Free guide for long-term travel preparation and packing

Leaving your home, your usual environment for a longer time is always connected to a lot of questions. What does long-term travel preparation look like? Where do I start my research? Should I take this item or that with me? Packing for long-term travel is not easy and after making lists, and sorting things out you may end up overpacking. This guide should help you to prepare for the big trip ahead of you.

Planning and organizing the entire trip often requires several months of preparation. This blog post shows important steps to be prepared for your long-term travels. From the organizational part to the actual packing. It includes conscious travel essentials and at the end, you will get my personal learnings from long-term travel preparation and planning. After reading this article, you will have more clarity on the important steps for your travel preparation.

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How to prepare for long-term travel?

Moving out and the cancellation of the monthly cost blocks

You are leaving home for an extended period of time, so you need to make sure you leave your home country well-prepared. This includes canceling your lease, your insurance, or/and your phone contract. Find a suitable storage space for the things you are leaving behind. If you have a car, give it to a family member for the time you are away or sell it. To make it easier you can make a list of everything you going to leave at home and what you are going to do with it.

The advantage of a longer trip is that you simply sort things into two categories: take them with you and leave them at home. So you get a quick overview of what you want to take with you.

Visa and needed documents

You should certainly find out about the visa situation before you travel. If you already have your visa, make sure it is stored digitally and easily accessible at passport control. Make sure you have a copy of the essential documents on your phone or/and printed out. Put them in your wallet or other pockets.

Bank cards, credit cards and money exchange

Make sure that you can withdraw money in a foreign country! Some might recommend carrying less cash with you. However, since a cash withdrawal comes with a fee in some countries, it is cheaper to withdraw money in your home country before your trip.

If you need to exchange money: Check the exchange rate and seek out an exchange office outside the airport. Usually, they have a better exchange rate.
Take a spare credit card with you: Sometimes this is necessary in case your other card is declined, stolen, or lost. Traveling only with an American Express credit card you should definitely get a Master or Visa card, since AMEX cards aren’t excepted everywhere in Europe.
I travel with one credit card and only had once a problem when I couldn’t book a flight, but my family helped me out.

If you want to be on the safe side, you should get an additional credit card. In terms of credit cards: if you don’t have a credit card at all and are planning to travel internationally. Get a credit card! Some credit cards come also with insurance, like baggage insurance, accident insurance, etc. But make sure it covers the length of your travels.

Mobile coverage abroad

Check if your mobile care provider supports roaming in the country if you are traveling and the prices for that. You might consider buying a sim card aboard and research the ease of buying a sim card. In some countries, it is very easy to get one at the shops at the airport.

International driver license

In case you are planning to drive a vehicle abroad make sure you have a valid driver’s license. Even if you aren’t sure yet, it is still better to carry a valid driver’s license just in case. If you travel overseas, it is most likely that you need an international driver’s license. Contact the responsible authorities in your home country to get know the procedure to receive an international driver’s license. This might be connected with a low fee (for Austria it is 20-25 €), depending on the country.

Travel Insurance

Probably the most important thing you need to do before your trip is to find suitable travel insurance. It can really be a pain. There are numerous travel insurance policies and it is exhausting to sort through the different policies. You can check with local insurance companies, which sometimes have a good deal. Make sure your insurance covers health, baggage and cancellation. But if you are pretty planless, I can recommend Safety Wings or World Nomads. With these insurances, you don’t have to have a return date already set.

Health requirements for the destination

Luckily the days of always changing health requirements and restrictions are over. But that doesn’t mean you should not check which vaccines are required for the destination you are visiting. Some regions require yellow fiber or rabies vaccination. During your travel preparations, you might also research other health entrance measurements.

Weather and Climate

If you travel to warm and cold destinations that means bringing more clothing aka more luggage. Plan wisely and check the temperature of the places you are planning to visit. This helps you a lot with travel packing.

The cultural code of the region you are visiting

Immersing yourself in new countries and cultures comes also with the responsibility to look up cultural etiquette. Something that shouldn’t be neglected while preparing for a trip. What behavior is allowed, and accepted, and what is not? This includes also the dress code and tipping culture. Being informed shows that you are prepared for your trip and displays your respect for the local community and culture. You might also want to write down or memorize small talk phrases, in the language spoken in the country.

Conscious traveler packing list

If you want to be a mindful traveler and want to watch out for your impact on the environment, you should also consider the following aspects while preparing and packing for your trip. When you need to order new items think about which online companies you want to support. Maybe there is even a physical local store in your neighborhood that’s waiting to have you as a customer.

Conscious traveler items to pack are reduction of waste or zero waste items like a lunch box, cutlery or coffee mug. I bought an aluminum lunch box, in the picture below although it is very light there are other options like foldable plastic ware that saves more space in your luggage.

