Passports and Eyerolls

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I’ve included links to products we’ve found genuinely useful; these are not sponsored or paid—just items we know, use, and like.

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I forgot my deodorant

Not the most inspiring way to begin a post about packing logistics but… I did promise honesty.

And it proves an important point: while packing for any trip can feel daunting, forgetting something (or two… or three) is usually fine. People wear clothes, wash their faces, use electronics, and yes, use deodorant, all over the world.

In fact, sometimes the necessity of doing something completely mundane, like buying deodorant in another country can be oddly delightful. It’s not touristy. It’s real. It might even be the most authentic experience you have.

After three days of borrowing my teen’s deodorant and smelling like “Power Mist” (or whatever the approved teen scent profile is),we went shopping in Singapore. Tucked beneath a basement-level food court, we found a pharmacy. I bought deodorant. Life continued.

So aside from deodorant… how does one pack for a 200-day round-the-world trip?

Less Is More (Especially With Kids)

A lot depends on the kind of trip you’re taking, the climates you’ll encounter, and perhaps most importantly your tolerance for whining offspring. (Pro tip: more weight leads to more whining, with a direct correlation between distance carried and volume of complaints.)

Add to that my strong preference for avoiding checked bags whenever possible, and we landed squarely in the “less is more” camp.

The Luggage

Maybe even more important than what you are bringing is what you are bring it in. After research and several shopping trips, here’s what we landed on:

• Me: a tried-and-true 40L Osprey Fairview for clothing, shoes, and general gear, plus my husband’s 20L Osprey daypack, stolen borrowed for the trip. This will contain electronics, toiletries and a change of clothes.
• The Teen (6’4”): after trying on every single pack at REI (my closest experience to a shopping-for-prom moment), he settled on the Nemo Vantage 40L, paired with a Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L.
• The Tween: equally thorough in his pack try-ons, he chose the 40L Osprey Fairpoint and a 22L Patagonia daypack for personal items.

That brings total capacity to about 60L for me and the tween, and 70L for the teen which, at 6’4”, he’ll appreciate.

When people hear we’re traveling with two backpacks apiece, the reaction is usually disbelief. But in reality, you only need about a week’s worth of clothing plus a few flexible layers for weather changes.

Also worth noting: I’m traveling with two teens. My fancy dinners and clubbing nights are… severely curtailed. (Those who know me, my apologies, hopefully you didn’t spit out your coffee at the word clubbing.)

The Truly Non-Negotiables

These are the only items that cause me to check, recheck, and then have the boys watch me re-recheck my bags:

• Passports
• Travel insurance (not tangible, completely non-negotiable)
• Credit/debit cards
• Prescription medications with documentation
• Printed emergency contacts and bookings
• Phone (technically replaceable, but life is much harder without it)

Everything else? Adaptable. Remember those credit cards!

The Packing Lists

Yes, that’s a lot of merino wool. It’s magic fabric, and I’ll dedicate an entire post to why we rely on it, even in Southeast Asia

The “Rules” or loose guidelines that I highly recommend you follow

You may notice something missing from my list: shorts.
Yes, I’m going to some of the hottest places on earth and yes, seriously, no shorts.

Rule 1: Wear your wardrobe. Here’s the thing, minimalist packing works best when you pack what you actually wear. If you are a fashion forward star than pack that way (with maybe a curated wardrobe) don’t try and pack like you are a hobo hiker. You will be miserable. In real life, I don’t wear shorts. Many of the countries we’re visiting are also more conservative, especially at religious sites, so pants and skirts make more sense for me. If you live in shorts—pack them. Swap them for something else. Do what works for you.

The Miscellaneous (a.k.a. The Things That Make Life Easier)

• Laptop (me)
• iPads (boys—school and downtime)
• Phones
• eSIM plan
• Kindles
• GoPro
• Power banks
• Ekster vacuum packs (incredibly useful for saving space)
• Plug adapters & chargers
• Ukulele (the tween. Yes, really)
• Sleep sacks
• Headlamps
• Travel towels
• Notebooks, pens, pencils
• Collapsible water bottles
• Sunglasses
• Playing cards / travel Rummikub
• Spork
• Scrubba Laundry kit (tested from previous trips and much better than sink washing)
• Carabiners & infinity straps (already used multiple times)
• Sewing kit
• First aid kit
• Reusable grocery tote
• Cross-body day bag
• Toiletries (the basics for all, plus skincare, haircare, a minimal makeup routine, and tampons for me)

That’s it; the entire inventory of what the boys and I will live with for the next 200 days.

I’ll do a halfway update to share what we missed, what we lost, and what turned out to be unnecessary.

And despite all my tough talk… I still miss my deodorant.

Let me know in the comments, what would you add, or happily leave behind?