I looooove light packing. I get all my things into a 35L backpack wherever I go, whether it’s for a month or a week. I can hop on and off planes, buses, trains, and never break my elbow carrying a little rolly suitcase around. Try rolling a suitcase over cobblestone streets in Italy. Not fun.
BUT let’s face it — light packing takes extra work. Lots of thinking, planning, obsessing over details. I start making my packing list weeks in advance in a note on my phone, adding as things come to me. Inspired by this blog, here is my packing list for 12 days in the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico over New Year’s 2017-18 — and yes, this all fits in a pretty small backpack!
*Note: this packing list is for a masculine of center gender queer trans person!
CLOTHES
clothes are rolled into packing cubes….the best things ever invented
4 cotton t-shirts (excessive, but I added one for a sleep shirt)
1 quick dry (polyester) t-shirt
1 cotton tank top (I usually find a cute souvenir tank while traveling and end up buying one, hence only taking 1)
1 pair cotton casual shorts
1 pair jean shorts
1 cotton jogger pants
1 thin sweatpants (don’t usually bring this, an “overpack” item in case it gets chilly in the evenings and I want to be comfy)
3 pair quick dry underwear (ex officio + pair of thieves)
2 pair quick dry socks (rei)
1 pair thin wool socks (smartwool)
1 long sleeve smartwool sweater
1 short sleeve button down denim shirt
1 long sleeve black flannel shirt
2 pair swim trunks
2 overpack items: 1 black beanie + 1 jean jacket just ’cause I got them recently and feel like looking cute this trip
(a tip for light packing: wear the bulkiest items on the air-conditioned plane, e.g. sneakers, long pants, warm layers)
TOILETRIES
full size products transferred into small carryon bottles you can get at target for $1 each
face wash + toner + lotion
mineral sunscreen (face and body)
3 oz toothpaste (tom’s of maine has this size which is bigger than most travel sizes and will last you on a longer trip – i refill the same tube from a full size toothpaste for each trip)
toothbrush
floss
mouth guard (I clench my teeth at night :/ )
spf 25 chapstick + regular burt’s bees chapstick
coconut oil
anti-frizz hair product
hand sanitizer (to keep in my daypack for bus rides, etc)
little tissue pack
deodorant
bug spray (a little deet one and also a natural spray – these wristbands are also awesome)
laundry soap bar in a zip lock bag (for cleaning those 3 pairs of underwear over 12 days…these are hard to find in the US and super easy to find in the grocery store when we arrive in every country we visit)
FIRST AID
I customize my own in a little REI first aid kit and pack just a few of each medicine, enough to get through a few days before finding a pharmacy if needed
alcohol wipes
bandaids
gauze + tape
neosporin
alka seltzer tablets (6)
pepto bismol chewables (12)
anti-diarrhea pills (12)
grape seed oil (for upset stomach)
benadryl pills (8)
ibuprofen (12)
small tube hydrocortisone cream (for bug bites)
wellness formula (12)
Emergen-C packets (5, mostly for dehydration)
night/daytime cold medicine (4)
cough drops (4)
nail clippers
(due to the timing of this trip I happen to not have to take my T shot things, which would include: needle, syringe & testosterone prescription. for a longer trip I would need to take these with me. it has not a problem so far to travel with these items, especially tucked away in a little red first aid kit.)
STUFF
small daypack (ideally one that folds into the main bag, I hate the 2-backpack look)
GoPro Hero5 Session + charger (it’s so small, and waterproof!)
iPhone + charger + protective case (not waterproof)
deck of cards (i LOVE monopoly deal + machiavelli)
headlamp (for cenotes)
snorkel (also for swimming in cenotes)
snack bars for plane
little umbrella
lightweight rain jacket
money belt + fanny pack
baseball hat for sun
sunglasses
tide to go stain remover pen (for those messy dinners)
1 pair all-purpose, comfortable nike walking shoes
1 pair cheap plastic flip flops
thin beach towel
1 guidebook of the Yucatán peninsula
1 paperback book
(whenever I bring a journal, I never end up using it, so not this time but great item for most travelers)
1 lightweight dry bag (for boat rides, etc)
(my wedding ring is thick rose gold, I typically switch it out when traveling to my sterling silver pre-wedding engagement ring that my wife and I gave each other early on in our relationship, which arguably has more emotional value but less economic value. silver just looks less flashy so both of us switch our gold wedding rings/engagement diamonds to “travel rings” we have that are more simple looking)
DOCUMENTS
Passport
1 debit card (to a dedicated checking account I opened with only $500 in it that can be added to as needed via my online banking phone app)
1 credit card (travel rewards card with no foreign transaction fees)
1 medical insurance card
printed version of itinerary with day-to-day info on where we will be staying, confirmation numbers, flight info, addresses of hotels, etc (shared digitally with close family/friends and available via google docs app on my phone)
1 driver’s license (for renting a car)
$200 cash for exchanging into pesos at the airport
Hope that helps! Add your edits in the comments 🙂
