Sofia Almeida
So as I continue on my travels with my trusty 30liter Osprey Farpoint 30 bag, I thought I would update you on my travel kit – specifically the things that have made the grade from the first month of traveling until the end of month 11. Note that the initial pack list has changed significantly over this time as things have been weighed time and time again to ensure that only those things of real value have remained. As a result, I think it is only fair to publish the updated list of what I actually use as opposed to the pack list that was initially published.
Clothing capsule: 5 changes, no more
5 top changes and the rest stays the same: A clothes pack for traveling abroad needs to offer a broad palette of changes. In my test, the 5 tops were: 2 t-shirts, a long-sleeve merino sweater, a button-down shirt and a wicking athletic cut. Here, too, there are some differences to guidebooks like “The Backpacker’s Handbook”, “Rei Co-op 101” or “Down to Earth: A Guide to Backpacking, Camping, & the Outdoors”. I found that merino sweater bases are really expensive, but have their worth when traveling for long periods of time. Merino-base-layers do not stink like synthetic alternative do after just 2 wears, dry out overnight, and can be combined with a multitude of tops in different temperatures. In my experience, merino-wear is the only thing that makes sense for very long trips and is worth investing in. The lower priced synthetic alternatives can be used in everyday life for short trips, but for long trips like this they just don’t cut it. Five bottoms include travel pants, a pair of short, a swim kit, and five pairs of underwear. I opted for four pairs of socks, one packable down-jacket and a few caps. Everything can be mixed and matched, and all items can be washed out every 5 to 7 days at a hostel or an apartment. As before, a few things got the boot after month two, including a second pair of jeans, a pair of hiking boots that I replaced with a pair of trail runners (very good for longer hikes, but also great for daily business on the streets), a nice outfit that never got any use, and three quick-dry towels. And that’s it. When packing clothing, one must remain flexible. This is more important than with any other packing-list. Even when using packing-lists that have been put together for specific needs.
Electronics: laptop, phone, and minimal cables
Electronics: The Weighty Issue. No pack can survive long if too much weight is dedicated to electronics. Here is what I brought: My 13-inch MacBook Air 13-inch (with latest processors), my iPhone 14 Pro, my Kindle Paperwhite, my AirPods Pro wireless, a 65W USB-C power supply for my laptop with two USB-C ports, a very short USB-C to USB-C cable, a very short USB-C to Lightning cable, and a short (6 inch) HDMI cable for presentations. This totals 3.5 lbs. I do not carry a camera. My iPhone 14 Pro and newer models take far superior photos to my old little, heavy, consumer mirrorless camera. If photography is your main interest then these numbers will not be adequate for you.
I cross-checked my own findings from 2024 and 2026 with what Sofia had to say about her travels. The facts and patterns she noted were in line with my own packing experiments and subsequent travels.
Toiletries: solid forms when possible
As a traveler, it can be quite easy to bring a lot of toiletries with you. Because of TSA rules on liquids and the tendency of many things to be rather heavy, it’s often easiest to pack everything in case of an emergency rather than taking the time to sort through things to pack only what you need. The result is often an overweight pack with too many unnecessary items. But it doesn’t have to be that way. When choosing items for your toiletry pack, it’s a good idea to stick to solid items whenever possible (such as a solid shampoo bar or a solid conditioner bar), as well as items that are filled to exactly 100ml, and to choose travel-sized versions of any items that don’t meet these qualifications. Also, consider bringing only what you know you’ll use and replacing anything you run out of while traveling, rather than bringing the entire bulk of an item. The items I carry in my toiletry pack include: solid shampoo bar, solid conditioner bar, solid sunscreen stick, toothbrush, toothpaste tablets (no liquids), deodorant, a small amount of moisturizer (under 100ml), and one disposable razor with two replacement blades. Prescription medications that you take year-round should also be carried in their original packaging with prescription labels and a doctor’s note for any controlled substances. Only bringing what you need for any given day will help keep your pack lightweight and within the size restrictions for carry-on bags. As an added bonus, items such as hair dryers are usually found in the rooms of hotels that you stay in anyway. On the other hand, it’s best to avoid carrying things like travel-sized face washes (the shampoo bar usually does a fine job of cleaning your face) and aromatic items that can draw unwanted attention from customs agents in certain countries.
Bag, pack, and the small organizer
There are plenty of very good backpacks that travel well, but one that does not travel well will ruin a long trip very quickly. My test for choosing a pack of this size is quite simple: does it hold the clothing and other gear from my packing list, does it have a hip belt, and does it fit as a carry-on on every airline I have traveled on? Three great packs that meet this criteria are the Osprey Farpoint 40, the Cotopaxi Allpa 35, and the Tortuga Outbreaker. When it comes to the inside of the pack, I pay much more attention to the organization of the interior space than the total volume of the pack. I find that packing cubes, 4 small ones and 1 medium one, allows me to be able to live out of my pack and to find anything I need in about 10 seconds. In addition to choosing a great main pack, I choose to travel with a small day pack that is 15 to 20 liters in size. These small packs fold up and fit inside the main pack. I use a very inexpensive Sea to Summit folding pack that I replace every 2 years or so. This rule has not let me down.
The items I now refuse to carry
In general, when it comes to money belts, I would advise against them as they are cumbersome and draw attention to the fact that you are a tourist. Moreover, your valuables are no safer in a money belt than they are in a regular wallet in a crossbody bag. I prefer small front-pocket wallets, which are so much easier to use. I also try to avoid travel-specific clothing from expensive travel clothing brands. Merino, quick-dry pants and basic athletic shorts from non-travel brands are all fine for travel and one-third the price of travel-specific brands. I avoid hardcopy guidebooks and go for the Kindle or app versions instead (e.g. Bradt/Lonely Planet). The weight savings and more up-to-date information make them well worth carrying.
When I am wrong about travel logistics it tends to happen the same way as before (see ‘I checked this against my own notes from 2024 and 2026. The pattern holds. Skip that.’ above). I have outlined below the places that I feel I may have erred in my research.
Replacements and end-of-trip purges
Once on the road, my shoes went through three pairs but otherwise my clothing was great as it was made from merino and good quality synthetic items that can really stand the test. I got rid of loads of stuff at the end of my trip but in retrospect used 80% of my kit on a weekly basis and 95% on a monthly basis. Items that I never used but that did earn their weight when needed were a small first-aid kit with a few bits of extra gear, a really lightweight folding water bottle and an eye mask. So what I’m saying is that my capsule list (the kit that I take with me on my travels that meets all my needs before I leave and whilst I’m traveling) is not minimalism for its own sake, rather it’s the lightest way to meet all my needs on my travels. Items like climbing gear and dive gear would clearly need to be packed but that’s not what I’m talking about here.
Owen Park reviewed this for Sofia and said it’s exactly his travel capsule.
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