WHAT TO PACK FOR LONG TERM TRAVEL IN 2023 | Regrets + Tips

[@karenwaltz-davis296]

Just a quick note, we returned from Turkey this last week (Dec 4). At the gate, the attendants were tagging ALL/ALL roller carry on bags to go into the hold below. I carry several thousand dollars worth of camera equipment and in no way want my bag taken to be thrown down the ramp and thrown into the hold. If you have a "backpack" feature, the attendants were not/not tagging any of those carry on items. So, strapping the bag onto my back, I carried my bag into the cabin. As you can probably guess, half of the overhead bins were empty. If you can - use the backpack feature vs. the wheels to get through those pesky folks who want take your bag from you - it could save you thousands of dollars/pounds/euros on your equipment (and have peace of mind).

[@rustykatt3870]

Smart!

[@bangalorebobbel]

Absolutely agree to that. Same observations made us even switch from a roller over to an Osprey Farpoint which never got the attention of the attendants.

[@travelrefocused]

This is the exact reason we use standard 24 liter backpacks as our carry on. They attract no attention at all. We carry 2-3 changes of clothes, laptops, and some other electronics devices in them. My camera gear goes into my personal bag. So even in some strange situation where I do need to check my backpack, I'll just pull out the laptop.

[@darrylk808]

Tell them you have lithium batteries in the carry-on.

[@bangalorebobbel]

@@darrylk808 I guess that won't help much since they routinely ask to remove all important documents, valuables, electronics and lithiums from your roller before they take it away ... it is kinda standard meanwhile on many routes, and they don't do it only on small planes but also before passengers enter the big jumbos (maybe even more in that case). Usually it has not much to do with running out of storage space or whatever else they might say to you but mainly with the speed of boarding and also security issues (in case anything happens and people should immediately go out of the plane) - unlike rucksacks these rollers tend to keep hanging on armrests and seats and generally block the way for others who try to follow, and many people can't manage so easily to put them in the overhead storage, so everybody has to wait for all these guys to get it anyhow done ... So just go with a rucksack and everything is fine, for you as well as for everybody else ...

[@travellingwithcrowsfeet]

This vlog was very interesting....I still have a good old laugh with you Sarah, everytime I think of you packing that she-wee when you first start your travels all those years ago, so glad you've lightened the load nowdays 😂😀

[@karenwaltz-davis296]

One more tip, always take a photo of your luggage as you are checking it in - if there is a lost claim issue, you can show the photo and show the damage if there was any. It also helps to identify your luggage from someone else's luggage that looks similar. If you have expensive photo equipment, you can take a photo of that set up also, comes in handy for the insurance process.

[@denise-stevens]

I love luggage and packing videos. Having a specific purpose for every nook & cranny is essential and you both nailed it. Well done and thank you so much for sharing.

[@lindabiegenwald5924]

My daughter and her husband are going to London at the beginning of the New Year. She is worrying over her hair dryer, anyway I told her not to worry wash her hair as usual then just stick your head out of the window and let the wind blow your hair dry. Needless to say she didn"t like my humor!😁

[@kimberlylalley7255]

Wow! I've been waiting for this video. Kudos to you both for how much you simplified and downsized. If not for KZbin, you probably could lose another bag or more. I LOVED "more stuff = more stress". Brilliant.

[@freyagrayden5665]

As a fellow nomad,I totally agree with you on the importance you place on your bags. I like your set up. Well thought out. Neil’s cabin bag seems incredibly well designed for your life style.

[@crow6516]

Can you provide more information on the roller bag you use? I couldn't find it online and didn't see a link.

[@regillusrtopazus3141]

Hi Neil and Sarah, I was in the middle of packing my bags when your video showed up - I am on the road for 6 months from Honolulu and am even more economical in terms of space. That being said, touch wood, I am fortunate in that I don't have any medications and well video equipment - maybe someday but now it is the iPhone and a laptop. One suggestion for when you're in cooler places is merino wool. You can get away with airing your vest (undershirt) after each day you wear and they don't pick up BO (they also breath well in warm places). So I can go two weeks rotating four such long sleeve shirts - they also keep me warm - I have been in Pau for two weeks on the border of the Basque Country and have seen the temperature drop in the last couple days to zero celsius at night so having layers is good. I keep it to just cabin luggage for now without checkin case - ok my fashion choices are limited! And yes, agree - major stress reducer! As always look forward to your next video! Cheers, Rod

[@drthomason7043]

You are so trusting with all that techie stuff in your hold bag, Have fun where ere ye may roam. MERRY CHRISTMAS ❤️ 🙏 ❤️

[@mjbalmmac1588]

Will you be adding details on you luggage and packs. I thought you mentioned links but could not find them.

