Leaving my flat in London and becoming a digital nomad has been one of the easiest decisions to make. What of my belongings to get rid of and what to take for those travels, not so much.

Trying to choose what to travel the world with and make sure it fits into one suitcase and a backpack was tricky. I put my favourite clothes and basics into my suitcase to see what would fit and soon realised I had to get rid of more than I wanted to.

Judge my messy suitcase in my messy room. This is the very moment I realised becoming a digital nomad won’t be that simple.

How to get rid of your stuff

I took the items I couldn’t take with me - like small furniture, home decor, bedding, plants -  and organised a little “Everything must go” house party. My friends could take any of the items. Whatever was left at the end of the day I brought to a charity shop.

Once I arrived at the airport to check in my luggage, the stewardess told me that my suitcase is 4kg overweight and each kilo costs £11, which would’ve been £44 in total. For that money, I could’ve booked another suitcase on that flight.

How to get rid of even more stuff

So my nomad journey started with a decision: Do I want to pay overweight luggage for every flight I’m going to take? Or do I just get rid of things now? I chose the latter and while the air hostess checked in other passengers on the flight, I hid around the corner to decide once more what to keep and what to get rid of.

This time I went through a different filtering system: it was about weight. I got rid of heavy items like shampoo bottles, sun lotion and big warm jumpers. I wasn’t going to need them in Spain anyway. Oh, how little did this younger version of me know about life and weather.

I managed to reduce the weight to 21kg. She was happy with that and didn’t charge for the 1kg overweight. When you feel like you already got rid of so much stuff, the things you have left gain more value, so having to get rid of more was a bit sad. But I also knew this was part of what I was getting myself into.

When I then arrived in Alicante, it was much colder than I expected. It was early November and gosh, those jumpers would’ve been so useful! I also realised that there’ll be more domestic flights and airlines that only allow up to 20kg instead of 23kg. So I had to ensure not to travel above 20kg.

Digital Nomad Must Haves

So, based on that first flight experience as a digital nomad and all the trips thereafter, here are the items that I take with me to any trip, no matter the weather. For ease of reading, I grouped them into following categories:

• Travel essentials
• Storage
• Tech
• Health
• The important but boring stuff
• Anything multi-purpose

Some of these links are affiliate links. I’ve not been paid to advertise them and if you make a purchase through one of these links you won’t pay more, some of them even offer a discount. But I get a couple cents for any items purchased so who knows, maybe in the future I can make a living out of this. (I’m just laughing to myself as I’m writing this but hey, wishful thinking is powerful) But also, from a digital nomad perspective who tries to squeeze everything in one suitcase: only purchase what you need. Okay, let’s get to the main content.

Travel essentials

Here’s a list of items that I need just to make it easier to get from A to B.

Suitcase scale

I didn’t even know how much my suitcase weighed before taking that first flight. I just assumed it wasn’t too heavy. Investing in a suitcase scale - which felt like such a useless thing for me in the past - is probably the most anxiety reducing item I own now.

I don’t often buy new items when I travel, but sometimes you need to buy that jumper or you want to bring a bottle of wine to the next place when you’re visiting friends. So the weight can vary. Having a suitcase scale gives me that piece of mind I need before a flight.

Compression packing cubes

I only bought those recently, but they’re a life changer! Especially if you’re planning weekend trips from your new short-term home.

While I was in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, I took the ferry to visit a friend in Tenerife. Even though it was a short trip from Friday to Sunday, we were planning on hiking, swimming and partying, so I had to pack not just the clothes I’d wear during the day but also for all those occasions. But I didn’t want to bring tons of bags.

Instead, I managed to fit everything into my backpack, thanks to compression cubes.

Tote bags

You get them for free almost anywhere but I love them. They’re lightweight, foldable and can carry almost anything. Sometimes, when I don’t have enough space to bring a handbag, I just grab a tote bag. I normally just have a tiny hand bag where I can just about carry my phone, wallet, tissues, keys and earplugs (yes, I’m old). So I stuff my tote bag in there too if I might have to do some grocery shopping after. Multipurpose is always good!

