Ultralight Packing for Minimalist Travel

Apparently I'm a minimalist.

It's not a moniker I hold onto with any pride or anything. I just realized that when I was home for Christmas, my aunts and uncles would ask me "so where do you keep your stuff?"

I'm like, ...uh what stuff you talking about? My apartment? Where else would I keep my things?

I realized I don't have that much stuff and it's strange to people. No furniture sitting in storage in the USA, no car that needs selling, no random trinkets that I stuff into some cardboard box each and every time I move.

Just one big travel suitcase, a smaller suitcase for domestic travel, my camera bag and a backpack for my technology.

That's it.

All my worldly possessions fit into these 4 things.

Since I get asked a lot of questions about different aspects of living abroad, here is a high level overview of all the tools, gear and services I personally use and pay for as a self employed expat living abroad that I find invaluable.

Welcome to my ultra light packing for minimalist travel & living.

1. Prioritize for small, light and usefulness. I use the iPhone Mini. My iPad is the iPad Mini. I bought the Osmo Nano because it's tiny. My laptop is a lightweight XPS, not a heavy gaming machine. If it's not clear, I prefer things that are small, light and useful. Ideally, I also like to get things that are multi-purpose as well.
2. Carry fewer things (duh). When I do an extended visa run, I take my backpack that has my laptop and accessories so I can do my work as needed and my small luggage ("the carry-on" from Travel Away) with as few things as I need. Makes travel way more enjoyable without carrying a big heavy backpack and multiple luggage pieces.
3. Optimize for your environment. Even when I travel light, I make sure to have something good to wear for a cocktail bar or a night out with friends. I bring clothes that I can bum around a hotel with or dress up as needed. Again, think multi-purpose.

You’ll need a travel credit card with no foreign transaction fee, first and foremost. When I first went abroad in 2011, I had a Chase "Freedom" credit card and they charged me a whopping 3.5% fee to use my card in Thailand—eating up any points or benefits in the first place.

Then you'll want a cashback credit card to use on all purchases where you don't get an optimal amount of points on your travel card and finally, you'll need a general-purpose backup credit card.

Best Travel Wallet

The Ridge Wallet - I ordered this when in America. It' cost me around $100, but unlike a boomer brown wallet that wears out and looks like crap after a year or two, this sleek minimalist wallet it built out of carbon fiber and has RIF tech to protect your cards.

Best Travel Credit and Debit Cards

Schwab Debit Card - For Americans (sorry I'm an American) - this debit card reimburses you on all foreign ATM fees! Just don't abuse it. You can get this card by simply opening a Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account, which is an online checking account that has no fees and no minimum balance. 

Chase Saphire Reserve Credit Card - The best travel credit card on the market, plain and simple. There are no foreign transaction fees, which means that you can use it anywhere in the world at no extra cost to you. The Sapphire Reserve earns 3x points on dining at restaurants around the world and all travel purchases like airfare, hotels, and trains.

Even better, those points are actually worth something because the Chase Ultimate Rewards program allows you to redeem your points on a wide range of airline and hotel partners.

To top it all off, Chase Sapphire Reserve customers get a free Priority Pass membership, which scores you access to over 900 airport lounges around the world. Most people avoid this card because on the surface it appears to have an annual fee of $450.

However, the card automatically reimburses you up to $300 for travel, which means that as long as you're planning on spending $300 on travel during the year, the annual fee is effectively $150, which is a total steal considering the perks. If you're only going to get one travel credit card, get this one.

Gemini Credit Card – My current cash back card. Gemini is a crypto exchange that has a 1-3% cash back card. You get 3% on dining, 2% on groceries and convenience stores and 1% on everything else.

So if you spend $100 on dining, you'll get $3 in Bitcoin at the current price. This is huge because it ends up being WAY more than 3% long term. The rewards I earned when Bitcoin was 20k is now 5x more as the price is over 100k a Bitcoin.

Rewards are paid out in Bitcoin in real time. You spend, BTC gets bought and added to your balance. Then you can withdraw it to your wallet. Last, there are no foreign transaction fees.

BACKUP credit card - I'll leave this up to you. You need a travel focused card to earn points to help buy you flights and you need a cash back card. The final card is simply a backup you keep safe in your room just in case you lose your wallet, there is a fraud alert and you have to cancel your current card or have trouble using my recommended two cards.

Trust me, when the time comes for you to use your backup card, you'll thank me!

Wise debt card - This is a multi-currency debt card. Once you have a Wise account all you do is link your bank account to your Wise account and then you can buy 160+ different currencies and withdraw said currency at a local ATM.

