As most of you ladies know, it’s hard to pack for a weekend, let alone a year! After 12 months of travel one of the questions we’re asked most is, “what do you pack?” It was a lot of trial and error, packing and unpacking, and leaving many clothes behind. The main thing about traveling with a backpack is that you learn how little you actually need. I’ve prepared everything in this travel gear guide.

During the first month, both of us left all sorts of clothes and unnecessary travel gear behind. Wedges? Goodbye. Unnecessary outfit changes? Out the window. While we’ve purchased a few items while traveling, most of our items were with us from the beginning. If you’re looking to take a year long journey or even a week long trip. Here’s our travel gear guide.

Packing Tips

You don’t need everything you’re packing. Unless you’ve scrupulously planned out every day of your trip, there’s a very good chance that you are packing too much.
Pack similar colors and stay away from patterns. All of my clothes match my neutral shoes. Try to stay either in the brown family or black family when choosing clothes.

Synthetics.

Synthetic clothes are your friends.  Most of what I wear is synthetic!  Besides being some of the most comfortable clothes, synthetics make it much easier to wash your clothes. Synthetics dry quickly and can work for many different occasions. Synthetics also keep you dry in humid weather.  Whether hiking Corcovado in the killer Brazilian heat or walking the streets if Florence in Italy, synthetic tops are a life saver in the humidity.  The last benefit of synthetic shirts is they don’t wrinkle.  If you’re moving from place to place, there’s nothing more embarrassing than walking into dinner or meeting a new group of friends with a unkempt, wrinkly outfit.  Do yourself a favor and buy a few synthetic tops for your trip.

Travel Gear

This travel gear list doesn’t include every single item in my bag but, it includes all the essential travel gear accessories I can’t live without.

35L Backpack

Electronics Backpack

Travel Jacket

Long Sleeve Synthetic Shirt

Travel Laundry Soap

Bug Spray Wipes

Power Adapter

Travel Extension Cord

Travel Clothing

Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of clothes they pack for traveling.  Once you do, you’ll find it difficult to pack any extra clothes.

Sneakers

5 Pairs of Socks

7 pairs of underwear

2 pair of shorts

Hiking Shoes

Sandals

Shirts

1 Nice Tank

Travel Pants

Jeans (stretchy)

Capris

2 Workout Tanks

Scarf

Compression Socks

2 Sports Bras

Hat

Travel Photography Gear

Scott travels with most of the camera equipment, but I still need to keep editing equipment and general electronics on me.

Apple Macbook Pro 13″

GoPro underwater Camera

Wireless Lapel Mic

iPhone 6s Plus