Digital Nomad Packing List

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First of All, What is a Digital Nomad

According to Urban Dictionary.com, a digital nomad is “one who derives income remotely and online, rather than from commuting to an office. This enables the digital nomad to not need a permanent home base, and she/he can travel anywhere at any time. Often find them couch-surfing, living in hostels, with friends, or in third world countries where rent is cheap.”

Digital Nomads, since they work remotely, have flexibility in where they want to live and can work from anywhere, as long as they have access to the internet. Many people will take advantage of this and move permanently abroad to a country with an extremely low cost of living. Others prefer to travel more frequently, staying in hostels, inexpensive hotels/accommodations, trailers/caravans/tiny homes, or on friends’ and family’s couches around the world. This allows them to go to new place every few weeks.

How do I Become a Digital Nomad

In order to be a Digital Nomad, you first need a position where you work remotely. Almost any type of remote work lends itself to being flexible to become a digital nomad. You can choose to do this full-time or part time, depending on how frequently you wish to travel. Some companies will hire remote employees full-time, which provides income stability while maintaining that flexibility in locations. Many of these companies will still require you to be online during certain hours, so be conscious of your time zones. This type of remote work has become significantly more common since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The most common digital nomads you will find, however, are self-employed. This can take on various forms, whether they own an online business or blog, or take on freelance contract work in various lines of business like writing, design, photography, or consulting. Since they are their own boss, they can dictate when and where they work.

Next, consider your travel plans. Where do I want to travel to? How frequently do I want to travel? Do I plan on traveling every few weeks or moving permanently and establishing a new home base abroad? Do I need to apply for any travel visas? What are my upfront costs? How much will my anticipated expenses be per month? What is my current monthly (or annual) income and how do I expect that to change over the next year? Do I need any vaccines or medication refills before traveling? What am I going to do with everything that I am not taking with me? Do I have a pet? Do I plan on traveling with this pet? If so, what do I need to do to make sure I can bring them with me? If not, how do I rehome this pet?

Once you have the answers to these questions you can seriously start preparing to become a digital nomad.

What are the Essentials I Need to be a Digital Nomad

This can change based on where you plan on traveling to. So first, do your research on the climate of where you’re heading and pack appropriately. If you choose to head back home prior to major weather change, it can offer you more flexibility in packing as well. Certain items like toiletries and first aid items can frequently be purchased upon arrival, however that’s up to you if you rather travel with them versus buy upon arrival at every (or almost every) destination.

Also, this list is meant as a general guideline. Tailor it to you based on your field of work and where you plan on traveling to. If your line of business or clientele is more formal, pack more formal than casualwear, or vice versa as the case may be. Also, the number of outfits you pack will vary significantly based on how you travel. Long term travel or permanent moves will require more outfits and a larger suitcase than short term travel. Or you will have to do laundry more frequently.

For your convenience, a PDF download version of our guided packing list is available at the end of the page.

Living Essentials:

