As a budding digital nomad, you might be wondering: what should I pack? Despite ticking off numerous items, your digital nomad packing list might still seem dauntingly long. You aim to be ready for anything while also keeping your luggage weight within airline limits. Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered!
In this blog post, we’ll explore how to balance preparedness with practicality. I’ll share my favorite nomad essentials with you and as promised in the headline, I’ll provide you with the ultimate digital nomad packing list.
Why You Shouldn’t Overpack
Let me say this upfront: nomad packing is an art and can be perfected infinitely. There are countless companies that specialize in creating lightweight products to make packing even more effective. But what we’re aiming for is that you have everything important with you – and that you don’t overpack. Because that’s one of the biggest mistakes travelers make in general. It not only costs a lot of money (excess baggage fees, for example) but also nerves. The more stuff you have, the greater your responsibility and mental load. In case you’re interested in learning more, I wrote blog articles about “Why owning less is good for your mental health” and “Become a Minimalist in 10 easy steps”.
Digital Nomad Packing Tips
First, let’s start with a few tips and tricks on nomad packing that you can use as a guide.
- Pack for a 1-Week Trip: Almost everywhere you travel, there will be washing machines and stores selling necessities. Therefore, you do not need to overengineer when it comes to clothing and toiletries.
- Roll Your Clothes: I don’t know if this has ever been scientifically proven, but trust me, you save space when you roll your clothes instead of just folding them. You should also use packing cubes. They help you to compress and sort everything even more.
- Stay within Airline Weight Limits: Of course, it depends on whether you are traveling with budget or premium airlines. But you can be on the safe side if you stay with carry-on luggage at 7 kg (16 lbs) and suitcases are not heavier than 22 kg (50 lbs).
- Plan with a carry-on item: Most airlines allow you to take an additional carry-on item with you (for example, a small handbag). If you make use of this, you can save up to 3 kg of luggage.
- Choose Allrounder: For us, it works best to use products that we can use for multiple situations. For example, a travel backpack that is also a waterproof everyday backpack with a laptop compartment. Or light sneakers that we can use for hikes, too.
- Simplify Your Wardrobe: Due to the lack of space, you should think very carefully about what you really value. Do you need three different pairs of sunglasses or a lot of jewelry? Believe me, after a few weeks on the road, you will realize that you don’t need most of the “old world” stuff.
- Match Colors: Above all, you can make your life easier if you take clothes with you that match well in color. If most of your closet is in earth tones, it might be difficult to combine a neon shirt with it, right? To be honest, I find this very difficult and limiting, but many nomads swear by this kind of color-optimized capsule wardrobe.
- Limit the Amount of Shoes: Shoes take up a lot of space. And if we are honest, you do not need many of them. I try to stick with a pair of closed sports shoes and a pair of sandals (as a German, I favor Birkenstocks here, of course).
- Additional tip: When packing, try to squeeze as many clothes as possible into your shoes to save space. For example, socks or underwear.
Digital Nomad Packing List
Digital Nomad Tech Gear
- Laptop, Sleeve, Charger (+ eventually Stand, Keyboard, Mouse)
- Universal travel adapter
- Power bank
- External hard drive
- Headphones
- Smartphone
- Eventually Camera Gear, Microphone, Tripod
-
Packing Cubes
Digital Nomad Clothing (for Warm Countries)
- 1 x Pair of socks
- 7 x Underwear
- 3 x Bottoms (shorts, skirts, leggings, pants), make sure to have at least one pair of long pants for hikes in the jungle or cold offices
- 5 x T-Shirts / Tops
- 1 x Lightweight sweater
- 1 x Lightweight jacket
- 1 x Swimwear
- 1 x Sneaker / Sport Shoes
- 1 x Flip Flops / Sandals
Toiletries and Personal Care
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Earplugs
- Nail clippers / scissors
- Brush / comb
- Travel-sized shampoo and conditioner
- Reusable water bottle
- Eventually Make-Up, Condoms, personal needs
Documents and Cards
- Passport
- Driving license (local and international)
- Marriage or divorce certificate, Birth Certificate of child, if applicable
- Copies of important documents
- Vaccine Passport
- Bank Cards
You are seeking perfection? Pack Hacker, one of the most popular Digital Nomad packing experts shows how you can optimize your packing. And here’s a great list of luggage regulations of many airlines (detailed baggage allowances can be found on each airline’s website).
What Should You Keep as a Copy and What as an Original?
Which documents should you always have with you as originals, and for which ones are copies enough? Of course, this depends on your travel destinations and future plans. Here is a list that has worked well for us so far.
