If you’re planning to travel long-term, congratulations! You’ll meet a wide variety of people from all walks of life and have experiences that many can only dream of. It can be difficult to know what to pack when you’ll be away from home for a long time, so this post will break it down for you and help cut your stress in half.
Most of us tend to overpack when we head off on a trip. There’s a reason people say to take half the stuff and twice the amount of money you think you need. One thing you’ll quickly realise when you’re traveling, is you can easily find most of what you need abroad- so if you forget something it probably won’t be a massive deal. Things like toothbrushes, toiletries, clothes, and shoes are easily replaced almost anywhere in the world.
Here are some things you should bring with you:
Documents
These days, there’s really no need to take a huge folder of documents. It’s a good idea to have a copy of your passport on you, and some extra passport photos. But for bank statements, important phone numbers, and credit card information, this stuff can easily be stored in the Cloud- where it’s backed up and you can get access to it even if your luggage gets lost or stolen. I love Evernote for this, and Google Drive is also popular.
First Aid Kit
While you’ll be able to pick up almost anything you need in a pharmacy overseas, it’s a good idea to keep the basics on you. That way you can use them in an emergency and you’ll also have access to the medicines and brand’s you’re used to. Be sure to bring copies of any prescriptions with you. If you’re traveling to a malaria zone you’ll need medication (this can make you super sensitive to the sun so be careful), and you may also want to bring band-aids, burn advil, burn and sting relief, water purification tablets, immodium, and allergy meds.
Electronics
The number of electronics you’ll bring will depend on what you’ll be doing abroad. If you’ll be travelling long-term while working remotely, you’ll need your laptop, along with a laptop stand, mouse, and keyboard to save your back and neck. Most people also travel with a tablet, kindle, phone, or all of these together.
One of the best things you can do is grab a portable charger. You never know when your electronics will suddenly die on you, but most of the time it’ll be when you need them to be working the most (like a last-minute deadline or 16-hour flight).
This wireless charging battery pack is also a great idea as well.
Have you travelled long-term before? Leave a comment below and let me know.
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