  • Clothes
    • Everyday outfits. Recommended about 1 week of clothes (t-shirts, long sleeve shirts or button downs, blouses, skirts, dresses, pairs of shorts, jeans, trousers, leggings etc.)
    • 1-2 Bathing suits
    • 2 Pajamas or sleepwear
    • 1-2 Hoodies
    • 1 Rain jacket or poncho
    • Several pairs of socks
    • Several pairs of underwear
    • 1 Business professional outfits (suits, professional dresses, jackets etc.)
    • Weather pending: 1 cold weather/snow jacket
    • Several reusable masks
  • Shoes
    • 1 Pair of dress shoe
    • 1 Pair of walking/everyday/athletic shoe (should be very durable and of high quality)
    • 1 Pair of shower shoes (flip flop/thong)
    • 1 Seasonally appropriate shoe (boots if cold/wet/snow, sandals if hot. Again should be very durable and of high quality)
    • Optional: 1 Pair of house shoes/slippers
  • Accessories:
    • 1-2 Belts
    • 1 Hat with brim (like a baseball cap)
    • Watch
    • Sunglasses & case
    • Scarf, sarong, and/or multifunction garment (like Buff™ brand multifunctional headwear)
    • Seasonal appropriate accessories: snow gloves, snow hat, snow scarf
    • Optional: Small selection of jewelry (and an appropriate case to store it in)
  • Toiletries
    • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
    • Shampoo, conditioner, soap (save space on liquids and consider switching to a bar shampoo, conditioner, and/or soap. You won’t have to worry about liquid size on flights and they frequently last longer than their bottled equivalent. If traveling with liquid, store in refillable container)
    • Facewash/skincare products
    • Makeup & makeup remover
    • Sunscreen with SPF
    • Deodorant/antiperspirant
    • Hairbrush/comb
    • Hair styling products (hair pins, elastics, gel etc.)
    • Contacts, glasses, prescription information & eye care (drops, containers etc.)
    • Lip balm
    • Hand lotion
    • Hand sanitizer
    • Nail clippers and nail file
    • Shaving razor and/or travel hair trimmer
    • Period product (recommend something reusable like a cup or period underwear that can be washed, sanitized, and reused as this saves packing space compared to disposable products. However pack whatever you’re most comfortable with)
    • Quart sized clear plastic bag for liquids and aerosols (have a few if using disposable. Consider buying clear but sturdier reusable ones)
    • Toiletry bag (consider a hanging one to keep everything dry and accessible)
  • Miscellaneous
    • Passport & travel documents (visas, tickets, travel insurance, vaccination documents, paper photocopies etc.)
    • Bank documents (credit cards/debit cards/contact info etc.)
    • Reusable water bottle
    • Travel wallet, cash, coin purse
    • Travel first aid kit
    • Any prescription medication & refill documents
      • Include any over-the-counter medicine if not already in first aid kit like
        • Acetaminophen/Paracetamol
        • Ibuprofen
        • Antacid
        • Allergy medication
    • 1 Travel towel (Turkish or microfiber. If have space can bring one set which includes: 1 body/hair towel, 1 hand towel, 1 washcloth)
    • Travel sewing kit for quick mending (include safety pins)
    • S-Biner
    • Carabiner
    • Multitool
    • Lightweight packable tote bag
    • Eye mask, earplugs, and travel neck pillow
    • Drybags to store your backup/emergency documents
    • Optional:
      • Travel utensils with storage case (spork, chopsticks)
      • Deck of cards
      • Flashlight/head lamp
      • Duct tape
      • Goggles

Work Essentials & Tech Gear:

  • Electronics
    • 1-2 Universal power converter travel adapter
    • Laptop, charger, and sleeve
    • External hard drive or USB Stick (and/or additional cloud storage if you save all of your files including photos and videos in a cloud)
    • USB converters (ex: USBA-C to Micro-USB, USB-C to USB-A, Apple™ Lightning to Micro-USB, Apple™ Lightning to Headphone Dongle etc.)
    • Mini universal USB car adapter
    • Smart Phone/iPhone™ & charger
    • Retractable ethernet cable
    • Retractable HDMI cable
    • All wires and wall chargers associated with your electronics
    • Power bank portable charger (optional feature: solar portable power bank changer)
    • Hot spot (either on phone or separate USB style stick)
    • 1 pair of noise canceling Bluetooth™ Headphones
    • Electronics organizer or drybag to contain all your wires, chargers, and make them easily accessible and dry
    • Optional: portable USB/Bluetooth™ keyboard, mouse, and laptop stand
    • Optional: phone stand/tripod
    • Optional: rugged (durable & waterproof) Bluetooth™ speaker
    • Optional: small grounded power strip that can plug into travel adapter
      • This will allow you charge more items at once with fewer universal power converters
    • Optional: compact camera and/or GoPro™
      • Make sure you include appropriate memory cards, chargers, batteries, case, and accessories
  • SIM Card for whatever country you are in. (If needed and can be swapped based on your current phone plan and where you are traveling. This may have to be purchased or rented upon arrival. If your phone plan does not working and SIM card cannot be swapped, consider renting a phone for the duration of your stay. Otherwise you are tied to only being accessible on WIFI. You cannot use phone as hotspot if do not have data plan in that country.)
  • WhatsApp™ or a similar app to be reachable regardless of what country you’re in. Can also use apps like Messenger by Facebook™, Hangouts by Google™, Telegram™, Viber™, WeChat™ etc. Whichever app you choose, we highly recommend setting it up prior to leaving.
  • Spotify™, Audible™, or your preferred music, audiobook, & podcast streaming service(s)
  • Business cards & card holder (if keeping separate from your wallet)
    • Include the appropriate email, phone/WhatsApp™ numbers, and website/social media information
  • Pens. We suggest bringing two to start but can always buy more
  • One Sharpie™ or permanent marker
  • Small notebook
  • Optional: Portable travel safe for valuables

