Six Months In: Sabbatical Packing List Changes I Had to Make On the Road

Every new traveler thinks they’ve nailed the perfect packing list. My original sabbatical packing list turned out to be pretty good. But in the first month or so of my trip, it seemed like I couldn’t turn my head without something in my pack getting lost or broken. As soon as the last thing got replaced, something new would need fixing. And then there are all the toiletries I had planned on restocking on the road.

So as I rounded the halfway point of my year-long round-the-world trip, I took another look at what’s inside my backpack. What had I added? Did I get rid of any items I didn’t need? Just how often does you have to restock things like shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant? How often do things get lost and broken? Read on to see the sabbatical packing list changes that affected me after six months of full-time travel.

Things I Replaced

Flip-flops

My beloved Crocs sandals broke a strap not two weeks into my trip. I am super picky about sandals and didn’t replace them until I found an exact match at a Crocs store in Dubrovnik. I paid way too much money, but was so pleased to have what I really wanted. So when that pair got lost (or possibly stolen) in Nepal, I threw my hands up in defeat. Once I arrived in Thailand, I just bought a crappy pair of flip-flops for $2. They were unattractive and rubbed blisters like hell but there was just no way I could bring myself to spend any more money on shoes at that point.

The verdict: Test your shoes’ quality thoroughly before leaving. Expect one of three pairs to get lost at some point during the trip and be prepared to come up with a cheap replacement.

Jeans

After a few months, my jeans proved that stretch denim that can only take so much. The inner thighs got torn all to hell and it was downright embarrassing to walk around with them looking like that. Once I got to London in October, I chucked those jeans in the bin and bought a replacement pair.

The verdict: I fully believe jeans are worth packing on your sabbatical. Check the tags to see exactly how much denim is in your jeans.

Cardigan

Technically, the cardigan I’m traveling with is not the one I planned on packing. I brilliantly left that hanging on the closet door at home. I spiraled hard and then bought a new one the first week of my trip.

The verdict: For any items you plan on packing at the last minute, make a list on brightly colored paper and tape it to your front door. Make it as attention grabbing as possible so you don’t swan out on departure day with anything missing.

Short sleeve t-shirt

One of my biggest complaints about hostels in Southeast Asia was the fact that they all offered laundry service instead of laundry facilities. I would typically rather do my own laundry, whether in a machine or a sink, but I felt expected to use the service. Usually the worst thing that came of this was losing a few bucks and getting my clothes back in a lot of unnecessary plastic. But on one occasion, my laundry was not all returned to me. The owner of the hostel tried to help, but since the laundry service was outsourced, there was only so much he could do. Failing the recovery of one of my t-shirts, I went out and bought a new one.

The verdict: Expect to replace at least one shirt along the way. Do your own laundry whenever possible, and if you’re concerned about anything getting lost, ask your hostel what the process for their laundry service is.

Sarong

In my hurry to deboard quickly, I lost my sarong — which also serves as a scarf, blanket, shawl, and even towel sometimes — the first week of my trip. It took ages to find a good replacement and then that one vanished in Vietnam.

The verdict: Always, always, always double check your seat before you get off a plane, train, or bus.

Sunglasses

I left home with a snazzy pair of folding sunglasses. I was so proud of this little space saver. But all those joints meant the glasses were pretty weak. About two months into my trip, they snapped right in half. I debated trying to repair them, but didn’t have any superglue. Instead, I bought a pair of regular sunglasses they served me well for the rest of the trip.

The verdict: Folding sunglasses are not worth the little bit of space you save. Stick to a regular pair.

Shampoo

My original bar of Lush solid shampoo got forgotten in a hostel shower in Croatia. I bought a bottle of liquid shampoo at a pharmacy once I reached Montenegro, and purposefully used it up by the time I finished my overland travels in Europe. Once I landed in London, I was able to cheaply replace my Lush bar. That second bar of solid shampoo held me over through the rest of my trip.

The verdict: Solid shampoo is the best — it lasts for months and months. Just don’t ever leave it in the shower. Any toiletries should stay in your toiletry bag unless they are actively in use.

Soap and soap case

My first bar of soap met the same fate as my solid shampoo in Croatia. I purchased a bar at the same pharmacy in Montenegro, stored it in a Ziploc bag, and used it up over the course of the next 2 months. When my partner joined me in Nepal in November, he brought along 2 bars of Dr. Bronner’s and a new soap case.

The verdict: Restock bar soap approximately once every 3 months.

Sunscreen

I waited until I was done with flights for a while to buy a full bottle of sunscreen. It lasted me through about 3 months. I took a similar approach with overland travel in Southeast Asia.

The verdict: Restock sunscreen approximately once every 3 months.

Purel wipes

I used up the last of my sanitizer wipes and bought a replacement pack in London in October. I bought a second replacement pack in late January in Vietnam.

The verdict: Restock sanitizer wipes approximately once every 3 months.

Deodorant

My travel size deodorant lasted roughly 3 months. I bought a full size stick at a supermarket in Dubrovnik and stuck with it for most of the remaining trip.

The verdict: Travel size deodorant lasts 3 months. Full size deodorant probably lasts twice as long.

Toothbrush

I replaced my toothbrush at the 6 month mark, as recommended by dentists.

The verdict: Toothbrushes are very easy and inexpensive to replace. Restock every 6 months.

Tissue packet

I’m not sure when I used the last of my Kleenex exactly. But it was certainly by October as I was saddled with a cold and had to buy more tissues at a Boots in London. I later reached a point where I would just travel with just a wad of toilet paper in my purse and tear off bits for the bathroom and nose blowing as needed.

The verdict: Buy tissues and/or toilet paper as needed. In Southeast Asia, I found you have about a 50/50 chance of there being tissue in the bathroom.

