After ten months of slow-travelling through Asia, I’ve developed a very specific (and slightly obsessive) idea of what’s actually worth the luggage space. This isn’t your basic, patronising “don’t forget a power adapter” list; if you’re at the stage of planning a multi-month trip, I’m going to assume you’ve got the basics covered.
Instead, this is the “pack a multi-purpose microfibre towel for your apartment” type of list — the kind of practical, unglamorous things that actually make a place feel like home when you’re staying for a month or more.
To be clear: I wouldn’t say this stuff would work for the light-and-fast backpacking crowd. It’s more for the long-term travellers who prefer to settle into a neighbourhood, don’t mind a bit of extra luggage, and prioritise a functional, comfortable life over fitting everything into a single rucksack. So, here’s what made the cut (and if you don’t like reading, here’s a YT vid that explains it all).
1. The Dedicated Laundry Bag
When you’re in a flat for a month, you need a proper place for the “dirty” pile to live. A light cotton bag with a handle keeps your space tidy and — crucially — is sturdy enough to carry down the street if your building’s washing machine is “out of order” (a common theme). Plus, it keeps the dirty laundry from migrating onto your clean clothes during transit. Definitely worth the investment, and it won’t weigh in at a lot either.
2. A Microfibre Collection
I’m talking about the small ones and the big ones. Microfibre cloths are the only way to actually clean a rental kitchen without using a sponge that looks like a biological hazard. As for the towels: bring a high-quality, oversized one. It’s a beach mat, a gym towel, and a “Plan B” for when your rental’s towels are thinner (and grimmer) than you expected.
3. The Power Strategy (Extension Cord + Charging Pad)
A universal adapter is the baseline, but the real pro move is a native extension cord from home. Plug in one adapter, and suddenly you have six “normal” sockets. When you pair this with a 3-in-1 charging pad for your phone, watch, and airpods to keep your bedside table from looking like a nest of angry snakes, it’ll feel just like home!
4. HDMI Cable
If you’re staying somewhere for 30 days, you are eventually going to want to watch something on a screen bigger than your laptop. A long HDMI cable is the difference between hunching over your laptop and actually enjoying a movie night on the wall-mounted TV that’s usually just there for decoration.
5. A Kindle (or E-Reader)
As we know, physical books are a luxury your luggage allowance cannot afford. English-language bookstores can also be a bit of a scavenger hunt, so having your entire library in something thinner than a digestive biscuit is the only way to stay sane! I know real books are better, but we can’t have it all. I love my Kindle Paperwhite, and it’s served me well over the years.
6. An Insulated Water Bottle
Most digital nomad destinations are hot, and lukewarm water is a personal affront. A good insulated bottle keeps things ice-cold for hours and saves you from the infinite cycle of buying (and throwing away) plastic bottles from 7-Eleven. It’s also nice to have your bottle around the house – your water stays dust free and you’ll definitely get your 2l in this way. I know it’s a bit extra, but if you care about cold, tasty BPA free water, then it’s worth it. I use a Stanley because I’m basic.
7. The “Transit” Fleece
It could be 35°C outside, but the air conditioning in shopping malls or overnight buses is often set to “Morgue.” A light, packable fleece is a necessity for surviving those sudden 20-degree temperature drops – plus, if you do decide to do a day-trip to some mountainous regions, you’ll be thanking your past self for being super clever!
8. The Organised Medicine Pouch
Don’t wait until you’re unwell to go hunting for a pharmacy. Some places – looking at you, Japan – can be surprisingly expensive for the basics, and trying to explain “reflux” via Google Translate at 1AM is a low point you want to avoid. Having a little pouch will not only mean you can take some of the essentials with you (paracetemol, ibuprofen, gaviscon, stepsils, poy sian, plasters), but it’ll also mean they’ll all be in one place. You probably have something lying around the house you can use!
9. The Bag Collection (and the “Discreet” One)
One bag is never enough – not for long term travel anyway. You need the work backpack, the fanny pack for daily life, and a “fancy” bag for when you want to feel like a functioning member of society at dinner. I also recommend a small, clip-on money purse for those times you want to be completely hands-free and discreet (perhaps at markets or slightly more seedy areas of town).
