packing for yearlong travel

In the months leading up to our travels, I read A LOT of “How to Pack for Long Term Travel” blog posts. I complied all of the lists, put together our master list and then… packed way to much! What? How is that possible? Every blog post warned me, “don’t overpack” and “you need so much less than you think”. Well, I’m pretty sure that overpacking was my answer to the anxiety that filled me about what the year would bring.

We’ve donated and trashed a handful of items throughout our first 4 months, but still probably not enough. But for the most part, we use the majority of what we carry around this world.

We set out to see the world with the bag count of:

3 Wheeled Suitcases (one hard sided, two soft)

1 Backpack Style Luggage

3 Small Backpacks

1 “Snack Bag” - an IKEA market-style bag that is used for everything from carrying food (snacks!), dirty laundry, clean laundry and beach items.

1 Purse

That’s it! And we do that count “3 rolling, 4 backpacks, snack bag and purse” after every flight, getting off of the subway, leaving a hotel room. It’s not too much, it could be less. But for now, at least, it works for us!

OUR THEORY OF PACKING

In our upcoming Packing List post, I will share our master packing list. But first, let’s get into the headspace of packing for a year.

There are a few principles of packing that we firmly believe in.

1. CARRY ONS ONLY

There is no rule that I believe in more than Carry Ons Only. We may have overpacked, but we overpacked in carry ons. So it couldn’t be too bad. If you haven’t packed in only carry ons before, it’s hard to believe that it can be done. And then once you experience it, I promise you will never go back. I’ve done it in summer, in winter, and for trips through multiple seasons and experiences. I packed in carry ons for a two week trip to Italy where we went to a wedding. I was a bridesmaid and also traveling with a toddler. We even brought a pool float (not an inflatable one)! Are you convinced yet?

Carry Ons only means that we can fit into any taxi and (almost) easily carry our bags up and down subway stairs. We can also save money by not checking bags on some flights.

2. EVERY OUNCE COUNTS

My sister hiked the Pacific Crest Trail a couple of years ago. After watching her go through the experience, I think that packing for the hike, may be harder than hiking it. On more than one occasion, she repeated the popular hiker’s phrase “every ounce counts”. While we’ve donated articles of clothing or used up notebooks, I think we’ve dropped the most weight by finding small items to discard. These small items (packaging of electronic items, toiletries that could be combined) saved us the most weight and space. Get creative to minimize everything you pack down to it’s essential form.

3. A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

This principle has saved my sanity while I pack and unpack and in our everyday life on the road! I always strived to achieve this organization principle at home, but simply had too many things to make it happen. (Did I mention that my nickname growing up was “pack rat”? I didn't? I’m trying to erase it from my history.) I’ve never been so diligent about routinely cleaning out my purse and being strict about where to pack items. It brings me sanity and saves me time and headspace. Find a practical place for each item and stick to it.

Check into the blog later this week for our Packing List post where we will detail out everything that we carry with us!