Also, your toiletry bag can use some conscious traveler makeover: a wooden toothbrush, plastic-free toothpaste (tablets for instance), chemical-free sunscreen, and deodorant as well as a shampoo bar and soap bar. For the ladies, there are many zero-waste female hygiene products, like menstruation cups or reusable pads.

Save the environment from plastic bottles

Imagine traveling somewhere and being able to use tap water for drinking without worrying about buying hundreds of plastic bottles, which are a burden on the environment and your wallet in the long run. Luckily, there are many options that filter the water of the tap, of rivers and lakes, and make it drinkable. Those are the options: the life straw, the water-to-go, the origin outdoor water filter, and the steripen UV light filter.

I have tried the first three. Although I used the life straw very rarely because I felt weird drinking from it. The water-to-go was one of the most important items on my trip to Mexico. Although it, unfortunately, didn’t prevent me from buying plastic bottles. Because the bottle is small and you really need to make an effort to drink, the water runs directly through the filter before it comes out. Therefore, it was nothing I would carry with me in the long run. If that doesn’t sound like a big issue to you, here is the link where you can order your water-to-go bottle.

My personal, clear preference is the origin outdoor water filter because you simply filter the water and drink it then. I used it during my hikes in Sweden and was very satisfied with the filter. The steripen UV light filter works also pretty easily. You put the stick into the water for a few seconds and then your water is drinkable. You can filter 1 or 1/2 liters at once with it. If you want to stay hydrated and save the environment from more plastic bottles, make sure you pack one of the water filters.

Packing minimalistic and organized for your long-term trip

How to pack light for long-term travel

Pack light is easier said than done. However, there are some tricks to reduce the stuff that you want to take with you. If it’s clothing, shoes or electronics. The most important is to have an overview of what you want to take with you. This could be a list or a pre-packing style where you lay out all the things you want to take with you. Long-term travel is very tempting to over pack. You are on the road and want to have all the amenities from home and feel comfortable wherever you go.
But having prepared the list or the stacks of what you want to take with you, you can go through each item and decide whether you really need it and will use it.

You can simply prepare weeks before your trip and make the packing easier with different stages. For instance, you can wear for two weeks only the clothes you want to take with you. Or you can make a weekend trip and see which toiletries you really use.

Choosing the right luggage

Backpack or trolley or trolley-backpack? That’s an important question. With carrying a backpack, a few advantages come with it, for example, the flexible in movement since you have everything you need in your bag. However, you also need to be more considerate about packing, so that it is not too heavy. This leads us to the advantages of a trolley bag because heaviness doesn’t play a huge role in carrying a trolley. But it certainly plays a role if you are in rough terrain and you need the flexibility to move. What will help you to decide is to consider your travel style. If you travel a lot, stay there a few nights and then move on to the next place, a backpack might be better. But if you stay mostly in one place, a trolley or trolley backpack is a good option.

For choosing the right backpack, I would highly suggest getting one that opens like a suitcase, this makes packing and unpacking much easier.

After spending most of my early twenties backpacking, I switched to a trolley during my semester abroad in Mexico. That backfired when I visited the magical town of Real de Catorce. Luckily, I could borrow a backpack from a friendly couchsurfer in Mexico City to continue my travels with a much easier bag to move around.

But this made me think intensively about whether I should travel with a trolley or backpack for my next trip. And I choose a trolley backpack because I will stay most of the time in one place and make day tours from there. In addition, my place of accommodation will not change frequently. But if my travel style changes, I also have a backpack with me. By the way, I bought this completely new bag at the Austrian second-hand platform for half the price. So my advice is to always look at second-hand platforms.

Luggage organization – compression bags or vacuum bags

Organized luggage is the key. It saves you a lot of time, energy, and nerves. Especially important for clothing, because certain bags can reduce the volume and you have more space.

There are plastic vacuum bags. They are great to pack lots of clothing and reduce the space it takes up. However, the disadvantage is that those bags aren’t sustainable. I’ve traveled with them a lot and they easily get wholes and the entire vacuum system doesn’t work anymore.

Instead, you can use more robust compression bags with zippers. They are also called packing cubes and come in various sizes and shapes. I haven’t tried them yet. Another option would be to pack your clothes with Marie Kondo method and put them in robust bags.

For any other items, sort them into categories and put them as well in tote bags. So that, you don’t make a mess while searching for something in your backpack or trolley. And those tote bags have multiple uses. The environmentally conscious traveler can use them for grocery shopping instead of plastic bags in supermarkets.

