MiscNik Milanovic

a quick and, unfortunately, dirty guide to packing for nomadic travel

MiscNik Milanovic
a quick and, unfortunately, dirty guide to packing for nomadic travel

There are many ways to pack for a year the road. I'm a novice backpacker, so I probably overpacked. (Case in point below - two pairs of Chubbies.) Your backpack is your home on the road. It has to sustain you through a year of climate changes, activity, remote work, medical surprises, and travel boredom.

I took some time to look up and cross-reference packing lists from a few of a few sources including my (newly) favorite digital nomad blogging gurus. Among others:

My home away from home ended up looking like this:

The calm before the storm - my last day with this bag unpacked

The calm before the storm - my last day with this bag unpacked

(I'll come back and update the below list a few months in to look at what worked and what was just a total disaster to have - or not have.) The final packing list left a lot on the cutting room floor, and reads as follows :

Bag

  • Osprey Aether 60 liter backpack: A lot of people mentioned this was probably too big (recommending a 46l or 50l), but better more space than less so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • Nike athletic bag: For day trips, comes with a few pockets to keep things in their place.
  • Stuff sacks: Three sizes of waterproof-ish sacks to keep things dry and organized (ie: dirty laundry.)
  • Padlock: For lockers.
  • Baggage locks: Probably don't need them, but why not?
  • Zip-loc bags

Tech

  • Samsung Chromebook 3: It's still the honeymoon phase, but I love this laptop so far. It costs $200 from Amazon (with a 3 year warranty for $35), and is pretty fast (4 gb of RAM.) No real local storage (about 16 gb) so you have to work entirely out of your browser, but that works for me.
  • iPhone: I wanted the new Pixel badly (Google Fi cell service and a great camera), but I'm poor and probably going to break my phone somewhere on the road anyway, so old iPhone it is!
  • Kindle: My new library. Also picked up a neoprene bubble-case to keep it safe.
  • Outlet adapter
  • Headlamp / flashlight
  • Wireless charger: For rebooting iPhones and other USB devices in transit.
  • Backup USB flash drives
  • A couple sets of in-ear headphones
  • Watch

Clothes

  • 5 shirts: Probably too many.
  • Two button-down shirts: One of which is an SSBD, obviously.
  • 1 pair shorts, 2 pairs gym shorts
  • 1 pair board shorts / swim trunks
  • 1 tank top
  • 1 pair jeans
  • 1 pair 'travel pants': Super lightweight for hikes, can look kind of dressy if needed.
  • 1 parka / jacket / windbreaker / fleece: I picked this thing up from Patagonia a year ago to go skiing and it killed me to spend ~$220 on a jacket (it was during their 30% off sale) because I was saving up. But I have to give it to them. This jacket kills it. Lightweight, waterproof, windproof, zip-up pockets, hood... I'm a believer.
  • 2 Livestrong-style bracelets with the phrase "Hydrate :-)" on it: Gift from my mom for this trip.
  • 2 prayer bead bracelets: Gift from my boss to help me stay calm.
  • Hoodie sweatshirt
  • Spare belt
  • Running shoes and slip-on shoes
  • Boxers, socks, all the good stuff

Health

  • Atovaquone (also known as malarone): Pretty essential for not having malaria.
  • Ciproflaxin: Kills bacteria.
  • Aspirin
  • Immodium & Pepto-Bismol
  • Iodine: To quickly clean questionable water.
  • First aid kit: Hopefully won't need this.
  • Finasteride: Because I'm losing my hair. And I don't want to.
  • Toiletries: Toothbrush (with case) and toothpaste, electric buzz-shaver, nail clippers, hair brush, old smelly retainer, deoderant, gum, chapstick.

Misc

  • Nalgene: Can also be used as a foam roller and measuring tool.
  • Gatorade sports bottle: Backup for the Nalgene.
  • Passport & spare passport photos
  • Vaccination card and receipts
  • Doorstop
  • Travel towel
  • Clothesline / parachute cord
  • Ear plugs
  • Deck of cards & dice: Snappa knows no borders.
  • Mosquito net
  • Sleep sack / sheet and pillow case
  • Spare batteries for shaver and headlamp
  • Lacrosse ball: For working out muscle knots on the road.
  • Resistance bands: 20lb and 50lb for stretching and exercise.
  • Glasses
  • Bottle opener
  • Sleeping mask
  • Rabbit totem: Old Irish superstition for the 1st of the month. Rabbit rabbit.
  • Notebooks, pen, & sharpie
  • Business cards: One set for work and one for play, way easier than writing down all your info.

Didn't make the cut

  • Hiking boots: Way too big and cumbersome, hopefully running shoes will do.
  • Camera: Going to really put all my eggs in Apple's basket here.
  • Travel mug
  • Compact umbrella: Poncho should (hopefully) suffice.
  • Hydration pouches: I'll just drink water.
  • Steripen: Got iodine instead.
  • More clothes & toiletries: You can get these anywhere.

 

And once it was all packed, with a little room to spare, this is how it came out (feet included for scale):

My home for the next 10 months. Yay.

My home for the next 10 months. Yay.

Updates

After some time traveling, here's what I've learned:

  • Neck pillows are either really overrated, or mine was exceptionally bad. I threw it out.
  • I really, really wish I splurged the extra $10 or so for a universal outlet adapter. One month in, I think I now own 6 adapters.
  • Extra pairs of clothes? Not necessary. Extra boxers and socks? Definitely necessary.
  • Wish I had more:
    • American dollars (cash crunch in India was not easy to navigate)
    • Debit card (in case of loss)
    • Ciprofloxacin