[@oliverkhoo7]

Nice One Neil and Sara. I love KL and South East Asia as lots to see and eat. Forget the turkey. There’s more to food life out there than that. Eat Satay, Nasi Lamak, Stir fried noodle, Roti Canai. You wont miss turkey 🎉 Have great safe time . Bring your brolly as it’s Monsoon season ther ! I look forward to your new VDO’s. Cheers, Ollie x

[@freyagrayden5665]

Also interested to know what is in your kitchen kit. Do you have a chopping board in there? Some airbnbs just don’t have one or they have one which is pretty nasty.

[@rnggall9640]

I couldn't find a link to the luggage you have.. need across body bag atm

[@mjmaillet879]

Another Saturday morning coffee in Atlantic Canada watching 2GoRoam… We aim to travel light also and have found that the packing cubes and our Osprey travel backpacks are amazing to help keep us organized. Nice to see you both looking refreshed and energized. 😊

[@travelrefocused]

Great video. Really interesting to see how your packing has evolved. Love your carry on bag Neil. Very interesting features.

[@bangalorebobbel]

Now that's a new perspective - never thought of putting shoes into my hand luggage ...

[@evadeanu1]

It’s amazing how light you guys pack. We usually pack the entire carry on with clothes. We just returned from a 3 weeks trip and when we returned back we identified the clothes we never used. We learned a lot from this and your videos. Thank you, guys.

[@Iamcjakes]

Nice one guys! I’d say just skip all those other baggage fit bins and start with Ryanair. If it fits in that one, it’ll fit in the rest, boom, time saved! I really love that sling sack you have Neil, that’s something I would use too.

[@reveandrobl4906]

Excellent video guys. Im super impressed on the volume of clothes, also shocked to see just how much tech goes into making your fabulous videos. Well done!!

[@danielodonoghue3529]

Surprised you haven't mentioned Air Tags or Tiles? We bought some before a recent flight/cruise and they worked perfectly.

[@SandVan]

great info guys😀

[@MadeNCda]

Hi guys 🙌🏻🖐🏻 Appreciate these excellent tips. I love easy and smart travel. My carry on bag (Heys) has been a loyal soldier for me for about 17 yrs. Love that bag.

[@Lizz7711]

Would love to have links to the bags you use. Great info thanks!

[@subman656]

Hello Neil and Sarah, thank you for the continued transparency and we wish you the best as you start traveling again and continue to grieve your recent lose. We enjoyed the bag and packing reviews. If you haven't seen it Neil, check out the Withings BP monitor. Nothing I'm selling, but much smaller than what you showed on the video, USB powered, results upload to your phone.

[@deancoder8356]

Good to hear you're in Malaysia, we've been here just a little over a month. Great packing tips. We have also experienced airlines taking a very close look at carry-ons. I've had to trim mine down.

[@resultuk9700]

As always wonderful useful info keep it up your our favorite KZbinrs,👍

[@dawnspeakman33]

Brilliant video thanks so much for taking us in to a deep dive in to your luggage - you are certainly nailing this...Enjoy Malaysia having lived there for 18 months I am envious - if you plan to be around in the region for sometime I highly recommend Melaka its just gorgeous along with its people that was were I was based, but spent a lot of time in KL. Enjoy the sights, scenes and the food which is just magical...

[@planninglynn4854]

I like how you showed how you changed during your travels. As a fellow bag lover, did you pack a handbag? Also have you decluttered your handbags or other items since you were home?

[@gordonhamnett1289]

I am forwarding this video to two of our great UK friends who will be shortly retiring! Great stuff! Thanks you two!!

