What does an upstate NY weekend camping trip, a year long backpacking trip through South America, and digital nomad stint in Thailand all have in common?

My packing list!

Obviously, there will be some variability between packing for a trip with treks in Patagonia and packing for a vacation beach hopping in Costa Rica. Regardless, I ALWAYS reference the same list below when assembling my bag, and making tweaks as necessary.

The hardest part in packing for me, is deciding which clothing items to bring and for long term trips, the first time packing is always the most difficult.

Without further ado:

The Backpack

At the risk of sounding like a paid advertisement, Osprey brand backpacks are my absolute favorite. They are made of high-quality materials, come in all shapes and sizes to fit any body type, and have a lifetime warranty.

The most important feature in my backpack is a main compartment that fully zips open! The top-loading style is a pain in the ass to take out items that are stuffed at the bottom.

This is the model of backpack I am currently using:
Osprey Farpoint 55

The other main feature I love is the additional day pack that zips off so I don't need to carry around an extra bag and it's easy to zip off and use the big pack as my carry-on when flying.

The goal when packing your bag is to have space! Almost everyone buys things while abroad, so you need space to be able to bring it back home.

Travel Gear

These are my essentials for keeping everything I bring abroad light, compact, and organized.

• 1Backpack
• 1Backpack Rain Cover
• 1Day Pack
  Always comes in handy on long days out and about.
• 4-6Compression Packing Cubes
  Allows you to keep your clothing organized. Shirts in one, pants in another, undergardments/socks in another, and an extra for dirty laundry.
• 1Toiletry Bag
  Must be able to hang. Separate compartments are amazing for organization.
• 1Money Belt
  Keep your valuables strapped to you at all times to be safe from pickpocketing. This is where I keep my passport, some reserve cash, and my backup credit card and debit card.
• 1Waterproof Sack
  Always useful for trips involving beaches or boats.

Clothing

The guideline here is to pack a week's worth of clothing. It's easy to find places to do your laundry abroad. My personal preference is clothing made of synthetic material. In my experience it dries quickly, doesn't hold any unpleasant odors, and doesn't wrinkle after spending 72 hours stuffed tight into your pack.

Avoid packing all of your favorite t-shirts/dresses/jeans/etc. I know you want to look amazing in your photos, but by the end of your trip you will RUIN the clothing and be sick of it after wearing the same thing everyday. Bring simple, comfortable clothing that's easy to mix and match. Almost all of my daily wear is some shade of blue or brown.

Lastly, only bring the bare essentials! Packing 5 pairs of shoes is unnecessary. You don't need your Canada Goose winter jacket that you will only be using on the day you leave for the airport. If your plans change you can always buy what you need abroad. My favorite souvenir is clothing because I actually use it frequently, as opposed to the trinkets sitting on my bookshelf for the past 10 years.

• 7-10Underwear
• 7-10Pairs of Socks
• 1Pair of Thick Wool Socks
• 1Pair of Dress Socks
• 3Pairs of Shorts
• 1-2Swim Suits
  Having two pairs is ideal so you can allow one pair to fully dry while you use the other.
• 1Jeans
• 4-5T-shirts
  Synthetic material with simple designs to mix and match.
• 1Sweater or Hoodie
• 1Winter Hat
  Only if I know I'm going to a cold climate.
• 1Pair of Gloves
  Only if I know I'm going to a cold climate.
• 1Hiking Pants
  Only if I know I'm going to do a lot of hiking.
• 1Rain Jacket
• 1-2Dress Shirts
• 1Sunglasses
• 1Wide Brim Hat
• 1Flip Flops
  Aside from beaches and pools, these are very useful in shared bathrooms or showers with questionable standards of cleanliness.
• 1Pair of Shoes
  Comfortable footwear is a must. There will be lots of walking.
• 1Belt

Toiletries

If possible, keep everything travel size and carry-on friendly. Unless you have highly specific products you use for your body/hair, it's easy to refill bathing essentials abroad.

