Below you’ll find my master packing list for my travels as a solo female digital nomad traveling with just a carry-on suitcase and a small daypack. Although I tailor this list for each and every trip, it’s the default I’ve fallen back on as I’ve traveled for the past 3 years.
Basic Supplies FOR packing:
- Tiny Fold-up Ultralight backpack (I love my Northface Flyweight but respectable alternatives start at $10)
- Caribiner big and small.
- Space saver travel bags
- Lewis N Clark Ultralight Compression Packing Cubes
- Lewis N. Clark ElectroLight Toiletry Kit
Plus Size clothing:
Outerwear:
UnderWear:- 3-4 pair of travel underwear (travel underwear dries fast- perfect for one bag travelers washing laundry on the go. Ex-Officio has plus size travel underwear)
- 1-2 pair of shorts
- 1 pair of hiking-friendly yoga/athletic pants
- 1 pair of jeans or jeggings
- 1 dress (Choose one that works as a swimsuit coverup)
- 2 sheer tank tops
- 1-2 soft shirtw
- 1 quick-dry athletic top that works as sleep shirt or daytime wear
- 1 swimsuit bottom for pajamas
- 1 swimsuit
- 2-5 socks (depending on sandal vs boot climate)
- One pair of semi-athletic shoes (I like Allbirds)
- One pair of sandals
- One pair hiking shoes like my trusty Blundstones
- 1 belt
- 1 light jacket
- raincoat
- gloves
Plus Size Travel Clothes Recommendations:
Safety/Security Items
- Lanyard (for keeping keys handy during late returns to your lodging)
- Coin purse
- Photocopies of documents
- List of phone numbers
- An emergency packet of meds
- Personal alarm
- Hotel Door alarm
Essential Comfort / Self Care Items
- Turkish towel
- Eye mask
- Compression socks
- Comfort object
- 100% cotton Bandanas (not the cheap kind)
- Small Refillable Water Bottle
- A small paperback book
- An art friendly Sketch Journal
Tech Essentials
- Power adaptor with USB ports (Like this conair model)
- power splitter with surge protection
- charging cables + backup cable for primary device
- Travel photo printer
- hardshell case for printer
- noise canceling headset
- Batteries for all device
- 2 chargers
- portable battery charger
- Moment – Wide Angle Lens+ case, for better travel photos
Personal care
- Toothbrush (I love my GUM Folding Travel Toothbrushes with Antibacterial bristles)
- Bandana
- Makeup
- Makeup removing cloth
- Washcloth (if visiting South America)
- Contacts or glasses
- cleaner or cases for contacts or glasses
- Prescription medications
- non-prescription medications
- Band-aids
- Hand lotion
- Chapstick Packets
- Q-tips
- Nail clippers
- tweezer
- deodorant
- Pads, Tampons, or Menstrual Cup
- Sunscreen
- Razor leg
- touch up razor (Schick Silk Touch-Up Razor )
- Wax strips
Etc & Miscellaneous.[/su_list]
- A few sandwich size zip-top bags
- 2-3 rubberbands
- 1 length of string or twine
- Small (under 4″ blades) pair of scissors
- Shoe insoles (Sof Sole Insoles keep me marching on despite plantar fasciitis that tends to reoccur when I travel)
Antibiotic ointment. you will if you’re traveling for any length of time significant length of time, you will get cuts scrapes and splinters. It’s always important to protect your skin and prevent infection, but never more than when you are traveling. When I travel, I pack an extra extra extra small 10 of antibiotic ointment for cuts and scrapes. on the road, a small scratch can turn into a major infection in a matter of days
Finally, this is weird but bear with me: a dog collar. It has so many uses: 1. Securing a coat to the outside of your bag without using inside-bag space, 2. Buckling a backpack or purse to a chair or railing when I sit down in a cafe or public space, 3. Hanging up shoes to dry, clipping my toilettry bag to a towel bar, etc 4. Buckling around a bulky item in my suitcase as a compression strap. Etc
Artist, digital nomad, and highly sensitive person, Lynli started traveling full time as a digital nomad in 2018. Writer and Illustrator by day, remote-destination explorer by other-days, Lynli is passionate about pushing the boundaries of her own comfort zone, exploring the world as a female, fat, one-bag traveler, and journalling it all on WanderBig.com
