The Evolution of Our Travel Packing List: How We Adapted for Long-Term Travel

Are you someone who dreams of traveling the world for an extended period of time? Or maybe you’re already on your slow travel journey and looking to optimize your packing list. As seasoned slow travelers, we know firsthand the importance of finding a balance between bringing enough items to be comfortable and not carrying too much weight. That’s why we want to share our experience of traveling for almost 5 years as we started with just two carry-on backpacks each, and the adjustments we’ve made along the way.

In this blog post, we’ll go through each iteration of our packing list, our evolving needs, and provide tips for packing for long-term travel. Plus, we’ll share one of our biggest secrets to packing light! Are you ready?

Recap on slow/long term travel

For those unfamiliar with the concept, slow travel refers to traveling for an extended period of time, ranging from a few months to several years. In our case, we fall under the “several months” category and use an annual trip back home (to see our family) to re-adjust our packing list based on our evolving needs and what we’ve learned from the previous year.

One of the biggest challenges of long-term travel is finding the perfect balance between bringing enough items to be comfortable and prepared for various situations while also not carrying too much weight. To address this, we’ve decided to mostly travel to warm weather countries, which has helped us reduce the amount of space we need for clothes. This has definitely one of our big secret for packing light 😉

Incremental adjustment over the past few years

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At the beginning of our long trip, we used this packing list for myself and this packing list for Mrs. NN. Over the years, we have made incremental changes to our packing lists based on what we have learned. Let’s see what has changed! 

2019 – Collapsible Water Bottles, Mesh Grocery Bags, and More!

Here are the major gear changes/upgrades we’ve done in 2019

Collapsible Water Bottles
We started our trip with an insulated water bottle, thinking it would be great for carrying cold or warm beverages. However, we quickly realized that we were mostly using it for water, which added unnecessary weight to our packs. That’s when we discovered these amazing foldable water bottles that are a fraction of the weight and space. They’re super handy and have become a staple in our travel gear collection. We highly recommend them! You can find them on Amazon here: Vapur Solid Flexible Water Bottle

Mesh Grocery Bags
We added these great mesh grocery bags to our packing list, and they’ve been a game changer. We use them every time we go to the farmers market, and they’re durable, lightweight, and super practical. Plus, they help reduce plastic usage, especially in Asian countries where plastic is widely used at markets. We love our mesh bags and wouldn’t travel without them now. You can find them on Amazon here: Reusable Cotton Mesh Produce 

SLR Camera
As an avid photographer, I decided to carry a dSLR camera during our first year of travel. While the quality of pictures with a dSLR (especially in low light conditions) is far better than our smartphone, I couldn’t justify carrying my heavy SLR body and lenses for our trip. Especially since our smartphones were getting really good. I eventually decided to ditch the SLR and stick with my smartphone camera, which has served us well.

Drone Upgrade
I upgraded from a DJI Mavic Spark (a really small drone) to a DJI Mavic Pro (much bigger but also much more powerful). I personally like carrying our drone with us wherever we travel (see our drone footage), and this upgrade has allowed us to capture some amazing drone footage that we’ve shared on our YouTube channel.

If you’re looking for a great travel drone, we highly recommend the DJI Mavic Pro. You can find the latest version on Amazon here: DJI Mavic 3 Classic 

Blue Blocker Glasses
We’ve become obsessed with sleep since leaving our jobs and starting to travel. We learned about all the benefits of sleep and how to optimize our sleeping routine (we discuss this in more detail in our blog post: Making sleep a top priority). Mrs. NN decided to buy these blue blocker glasses that she wears every night before going to bed. They block blue light, which can interfere with our sleep patterns, and have helped us get better quality sleep on our travels.

If you’re interested in trying blue blocker glasses, you can check this pair from Amazon here: livho 2 Pack Blue Light Blocking Glasses 

2020 – Snorkels and Dry Bags

Here are the major gear changes/upgrades we’ve done in 2020

Snorkel and Swimming Goggles
We discovered that finding a rental shop to get snorkel gear was not always easy and could be quite expensive. So, we decided to carry our one snorkel gear set for the two of us. This allowed us to snorkel at our own leisure, and at our own pace, whenever and wherever we wanted. Additionally, I found traveling with swimming goggles was a good and lightweight alternative if you want to reduce the packing space further.

If you’re interested in purchasing your own snorkel gear or swimming goggles, we recommend these highly rated products on Amazon: Dry Snorkel Set & ZIONOR Swim Goggles 

Dry Bag
As we started practicing river tracing in Taiwan, we quickly realized the importance of having a waterproof bag to protect our belongings. We invested in a dry bag and have found it to be incredibly useful for all our travels since then. It’s great for protecting our gear during rainy days, water activities, or even when we’re just walking through a city on a wet day.

