What’s in our bags? Minimalist Packing List for Adventurous Travel
We try to travel with one carry-on backpack and a personal item for each of us, so we value every item that we bring on our adventures. Our clothing changes slightly if we are visiting Paris or road-tripping in the US, but there are some things are always with us.
We try to pack light enough to carry all our luggage, but not so light that we are missing key items that we desire. Here are items that come on us with every trip.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links to products that we use. For all affiliates, we earn a small percentage of any purchases. We will be compensated with points at no additional cost to you.
Here are our tried and true items:
Tripped Packing Cubes These cubes help us regulate how much we bring and compress everything. We each get one medium and one large cube (and they have different colors to help us stay organized.)
PackTowl: Regular towels are too bulky and hold onto water. Pack Towls are thin, light, and dry quickly. They also last forever (going on 10 years!)
Besttek Power Inverter: This car charger allows you to connect 2 USB and 2 regular plugs. Perfect for a road trip, especially when you are camping and do not have access to electricity.
Power bank. We love these Anker powerbanks which are light enough to fit in a coat pocket.
Backpack: I carry a Gregory pack and Justin carries an Osprey pack. You want to have a pack that is fewer than 40 liters so it can fit as a carry on on a plane. (We also recommend a pack with a rain cover to protect your gear.)
Chacos: These sandals are magical. They stay on when you're in the water, they support your feet like sneakers do when you're hiking. One AT thru-hiker swears by these. If you pack one shoe, it should be these.
Moisture-wicking pants: Justin lives in Kuhl pants and I enjoy Prana Halle pants. They're perfect for multiple wears, are easy to clean, and dry quickly.
Women’s Leggings: These are my favorite pants to wear at the airport and on the plane; it’s easy to pop my phone in the pocket (now that our boarding passes are all digital).
Humangear GoToob: These silicone bottles are perfect for all of your toiletries when you fly. The wide mouth makes it easy to pour your favorite products in and every set comes in 3 colors to help you stay organized.
Kitsch Solid Shampoo and Conditioner: If you don’t want to carry bottles, these Kitsch bars are an amazing liquid-free alternative. I’ve been using them for a few years now, and prefer them to regular shampoo. They last a long time.
