How to Pack for a Year of Travel in One Carry-On

After more than a decade as a magazine editor, I quit my job to take a year-long, 16-country tour of Asia (with boyfriend in tow). We’re bringing one carry-on each. Most of the places we are visiting will be hot—at times insufferably so. This helps when it comes to packing light. Still, we’ve put a ton of thought into our bags and what’s inside them. Since we’re both in our early 30s, we don’t want to look like we’ve been sharing hostel bunks with a bunch of dreadlocked gap year kids on vision quests. So what the heck are we packing? Read on to find out.
  • Image may contain Backpack and Bag

    The Bag

    It’s hard not to look like a backpacker when you’re traveling the world with—you know—a backpack. After trying on 20-plus styles at REI and EMS, we reluctantly settled on the two Osprey models we deemed the least aesthetically offensive. The problem with these packs, however, is that they’re designed for hikers—not travelers. Unhappy with our purchases, we returned the bags and continued our research online. That’s when I discovered the Minaal, a handsome 35-liter backpack with convenient zip-away straps and side-loading capabilities. My boyfriend went a similar route, buying a 45-liter Tortuga.

  • The Bag, Part II

    I like that the Minaal includes a separate compartment for laptops, Kindles, passports, cell phones, and other gear. Everything is easy to access, especially when you’re in a hurry, say, passing through airport security. The biggest drawback is the bag’s lack of a serious waist belt, as I discovered on a recent 13-day trip to Norway. I’d read warnings about shoulder pain online, but ultimately chose good looks over comfort (waist belts make anyone with any semblance of hips automatically look 40 pounds heavier). My boyfriend’s Tortuga, by contrast, has a real waist belt—sturdy and padded. Ask us again in a year, but I’m pretty sure he’ll come out the victor in this equation.

  • Clothes

    It’s a good thing normcore is trendy right now, because that’s how I’m dressing on this trip. I’ve chosen a basic color palette (blue, black, and gray) and shopped at basic stores: Gap (two pairs of jeans, a chambray shirt, a leather belt, a long-sleeve tee, a runner’s hoodie), Uniqlo (two sleeveless tees, socks, and underwear), Everlane (four V-necks), Town Shop (two bras), and Lands’ End (a swimsuit and coverup). For special occasions, I have a maxi dress from Anthropologie. The only punch of color comes from a scarf, which can be worn in the evenings to ward off chill or in the daytime to go temple hopping.

    How do I fit it all? Eagle Creek compression cubes, one of the best investments any traveler can make.

  • Shoes

    Everyone has an opinion on what shoes to pack. But I decided that the most popular recommendations—hiking boots, Tevas, Crocs, and flip-flops—were either too heavy to lug around and/or hideously ugly. After much consideration, I decided to go with two pairs of Toms (basic black and blue); they’re the only shoes I can walk all day in and still be comfortable. They’re versatile, easy to launder, and keep your feet covered in more polluted areas. The only thing Toms can’t do is handle rain, which is where the rubberized Chucks come in. Though heavier than I would like, I’ve been impressed by how cool and dry they keep my feet on rainy days.

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  • Makeup

    At home, I’m a makeup junkie. But for this trip, I’m going as close to all-natural as I can stand without wanting to punch a mirror. In the bag: Nars’ Radiant Cream Compact Foundation and Translucent Light-Reflecting Setting Powder, pitch-black waterproof liner from Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Eyes, one eyeshadow palette (Clinique’s Neutral Territory 2), two mascaras (Benefit’s They’re Real! and Cover Girl’s Clump Crusher by LashBlast), one concealer (Benefit’s Stay Don’t Stray), one luminizer (Benefit’s Girl Meets Pearl), Smith’s minted rose lip balm, M.A.C. lipstick in Russian Red, bobby pins and hair elastics (’cause, again, 100-degree heat), and roll-on Cleopatra perfume from Tocca.

  • Toiletries

    Lots of usual suspects here, including contacts, glasses, deodorant, floss, tweezers, clippers, Aleve, Immodium, dry shampoo, earplugs, Q-tips, and sunscreen. Since tampons are harder to come by in some of the countries we’ll be visiting, I switched to a Diva Cup. I also picked up a GoGirl “urination device”, which helps you pee while standing up (ideal for squat toilets and unsavory public bathrooms), as well as the ridiculously named Lady Anti Monkey Butt anti-friction powder, a satiny-smooth cornstarch and calamine blend that helps minimize chafing in sweaty climates. Alas, I was so embarrassed by the prospect of border control seeing Monkey Butt’s goofy packaging, I transferred the pink powder to a clear plastic container.

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  • Jewelry

    They say that you should never pack anything you truly care about. I mostly agree, but on this trip I am making one exception: my double tear drop gold ring with tourmaline stones from Mociun. It was a gift and I love it and I never leave the house without it. The rest of my jewelry is pretty minimalist: a thin gold ring, a skinny hammered gold bracelet, and a simple hammered brass necklace, all from In God We Trust. It’s just enough adornment not to feel naked but not so much bling that I make myself a target.

  • Day Gear

    A great day bag is essential when traveling. This Cuyana leather tote is chic but not flashy, deep enough to hold all of my stuff but not so deep that I can never find anything, and made of supple, easy-to-roll-and-pack leather. Inside I keep a tube of MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo; a YSL Radiant powder compact; vintage sunglasses, coin purse, and wallet; a cute Japanese notebook, ideal for tracking daily spending and scribbling quick notes; a lightweight Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX 100 point-and-shoot; and an F1 neon X-ray passport wallet, which holds my passport, boarding passes, proof-of-immunization card, extra 2x2 photos for visas on arrival, and receipts.

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