You can get dry bags on Amazon here: Waterproof Dry Bag

2021 – Tech Upgrades and Organization

Here are the major gear changes/upgrades we’ve done in 2021

Google Pixel phone upgrade (Mrs NN)
Mrs. NN decided to upgrade her outdated Google Pixel Phone to a refurbished Google Pixel 3 that she found on an online store. The new phone has been a great addition to our tech collection and has improved the overall efficiency of our travels.

We used BackMarket to upgrade our phones. BackMarket is an online marketplace that specializes in refurbished electronics. One of the things we appreciate about BackMarket is their commitment to quality. All of the products sold on their platform go through a rigorous refurbishment process to ensure that they are in good working condition. Additionally, they offer a six-month warranty on all products, which gives us peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong, we can easily get it fixed.

Deal: If you never used their platform, use our referral code: dfb74549aaacdc13 to get $10 off and up to 70% on their refurbished items. Get started today by going to the BackMarket and use our referral code! 

Oura ring
To track her sleep (& much more!), I convinced Mrs. NN to invest in an Oura ring. This cool device has provided us with many insights and has helped us optimize our sleeping routine. We’ve shared an in-depth review of the Oura ring on our blog, so check it out if you’re curious!

You can find the Oura ring using our discord offer here (and save up to $50).

Remarkable Tablet
After accumulating a stack of notebooks from over a year of journaling, we were in search of a digital solution that wouldn’t take up too much space. That’s when I came across the Remarkable II Tablet, which provides the feeling of writing on paper while storing your notes digitally. It has been the ultimate note-taking solution for us nomads. Check out our review of the Remarkable II Tablet on our blog!

You can buy the Remarkable using our discount offer here (and save up to $40). 

Ziplock bags
We always have snacks on hand while traveling, and we found these great reusable ziplock bags that are much better than the disposable plastic ones. They’re durable, washable, and environmentally friendly.

You can find Silicon Ziplock bag on Amazon here: Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bag 

Charging Station
With multiple devices that require charging, we were getting bogged down with cables. That’s when we discovered a great charging station that has helped us keep everything organized and packed efficiently. This compact station has been a game-changer for us, and we highly recommend it. Check out the product link to see if it’s something that would work for you too!

You can find our Charging station on Amazon here: Bamboo Charging Station for Multiple Devices 

2022 – New iPhone, Suitcase, Beach Towel and More

2022 was a big year of upgrades for us, as we invested in a range of travel gear essentials that helped make our nomadic lifestyle even more comfortable and efficient.

Food protector
As avid home cooks, we found it challenging to keep our leftovers fresh and organized in the fridge. That’s when we discovered these versatile silicon wrappers that can be used to cover any pan, bowl or plate, making it much easier to store food. The wrappers are easy to wash and are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic wraps.

You can get them on Amazon here: Reusable Silicone Stretch Lids 

Ditching the Backpack (For Mrs NN)
After years of traveling with a backpack, Mrs. NN finally decided to switch to a hard suitcase for our long-term travel. This suitcase is sturdy, roomy, and has wheels that make it easy to navigate through busy airports and cities.

You can check out this suitcase on Amazon here: Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Expandable Luggage  

iPhone upgrade (Mr NN)
My old phone was getting slow & running out of space, so I upgraded to a refurbished iPhone 12 Pro, which was a significant improvement in terms of camera quality and overall performance. I saved a lot of money by purchasing a refurbished phone and opted for an older model. 

We used BackMarket to upgrade our phones. BackMarket is an online marketplace that specializes in refurbished electronics. One of the things we appreciate about BackMarket is their commitment to quality. All of the products sold on their platform go through a rigorous refurbishment process to ensure that they are in good working condition. Additionally, they offer a six-month warranty on all products, which gives us peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong, we can easily get it fixed.

Deal: If you never used their platform, use our referral code: dfb74549aaacdc13 to get $10 off and up to 70% on their refurbished items. Get started today by going to the BackMarket and use our referral code! 

Pocket blanket
We love spending time at the beach or in a park, and this compact pocket blanket we discovered is perfect for our needs. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and takes up very little space in our luggage. One of our favorite additions for 2022!

You can get this compact blanket on Amazon here: Matador Pocket Blanket 

Soap holder & travel-friendly laundry detergent
To make our travels more sustainable, we started using bar soap and eco-friendly laundry detergent sheets. We found these soap holders to be perfect for carrying our bar soap, and the laundry detergent sheets are easy to use and carry. 

You can get a great soap holder on Amazon here: Travel Soap Container, our soap bars here: Dr. Bronner’s – Pure-Castile Bar Soap and our laundry detergent sheets here: Earth Breeze Laundry Detergent Sheets 

Our bottom line

So there you have it! Our packing list has undergone significant changes as we continue to travel and explore the world. We have incorporated items that have made our travels more comfortable, organized, and environmentally friendly, while discarding those that were impractical or unnecessary.

We hope this has been informative and inspiring, and that it motivates you to re-evaluate your own packing list and make modifications that will enhance your travel experiences.

What about you? Have you also been rethinking your packing over time? What changes have you made, and is there anything you would recommend that we add or remove from our packing list? We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below!