Clothing

Keep the temperature of the destination as well as the cultural dress code (if there is one) in mind. That helps you by making decisions about what to pack. Still, clothing might be the hardest thing, therefore the following tips are for you. Pre-pack or prepare: If you don’t want to pre-pack, gather your clothes so you have an overview of what you’re taking. From there, you can pare down the clothes, think about each piece, and consider whether you’ll actually wear them. You can also ask a family member or friend for help and show them what you plan to take with you. This will give you an outside perspective, which is always very helpful. If you are worried about not packing enough, remember that there is always the option of buying clothes abroad. Even in a sustainable way in second-hand stores. And also sending items back home.

It is always good to bring clothes adaptable to various situations/cultures. It is advisable to take underwear for 8 to 10 or even 14 days. Keep in mind this influence how often you need to do laundry. Take fabrics that are light and dry easily. Don’t buy a whole new wardrobe for your travels, but you might a few new pieces of clothing.

Shoes

Packing the ideal pair of shoes might be also tricky. Hiking boots, sandals, flip-flops, sneakers, walking shoes, party shoes and jogging shoes. Try to reduce the pairs of shoes you want to take with finding suitable alternatives. Three pairs are ideal, this could be hiking or running shoes, flip-flops and walking shoes. You probably walk a lot while exploring new places, so make sure you have comfortable walking shoes. Flip-flops are essential for hostel showers.

Toiletries & Medication

Choose the right toiletry bag for you. There are bags that can be rolled in, bags that can be hung up, and all different kinds of bags. Depending on your toiletries, choose the bag that fits your items. I highly recommend taking a toiletry bag that you can hang up.

When it comes to medication don’t overdo it! Believe me, I traveled a lot and have also been sick while traveling, from colds to serious accidents. The reason why I believe you shouldn’t pack too much medication is that you can get a lot of things also abroad. The best thing is to have preventive “medicine” so to speak vitamins. In my 2021 travels, I switched from cold medications to vitamins (vitamin C, D, zinc, etc.) and took them whenever I felt a cold coming on, or even before and after a flight. Additionally, you can stock up your travel medicine kit with band-aids, painkillers, bepanthen cream and charcoal tablets. All extra are depending on your destination and your health.

Don’t forget your laundry soap. Luckily, you don’t have to take a huge liquid detergent bottle with you. Because there are detergent strips that are lightweight and perfect for your long-term travels. There are several companies that offer laundry detergent strips. You can check them out here and see which company you want to order your detergent from.

Electronics

When it comes to electronics, the best way to keep them organized within your baggage is to put them in a tote bag or get a specific bag that organizes electronics. Make sure you pack your power bank and your adapter that’s suitable for many countries.

Try to reduce your charging system by using the same charges, if possible, for different devices. If you are caring for a big amount of electronic data, consider carrying a USB stick instead of a heavy external hard drive. While travel preparations, it’s important to reduce the stuff you are taking with you and find possible alternatives to pack more minimalistic. Because when you travel long term, you don’t want to overpack, since you need to carry all those things with you. So, look out for possibilities to reduce weight and space within your luggage.

Travel-related items and other things

Moreover, travel-related items include a day backpack. Which you can use for day trips or hikes. This could be your travel “handbag” or try to find a foldable day backpack. That’s light and doesn’t take up too much space. The next items should be also in your handbag since they come in handy in airports, airplanes, or trains: inflatable neck pillow, eye mask, ear plugs, headphones, scarf, travel journal, and a water bottle.

A microfiber travel towel is a must. It saves you a lot of space. You might want to take two of them, one for showering and another one for the sea or lake. A sleeping bag is also something you should consider taking with you, especially if you have a night at an airport or taking the overnight train. If you aren’t planning to camp, a light sleeping bag will do it.

Some travelers also enjoy carrying travel games like mini uno or any other pocket version game. Just in case items are headlamps, a small sewing kit, scissors, a first aid kit, cutleries, and energy bars.

My learnings for preparing for long-term travels

When you travel for a long time period, you slowly get adapted to being on the road. The biggest learning for me where that it doesn’t matter how well you prepare and plan, at the end it comes how it comes. You might miss a piece of clothing you left at home. Or you booked a room for too many nights in a city that you didn’t really like after all. I’ve over-packed and under-packed learning from every trip something new. If you liked to be very prepared and planned for your entire trip, let me tell you: don’t! Don’t plan the entire trip in the beginning, because sometimes things come up and want to change your plans, therefore it is always advisable to leave a place for flexibility.

Don’t stress yourself during the preparation phase. Even if you don’t have so much time, prepare very well, make lists, and trust the process. It doesn’t help if you focus on the fear that something will go wrong. Enjoy the preparation time and the anticipation of your trip. It is a special time!