Last Updated on February 12, 2024 by Travelationship
Regarding travel, most people agree packing is not so fun. A holiday or work trip is hard enough to pack for, but where does one start after two years of travel?
We made it as easy as possible by asking ourselves the below questions. Once we answered each question and gave ourselves a guideline, it was easier to accept the idea of packing so little for two years and moving forward with our final list.
What type of luggage do we want to bring?
This was easy for us – 1 roller carry-on and one backpack each. Both of us prefer carry-on luggage. Neither of us wants to pay the extra fees to check a bag or two. Also, we don’t like waiting for the luggage upon arrival or fearing that the checked bag(s) may not show up at our destination.
What climates will we encounter during our travels?
No winter! We plan on traveling to countries only during the Spring, Summer, or Fall seasons. Winter clothing takes up too much room. A light jacket and rain gear should be plenty for any cooler temperatures. Warmer weather equals smaller apparel, which in turn equals the ability to bring more choices (or so we thought).
How many days do we prefer for our laundry cycle?
Usually, we opt for 7-10 days’ worth of clothing (underwear being the decision maker) before we HAVE to do laundry. We also need to consider some locations will have ample washing options, and others will have only hand washing options, so you should consider the type of clothing and how fast they dry. We tried to pack lighter-weight clothing with multiple mix-and-match options.
Aside from clothes, what do we consider absolute necessities?
Cameras, phones, laptops, chargers and plugs, eyeglasses, eye contacts for two years, saline solution, malaria medication, essential traveling medications, preferred toiletry items for each of us, passports, credit cards, and toothbrushes.
Do we think we can find a particular item or similar for purchase on the trip?
I had to decide to either bring two years of eye contacts with me or try to purchase them along the way. I chose to bring a two-year supply with me because I didn’t want to worry about the “what if” factor. We decided to bring a 6-month supply of malaria medicine with us instead of purchasing later in the trip. All these items are taking up a lot of luggage space, but knowing we don’t have to try to find and buy later has significantly reduced our anxiety. Shampoos, toothpaste, soaps, lotions, etc., can all be purchased as needed. If we decide to travel to a highly remote place, we will stock up just before departing to that location instead of carrying it all now.
Putting the above into action was the next step. Both of us have different packing styles. I am an Excel spreadsheet fanatic and love to list all the items I want to bring and then dwindle the list down as I mix and match outfits and other things. I am usually packed a day or so before departure. Matt prefers to make “maybe” piles, ask me what he should bring, and then pack it all like a Tetris game close to departure time.
Whatever your packing style, your objective is to make it all fit. The hardest part is thinking you may have to live without something you have accustomed to. Remember that you can purchase essential items in most places. If unsure, contact your lodging location or local contacts and ask.
So… did it all fit as planned?
We could have done better. We used packing cubes to help organize our clothing and compression bags to save on space, but we ended up with an extra duffle bag. Luckily, we haven’t had to pay any additional fees yet. Unfortunately, we will need to reorganize before leaving Rwanda and get down to 2 carry-ons and two backpacks as we travel throughout Africa and beyond.
How do you think we did? Please share your packing tips with us by posting them in the comments.
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