For someone who has moved about a dozen times in as many years, and grew up shipping out to camp for eight weeks every summer, I’m a pretty terrible packer. My Dad’s greeting when I arrived for a weekend in New Jersey was often, “How many pairs of boots did you bring?” So I consider it no small achievement that I moved to Singapore with one medium-sized suitcase, a rolling carry-on bag, and a 40 liter backpack.
As with all aspects of the move, I planned the contents of these bags to death by reading online packing lists and traveler blogs. Now, with ten countries and countless weekends away under my belt (metaphorically… I did not pack a belt!), I thought I’d share which items have been invaluable on the road in Southeast Asia and what is collecting dust in our bomb shelter.
Lug it:
A good backpack takes up less space than a suitcase and is much easier to carry than a duffel, especially along a hot and dusty dirt road. You could spend a ton of money here, but I got the old version of the REI Vagabond Tour Pack on sale (see new version here) for well under $100 USD. I don’t even think they advertise it as a “backpacking” bag, but you really, really don’t need more than 40 L unless you are actually camping in the wilderness. It’s small enough that I can easily hoist and lift it and bring it on the plane or bus as a carry-on bag. A plus: it’s sleek enough that I don’t feel weird bringing it into a nicer hotel or restaurant.
Tevas. Any shoe that you can’t hose off is useless here. A pair of sturdy Tevas like these and flip flops will get you through 99% of SEA travel situations. I usually add a pair of flat leather sandals to my bag for dinners out, too. Sneakers are good for longer hikes or treks, but any lace-up shoe is a huge pain to take on and off when you’re temple-hopping.
A bandana, buff, and/or lightweight scarf or sarong. I tend to bring along all of the above, and use them variously as headbands, towels, deterrent against sun and dust on a bike, blankets, beach cover-ups, and in a pinch for modest temple attire.
Did I mention the equatorial sun will broil you? A rash guard will ward off sunburn while you’re snorkeling and earn you points on the beach with modestly-attired locals in places like Malaysia.
You can’t have too many wet wipes and tissues, ever. (Napkins and toilet paper: not a thing. Even in Singapore. Enough said.)
Lightweight pants. Whether you’re hopping on a motorbike that’s been baking in the sun, avoiding mosquitos at night, or walking into a temple– shorts won’t do. Elephant pants are a backpacker cliche for a reason, and only cost about $2 in places like Cambodia. They are truly the perfect garment, unless you’re in Myanmar, in which case you should switch to a longi.
Honorable mentions: noise-cancelling earbuds for flights and buses, packing cubes, a Kindle, polarized sunglasses, luggage locks, earplugs.
Leave it:
A jean jacket. It seemed like something I’d wear occasionally indoors here in Singapore which is infamous for blasting the A/C, but it’s bulky to cart around when you could bring a scarf. And really, and the thought of denim anywhere near me in this humidity makes me want to scream.
Ditto for a pair of jeans that I brought for plane rides. Just wear thick leggings or elephant pants.
A water filtration bottle that I got talked into buying. It’s heavy and awkward, and it’s never taken me more than a few minutes to find someone selling bottled water in Asia. I do feel sad about the plastic waste, so when possible, we buy big water jugs.
My massive Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook. It’s useful, but not as a brick in your backpack. My inelegant solution is to rip out the pages for each destination. You can also just buy a cheap SIM card for your cell phone in each country, and access guidebook information online.
Makeup. Use sparingly or risk “panda eyes” in photos. Thanks humidity.
There’s a moment in the movie When Harry Met Sally where Harry says that Sally is the worst kind of woman: she thinks she’s low maintenance, but she’s actually high maintenance. I’ve definitely struggled at times on the road over little things, like forgetting to pack hair conditioner, losing a flip-flop, having to wear dirty clothes or even clean clothes that I am sick to death of (that green zip-up jacket!!). But ultimately packing light has helped me feel confident while traveling. Better yet? Lots of room for new purchases in my backpack.
one degree north 