So for example, say you need Thai Baht. Instead of using your US debt card that is linked to your checking account with a lot of money in it (risks of getting skimmed, eaten by the ATM ect), you can instead buy $100 worth of Thai Baht in your Wise account. Then you can go withdraw that $100 of Thai Baht (3000 Baht roughly) from the ATM.

Best phone for travel

iPhone – I carry the smallest iPhone available. I already have an iPad, I don't need some oversized piece of toast in my pocket. I prefer the smaller size because you still get an outstanding camera in a smaller form factor and it's more comfortable in your pocket.

No, I don't play games or anything like that. I use my phone to record stories for IG and YouTube, take pictures, notes and to message friends so the battery life is fine on a smaller device.

iPhone Case - I don't use a case. Yea, I'm one of those people. You should not be dropping your phone boys and girls.

Anozer Mini Tripod - A cheap, small, versatile iPhone tripod. Perfect for using as a grip to vlog.

Boya Mini - If you're going to be using your phone for video work, you need a microphone. I use the Boya Mini for both my phone and laptop and am impressed with the sound quality. Full Boya Mini review here.

Google Fi - Pay as you go monthly plan starting at $20 a month. Can turn it off and not pay for it when abroad and easily turn it on again when you need it. With Google FI you now have a dedicated US number, data in any country you visit and can receive SMS messages while abroad.

Viber credits - RIP Skype. I used to use Skype to call my bank and credit card companies while abroad. Since Microsoft killed of Skype the best alternative I found is to use Viber. Top up your phone with $5 of credits

Important: You must be in the United States to activate your Google Fi number. So sign up now, get your sim card and activate it because once you’re abroad it’s simply impossible to do so.

Keys - I live abroad so I carry my motorbike key, key to my apartment and the key to open the gate to my building when they close it at night for security reasons. As such, I don't have much in the way of keys.

Best Travel Backpack

Ogio Renegade - This is without a doubt my favorite backpack I've ever had. I got it back during my time at PWC. I since bought the updated version. It carries all my tech easily in an organized fashion. From my laptop, chargers, Shure USB mic, iPad and more.

Canon Shoulder Bag - This bag easily carries my two lenses, my camera body and the charger with ease. It also has a front pocket that my iPad Mini fits perfectly in.

Dalix Gym Bag - This gym bag is a dream come true if you're looking for something small to fit ONLY your gym shoes and gym clothes in. Nothing fancy. I tend to fill this up with clothes and then put it in my luggage when traveling.

Best Travel Luggage

Travel Away Large - This suitcase is big, stylish and durable. Easily carry your shoes and clothes. Essential for international travel.

Travel Away Carry On - I use this for all my local trips and visa runs. You need a big suitcase for international travel and when you visit home, but a short 2 week trip to a neighboring country? The Ogio and this carry on are all you need.

Best Travel Laptop

Dell XPS - Most powerful Windows laptop on the market. This thing is thin, light and handles anything I throw at it. I also love all the ports. Makes it really easy to record video content using my DSLR camera as a webcam with a microphone plugged into the laptop. You can also upgrade the ram to 64 GB as well.

Macbook Air - The Air is almost on-par with the Pro models with the M chip series and 16 GB of ram. Honestly, I'm super impressed with the weight and build quality of the Macbook Air lineup. If you need power then go with the pro, but if all you're doing is video editing for YouTube and content creation the Air really can handle those tasks.

Ankor 6-1 dongle - My dongle of choice for USB-C and HDMI connections. Small and lightweight. My XPS has a built in card reader so if you need that feature then get this one instead.

Best Travel Cameras

Osmo Nano - I love the Nano for it's small form factor and accessories. You can record in D-Log M that looks great with a LUT. I also like the large vision dock screen and that I can change the angle from standard to ultra wide.

Osmo Pocket - Want that blurry background for vlogging and recording videos of your travels? Then a solid alternative to the Nano is the famous Osmo Pocket.

Sony ZV-E1 - A small, full frame camera. Perfect for walk and talk vlogs, in studio recording and taking pictures. I suggest you pair it with the Sony 20mm F1.8.

Best Travel Headphones

Marshall Major V - I've had every pair of Marshall Major headphones since version 1 (now at version 5. Small, lightweight, pairs via Bluetooth or a wired connection. Built in microphone and it does a fine job of blocking out noise.

Best Travel Accessories

Targus travel adapter - You need this to you can use different outlets for different countries. I picked this up back in 2011 before I went Thailand for the first time and it's served me well. I like that it breaks apart into smaller pieces that fit different outlets.

HEAROS Xtreme Ear plugs - Cheap but very effective ear plugs. Combine these with headphones and it blocks out a ton of noise. Perfect for sleeping on an airplane.

