Advanced Packing: Long Term Travel
If you're backpacking across a steady, temperate climate and expect to be roughing it, your job is a little easier. But for full time travelers like me, that might visit Svalbard in the Arctic and Egypt in the Desert in the same 12 month period, and also need to be able to clean myself up enough to see an opera time to time, Packing Smart is Vital! ​ The main rule  PACK LIGHT! is even more essential for full time Nomads. Once again pack what you think you need then cut it down by HALF. ​​​The challenge now is you're packing for multiple seasons, sometimes in drastically different climates and bringing everything you need to survive with you. It sounds impossible, but it's not.... Everything you take ought to be able to used for multiple situations/ seasons and uses.     So REPEAT - REPEAT - REPEAT! - Travel is not fashion show, no one will know you wore that shirt 3 times this week...         NO ONE FUNCTION ITEMS in clothing or supplies, if it can at all be helped. Can you wear the same workout bralette as a bikini top? Can you sleep in that same lounge pant you wear to the grocery store? While on the road your bags are your closet/ dresser. It's not only important what you pack, but HOW you pack. - so you don't have to completely empty your bags at every stop and repack when you move again. And so you don't need to dig for items you use frequently. Everybody's daily habits are different, so you you will have to put some real thought into your personal organization, but I find putting little mini packed 'kits' 0f items frequently used together and then packing the kits in places based on how frequently I expect to need them really helps. It's more important then ever that your luggage is easy for you to handle. Again, wheels are a must, and stack-ability of multiple bags, if at all possible so you still have one hand free for your phone/ directions while puling the bags. You want to be able to walk comfortably carrying ALL your luggage for up to 20 - 30 minutes. ​
10 Travel Gadgets/ Gear Worth the Space to Pack
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Long Term Tricks...
Choose fabrics that will hold up to lots of wear, no delicate, precious clothes. Avoid bulky items even for winter clothes - opt for the thin ‘smart wool’ under-layer rather than the big cozy sweater.
Be really selective about which shoes you bring, they take up so much space!
I travel with a pair of good hiking boots, a low top sneaker that has good cushion for all day walking but is also slender enough to be worn with a skirt or dress, and a pair of comfy flats (like a Tom’s style) that can be casual or pass with a dress for the theater.
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And don't waste the valuable packing space inside your shoes! Roll up a T-shirt or socks and tuck them in the shoes.
Don’t pack the full size of anything you can refill on the road, toiletries can be an enormous space hog. If possible cut your hygiene routine to the bare minimum and use travel size for necessary items and just restock as you go.
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Use vacuum bags for necessary out of season items. They come in lots of bag sizes and the vacuum is small and rechargeable. (I went to the arctic with just carry ons - my giant snow pants were squished down flat in a vacuum bag so they didn't take up any real space!.)
Women doing long term travel I highly recommend learning to do without a purse and all things we tend to keep in it, you will be fine without the full-face make-up I swear! A purse is just one more thing to carry and too easy a target for pickpockets. And extra vanity hair and make-up toiletries are space suckers.
If you plan on a doing a night on the town bring a small flat clutch, (plain black with a wrist strap, it will go with anything and can be reused other times) and a just add a colored lip gloss and mascara to your toiletry bag. That's enough to get dressy and without taking up much space.
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A foldable fabric bag is a great purse alternative for days when you need to carry anything that won't fit in your pocket. It also serves as a grocery bag for the market and it takes up very little space when not in use.
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Use a cellphone Lanyard so you don’t have to dig in pockets or a bag to check google maps. (Also great for outfits no pockets.)
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Hot Tip - any day I'm actually traveling I wear my most space consuming items; boots, my one warm
sweater/ cardigan and coat if its fall or winter (in the spring/summer the coat lives in a vacuum bag.)
