Packing for 6 Months in a Carry-On + Backpack

How often do you overpack for a trip, no matter the timeframe? Probably MOST of the time. Have faith that you actually can get by on fairly little. Worst case scenario: you can always buy something if you get desperate. It may not be the exact item you are used to or the price you hope for, but people all around the world generally need the same items!

There’s only 4 things you HAVE to pack:

1. Passport
2. Money 
3. Medical Needs
4. Phone

With those 4 things checked off, let’s dive deeper-

Personal Items

• Suitcase: You need one amazing rolling bag that can get you across the cobbliest pothole streets in the world. The best bet is to also get one that fits the European overhead bin space. Checking a bag gets expensive, the chances of losing luggage increases, and general maneuvering around buses and trains is cumbersome. Less is more. I have had my Bric piece for 3 years of weekly work flying!
• Backpack: As someone who got by with a 3-week trip to Colombia on my regular college North Face, I knew I needed to up my backpack game for this big journey. It needs to be light, have a separate pocket for a computer so you don’t have to pull everything out to get to it, and a pocket for a water bottle! It also needs to be airline regulation to fit under the seat in front of you if you want to get by without checking a bag. I shopped in all of the usual places for a backpack, and shockingly ended up getting my BagSmart backpack at TJ Maxx for $49. One month into my trip, I absolutely love it. I’m so glad I put the effort in to researching bags. I have zero complaints on this one.
• Cross-Body/ Fanny Pack: Carrying a backpack all of the time just isn’t realistic. Museums, malls, bars… more often than not you will not need to tote a lot throughout the day and many places don’t want you to. This will count as a carry-item for planes, so get one that can lay flat easily in your packed luggage. I got a very slender Fossil crossbody and it slides right into my computer pocket of my backpack.
• Pocket-Sized Reusable bag: The pros know this trick! When you go from place to place, the tedious packing gets stressful and you don’t always have to be airplane-ready. Sometimes it’s a bus ride or road trip or just a move across town. A very tiny reusable fold-up bag can alleviate a lot of packing pain. It can be the snack bag, the extra shoe bag, whatever you want. Or, when your trip is finally OVER, you could check your rolling bag and use this one as a second carry-on for any treasures accumulated. Trust me, it’s so handy.
• Fast-Dry Towel: These are surprisingly handy, as well. Beach swims, towel needs at hostels, extra blanket on a cold night, picnic at the park.. When I spent 3 weeks in Colombia, I actually bought a little towel to tote around and told myself if I ever traveled again, I would get a travel-specific towel.
• Dry Bag: Again, very useful for the beach or excursions in the rain. This one from Dock & Bay folds up into what looks like a little bracelet. So lightweight, very easy. It’s basically an accessory on my backpack but very functional.
• Luggage Strap: If your backpack doesn’t have a handle strap to connect to your rolling bag, this is a MUST. I used this $14 one for 2 years on my work travel and it saved me from dumping my tote bag down no less than 100 escalators. Save your back at the airport with the ability to securely balance your pack on top of the rolling bag.  Luckily my backpack has the extra strap, but my reusable tote does not and every time I put that thing on my rolling suitcase and it swings around to the ground, I think about my strap back home. Rookie!
• Paper Copy of Passport & International Health Insurance: You do not always want to carry your passport, but it’s wise to have a paper option somewhere separate from your passport. When my dad lost his passport in Greece, the U.S. Embassy made him leave his phone in the lobby so he had to go look up info for every question about his temporary passport outside. If he had a paper copy to reference, this would have been a much better process.
• Just a reminder, don’t take any sentimental items! None! Don’t do it! If there is anything you would hate to lose or have stolen, it’s just not worth it.

