Female Digital Nomad Packing List (Carry-On Only)

Trying to figure out what to bring with you on a long-term travel journey as a digital nomad is EXHAUSTING, even more so because everyone does it differently.

There’s the hardcore minimalists who have a 18l backpack and wear the same black t-shirt all week.

There’s the glampers who bring three suitcases and ship furniture to their next destination.

And there’s people in the middle who just want to be comfortable but also not have to drag 50lb of stuff with them to the airport.

What type of traveler are you?

I am a cozy budget traveler, so my packing list is a mix of minimalist and “okay, bring that” if it’ll make me feel cozier aka more comfortable. While I may carry more than some, I definitely carry less than others!

At the moment, for my digital nomad style travel life, I have everything in a (US) carry-on size suitcase, a daypack and a purse. Together they weigh something like 35lb, but because I’m doing (mostly) long stays in apartments, it doesn’t bother me having to drag them around between hotels.

Last year when I was hardcore backpacking I ONLY had the daypack, which also worked fine because of how fast I was traveling between locations. At this point I feel very qualified to say what’s needed or not, because I’ve been traveling for nearly 3 years and have dealt with all the struggles of both over- and under-packing!

So I wrote a blog post for people who want to know what to bring to their digital nomad life! Specifically this packing list is aimed at people using a suitcase, but you can use it for backpacks as well if you’re taking a larger one (40l or so).

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General Packing Tips

Basically, the faster you move between cities, the smaller your luggage should be. If you’re going to one aparthotel in one city and staying for a month, then more luggage is fine because you only need to deal with it the one time.

Which luggage should you take? I’ve written a whole post about backpack vs. suitcase, but honestly if this is your first time doing a long trip (3 months or more) and you’re not already comfortable packing in only a small backpack, then just be kind to yourself and go with a (small) suitcase to start with. You can always change your mind later.

Another important tip: Try to plan your travels so you’re not jumping back and forth between wildly different climates. It’s easiest to pack for warm weather and then layer up when you get somewhere colder.

What if you forget something? You can find most things when you need them. You don’t necessarily need to bring a year’s worth of, say, toothbrushes with you when you can bring one and restock when needed.

Exceptions to this are: clothing and shoes in larger-than-average (for the area you’re in) sizes, some spices if you’re planning to cook, specific brand names for medicine, hair products or beauty products for textures or skin tones not regularly found in the location you’re going to.

In those situations, I suggest planning a stopover in a location where you CAN get restocked, or negotiating with friends/family to bring replacements to you when they visit.

Clothing

Remember: YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO LAUNDRY. You don’t need to pack for more than a week’s worth of clothes. Do laundry every week. Hand-wash when you need to. And if you get bored of what you bring: you can buy new stuff when you’re traveling.

Short-sleeved shirts (3-5)

These can be whatever you’re comfortable in, either t-shirts or tank tops or 3/4 sleeve shirts or a mix of all of them. One should be a pajama top that can be work outside as a normal top if needed.

If you bring a dress, it’ll count as one of these.

Long-sleeve shirt (1-3)

For sun coverage and bug deterrent. I like Columbia’s UPF button-down shirts, but anything will work.

Lightweight sweater

I’ve only needed mine a few times in SEA but I was glad to have it when I needed it. Get a merino wool sweater or cashmere blend, as they fold down small and are very warm despite being thin.

If you’re going somewhere cold and need a thick sweater: no you don’t. Layer this sweater with your long-sleeve shirt, a short-sleeve shirt, your thermal shirt, your fleece or puffer jacket and your raincoat and you’ll be fine. Otherwise just buy or borrow a coat when you get there and donate it before you leave.

Bottoms (4-5)

Make sure one bottom is long, so you can use it for sun/bug stuff. I take Columbia hiking pants for mine, and they’ve lasted even through slipping down a muddy Thai mountainside. For the others, I recommend a mix of shorts, capris and a skirt.

One of these bottoms will be used for pajamas, so make sure it’s comfortable.

My current combo is hiking pants, two capri/cropped pants, and a linen maxi skirt. I also have another pair of thin lounge pants that I use for pajamas and for quick runs to the convenience store.

Optional: Leggings and/or thermal layers, tops and bottoms

ONLY if you’re going somewhere cold for the majority of the year. Leggings are comfortable, sure, but they’re miserable in Southeast Asia and I promise you won’t want to wear them even for pajamas.