10. Noise-Cancelling Headphones & Proper Earplugs
You don’t realise the heavy lifting noise cancelling headphones are doing until they’re gone (yes, I speak from a painful experience where I dropped my airpods down a drain). Not only is it handy for drowning out travel noise, a lot of cafes think “chill lounge music” should be played at club volumes, so if you want to work out and about, it’s essential. I’d also recommend reusable earplugs for sleep: whether it’s a 4AM temple bell or a neighbour with a very loud TV, your sleep shouldn’t be at the mercy of the thin walls.
11. Portable Luggage Scale
Every time I donated something or bought something, I was left with the question, “am I over the limit?” I know there are scales at the airport, but the potential of repacking or getting it wrong when you move that frequently can get annoying. A tiny digital scale saves you from the frantic, humiliating “reorganising my underwear on the airport floor” shuffle.
12. E-Sim
One other point to consider that’s less packing and more logistics is: internet. You can buy physical simcards at your destination, but I’ve found the easiest and most cost-effective method is using e-sims. I’ve been loyal to Nomad since before my slow-travelling days for 3 reasons:
- They have excellent coverage EVERYWHERE.
- It’s the most affordable option out there (at the moment).
- They give you points when you buy a sim, which you can use to get discounts off more e-sims – score!
You can check out Nomad here (full disclosure: this is an affiliate link, so it supports the site at no extra cost to you). There are plenty of other providers out there, so do shop around, but for ease of use and reliability, this is my go-to.
12. The Digital Bodyguard: A VPN
If you’re working on the move, a VPN is non-negotiable! Beyond the security of not handing your bank details to every café in Thailand, you’ll occasionally need to “sit” in the UK to access home-restricted sites or streaming services.
I use NordVPN because, unlike most, it doesn’t throttle my speed to a 1990s crawl. It’s fast, reliable, and keeps your data private on sketchy public Wi-Fi.
You can grab NordVPN here (also an affiliate link at no extra cost to you). There are other options, but this is the one that actually works without fail.
That’s the list!
It isn’t the most exciting stuff, but it’s what makes six months on the move feel like actual living rather than a perpetual layover. I wish I’d had this level of hindsight before I set off last year, but hopefully, it helps you pack a bit smarter!
A Final Note
Who, What & Why
If you’ve made it this far — hello, I’m Aila! I walked away from a decade in corporate tech to redesign my life around the things that I actually care about: creative work, slow travel, and being generally helpful to other humans. These days my husband and I split our time between London (caring for my mother) and various spots across Asia.
Whether I’m strolling through markets in Bangkok, systematically eating my way through Japanese ramen shops, testing skin treatments in South Korea or documenting what it actually looks like to leave a stable career and build something new — the goal is always the same: share the real version of our travels so you can make the most of your trip. If you ever find any of it useful and want to support my work to keep the site ad-free, you can do that here. 🙂
If you prefer watching over reading, most of what I cover here also lives on YouTube — the entrepreneurship side of things, travel, and the honest version of building a fulfilling life. I also run a more philosophical vlog channel here if that’s more your speed.
Explore the Archives
If you’ve enjoyed reading this blog post, there’s plenty more where that came from! Have a wander through the sections below:
- Food: I’m a firm believer that you get the best feel for a city through its food and drinks. Check out my archives for deep dives on food all over the world and, if you’re going to Japan, start with my pride and joy: 29 Ramen Better Than Ichiran.
- Travel & Nomadic Life: Whether you’re planning a one-week holiday or a total life pivot into digital nomadism, I’ve likely written a guide for it. Dive into the archives for my unfiltered take on what to see, eat, drink, and — perhaps most importantly — skip. You can start with the Seoul edit if you like!
- Health & Beauty: Beyond trying to be a functioning human, I do deep dives on health (PCOS, Visual Snow) and the reality of beauty (make-up, skincare & treatments). You’ll find my honest results on everything from non-invasive laser treatments to long-term wellness.
If you end up trying any of my recommendations, let me know in the comments section or reach out – I’d love to hear what you thought.
The Essentials
A couple of things I use on every trip that keep me functional:
- Connectivity: Nomad eSIM — easy setup, works everywhere, no SIM card stress.
- Privacy: NordVPN — for public WiFi and keeping my Netflix region exactly where I want it.
Want to stay “in the know”?
Every month I share a newsletter with a round-up of all my content, as well as other handy resources. Sign up below to receive it so you don’t miss anything – from thorough travel guides to organisational systems that actually make life easier.
