The Ultimate Packing Guide for International Adventure Travel: 2024

The quality of an international adventure isn’t just determined by the destinations, experiences, and activities you dive into, but also by what you bring with you. 

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about packing for international travel, whether you’re just seeing the sights around Paris and Rome or diving into a more rugged adventure, like tracking wild reindeer in Iceland on a 4X4 or cycling through the highlands of Ethiopia.  

NOTE: If you haven’t already, explore our in-depth guide on seven pieces of gear and tech to check out before your next adventure.

First, we’ll cover six tips to pack lighter and more efficiently when traveling. Then we’ll share a basic international travel packing checklist, and finally answer a few frequently asked questions.

Tips to Pack Lighter and More Efficiently

Everybody knows that forgetting key travel essentials—like clothes, medications, prescription eyewear, or passports—can utterly derail a trip. But bringing too many things with you is just as frustrating. (Anyone who’s ever struggled to load bulging, heavy luggage into a bus, train, taxi, or plane can attest to this!) 

As a full-time travel journalist, I’ve spent more of my adult life on the road than I have in one place, and whether I’m on assignment in Tunisia, Paraguay, or Kosovo, I have never once in my career regretted packing too little. I have often regretted packing too much.

Nothing is more freeing than having small, lightweight luggage. So when packing, keep your kit as light and compact as possible.

1. The 1-2-3-4-5-6 Rule

One way to pack light is to remember the 1-2-3-4-5-6 Rule. That means packing one hat, two pairs of shoes, three pairs of shorts or pants, four tops, five pairs of socks, and six pairs of underwear. This is enough to get you through two weeks of travel, and beyond that, you should be able to do laundry. 

Don’t forget to add swimwear, cold-weather clothing, and other specific gear or apparel based on your adventure. Ultimately, the clothes you bring come down to personal preference. If you’re sipping wine in a Tuscan villa maybe you’ll want some extra threads to stay swanky. But usually, you can get by with a hell of a lot less than you think. Wherever you’re headed, you can always buy an extra shirt or pair of shorts if you’d like—and maybe you’ll end up wanting to as a souvenir anyways.

1. Renting Gear In-Destination Can Save Packing Space

One of the benefits of guided adventures is that often your operator will have most of the gear you need available at your destination. Renting might seem stupid if you have the gear at home, but this isn’t always the case.

For example, even though I own all my own climbing gear, when I go on mountaineering trips abroad I’ll often rent bulky items like sleeping bags and tents to avoid having to travel with them (and paying very high check-in bag fees!). 

I climbed Aconcagua (22,836 ft) in Argentina last year, and even though I already owned all the gear I needed, I ended up renting most of it in Mendoza. If I’d brought my own gear, the bag fees alone would’ve been almost what it cost me to rent! So even if you own a lot of gear, consider renting bulkier or heavier items at your destination or directly through your operator.

1. Roll Clothes

When packing clothes, rolling them up instead of folding them can save a ton of space in your pack. It also prevents wrinkles. Socks, underwear, and lightweight, thin clothing items like t-shirts, pants, tops, and skirts are almost always better rolled than folded. Rolling your clothes also lets you see the contents of your bag at all times without having to lift up layers of folded clothes.

Rolling isn’t always best though. Bulky items, like hoodies or sweaters, can actually take up more space when rolled. These are best folded like normal (or worn on the plane—see below).

Also, consider using space organizers and dividers. Not only can these help you organize your clothing, but they can also make it easier to find small items like a pair of sunglasses or a phone charger block, which can easily get wrapped up in loose clothing.

1. Dress Heavy When You Fly

Yes, I'm going there. Wear your heaviest and bulkiest clothes (and/or footwear) on the plane. If I’m going on a motorcycle trip, I always wear my full motorcycle armored pants and jacket on the plane. If I’m going trekking, I wear my boots. And so on.

Sure, it may not be as comfortable as hopping on the flight in flip-flops and gym shorts, but swapping out those flip-flops for trekking boots and those shorts for heavier pants will save a LOT of space in your bag, and save you on those fees. Or having to pack a bigger bag.

1. Bring an Empty Bag

Whether you’re packing all your gear in a carry-on or bringing several bags of luggage with you, it always pays to have an extra, empty bag in your luggage. I often bring several. 

A mesh bag is useful for storing and laundry (and hauling it to the laundromat). A couple of small trash bags are helpful to separate dirty shoes from the rest of your gear and apparel. A compact zippered backpack is useful for hauling any souvenirs you pick up on your trip. 

1. Ditch Jewelry, Laptops, and Most Toiletries

Three unnecessary things that many folks often pack for international travel are jewelry, laptops, and extra toiletries. Let’s take a look.

Jewelry

Rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are usually a bad idea when traveling abroad, for several reasons. 

