From backpack to big suitcase: what packing for almost 3 years taught me

Applying for a visa, buying insurance, booking a flight: all of that is straightforward, almost mechanical. There isn't much to decide. But when it comes to clothes and shoes, for a woman, packing becomes the hardest part of the trip, and nobody warned me about that before I set out into the world.

At the same time I want to look good in photos, I also can't carry too much weight, and I know I'll want to buy clothes along the way. "It's fine, one or two pieces won't change much", you think. True, if it's a vacation. But as a nomad, most of the time I go 4 months or more before heading back "home". So we're not talking about one or two pieces.

I learned that sometimes I buy things thinking of it as borrowing them: I know they'll be useful for as long as I'm in that place, but they don't come with me to the next one.

That's how I learned the most important lesson of all these years: letting go.

How it all started: a backpack, a carry-on, and a pillow that turns into clothes

When I left for nomad life, I packed the bare minimum: a backpack, a carry-on, and a pillow you stuff with clothes. Yes, that exists.

With that setup, my wardrobe was lean: black shorts, beige shorts, a few tops in different colors, training sneakers, 2 gym shorts and 2 gym tops, one or two dresses, one sandal for going out and one for the beach and hiking. Skincare and makeup barely existed in my bag.

Not everything went smoothly. More than once they gave me trouble over the amount of liquids in my carry-on, even with everything under 100ml, and I lost items at the airport more than once. Sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer: I started buying everything locally and never carrying it from one country to the next, unless the trip didn't involve a flight.

Why I switched to checked luggage

After about a year, I swapped the carry-on for checked luggage. It costs more, and it complicates the logistics from the airport or bus station to your accommodation, especially when there's no elevator and it's 4 flights of stairs. In those moments, you ask yourself why you switched. Then you remember: you train for this, and you're strong.

The turning point came when I left for Latin America for 9 months: winter, summer, and hiking on the same itinerary call for very different luggage. It was challenging at first, and other people's comments didn't help: "wow, you have so much stuff", "you travel with all that?". So many times I wanted to answer: I'm the one carrying it, what difference does it make to you? But I was always polite. I'd smile and say:

I carry my home with me, don't I?

What I pack today

Today I won't give up a warm layer, skincare, or makeup, and that's why I still check a bag. I got tired of losing things at the airport over pointless rules, especially at Charles de Gaulle, and decided I'd rather have comfort and pay for it.

• A coffee maker and a few simple kitchen items
• A camping cup and cutlery set
• A waterproof backpack, it's saved me on several boat trips
• A hot-air brush for my hair
• Resistance bands, for when I can't find a gym
• A lightweight foam mat, like a yoga mat
• A nail kit (I've lost more than one cuticle nipper at the airport, including in Colombia)
• A year's supply of birth control and the medications I usually take

Shoes and clothes themselves haven't changed the logic that much, I only recently swapped out almost my whole wardrobe, going through a dresses-and-skirts phase. And that's fine: your bag changes with you.

If you're only going on vacation

You don't need any of this. But it's a good habit: check the weather forecast and build outfits where the bottoms match almost every top, so you only pack 2 or 3 bottoms. Pick at most one or two pairs of shoes. And skip jeans: they weigh too much to be worth it.

Those are my tips for today. Soon I'll also bring the full list of gadgets I carry with me around the world.