Nice to Haves but Not Necessarily Essential

  • Hot travel mug
  • Travel blanket
  • E-Reader/Kindle Paperwhite™/iPad™
  • Laundry bag

Things I Should Consider Leaving at Home

  • Books. They can get heavy easily and take up space. We recommend that you stick to e-books or audiobooks to save on space.
  • Laundry detergent.  This can be bought upon arrival. If staying in a hotel with amenities, you have the option of taking advantage of hotel laundry/dry cleaning services as well.
  • Refillable razors. Depending on where you’re traveling to, local refills will not be compatible with what you brought. Consider going with cheap disposables upon arrival.

How Do I Choose My Luggage

So choosing what luggage is best for you will all depend on where you’re traveling to. You could go with:

  • One checked bag & one backpack as your carry-on bag
  • Zero checked bags & one backpack & one carry-on sized suitcase
  • One bag, like a hiking backpack, that can fit everything.

No matter what, a durable backpack is absolutely essential for a digital nomad lifestyle. It will double as your carry on luggage (or your only/main bag). All, or almost all, your work items will be packed an easily accessible here (unless it is your only bag, then it’ll have everything). Ideally it should:

  • Have a TSA™-approved padlock or combination lock
  • Be comfortable and durable
  • Be water resistant
    • If it isn’t water resistant or you’re traveling somewhere that gets heavy rainfall, consider packing a backpack rain cover
  • At minimum have one water bottle pocket or pouch, but two is better

Keep in mind that wheels will be more of a struggle in areas with high pedestrian traffic or not-as-well maintained sidewalks. Larger rolling luggage or a checked bag will also mean you have to check into your accommodation sooner rather than later upon arrival as they are harder to travel locally with. Therefore, many digital nomads choose to go with the one bag luggage option as this affords the most flexibility when traveling. However, go with what makes sense for you, where you want to travel, and how you travel.

In addition to all of these you should consider having a small purse or similar daypack, packed away, for times when you are out but don’t want all your stuff with you. Depending on how you are packing, this daypack could count as a personal item in addition to your carryon bag while flying.

Helpful Packing Tips

  • Label everything with your name (and contact info when appropriate). Sew in labels into garments, print labels or label your electronics and other valuables with permanent marker. Have luggage tags on all your bags. Label everything.
  • Packing cubes or compression sacks designed for clothes can be useful in organizing you belongings (and might even give you a little extra packing space).
  • If checking luggage, keep one emergency outfit in your backpack or carry-on in case it gets lost (in general this can also be good if you get caught in inclement weather or just need a last-minute outfit change)
  • Keep all important documents on you at all times
  • Keep quick access items like lip balm and hand sanitizer in your carry-on and/or day bag where it is easily accessible at all times
  • Look at your chargers and bring as few as possible if multiple electronics utilize the same style charger
    • Make sure these cords are extra long though so you can reach wherever an outlet is

Digital Nomad Lifestyle Tips

Take advantage of public WIFI hotspots and co-working spaces to work when out and about whenever possible. It’s a great way to make connections, meet new people, and socialize in a new environment.

Establish a trusted person as an emergency contact, especially for a medical emergency, and have their information saved in multiple places like your phone, wallet etc. Ideally you should have one person in your home country or city and an additional person in your current place, but when first moving your primary emergency contact will most likely be a trusted friend, family member, or coworker from home.

When thinking about what clothes and shoes you are packing, thing about comfort and durability. Make sure your clothes do not need ironing to maintain and shy away from white or similar colors that stain more easily. Plan to laundry more frequently so you do not waste precious space by packing a months worth of clothing.

Shoes should be extremely comfortable, durable, and multipurpose as they’ll see a lot of wear and tear. This will allow you to pack fewer pairs and have more space when packing

When in doubt, only pack what would be expensive to replace. Everything else can be purchased as you go. Less is more.

When getting ready to relocate, thing about what you have and if you want/need it at your new destination. Check out local Facebook groups or other community groups if you have things to donate or are looking to trade goods with people who are just arriving.

Did we miss any of your favorite travel items or packing tips? Comment down below! And if you’re ready to start packing your digital nomad backpack, click here to download our Digital Nomad Packing List and don’t forget to tag us on social media with #HOJDigitalNomad or @HomeOfficeJoy

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