• 1Travel Towel
  Perfect for the beach and dry quickly when you need it.
• 5-10Hair Ties
• 1Comb
• 1Nail Clippers
• 1Beard Trimmer (with charger)
• 1Deodorant
• 3-5Safety Razors
• 1Dental Floss
• 1Toothpaste (travel size)
• 1Toothbrush
• 1Tongue Scraper
• 1Toothbrush Cover
• 1Shaving Cream (travel size)
• 1Body Wash (travel size)
• 1Shampoo (travel size)
• 1Conditioner (travel size)
• 1Gold Bond Powder (travel size)
  Chafing isn't fun
• 1Cologne/Perfume (travel size)
• 1Quick Drying Washcloth

Electronics

• 1GoPro
  Easy to capture high-quality panoramic pictures/videos with relatively low effort. Makes it very easy to just capture moments and share them later.
• 1GoPro Waterproof Case
• 1GoPro Attachments
• 1Extra GoPro Batteries and Charger
• 1Powerbank
  Life saving when your phone is dead and you need to call a taxi to get home.
• 1Ear buds
• 1Long Cell Phone Charger Cable
  Unless you enjoy disconnecting and keeping your cell phone far away from you, long cables make life a little more convenient.
• 1Universal Power Adapter
  The ones with USB/USB-C ports are great.
• 1Kindle
  Lightweight way to carry many books.
• 1Chromecast
  Nice to have if you know you'll be spending time inside watching movies/TV.
• 1Car USB Charger
  Nice to have if you know you'll be roadtripping.
• 1Headlamp
  Seems unnecessary, but comes in handy on almost every trip that involves some retreat into nature.
• 1SD Card
  Backup SD card for your camera incase it fills up or something goes wrong.
• 1Laptop (with charger and case)
• 1Travel Mouse
  As someone who makes a living off of the computer, a compact quality mouse makes life more comfortable.
• 1Zendesk Monitor
  As someone who makes a living off of the computer, an extra monitor that's lightweight is great.
• 1Fit Bit (with Charger)

Medication

These are lifesavers when you need them. You can always buy more abroad, but having these essentials readily available will frequently come in handy.

• 5-10Motion Sickness Pills
  There are plenty of road and boat journeys in this world where one of these is required
• 5-10Ginger Pills
  This can be just as effective as standard motion sickness medication without the drowsy effects
• 5-10Fever Pills
• 5-10Anti-Inflammatory Pills
• 5-10Anti-Diarrheal Pills
  The most priceless possession when you have traveler's diarrhea and a long bus/train/plane journey imminent
• 10Cough Drops

Miscellaneous Items

• 1Travel First Aid Kit
  It has come in handy on every trip I've ever been on.
• 1Passport
• 1-200Cash (USD)
  In cases of emergency, cash is king. A mix of denominations with all bills in pristine condition.
• 1Book
• 1-5Pens
• 1-2Travel Lock
  Flexible cable combination locks are ideal. You can't lose a key and easy to fit on any locker or bag.
• 3-5Plastic Bags
  Poor man's water-proof bag. Always comes in handy.
• 3-5Ear plugs
  Useful if you are a light sleeper
• 3-5Eye mask
  Useful if you are a light sleeper
• 11L Collapsible Water Bottle
• 1Collapsible Water Bottle Drink Tube Kit
  Great for hiking or long days out and about in warm climates.
• 1Sawyer Water Filter
  Useful in emergency situations, but seldom used in my experience.
• 1-5Resistance Bands
  If you're good about keeping active at home, it's worth bringing a band or two along with you. Otherwise, it's deadweight, don't bother.
• 1Jump Rope
  If you're good about keeping active at home, it's lightweight and easy to pack. Although finding a good place to jumprope abroad can be difficult at times.
• 1Inflatable Pillow
  Rarely comes in handy, but it's a nice to have. Very lightweight and easy to pack.
• 1Playing Cards
  Good to kill time with company during long rides.
• 1Stain Remover
  Useful to get rid of stains on the go
• 1Insect Repellent (travel size)
• 1Sunscreen (travel size)
• 1-2Hand Sanitizer (travel size)
• 1-3Wet Wipes (travel size)
  For when toilet paper or paper towels are not available when needed