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My Year Long Travel Packing List with only a Carry-on Size Bag

ByMeghan M
carry on only itinerary

We travelled for a little over a year and we took a lot of flights and went to a lot of different climates and cultures. It was hard to pack!! We had to bring clothes that were suitable for conservative countries, cold climates and hot climates. We did try to chase summer mostly, but we are into hiking so we had to pack for that too! We even hikes Everest base camp. That being said we did have to rent and buy gear on the go, but it was worth it to pack light, save on flights, and not have the burden of a heavy backpack.

I brought a MEC travel bag that was 55 liters and suitable as a carry on, along with my packing cubes. You can check backpacks online on sites like REI and MEC to see if they are carry on size.

Whether you are backpacking for 2 weeks or a year, your list should be similar! Here is what I brought for a year travelling.

Take note that you will buy things travelling, so do not overpack. I bought the best linen pants, and cute dresses abroad. I swapped things in and out along the way other travellers, etc. If you forget anything, you will be able to find things!

Bags

  • 55 liter carry on size backpack
  • small crossbody purse
  • small daybag- I like the compressable osprey one
  • small tote bag for groceries, beach days that is compressable

Osprey fold up bag

Clothes

  • 1 Lululemon leggings & 1 jogger hiking pants
  • 2 Sports bras & 2 sport shirts
  • 1 align lulu shorts & 2 comfy shorts
  • 1 merino wool longsleeve shirt
  • 1 dry fit short sleeve tshirt & 1 dry fit long sleeve 
  • 2 dresses & 1 long skirt
  • 1 Flowy long sleeve
  • 5 crop tanks
  • 2 comfy t-shirts
  • 3 Bathing suits
  • 6 socks & 10 underwear
  • Pajamas
  • Down Jacket & Rain Jacket

Shoes

  • Tevas
  • Trail Runners

I wore ON trail runners for all my hikes

Toiletries

Toothbrush, mini Toothpaste, floss, Facewash, Deodorant, Lush Shampoo bar, Conditioner (100ml) refillable bottle, body lotion, night cream, spf face cream, serum, razor, regular sunscreen, mini brush, bobby pins, hair ties, make-up (mascara, foundation (mini), eyeliner, blush), feminine care,

Health & First aid

Basic Medications (headache, allergy, stomach upset) Basic First Aid (band-aids, polysporin, antibiotics) Brush, Hair Ties, Bobby Pins Makeup (mascara, eye liner, foundation, blush) Feminine Care Items, Tweezers, Q-tips

Accessories

Sunglasses, Hat, water bottle, ear plugs, eye mask, headlamp, travel towel

Travel Documents

Driver’s License,  Emergency Docs (health insurance card, vaccine record, allergy list, emergency contact) Wallet, Credit Card, debit card, US Cash

Electronics

ebook, headphones (cordless and regular for planes), fitness watch, laptop, chargers, iphone

Miscellaneous

Snacks (I always have snacksg, camelbak (I brought one for hikes), Ziploc bags, reusable silicone ziploc

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