What’s in my bag? A breakdown of my packing strategy

I wrote an earlier post on packing tips, but I thought I’d give a more detailed post of what I actually packed with me for my big move abroad.

My checked bag was a total of 28 lbs! I surprised myself actually with how little I ended up bringing with me. The limit for most flights abroad is 44 lbs.  So how did I do it? For one thing, I follow this simple rule: if an article of clothing does not match with at least 3 other things in my wardrobe than it doesn’t go in my bag. This rule also applies when I buy clothes abroad to reduce the amount of stuff I end up accumulating. Below are pictures and descriptions of what I ended up bringing with me.

4 casual shirts.

3 button downs. I love button downs because you can wear them for nice occasions and casually.

6 blouses that could be worn for work and casual outings.

4 (only 3 pictured here) tank tops to wear underneath clothes or to wear with cardigans.

4 pairs of pants including a pair of jeans, a pair of cotton khakis, a pair of tan linen pants, and lightweight black pants.

2 sweaters. One lightweight and one fleece.

4 skirts. 3 maxi and 1 that covers the knees.

1 pair of shorts and 1 pair of casual pants for hot weather.

3 lightweight cardigans

1 dress.

1 scarf. Scarves are great for travel days. They’re versatile and can serve as handkerchiefs, blankets, pillows, etc.

Clothes to work out/sleep in. 1 quick dry shirt. 1 cotton shirt. 1 pair of yoga pants. 1 pair of running shorts. 2 sports bras.

1 quick dry towel.

3 bras and two full ziplock bags of underwear and socks.

3 belts.

1 swimsuit.

1 nail kit, 1 swiss army knife, 1 water bottle, 1 sleeping bag liner

Some floss, extra toothbrush, and razors

1 external charger, 1 camera, 1 Kindle, 1 laptop

1 headlamp

1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of sneakers, 2 paris of flats, 1 pair of casual shoes

2 (1 not pictured) bottles of sunscreen, 3 (2 not pictured) sticks of deodorant, 3 vials of essential oil: lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil, 1 pack of bobby pins, 1 jar of night cream, 1 comb, 1 jar of tigar balm, 1 case of jewelry, and 1 case of makeup including: moisturizer, travel brushes, eyelash curler, mascara, eye liner, eye shadow, lipstick

1 backpacking pack: I got a 60 liter bag which is smaller than others but I needed a small enough bag that would fit with my 5’0″ frams. (http://www.rei.com/product/795606/deuter-act-lite-60-10-sl-pack-womens?partner=cse_PLA&mr:trackingCode=9AA9A1E3-F810-DF11-BAE3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA) 1 backpacking backpack airport carrier. This thing is super useful. You just stick your backpacking pack in there and you won’t have to worry about securing your straps. It also protects your bag during travel. Also, you can throw extra things into this bag if everything won’t fit in your bag.

Things not pictured: medicine, neck pillow, 1 TSA lock (If I was staying in a hostel in a dorm I would stick my backpacking pack in the airporter and lock it with the lock.), 1 book bag, pictures from home, 1 handbag, 1 wristwatch, 2 carabiners,  hand sanitizer.

Things I wish I had brought. A rain jacket, Bananagrams, flip flops, sewing kit

Keep in mind that I’m a minimalist and usually travel pretty light. The more I’ve traveled the less I feel like I need to bring a lot of “stuff” with me. That might not be the case for you. It’s all about what will make you comfortable. For me, I can be kept pretty happy as long as I have clean laundry and a shower. If you really can’t live without something, than bring it if you know you’ll be happier with it. I’m also living in a very warm climate so I didn’t need to bring any heavyweight clothes. With that in mind, most places in southeast Asia dress pretty modestly, so I normally cover my knees and shoulders even if it’s 100+ degrees outside. Just observe how other people dress around you, and follow suit. If I were packing for cold weather, I would’ve brought a down vest or coat, some good long underwear, and a few articles of clothing made out of wool.

I’m sure I forgot a couple of things, but feel free to comment if you have any lingering questions!