Gear & packing

What Should I Pack for a Long International Trip?

Every packing list for a long trip assumes you're packing for every climate you might hit along the way. We didn't. The actual strategy behind 526 days across 20 countries was routing the trip to chase good weather season to season, and buying or swapping pieces on the road when a leg didn't match what was already in the bag, rather than hauling a suitcase built to survive every climate on earth at once.

Published July 20, 2026

Route around the weather instead of packing for everything

The single biggest decision wasn't what to pack, it was the order of the trip itself. Legs were sequenced to land in each region during its better weather window rather than fighting through its off-season, which meant the packing list only ever had to cover one or two climates at a time instead of all of them at once.

That's a very different problem than the one most long-trip packing lists solve for. A single carry-on covers a warm-weather stretch easily; the same bag trying to also carry a winter layer for a cold-weather leg six months later, just in case, is how a trip ends up living out of an overweight suitcase for months it didn't need to.

Buying and swapping gear on the road, not packing for every contingency

When a leg of the route didn't match what was already in the bag, whether that meant a heavier layer like a packable rain shell for a mountain stretch or lighter, breathable clothing for an unexpectedly hot one, the answer was buying it locally rather than carrying it from the start just in case it was needed eventually. Whatever stopped earning its place got sold, given away, or mailed home rather than carried on to the next country.

This works better on a long trip than a short one specifically because there's time for it: a two-week vacation doesn't have room to shop for a jacket halfway through, but a trip measured in months does, and it means the bag only ever holds what the current stretch of the route actually needs.

A few versatile pieces beat a lot of specialized ones

Pieces that only worked for one specific climate or one specific activity were the first things to get left behind or shipped home once it became clear how rarely they actually got worn. A single pair of versatile walking shoes did more work than a whole shoe rotation would have, and what stayed in rotation across the whole trip was whatever worked layered under something warmer in the cold and on its own in the heat, which meant fewer total pieces doing more of the actual work.

Frequently asked questions

Should I pack for every climate before a long international trip?

Not if the route allows it. Sequencing legs to land in each region during its better weather season means the packing list only has to cover one or two climates at a time instead of every one at once.

Is it worth buying clothing during a long trip instead of packing for every contingency?

Yes, on a trip long enough to make it practical. Buying or swapping gear locally when a leg's climate doesn't match what's already packed keeps the bag light, and whatever stops earning its place can be sold, given away, or mailed home.

What kind of clothing is worth packing for a long, multi-climate trip?

Versatile pieces that layer well beat specialized ones packed for a single climate or activity — something that works under a warmer layer in the cold and on its own in the heat earns its space far more often than a piece that only works in one setting.

Get a quote from World Nomads — the policy that covered gear loss and theft on the same 526-day trip this packing strategy is drawn from.