Toiletries

• Medication (+ extra months): Consider talking to your doctor about  anything you anticipate needing (i.e. if you are gone for 45 days but your normal RX is only 30 days, can you get a script moved up?) I also prefer to take just 2 days of supply on a fever-reducer with me in case I got sick with limited immediate access to medicine- just enough to hold me over for 48 hours until I can get more help.
• Retainer: Wowowowow this is personal to you, but my friend Hannah lost hers in Spain. She went home just two weeks later and her teeth had moved so much she had to get brackets on her front teeth for months to re-close her gap. Not worth going without!
• Glasses/ Sunglasses/ Contact Lenses: Have PLENTY of contacts and/or backup glasses on you. If you are like me and can’t operate without glasses, what would you do if your only pair broke? I literally would not be able to even see a storefront to get help. This is wear I also recommend at least having a picture of both your glasses and contacts RX (these are two different RXs!) in your phone in case you need to get some more.
• Leave-In Conditioner: I have found this goes further and lasts longer than conditioner for the shower. If I know I am going to be in one place for 5+ days/ with a friend for some time/ traveling by bus or train instead of air, I will get an affordable shampoo and conditioner at a grocery store to last longer. For two people this makes a lot of sense to share! Then I can also refill my baby shampoos and leave behind the large bottles for someone else if I have to fly.
• MOST toiletries you can get in any country very easily. In fact, sometimes it’s even better! I wouldn’t sweat this one too much, just take what you need to get by and then you can always buy more!
• All of the small items in the image above are linked on my Amazon Storefront with further descriptions of why I picked certain items (I could potentially make some commission on these, which would be super cool, but please purchase wherever you find the best deal! We are budget savvy here!)

Tech

• Battery Pack: My phone certainly drains faster than normal on roaming, GPS, taking photos.. in a pinch in a foreign place, a CHARGED battery pack has save my life dozens of times. Maybe hundreds at this point. On top of this, remember to charge it every night with your phone so it’s always available!
• Adapters: There is one universal adapter I absolutely love and it will cover me anywhere in the world. Since my destinations are unknown, this is super important to always have one method of outlet usage on me. Because I also knew I wanted to spend a lot of time in Europe, I grabbed two more of the tiny European adapters so that I can simultaneously charge my phone, charge my laptop, and curl my hair.
• GoPro: It’s not a bad idea to consider an alternate photo-taking method for places you may not want to lose your phone or get it wet. Losing my phone is a way bigger fear factor to me than losing just a camera. Also depending on where you travel, there may not be easy access to Apple. If I lose my phone doing something a list risky for a photo, I am SOL.
• Camera: To be honest, I already ditched my DSLR. Again, personal to you, this is probably super important to most! To me, I did not use it enough to justify carrying this heavy item + the needed accessories. Everything I do is on my iPhone. What I actually wish I had is my little 2010 Nikon pocket-sized digital camera! I may go buy one at a thrift store actually.
• Hot Iron: This is where my personal comfort comes in and not strictly backpack travel needs. I want to be able to do my hair some days! I desperately wish I had my curling iron, but I can get some curl with this and ultimately need to be able to straighten my crazy bangs. I did not allow myself to pack both because they are cumbersome. Ultimately, I may trade out my 10-year-old flat iron while I am abroad and get one of the multipurpose straightener/ curler duos. Another perk to packing items that I don’t care about so much or are at the end of their life- I won’t feel bad if it’s time to get a new one or I leave it behind.
• Small lock: This is one I didn’t know I needed until I did extensive travel the first time. Many times, hostels have locker or under-the-bed storage that require your own lock. Sometimes it’s handy to have one in general! I like the kind with the little rope style to fit through small spots.
• External hard drive: If you aren’t going with a plan to make videos and take a ton of photos, this may not be so important. In that case, you may also simply benefit from a tiny memory stick for your iPhone! There’s nothing worse than going to take a picture on a boat in a river and getting a “storage full” notification. I have had 2 LaCie hard drives and love them. It keeps my computer from getting bogged down and I can backup all of my pics and videos. I got a new one for this specific trip because I obviously don’t want to take my previous one of 6 years and lose all of my memories!

Clothing

This is going to be personal to everyone and what you are comfortable in, but hopefully this can be a good bare minimum starting list. It is also very weather dependent. As someone who plans to hop between climates, I am currently planning to stay in a warm area as long as possible, then if someone meets up with me I can swap a suitcase that I send home with them as well, and then focus on a new climate. Or, more likely, I start thrifting things as needed with the weather change and donate the items no longer in season!