Thermal layers can get bulky if you don’t spring for the fancy silk ones that fold down small. If you’re going somewhere hot first, or only need them for a short amount of time, just wait to buy them until you get to the cold place. Uniqlo makes good, thin thermal layers that aren’t too expensive. I also like 32 Degrees thermal stuff, though they’re a little bulkier.

Underwear (6-8 pairs)

Or a couple more, if you have small underwear (like thongs). Plan on doing laundry once a week, and adjust accordingly. You can always hand wash a pair if you’re desperate and it’s not laundry day yet.

Socks (3 pairs)

Even if you’re just going to wear sandals all the time, bring at least one pair of socks in case you need the extra warmth or protection. I really like Darn Tough wool socks— I’ve worn them in SEA heat and been totally fine, surprisingly. They also worked great when I was freezing in Japan in February.

Bras (2-4)

If you can, I recommend switching to Merino wool bras. They’re surprisingly comfortable, though they aren’t as supportive as underwire bras. They’re more like bralettes. Bonus is they don’t get smell as fast as cotton bras, and they dry faster. Even if your underboob sweat gets horrible in Southeast Asia, the merino wool bra will keep you comfortable!

If you have very big boobs, bring an extra bra or two because it’ll be difficult to find replacements outside of Europe/America.

Swimwear (2+)

I don’t do water activities so I don’t even bother carrying a swimsuit around, but ideally you’d only have 2 tops and 2 bottoms and you’d use the merino wool bra as an extra one if you needed it as backup. If you’re going to do a LOT of swimming, like every day you’re in the water, then bring extra pairs of both.

Shoes

Walking sandals OR sneakers

I prefer sandals in Southeast Asia, but if you’re going to big cities all the time then a pair of sneakers will work better. Sneakers are more fashionable than sandals in Europe, if you care about that sort of thing.

Flip flops

Good for schlepping to the laundry, at the beach, or in hostel showers.

“Other” shoe

For me, this extra pair of shoes are Salomon trail runners so I can go out hiking and not worry about snakes or leeches or other icky things. If you’re going to fancy dinners or doing more city living, put a nicer pair of flats or heels here instead. Hardcore mountain climber? Maybe bring hiking boots.

Outerwear

Rain coat

A well-made rain coat is good as a light jacket as well. Layer the sweater/fleece jacket/two shirts underneath and you’d be fine for surprise cold weather in, say, South Korea in April. (Speaking from experience.) Get one with a zip-off hood so you can take it off when you don’t need it.

Fleece jacket

ONLY if you’re going to somewhere other than Southeast Asia for the majority of the year. I’ve needed My Columbia fleece in Japan in February and in Scotland in June, but I’ve never needed it in Malaysia or Vietnam no matter how cold the malls got. It’s very bulky but it’s significantly cheaper than a micropuff jacket (which is better at packing down small).

Sun Hat

Sun protection is important! I like a packable sunhat for ultimate sun protection, but a regular baseball cap is fine, too.

Packable backpack

Good for when you go on day tours, walking tours, overnight trips to nearby cities, and so on. Packable means it’s lightweight and can fold down small. I like this Eddie Bauer one.

Read more: What’s in My Daypack for a Day of Sightseeing

Purse

I like anti-theft purses (like this Pacsafe one) but they DO tend to be heavy. I used one last year and really liked it, but it did start to hurt after a long day of sightseeing.

If you’re not going to Europe or South America right away (notorious locations for purse thievery), then a regular purse should be okay. Uniqlo moon bags are popular all around the world, but be sure to keep the zipper closed and the bag pulled to your front so thieves aren’t tempted to try getting in.

Foldable tote bag

For laundry, groceries, extra stuff that you can’t squeeze into your suitcase but you really want to take with you, etc. Foldable (packable) ones are lightweight and easy to pack, though they do wear out faster than a nice canvas one.

These make for great souvenirs!

Bathroom

Body scrub net

This dries faster than a washcloth and folds down super small. You can find them all over, so when one wears out you can get a new one pretty easily.

Shampoo + conditioner + soap

With a caveat: if you’re going to stay in an apartment for a month, and you don’t have special haircare needs, then just wait until you get there and buy a bottle from the store.