For one, they take up needless space in your luggage. They’re also small and can get lost easily—so they add stress to a trip. It’s one thing to lose a razor or a T-shirt. But jewelry is expensive, so if you do lose it, it isn’t easily replaced.

And because it’s expensive, wearing it in public while traveling will mark you as a target for pickpockets, muggers, and scammers. (This is true whether you’re wearing imitation jewelry or the real thing—thieves often can’t tell the difference from afar!) 

Finally, jewelry adds no real value to your trip. It’s just something expensive and small that you can easily lose. Sure, maybe you have that special necklace that your grandmother gave you, or maybe a pair of earrings you never take off. But in general, try to leave the jewelry behind when you’re headed abroad.

Laptop

Unless you’re working while abroad, chances are you don’t really need your laptop. Laptops are extremely heavy and take up a lot of space in your luggage. They’re also expensive and fragile—susceptible to being dropped, water damage, high temperatures, and other hazards—and they house lots of important content, from work files to medical and personal information. 

If you lose or bust your laptop while abroad, it can cast a serious shadow over your trip. And besides, most smartphones or tablets can do almost everything a laptop can do. Nine times out of ten, there’s simply no reason to bring your laptop abroad.

Extra Toiletries

Look, I’m not saying you shouldn’t brush your teeth or shampoo your hair while traveling. But be conservative when packing your toiletries. Many first-time travelers go way overboard here. Bring what you need, but think hard about what you’ll actually use during the time you’re gone.

The good news about toiletries is that you can buy almost anything you need when abroad. Toothbrushes, razors, combs, shaving cream, lotion, soap, shampoo… Any of these items can be bought for a couple of bucks at any pharmacy or corner store in any country in the world. 

Yes, it’s good to be prepared and bring your own toiletries, but except for prescription medications and eyewear (glasses, contact lenses), anything else can be snagged once you’re abroad. So pack light!

International Travel Packing List

What follows is a basic checklist of items you likely will want to take with you on any international trip. Keep in mind that this will vary depending on your destination and adventure.

Gear for Your Carry-On Bag

• Change of clothes

• Passport, visas, boarding passes, and other travel documents

• Toiletries and medication (liquids in travel-size containers)

• Driver's license (must-have if you plan to rent a car, but also can be useful as alternate ID)

• Credit cards and cash

• Travel insurance policy

• Copy of passport and birth certificate

• Lodging reservations and other booking confirmations

• Emergency contacts

• Sweater or hoodie

• Pen and paper (the former is very useful for filling out customs forms)

• Snacks

• Cell phone and charger

• International outlet adapter

• Headphones

• Eye mask, ear plugs, travel pillow, blanket, and other comfort items as preferred

• Books

• Hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, and/or mask

• Empty water bottle (fill your water bottle after going through security)

Clothes

• T-Shirts, long sleeve shirts

• Sweaters

• Windbreaker/rain jacket

• Pants

• Shorts

• Swimwear

• Socks

• Underwear

• Walking/hiking shoes

• Sandals

• Sunglasses

• Hat

• Toiletries bag

• Laundry bag

Toiletries

• Toothbrush

• Toothpaste

• Floss

• Soap, shampoo, conditioner

• First aid kit

• Deodorant

• Nail clippers

• Tweezers

• Feminine hygiene products

• Razor

• Hairbrush

• Hair ties

• Lip balm

• Sunscreen

Frequently Asked Questions

How many clothes should I pack for two weeks?

As mentioned above, a good idea is to follow the 1-2-3-4-5-6 Rule. Pack one hat, two pairs of shoes, three pairs of bottoms (shorts or pants), four tops, five pairs of socks, and six pairs of underwear. This is more than enough for two weeks of travel. But don’t forget to pack additional items specific to your activity and destination, like a swimsuit, rain jacket, hiking boots, and so on.

What should I not carry on an international flight?

There are a variety of items prohibited for carry-on by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Each nation has its own list, although most are similar. These typically include explosives, firearms, flammable substances, hazardous materials, and any other weapons and sharp objects—such as scissors, needles, and razor blades.

You should also avoid carrying any liquids or gels above the allowed limit (see 311 Rule below), and any sporting equipment that could be construed as a weapon, such as baseball bats, hockey sticks, or golf clubs. Check these instead of carrying them on.

This is a looser rule, but many airlines also request that lithium batteries, including power banks, be carried onto the flight instead of checked in luggage. Check airline regulations in advance for specifics regarding this and any other prohibited items and related policies.

What is the 3-1-1 rule?

The 3-1-1 Rule refers to a TSA policy regarding the quantity of certain non-solids that you can carry onboard a flight. In total, you can bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes through TSA security. Each specific item is limited to 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or less, and (as noted above) all must collectively fit into a quart-size bag.