[@angier2289]

Loved this video as you’ve provided some great tips for useful gadgets even if you’re not a tech-inclined traveller. When I saw Sara’s fan, I thought I’d offer another option. It’s called the Sound Oasis - it’s a tiny little cylindrical white noise machine that offers about 20 different sounds on an included extra tiny SIM card but it also has Bluetooth so you can use it as a tabletop speaker - pair it with phone to get more volume from your speaker-phone calls, there’s an app to download scads of other sounds should one of the 20 not be to your liking. And it recharges via usb and has volume adjustments. I run it all night and a full charge lasts for 2 nights. I never leave home without it. Super useful to make every new hotel or Airbnb ‘sound’ like home and I find it very helpful for drowning out unfamiliar traffic or people noise even at lower volume. I bought mine on Amazon (where else? 😂) but they’re also available in media/tech stores.

[@colinclark9889]

Love your videos! I swear if you left all your camera kit at home you could travel with your little shoulder bag Neil 😂 Your videos are always entertaining 👍

[@mjbalmmac1588]

Love it. Thanks for going thru your packing. Welldone. Amazing you have everything you need and have sorted out a great system. You have got me thinking how to streamline

[@Fell214]

Good tips guys. Good to hear from others facing similar challenges. Hope you are safe and having fun this week.

[@Suz52]

Am I missing some links? I’m most interested in what power banks you use, your first aid kit and blood pressure monitor.

[@danielle7292]

We’re in Penang and fly to KL tomorrow on the way to Singapore before heading home. From the hotels we’ve been staying at and watching Maxi and Maro’s TravellerYT videos, we can see Malaysia does an excellent job with Christmas from its festive decorations to the sumptuous feasts on offer. It was our plan to originally have Christmas in KL but we’ve decided to fly back instead. You’re sure to love it 👍😊

[@ryanbooth8421]

I’m in KL at the minute. I can confirm, it is very decorative around all the shopping malls but I don’t get that Christmassy vibe because of the weather, family, food, cold winter walks etc. it’s just different to the UK. To be honest, I fly to Turkiye in a couple of days and I guarantee the Xmas effect will be even less. I say, enjoy whatever you’re faced with and make the most of it. 🤙

[@danielle7292]

@@ryanbooth8421 G’Day Ryan, the weather in Malaysia has been a bit ordinary the last couple of days but it’s a nice sunny day today. Being Australian, I’ve never had a winter Christmas but it’s on my bucket list 😀. You’re right, it definitely wouldn’t feel the same without family around. We enjoyed our stay in Penang and look forward to coming back again next year. Have an amazing time in Turkey 😊

[@kategreen9647]

Leaving Bangkok 3 days ago they made us put battery packs in our checked bags and a couple of people had them thrown away if in carry on! Confusing as it is dangerous in the hold.

[@2GoRoam]

Funny isn't it, on Air Asia they are very strict on them but being in the checked bag lol... World travel is confusing 😃

[@Scolopente]

That’s a lot of cameras! Couldn’t you just manage with the Insta360’s and a phone? The quality of the Insta360 Go 2, which I have, is great!

[@birdcreek1]

You did a good job lots of great tips thank you 🙏

[@agnieszkaskawinska3636]

Thank you, very informative as always! Would you consider putting links to where you bought some items- I am especially interested in the eye masks you show at 4:36 since I can’t find fully black out ones (tried many). And Sara’s fan at 16:25 looks interesting too!

[@annetterobinson3213]

Yes I like that rectangle fan which can sit on a bedside table. Where could I get one of those? Also the cabin bags and sling bag, links of possible please

[@lucyparr5366]

Due to your video making you clearly have a slightly niche way of travelling/packing. Most of the belongings you travel with would be completely unnecessary for almost all of us. I am moving towards carry on only travel from now on, just a small carry on suitcase and personal item backpack. Thankfully the only tech I have is a phone, kindle and maybe my ipad. I will also use an AirTag in all my bags even though they won’t be going in the hold.

[@sherri4989]

Would you please add more info on your bags and where to purchase? Thanks

[@DD2015_FreshStart]

Thanks for your packing reveal and the tip to ease "cabin bag anxiety"! My husband and I did a one-month get-away to practice packing light, and we failed miserably! We definitely pack too much clothes and (I fear) too much tech. UGH! Did you choose the MEDIUM suitcases to ensure you never packed too heavy? Just curious why you chose the medium size over the large option. My husband and I sincerely appreciate this video! Back to the "drawing board" for us!