If you’re moving fast and need to save space, you might want to try shampoo bars. I’ve used Lush ones before and liked them!

Razor, tweezers, nail clippers

Self-explanatory.

Toothbrush + toothpaste + floss

I sometimes have 2 toothpaste tubes because I only use Sensodyne and it’s not available in some countries. If I know I’m going to be out of range for a while, I buy an extra one to take with me.

Bag to put it all in + hook for over the door

I don’t actually use a “dopp kit” bag or whatever as I find them too bulky. Just get a small bag with a loop (like an old cosmetics bag) and then get one of these foldable hooks and hook it over whatever it can hook over. Tada! Bathroom bag.

First aid kit

See this post for more on what I pack in my first aid kit.

Kitchen

A “spice bag”

I always seem to need salt and pepper no matter where I go, so when I get extras of those small one-serving packets in to-go orders I just put them in a Ziploc bag and carry it with me. If you’re planning to do a lot of cooking, then stick in some favorite spice blends. I like Mrs. Dash, personally, and Old Bay seasoning.

Tea or coffee packets

Most places have free coffee for guests, but if you get in late to an aparthotel and just want a cup of something the next morning, having an emergency packet of instant coffee is a lifesaver.

1-2 instant oatmeal packets

For when you can find a local place open and you just need a little something to tide you over.

Kitchen towel

AirBNBs never seem to give me any of these and I always need them! I actually carry 4 kitchen towels around but honestly I should cut down…

Mug cover + mug rug

The mug rug (example) is like a little piece of home wherever I go, and the mug cover keeps gnats from dive-bombing my tea before I can drink it.

Ziploc bags

For leftover food, small things you need to pack in your backpack, whatever.

Electronics

All this is pretty standard: if you bring an electronic, you’ll probably need it for something. Don’t bring something that would ruin your year to lose, and try not to bring too many “extras.” Like, do you need a laptop, tablet, Kindle AND two phones? Maybe not.

Read more: The Ultimate Tech Guide for Full-Time Travelers

Laptop + charger

If you’re a digital nomad, or a wanna be digital nomad, then a laptop is basically your lifeblood. Try to balance between weight, power and cost. Macbooks are good and last a while, but they’re expensive. I like Lenovo laptops but the batteries suck. It’s all a balance!

Power strip + converter plugs

So you can plug in a lot of things into one outlet! Any converter plug will do, but I prefer this lighter one that doesn’t fall out of the wall.

Phone + charger

If you have a decent phone, and you aren’t already a dedicated photographer with a real camera, you don’t need to buy one for your trip. The phone will take good enough photos. I know it’s tempting to buy something new! But if you don’t use it regularly already it’s just one more thing to deal with once you start traveling.

Battery pack

In case your phone battery is dying and you can’t find a (safe) plug to charge it in, a portable battery is handy to have. I use these in airports to keep hackers from getting into my phone!

Optional: Roku stick

I really love having this thing as it just plugs into the TV and then I can get back to watching Midsomer Murders without having to log in on a new device all the time. The stick version is pretty lightweight, too, though the remote is a little bulky.

Hobbies

Travel journal + pens + ephemera

I highly recommend keeping a travel journal, even if you only update it every so often. Everyone I’ve talked to has wished they kept a journal, even the ones blogging about their trip.

Kindle Paperwhite

If you read a lot, it’s much easier to have an ereader and stuff that thing full of ebooks than try to carry a ton of paperbacks around. You can also load travel guides onto them!

Read more: Where to Get (English) Books While Abroad

Other Stuff

Laundry net bag

To contain your underwear and socks and hopefully keep them from disappearing in the washing machine. Also makes for great flexible packing cubes!

Passport, extra cash, credit cards, vaccination records, etc.

Hopefully you’d remember to bring all this with you.

Final Thoughts

Having typed all that up, I just realized how much extra stuff I’m carrying around with me! Time to follow my own advice and pare down a bit before my next move.

If you’re just starting out on your new travel lifestyle, don’t worry too much about what to bring and what not to bring. Pack the best you can, and be open to adjusting it during your trip.

You can always get rid of things if you bring too much, or you add things if you find you need something. As you travel more and find your own cozy travel style, you’ll figure out what you want with you and what you can leave behind.

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