Travel backpack

The backpack I’m using is mainly to travel from one location to the other. I don’t actually use it much day to day because as mentioned above, I’d use a tote bag. Again, it’s light, doesn’t use much space and you can use it for anything!

The one I’m using has a pocket to carry all my essentials. There’s a special space for my laptop, my charger, my passport, my sunglasses, my water bottle and everything else. It also has a hidden pocket for high valuable items.

I bought the travel backpack a couple years ago. It was a Lululemon item, but they probably no longer sell it, as I couldn’t find it online. But there’s plenty of good multipurpose backpacks out there, like this one.

Storage

Toothbrush holder

This one might be a little bit random to categorise as a travel essential. But it’s one of the first things I bought as a digital nomad. I stayed in an accommodation that had a tiny sink and not even a shelf in the bathroom. I don’t like having my toiletries kept in a bag but the sink couldn’t even fit a glass for the toothbrush. So I was looking EVERYWHERE for a tiny, lightweight toothbrush holder. There’s definitely a gap in the market!

Always opt for the lighter option!

So I got myself this little toothbrush holder. It’s made of bamboo, and it’s light as well. You can get some ceramic ones which are easier to clean but also heavier. And if you’ve read the intro of this article you now know the importance of weight. Always opt for the lighter option!

Storage bag

If you’d ask me a year ago, I would’ve said that those things are useless. But now that I’ve travelled a couple of times, I wouldn’t want to travel without them. A box like this allows me to just fill it with my Mari Kondo style folded clothes, put it in the suitcase (make sure it’s the right size before you purchase them) and put them straight into the wardrobe when I arrive at my new short-term home.It just saves me so much time!

Tech

Of course, there’s several tech items that I need to be able to do my job. But also to continue communicating with friends all over the world.

Laptop

Surprise! Yes, I’m travelling with a laptop. I’m a freelance UX Designer and recently invested in a 14 Inch MacBook Pro. I absolutely love it! I also got myself this laptop cover to make sure I don’t scratch it.

Universal travel adaptor

One of my friends from Austria once came to visit me while I was living in London. She had this travel adaptor and I’ve never seen one like this before. You can plug all types of plugs into the front and put it into any type of socket! I was blown away!

And it has USB sockets. How did I not hear about these little miracles before? So I quickly got myself my own.

Power bank

I have a confession to make. I know UX Designers need to always be on top of technology but I had my little iPhone 6S until 2 months ago. I just don’t like to replace things while they’re still working. Yes, I’m one of those people.

But the problem with my previous phone was that the battery would only last up to 4 hours. So I purchased a power bank. It was about time, but I finally got myself a new phone! Now that I no longer need it as much for my phone, it still comes in handy. Because I often forget to recharge my headphones or my kindle and the time I realise that is usually when I’m about to use it. So it still comes in handy.

External Hard drive

Yes, you can store things in the cloud. But Google photos and others reduce some of the photo quality. I also don’t want to store client work in the cloud because some projects I had to sign NDAs for and it just doesn’t feel right.

I try to back up my work files every two weeks on an external hard drive, because only then my business insurance will cover for potential data losses.

Kindle

When weight is of the essence and you love books then you have to get a kindle. Yes, it’s not the same as a proper book. One thing I miss is that you can add scribbles and notes to your pages or fold the corner to get back to a page. You also know how far into the book you are, compared to the percentage bar shown on a kindle. But all those downsides are made up by the light weight. And you can get a new book any time you are online, you don’t have to find a bookstore that might sell books in your native language.

I’m currently reading The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel A. van der Kolk.

Health

Reusable water bottle

Okay, I have to admit, I lost a bunch of reusable water bottles at friends’ places and gyms and airports and busses and anywhere else you can lose them. But it’s essential for me. Also, the amount of plastic bottles you save from ending up in the ocean! Although, I probably counteracted on that by the amount of water bottles that end up in landfill. But I’m trying to be better, my current bottle has been with me for 6+ months.

Travelling with a reusable water bottle is good for your wallet and good for the planet. Just try not to forget them all over the world, I heard some people are like that.. If I wouldn’t keep losing them, I’d definitely opt for the green Chilly one.

