your feet warm and dry in the snow and rain and protected in long walks and treks. We like Gortex trail runner boots- lighter- more like trainers.

Toiletries

• Toiletry bag with a hook (essential for shared bathrooms)

• Liquids decanted into small refillable bottles

• ‘Compressed’ version of sprays and share whatever products you can.

• Microfibre towel to share.

• Don't forget insect repellant and sunscreen.

  
  

PACKING LIST

Below is a list of the items we share and those we take individually when we leave on a trip where we have both summer and winter destinations.

I hope this helps you! Remember the golden rule- travel light. I have a set number of packing cubes and when they are full- I'm done!

Bits	Technology	Toiletries	Documents/ IT	Clothes Women	Clothes Men
Sunglasses x2 /case+ string	SSD hard drive	scrubbing brush	2 Credit cards	boots	boots
glassesx2 /case	Power pack	shampoo	I Debit card	sketchers	sketchers
umbrella	laptop	conditioner	copies of passports	Thongs	Thongs
clothes line	I pad	deodorant	passports	Sandles	Boat shoes
washing sheet	Multi leads	razors	spare photos	sox x3	sox x3
superglue	2 phones	soap	copy of card details	undiesx5 /bras x2	undiesx5
wire	International adaptor	toothpaste	$100 /currency	down jacket in neck pillow	down jacket in neck pillow
elastic hair band	headphones	toothbrush	International licence	T- shirts x2	T- shirts x5
safety pins	Selfe stick	dental floss	Travel Insurance	fleece  x2	fleece  x2
small microfiber towel	Phone lanyard	nail clippers and file	Card guard	trousers x 2	trousers x 3
sewing kit		Body moisturiser	Business card with QR code	Light rain jacket	Light rain jacket
zip bags		Face moisturiser	pens	swimmers	swimmers
Open neck insulated water bottle			post it pads	neck warmer/scarf	neck warmer/scarf
Small drawstring bags x 4			note pad	gloves	gloves
wet ones			highlighter	thermal	thermal
coin purse/ hook			perm marker	jumperx2	jumperx2
sarong			business cards	Shorts/ dress x4	shorts x4
Bag Cover			bulldog clips	Good shirt	good shirt
reusable shopping bag			glue stick
			scissors
			paperclips
			Diary with elastic

 Good luck!

“Take only what you can carry and let your memory be your travel bag”. Solzhenitsyn