Going for a long trip that may take anywhere from 6 to12 months is different from going for a 1-month journey. It requires you to adequately prepare yourself to ensure that you have all the necessary items.
Packing for long travels can be daunting, especially when thinking of all the clothes and extra things you’ll need. You might be tempted to start packing your entire closet, but that translates to carrying a lot of luggage.
To avoid this, you’ll need to rely on a checklist that will inform your packing decisions. Your travel checklist will help you stick to your limit and avoid carrying items that you’ll not need. To help you determine what to include in your checklist, here’s a comprehensive list of what you should pack for long travels.
Invest in Quality Bags and Packing Aids
Before you start packing for your incredible trip, you first need to ensure that you invest in quality bags. Your bag choices may include suitcases and a 30L travel backpack for your carry-on luggage.
Investing in quality bags will play a significant role in ensuring that you have an easier time traveling and that your items stay secure. Additionally, consider investing in packing aids like cubes to help you stay organized.
Packing cubes come in handy to ensure that each item has its place in your luggage. The best part is that some packing cubes also feature vacuum compression capabilities. As a result, they come in handy to reduce the size of some heavy jackets that will come in handy to keep you warm.
Clothing
Going for a long trip does not translate to packing your whole closet. You’ll need to be more considerate and decisive to ensure that you pack the necessary items for your trip. Overpacking is not the goal when traveling for long.
To help you determine the specific pieces you’ll be carrying, consider the weather of the places you’ll be traveling to. If you anticipate cold weather, ensure that you focus on packing warm clothes. However, if you’ll be traveling to warmer climates, ensure that you pack lighter clothes to suit your needs.
Additionally, carry clothes that you can easily layer or switch up the look to add a stylish touch. Doing this will help you ensure that you don’t bring too many clothes for your trip. This is primarily a great idea if you’ll be traveling to different places.
When choosing your clothing, consider adding some that feature SPF or UPF features to ensure that you capitalize on protection during your trip. Some great clothing items to consider for your trip include;
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Light shirts or tops
- Pants and leggings
- Sweaters or warm jackets
- Sleepwear
- Scarfs and rain jackets
- Underwear
- Comfortable quality sneakers, sandals, and a classy pair of shoe
Toiletries
Packing toiletries will require you to invest in squeeze or liquid bottles to help ensure that your liquid toiletries don’t leak. When traveling, stick to the body and hygiene products you use daily to avoid any adverse reactions during your trip.
Some essential toiletries to consider packing for a long trip include;
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Sunscreen and face cream
- Hairbrush, combs, and hair ties
- Facewash
- Personal hygiene items
- Lip Balm and quality sunglasses
When packing your toiletries, remember that some big brands are stocked globally, allowing you to buy them during your trip. This option will help you reduce the number of toiletries you carry with you.
Medical Kit
Carrying a medical kit on your trip is essential to ensure that you can counter any health problems that may come up. For example, you never know when you’ll get a cold or deal with a bloated stomach.
Preparing in advance is the best way to ensure that you’ll be well equipped to handle the situation when you’re unwell. Therefore, ensure that your medical kit has over-the-counter drugs to help with colds and other health issues.
Additionally, ensure that you have other essential items in your kit for other medical emergencies. Some of the essential things to have in your medical kit include;
- First aid kit with bandages and adhesives e.t.c
- Antibacterial ointment
- Thermometer
- Oral rehydration salts
- Allergy medicines
- Sunburn relief
- Mosquito and bug repellants
- Motion sickness pills
Electronics
In this digital age, traveling requires you to consider your gadgets and ensure that you can easily cater to their needs during your trip. In addition, carrying your devices for a long journey is essential to help you occupy your time and avoid boredom.
Some great gadget options for your long travels could include a kindle ( to help you read your favorite books), your phone ( for communication), a camera, a laptop, and AirPods. To help you enjoy using your gadgets, here are essential electronic accessories to have with you.
- Quality charger and cable
- Two long-lasting power banks
- Travel adaptor or extension cord
- Global sim cards
Carrying your electronics is essential to avoid incurring costs when you get to your destination. You’ll be able to use your gadgets and find the best charging points to help you stay connected.
Essential Travel Documents
Travel documents should be an essential addition to your packing checklist. Without some crucial documentation, you may be denied access to the countries you’ll be traveling to. Therefore, in addition to your flight ticket, remember to carry the following documents.
- Passport
- Visa
- Vaccination certificate ( where applicable)
- Travel insurance to help cover any mishaps during your trip
- Credit cards
- ID
- Health insurance
Traveling without the necessary documents may leave you stranded and lead you to incur extra costs on your trip. Get a passport holder and a travel document organizer to help you keep track of all your documents.
It is essential to ensure that all your documents are to avoid losing them during your trip. Additionally, keep your document organizer in your carry-on carhartt backpack or bag to be on the safer side. This will help you avoid delays or loss if your luggage is lost in transit.