[@awalker916]

I have a question for Sarah. Would you tell us how many of each clothing item you pack in your suitcase? Great video!

[@johntarpey8567]

Completely agree with the electrical tape, but I had mine confiscated by security at SJO airport. You just never know what you'll be stopped for?

[@wendymolnar3784]

Very interesting and helpful video! Thank you! I leave in just over 2 weeks for a safari in Tanzania and visits with friends in Nairobi and the Seychelles before heading to the Maldives for a work assignment. (Which means I have to take some professional clothes with me which is adding to my packing list!) I have been trying to minimize my packing and have had some success - the use of packing cubes has really helped! But I still need to check a larger bag although I've managed to get my personal bags down to one backpack that a holds everything I need including a change of clothing in a small packing cube and my camera equipment and iPad. My question is concerning your camera equipment. I have never owned an action camera and am thinking of getting one for this trip. I see you use both a GoPro and an Insta360 camera. Why do you have both? And which one would you suggest? I'm leaning towards the Insta360 for videos while on safari and on our snorkelling trip to Zanzibar and the Seychelles. Thank you for any advice you might be able to provide!

[@joeschu7794]

Thanks for sharing. - joe

[@markamaguire]

I've searched and searched Tarion bags, to no avail.........what model bag is your one?

[@gordontan2866]

Great!! How about your warm clothing? You can’t be only traveling to warm countries. They are going to add quite a bit of volume to your luggage….

[@danipanyiliebeach]

Senang bisa bersahabat denganmu,,,salam sehat dan sukses selalu dari indonesia,,🙏

[@lindadorman2869]

Never take anything you can buy on arrival - sunglasses, ponchos, umbrellas, towels, makeup, toiletries are cheap and easy to find at local markets and you'll free up space in your bag for more essential items. Pack 1 pair of sandals and wear bulkier boots or walking shoes. Use the "rule of 3" - 3 tops, 3 bottoms, 3 pairs of underwear/socks, etc...wear each twice and do laundry weekly. You can buy items in each destination and just leave them or donate to the next guest.

[@peterg6344]

Is this video lost or damaged? The timer just spins and spins when I try to play it.

[@ryanbooth8421]

Honestly, I was getting anxiety watching this. Bag after bag after bag. 😂 My bag in SAE for the last 4 months has been 6.9kg. Im about to fly to Turkey in 2 days to meet my missus for a few weeks and I will be unloading about 1kg. However, I will be gaining some warm weather clothing for Everest. Im not even being frugal or uncomfortable. If I want anything I just buy it on location then bin it. Like a little waterproof mac, 50p in any 7/11 then bin it after a couple of uses. Obviously I’m not a vlogger and my only tech is literally an iPhone and a spare iPhone. I think you’ve spent more money on bags than I have spent in my 4 months of SEA. I’m in KL, leave on 13th. Would be nice to catch up for a chat and a drink if you fancied it? You’ve got my email.

[@slowmads]

Laughing. We talk about packing and bags all the time. . . Our newest plan is two small roller bags and two medium backpacks along with Nick’s small utility bag and my carry-on bag for headphones, purse, passport holder, etc. We’ll be dropping from 90 pounds in 5 bags to 74 pounds in 2 roller bags and 2 backpacks. Or so we hope.

[@juliew2722]

#fjallraven should give you guys a commissioned link. I bought a bag from them after this video

[@SMafam5]

What’s in your kitchen “bag?”

[@karenley7356]

Wow! Definitely not minimalists 😂. Hope you guys can concentrate more on your health and fitness this time around, all your medications are a worry. Relax and enjoy 🙂🙂

[@darrylk808]

You guys have way too much stuff. I travel for weeks to months with carry-on. One backpack and one roll aboard (22" swivel suitcase). Case is a top open, hotels don't have enough space for 2 clamshell opening suitcases.

[@EatWalkLearn]

You're in KL??? We are too!!! Let's get together. Dm on FB or insta xx