Gear & Packing for Travel
The gear industry wants you to believe you need $500 worth of technical clothing and a purpose-built travel backpack before your first trip. You don’t. Plenty of people travel the world with a carry-on suitcase and clothes from their regular closet.
That said, smart gear choices - a quick-dry shirt, a decent backpack, a packable rain jacket - make life easier on the road. The key is starting minimal and buying what you actually need after you’ve traveled enough to know what that is.
Key points
- You don’t need expensive technical gear - everyday clothes work fine for most trips
- Everyone overpacks on their first trip - lay out what you want to bring, then remove a third
- Quick-dry fabrics and merino wool are genuinely useful for long-term travel, but not mandatory
- One-bag (carry-on only) travel eliminates checked bag fees, carousel waits, and lost luggage anxiety
- You can buy almost anything almost anywhere - don’t pack “just in case” items