Swiss Army knife - I have the Victorinox. Super helpful, from opening a bottle of wine in a pinch, to cutting something with the scissors, to opening a can or slicing something. You'll be surprised by how useful this thing is. Just make sure to put it in your checked luggage when traveling!

Ankor PowerCore - This is the best portable battery charger I have used. It is a combination wall charger and portable battery. You can plug it into any outlet and it will begin charging your phone and other devices like a normal charger.

Once the phone is fully charged, the Anker PowerCore will automatically begin charging its internal battery. Then you can toss it in your bag and charge your devices anywhere. 

Jetstream Pen - Yea it's just a pen but it's quality. Good to have in your backpack when you need to fill out immigration forms.

Clothing is a personal choice. But like James Clear listing out stuff he likes (like a Patagonia puff jacket or vest which you would NEVER catch me wearing), I figured I would do the same.

Best Travel Jacket

Leather bomber jacket - Pick whatever you like honestly! I like the style of this jacket and the fact that the hood is removable.

Best Travel Hat

180 Degree Ear Muffs - Stylish, small and fit in your jacket/coat pocket. I find these essential for cold weather. Not exactly a hat, but it's headgear none the less.

Best Travel Shirt

Uniqulo T-Shirts - I wear their "Supima" cotton T-Shirts. Come in a wide range of colors. Reasonable price, looks good for that "jeans and t-shirt" look.

Best Travel Pants

Levi 510s - Comfy, reasonably priced jeans. I'm around 1.77m tall, just under 5,10 at 172lbs so I don't have long legs and arms. I find form fitting clothing to be more flattering to my physique as baggy clothing makes me look small.

Best Travel Socks

Darn Tough Mountain Socks - If you're going somewhere cold, these socks are simply outstanding.

Adidas Low Cut - Great socks to wear with pants and shorts.

Dress Socks - Thursday boots is where I get my dress socks from.

Best Travel Shoes

Shoes are subjective.

I personally wear white Diesel shoes, they match both jeans and dress pants as they tend to be stylish. Perfect when I'm traveling and want to visit a cocktail bar.

I also bring a pair of standard, everyday white shoes that match both jeans and are good for walking, like these Nike shoes.

As for dress shoes, I keep these in my apartment and don't take them when traveling unless I'm traveling for a wedding or something.

Best Travel Gloves

Lightweight gloves - I keep a pair of small, cheap little gloves in my coat or jacket pocket along with my over the ear, ear muffs.

Arm Sleeves - Incredibly valuable when in Asia and driving a motorbike around everywhere. These arm sleeves protect your arm from the brutal UV. A superior option to wearing a jacket like locals do.

E-Tree Small Bag - Finding a toiletries bag for men is super annoying. Everything is so dang big. I found this small pouch to be the perfect size for most men.

What I carry is incredibly simple:

• Toothbrush
• Small toothpaste
• Sexy Hair gel (travel size - yes that's the brand name)
• CeraVe Am Moisturizer (SPF 50 +Niacinamide & Ceramides )
• Deodorant
• Nail clippers
• Beard trimmer
• Chapstick
• Eye drops
• ibuprofen

Travel First Aid Kit

Things like band-aids and anti-biotics you can find when traveling. Depends on where you're going honestly.

Tiny first aid kit - My Korean ex gf bought me this cute little first aid kit (not this one exactly, but one in this style). It's small, made of nylon (not a hard shell) and it great for putting band-aids, pill sheets, sprays, ointments etc in.

Travel Supplements

I also like to take NAC and my Magnesium + Zinc supplements when I travel. Diamox is good if you have altitude sickness too.

For more:

Supplements For Men I Take (Almost) Daily

Optimize your health, energy, age well, and maintain yourself. I’m pretty intentional about the supplements I take and don’t want to overdo it or make this an overly complicated process/system. From my own research and personal experience with trying different products here are the supplements I take and have

EDGE of DAVIDEdge of David

Grab - The rideshare app of Asia. Stop haggling with random taxi drivers, just book a car or motorbike with Grab.

Kayak - An excellent search engine for flights, hotels and car rentals.

Booking.com - I tend to use Booking a lot for flight and hotels when I'm not using my Chase card.

Airalo - While I prefer getting an e-sim at the airport, Airalo does allow you to buy easily from their app.

Google.com/ncr – This is a hack for your laptop. If you've ever traveled to a different country and used google.com, then you may have noticed that you were sent to the local Google homepage for that country. NCR stands for "no country redirect."

Google Translate – Translation app. Can take pictures and translate text, write and most importantly you can download a language for offline use.

Conclusion

That wraps-up my ultralight packing for minimalist travel! Props to Mr. James Clear for inspiring this. I hope you found this constantly updated guide and packing list useful.

Thanks for reading and happy travels. Any questions let me know.