Please note: Make photos of every single document and store them on your phone and in additional places like your laptop and cloud storage.
Original
- Passport
- Driving license (local and international)
- Marriage or divorce certificate, if applicable
- Vaccine passport
- Birth certificates of kids, if applicable
Copy
- Travel and medical insurance policies
- Bank statements and other relevant papers from your bank
- Residency confirmation
Products We Woulnd’t Travel Without
Now, I wouldn’t want to keep you from discovering the nomad essentials we travel with. We’ve relied on these items for a long time, and they’ve proven to be the best choices for our journeys. Find the complete shopping list in my Amazon Storefront.
- MOGICS Super Bagel: We tried everything, and believe me, you will need a multi-function travel adapter that provides different outputs for your devices. The “Bagel” is our favorite.
- Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones: These are a must for reducing distractions when working in noisy environments, such as coffee shops or co-working spaces. I love AirPods and Bose “QuietComfort”.
- LaCie 2TB Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C External Hard Drive: Especially if you work with large amounts of data, you will need an external hard drive. We love the classic from Lacie.
- Pelican Cases (“Carry on” and “Air”): I’ll be honest, I was initially skeptical when my husband ordered the Pelican cases. They seemed bulky, rigid, and overly technical. However, after several flights, I’ve become a huge fan! Not only are they waterproof, but they also receive extra care from airport staff and cab drivers. Sometimes, at baggage claims, our Pelican suitcases even arrive in separate boxes on the carousel. This is particularly advantageous for our sensitive tech gear like cameras.
- Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless: My husband gifted me this camera for my birthday a few years ago, and it has been our faithful travel companion ever since. I use it to capture our adventures, for personal memories, as well as for content on our blog and social media. It’s user-friendly enough for beginners, yet the quality of the photos and videos is truly impressive.
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OlarHike Packing Cubes for Travel: In my opinion, packing cubes are one of the best inventions of the travel industry. They not only compress the clothes but also help us to sort and unpack them. For example, we only have to put two packing cubes in the children’s room when unpacking and we know that all the children’s clothes are in the right place. We use OlarHike cubes in all three sizes for the best nomad packing experience.
Digital Nomad Family Packing
Welcome to our bonus section: Digital nomad family packing. Since starting our digital nomad journey in 2019 with one child, and expanding to two children in 2021, we’ve fine-tuned our essentials. Our golden rule is simple: each child’s clothes should fit into a single packing cube. Each child carries a small backpack, and we have one small suitcase dedicated to toys and books, using the Pelican Air 22′. We believe in minimalism for toys, keeping only those that are truly meaningful and enjoyed.
Digital Nomad Family Packing List (per Child)
Here’s what works best for us. Please be aware that we’re mostly traveling to warm countries in Southeast Asia. When visiting a colder country, we try to rent warm equipment or buy some warm clothes that we can either sell or donate afterward. This is what’s on our digital nomad family packing list:
Clothing
- 1 x Pair of anti-slip socks for indoor playgrounds
- 7 x Underwear
- 4 x Bottoms (shorts, skirts, leggings, pants)
- 5 x T-Shirts / Tops / Dresses
- 1 x Lightweight sweater
- 1 x Lightweight jacket
- 1 x Lightweight rain jacket
- 1 x Swimwear
- 1 x Sport Shoes
- 1 x Sandals
Toys
- 5 x Books / Activity books (e.g. Sticker books)
- 1 x Audio Player (e.g. Tonie Box)
- 1 x Favorite stuffed toy
- 1 x Set of crayons and paper
- 2 x Card games / Small board games / Puzzles
Hygiene and Electronics
- 1 x Reusable Water Bottle
- 1 x Electric Toothbrush
- 1 x Toothpaste
- 1 x Kids hairbrush
- 1 x Pack of hair elastics and clips
- 1 x Tablet / Smartphone (for older kids)
- 1 x Headphones
Gear
- 1 x Foldable stroller
- 1 x Car Seat
Please note: We didn’t use any of that as we preferred baby carriers and renting car seats on location. In this blog post, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of everything you’ll need when traveling with a baby.
My Final Thoughts on Nomad Packing
As you might have noticed, I’m a minimalist at heart. I believe you can find almost anything you need on the go, so I’d rather recommend starting with just a backpack than to overpack and overprepare. However, it’s crucial to carry some digital nomad gear and a few practical and essential items, especially as a digital nomad who needs to work smoothly from anywhere.
What essentials do you think shouldn’t be missing from a digital nomad packing list? What digital nomad gear do you use mainly? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Safe travels and thanks for reading. Yours, Lulu.
