TECH

Gear has to justify the weight

This is probably the least minimalist part of our packing list.

We travel with quite a bit of camera gear because photography and documenting our trips matter to us. That doesn't mean every piece comes on every trip.

Depending on the journey:

Phone
Tablet
Kindle
Camera + lenses
Action camera
Drone
SD cards
Spare batteries
Power banks
Chargers
Universal travel plug
Headphones
Speaker

A tech pouch keeps the inevitable cable collection under control.

FIRST AID

Enough for the small problems

We don't carry a travelling pharmacy. The kit is mainly there for blisters, minor wounds, headaches, stomach problems and the other small things we'd rather deal with ourselves.

Our basic kit:

Assorted plasters
Blister care
Gauze
Surgical tape
Self-adhesive tape
Elastic bandages
Ankle bandage
Dr. Bronner's Magic Balm
Antiseptic cream
Insect repellent & after-bite
Hand sanitiser
Antiseptic wound spray
Eye drops
Nasal spray
Cough medicine
Painkillers
Stomach medicine

CLOTHES

The one-week rule

Whether we're away for ten days or several months, we generally pack about a week's worth of clothes.

The trick isn't finding miraculous "travel clothes". It's choosing things that work together. We favour lightweight fabrics that don't wrinkle too badly, dry reasonably quickly and can be combined into a small capsule wardrobe.

Then we wash.

Our starting point:

5 T-shirts or tops
1 long-sleeved shirt
2 hoodies or sweaters
1 button-up shirt
1 lightweight jacket
1 multipurpose travel jacket
3 pairs of shorts or short skirts
1 long skirt
2 pairs of long trousers — one lighter, one warmer
1 pair of leggings
1 pair of tights
2 dresses
1 playsuit
8 days of underwear & socks
Activewear
Sleepwear
2 swimsuits + cover-up

Three pairs of shoes. That's it.

Shoes consume ridiculous amounts of backpack space, so ours have to cover most situations between them.

We take:

Sneakers
Sandals
Flip-flops

Plus:

Glasses
Sunglasses
Scarf
Sun hat
Beanie

Obviously the exact combination changes with the destination. A tropical trip and a cold-weather road trip don't get identical backpacks.

And then we wash

Packing for a week only works because we're happy to do laundry while travelling.

When there's a washing machine, excellent. When there isn't, we carry a small portable washing bag/machine and a clothesline.

It's not glamorous. It does mean we don't need four weeks of underwear.

Laundry kit:

Portable washing machine
Travel clothesline

THE SYSTEM, IN SHORT

Pack for roughly one week.
Choose things that work together.
Give everything a place.
Wash along the way.
Don't pack for imaginary situations.

The list changes from trip to trip. The system doesn't.