Tampons

I relied on period underwear for most of my menstrual needs, but on heavy days I did still have to use a tampon. I left with enough tampons to cover my first cycle or two, and replaced the supply three times in six months.

The verdict: In some parts of the world, tampons are less common. I strongly recommend switching to a menstrual cup and using period underwear like Thinx as a backup.

Razor

At home, I replace my razor every three months. During my sabbatical, I slacked on these restocks.

The verdict: Do as I say, not as I do.

Toothpaste

My travel size toothpaste lasted about six weeks. I bought one more travel size tube and six weeks later restocked that with a full size tube. Fun fact: a full size tube of toothpaste is 100 ml and therefore abides by TSA regulations.

The verdict: Travel size toothpaste lasts one to two months. Full size toothpaste lasts less than six months.

Credit cards

One of my credit cards was due to expire while I was traveling. Fortunately, it expired the month I knew my partner would be joining me. I had it mailed to the house and he brought it to Nepal for me, along with another card that had updated to a chip.

The verdict: Keep an eye on any expiration dates and put a plan in place for receiving the replacement. Or plan to use a different card.

Charging cables

I went through so many charging cables in Europe, it’s not even funny. To save space I thought I’d use the same cable for my phone and my laptop. It works okay, but puts a lot of pressure on that single cable. My first charger cable stopped working entirely after one month. I bought a second and found it was defective, so bought a third nicer one the same day. That cable lasted about 6 weeks when it started charging much more slowly than usual. I bought a fourth charger cable and hung onto the weak cable as a backup for about two months. When my partner joined me in Nepal, I had him bring me two new cables. Luckily those lasted the rest of the trip.

The verdict: Pack more than one USB charging cable from the get go. You probably have more than one at home anyway and it’s not like an extra cord really takes up that much more space.

Things I Added

Two warmer tops

When I left the United States, I expected to be sticking to warm weather destinations. The Mediterranean in summer, Southeast Asia in what would be winter back home. But when I decided to spend October in London instead of Istanbul, my packing list was not prepared. I needed clothes that were both dressier and warmer than what I had with me. I took a mini shopping spree on Regent Street after arriving and bought my replacement jeans, a chunky pullover sweater (which was sent home with my partner after he met me in Nepal), and a nice long sleeve tee. I still wear this extra long sleeve tee a lot when I’m in more conservative countries.

The verdict: If you make big changes to your itinerary, your packing list might not meet your needs.

A second pair of leggings

I knew I’d need a base layer for trekking in Nepal, so I had my partner bring along a set of silk thermals as well as an extra pair of leggings when he met me in November. While the thermals went back home with him after the trek, I hung onto the leggings. They make good pajamas and add extra coverage to dresses when I need more conservative clothing.

The verdict: Leggings are great for layering and multi-purpose wear. It’s worth having more than one pair in your bag.

Elephant pants

Yes, I bought a pair of elephant pants. I bought a pair of elephant pants on Khao San Road. Hate if you must, but these it’s a bit of a backpacking rite of passage. I picked these up when a friend joined me in Bangkok one night and wanted to go shopping together. It was an impulse souvenir purchase but I actually wore them quite frequently. They were perfect for overnight buses and trains in Southeast Asia.

The verdict: Don’t be afraid to buy souvenir clothes. Just limit it to one or two pieces.

A third sundress

At the end of my trek in Nepal, we had dinner plans with our tour group to go out to a nicer restaurant. I took literally everything but the tank top and leggings I was wearing to the hotel laundry service and didn’t check on how long it would take to be ready. In need of a change of clothes for dinner, I just popped into a shop and bought myself a dress. I love dresses for travel, so the purchase was far from a waste. And today, I wear it to the office and always say “Oh thanks, I found this in Nepal.”

The verdict: If you’re using a laundry service, ask beforehand what time you can pick up.

Duct tape and superglue

As detailed above, I’ve had things break on the road. Why I didn’t have duct tape and superglue with me from the beginning I’ll never understand. I asked my partner to bring me some of each in November. They don’t see a lot of use, but it’s good to know they’re there!

The verdict: Pack duct tape. Pack super glue. If you have to buy them on the road, you may have to do some digging.

Laundry powder

My laundry soap sheets were okay for doing laundry in the sink, but sometimes my hostel would provide a machine. The only catch is you had to bring your own soap. One of the other many things I asked my partner to bring me when we met up in Nepal was a Ziploc bag with just a little laundry powder in it. Bless his heart, he filled a quart size bag as full as it could be. It was a bit cumbersome to pack, but preferable to not having any laundry soap.

The verdict: Pack a small bag of laundry soap. Do not trust anyone else to understand what you mean by a small bag.

Books

At the time of my sabbatical, I had not yet come around to e-readers. I tried to use apps to read on my phone or the small laptop I carried, but it just wasn’t the same. Neither was journaling in a Google Doc instead of a notebook. When I had a two-day boat trip down the Mekong River planned in December, I knew I needed proper books. I bought two paperbacks in a bookstore and a proper journal at a market in Thailand.

The verdict: Pack the Kindle, but don’t underestimate the magic of putting pen to paper for your journaling.

Things I Removed

Colgate Wisps

I used to love Wisps for long flights and layovers, but they got used up fast and they’re not as easy to replace as a toothbrush.

The verdict: Revisiting this post years later, I honestly forgot Wisps even existed! There is no need for extra disposables like this. The only time to use them would be in a situation where you don’t have access to water.

Clarifying shampoo

I packed a small bottle for treating Blue Lagoon hair in Iceland. I wound up not going to the Blue Lagoon and just left it behind in the hostel so I wouldn’t have to take up any more space in my bag.

Conditioner

I know I should use it regularly, but on my sabbatical… I didn’t