• Underwear (10-14 days) : You can put up with anything as long as you have clean undies! Some days you may want to have more than one pair. This is #1 for me!
• Swimsuit: Even in cold climates, this can come in handy, and it’s light and small enough to pack. I would also advise picking a modest/ athletic swimsuit that could be good for activities and also countries that may be more conservative.
• Shoes: No more than 3 pair. In fact, getting by with 2 is IDEAL! Shoes take up the most space, especially for dudes. My ultimate duo would be waterproof sneakers + multi-purpose sandals.
  • Sandals: Some stays may not be very good “barefoot shower” situations, particularly hostels. It’s also nice to have a slip-on shoe to wear around in a pinch. Find a sandal that can multitask! For me, it’s the rubber Birks. Some of my friends also strictly use their Saltwater Sandals (I brought mine too because they dress up well and are very thin to pack). A lot travelers use Chacos or Tevas but that’s just not my style!
  • Waterproof Sneakers: This is what I REALLY wanted to get for my trip and I just didn’t have adequate time to get them ordered. Sorel makes some waterproof sneakers that would be good in numerous types of weather, good for hiking, and comfortable for city walking. It’s a fashionable enough, all-purpose kind of sneaker.
  • Optional: boots. These may be necessary if you are going to winter climates. Whatever you choose, make sure they are truly WATERPROOF, not just water resistant.
• Lightweight Raincoat: Personally, I can’t stand carrying an umbrella and if I’m lugging stuff around, I don’t have a free hand to help. The lighter and more compact the raincoat, the better. There’s a lot of micro fold-up ones! You can always make these warmer by layering underneath. Make sure it is truly waterproof and not just water resistant!
• One sweater OR sweatshirt: Pick the most versatile one you own. One that is comfy, not too thick, maybe could be dressed up or down. I have a cream crochet sweater that opens in the front with a little hood that I got at Goodwill for $8. It is one of the most useful pieces of clothing I have on me. It is cute enough to wear out on a chilly evening, but comfy enough to put on for breakfast on a cool morning over my pajamas.
• Socks: The number is up to you, but I literally only packed 4 pairs. Because I am starting in a warm climate, I’m banking on wearing sandals most of the time. If I need socks at any point, it’s an easy one to grab. To be really disgusting and honest: I will also rewear socks if I MUST. My feet are not particularly sweaty and I’m not really doing many crazy activities in my socks. I don’t love it, but that’s some comfort I would sacrifice in a pinch!
• 2 Sports Bras + 2 Regular Bras: Laundry machines can take HOURS in some countries. You need to allow yourself to have something available while laundry is washing and many times hanging to dry. Some days I sweat a bra out entirely and know I have 3 more days until laundry access- so it’s good to have sone backups! But mostly, I rewear the crap out of these items.
• Garment Bag: Maybe this is a bit on the unnecessary side, but it is so tiny to fold up I figured I would bring it with me and ditch it if I don’t use. I love it. It was actually one of the smarter choices I made. It allows me to wash the hooks on my bra at the same time as my sweater tanks that I love without snagging stuff.
• Jewelry: I have 4 pairs of earrings, one necklace, one ring, one scarf, and one bracelet. These are all versatile for every day, cheap, and replaceable. I care to be a little more elevated in my accessories but not at the cost of toting around heavy pieces (and likely losing them at some point). Have just a few staples.
• Leggings: One full-length pair of leggings in a neutral color is incredibly useful. It’s cold at night? Pull on your leggings. You go to a country where you can’t show your legs? Put leggings on under a tunic. You are hiking through brush? Long leggings. There’s a hotel gym? At least you have your leggings!
• General tips when it comes to packing:
  • Pack like-colors. I almost strictly wear lights and pastels, but I thought I wanted to bring my maroon legging set. Now I have one item that doesn’t wash well with others. If you can keep your general wash needs to the same load of laundry, life is easier!
  • Opt for lightweight and small. Sweaters take up a ton of room. Jeans, as well. Only pack one of each. I have a sweater tank right now that is so cumbersome to pack, I’m ready to donate if I find something I like AS MUCH that packs smaller. My best things I have packed are my
  • Be prepared to rewear over and over. Go for staples pieces more than unique one-time wears.
  • If you forgot it (outside of our top 4 “must-pack” items!) you can always buy it. Or thrift it. Or loan it. You will find something to get by! Part of traveling like this is sacrificing daily comforts and if you go in with this mindset, you will feel much less stressed to take a bunch of stuff with you.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope this helps your packing process. Get organized early and you will feel more prepared and also have time to order any remaining items. Remember: shopping abroad can be fun! You may want to pack even lighter and get some things along your journey!

For some of the links above, I may make a small commission through my Amazon storefront. This keeps my ability to pour into this website last longer!