Ear plugs

When I was younger, I used to play the drums and I didn’t wear headphones while doing so for quite a long time. So now I’m trying to maintain as much of my hearing as possible. The other day I was joining a pub crawl with some friends. The last venue was extremely loud and I just put on my earplugs. People started to ask me about them, because they’ve not seen anyone before who just carries them with them all the time.

Ear plugs are not the sexiest item but I came across Loop earplugs. Hey, considering they’re earplugs, I do actually think they’re quite pretty. When I purchased them, they gave me a discount code, so click here if you want 15% off.

I actually have 2 of them (two pairs, not two ear plugs, of course) - one for sleeping and one for when I’m at concerts or out and about. I have it on my key chain so I don’t forget to take it with me.

Travel towels

Most accommodations provide towels, but sometimes when you sublet you have to bring your own. Again, weight is of the essence, and space too! So I always travel with a big and small quick drying and absorbent towel. I ordered these ones years ago and they’re still doing a good job. One of them also has a small zipper so if you’re at the beach and worry about someone stealing your stuff and how to get home after, I usually hide £10–20 in that zipper in case I need to get a cab back. But luckily, this has never happened.

Soap

Let’s not forget about hygiene. Again, some accommodation provide it, some don’t. I’m using this lush shampoo bar because travelling with liquid can be tricky. They’re light and you on top of that they reduce plastic. Win-win!

Pens, notebooks and diaries

Maybe this isn’t the right category but health isn’t just physical health. It’s also about mental health. And what’s the point of making all those amazing memories travelling when we don’t capture them somehow.

I have one of those 5 year diaries. This is the one I’m using now. I ordered it online and it’s bigger than I thought (A5, my previous one was A6) but it also gives me more space to write. I actually finished one of those 5 year diaries before and it’s quite satisfying to read what your day was like 3 or 4 years ago as you write today’s entry.

The boring but important stuff nobody talks about

Monzo card

Okay, Monzo aren’t actually boring. If you’re from the UK, you’ve probably heard about Monzo. They have a little referral scheme going on so here’s a link if you want a free £5.

I love Monzo so much! It’s a bank account with no fees when paying contactless abroad. They also have some fun UX. And when you see someone else pulling out their coral card there’s a sense of connection and awkward eye contact and nodding at each other. I use Monzo for my £ English Pound and I also travel with an N26 bank card when I’m in Europe as it’s a € Euro account. A lot of people have also recommended Revolut. But I have so many bank cards that I don’t want to add another one.

Insurance

When you’re European and travel in the EU, you might not need to worry too much about this. What a privilege we have to be able to get health cover just because we’re born in a country that made this great agreement with other countries. But if you’re travelling in Asia or especially America, please get health insurance. I use Safetywing but recently came across the Passport Card. That one seems a bit pricey so I’ve not signed up with them but I would consider it for when I go to America

Some people argue that you don’t really need travel insurance because you have to cover costs up until a certain amount anyway, which is correct. Every time I had to go to the doctors abroad (once for having a fish bone stuck in my throat. I survived, but I avoided fish for quite a while…) I just paid for it myself, because it wasn’t expensive enough for the insurance to cover. But it also gives you piece of mind when you travel to know you’re covered in case you need a helicopter to transport you to a hospital.

Anything multi-purpose

Smart clothes

I don’t mean smart clothes as in ‘looking smart’ but as in ‘smart designs’. When I was still living in London, I felt a bit bored of the clothes I was wearing day in and day out and decided to try one of those clothes subscription boxes. You don’t have to subscribe, you can just order a one-off box, which is what I did. So I ordered a box with Stitch and Fix.

I soon started to fall in love with a dress. It’s actually a 2 piece. What I love about it is that you can wear the skirt separate to the T-shirt but you can also combine it as a dress. So that’s 3 outfits in one!

Conclusion

When you travel, you’re better off travelling with less and just buy what you need. Then you know for sure you don’t overpack. Also, consider the weight of the items you purchase and go for multi-purpose items.

I hope you found this article useful. Let me know in the via email if there is any essential item that I missed. Also, if you liked this article and want to hear more about my random brain dumps, feel free to sign up to my newsletter here.

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