Here’s a perplexing scenario, you’re living in a country where the humidity makes temperatures reach 100 degrees Farenheit in the summer. 

You’re sweating steaming bullets out of every orifice of your body yet no matter how many corner stores you search, you can’t turn up one deodorant.

This was a common experience for me while I was teaching English in rural China. Fortunately, I’d read about these issues prior to traveling and packed about three sticks. Not just deodorant but anti-perspirant as well. 

I’m a sweater and my foresite saved my students from smelling laowai (Chinese slang for foreigner) musk every morning. I don’t know what it was about my students, but they never seemed to sweat that much. Perhaps that’s why deodorant was hard to find.

Despite this fortunate decision to pack deodorant, I otherwise overpacked for my initial stay in the People’s Republic of China – and for many subsequent trips abroad after. This meant before my trip home I was basically jumping on my suitcase crammed full of goods and gifts I wanted to bring home at the end of the year.

This situation is very avoidable and I created this guide for you, fellow explorer, to help you better prepare what you pack when traveling abroad.

Rule 1: Pack Light, You Need Less Than You Think

If there’s one lesson I want to pound into your head, it’s that if you think you are overpacking you probably are overpacking. 

Most people would be surprised how long they can go on very little. I just did three months in Argentina on nothing more than a carry-on bag and a backpack.

Below, I’ll explain a couple of areas you can go light on when packing.

Go Easy on the Toiletries

This is where most travelers way overpack. The world has modernized to the point where the majority basic necessities like toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and shaving materials can be found in any convenience store down the street.

By packing your own toiletries you mostly run the risk of getting stopped by airport security for having too much liquid on the plane. Unless you have a rare skin condition that requires special pharmaceutical shampoo, I’d forgo bringing any. However, again, China has the weird issue with deodorant. Do a bit of research ahead of time.

Bring Enough Currency For One to Two Weeks

While most countries today give you relatively easy bank transfers if you’re with a major bank, you still might want to bring along some free cash. You never know if things will go wrong with your bank in the first week or so.

Travelers’ note 1: If you haven’t called your bank/credit card provider and told them you are traveling, make sure to do so. Even if you do, there’s still a decent chance that the first purchase you make with your card abroad gets declined, especially if you try to do it on a local website.

Travelers’ note 2: You can exchange the currency in your pocket at most airports but you can expect a less-than-favorable rate. In Argentina, you can expect to get exactly half the money you’re supposed to receive if you exchange at the airport.

Bring an Unlocked Cell Phone

Today, it’s pretty hard to get around without a cell phone. And if you plan to stay in any country for a while, it’s becoming much more difficult to function without a local phone number.

Outside the US, due to the absence of drivers’ licenses and zip codes, many nations use phone numbers as proof of residency and more. In China, it’s basically impossible to function without a phone because most payments are done through phone applications like WeChat or AliPay.

If you don’t want to play travel on hard mode, bring a phone with you and make sure that phone is not unlocked. Then grab the first temporary SIM card you can find in the airport.

Some travelers like to get on global data plans. This seems convenient but you’ll usually pay substantially more than local SIM prices. You’ll also likely get worse coverage. I’d go for the local SIM.

What’s a locked phone?

SIM locks go by many names: 

• Simlocks
• Network locks
• Carrier locks
• Subsidy locks 

They are all restrictions built into mobile phones by manufacturers. They are used by service providers (Sprint, Verizon, China Mobile, etc) to restrict the use to specific countries and/or networks. It’s a barbarous practice, in my opinion. Meant to limit competition and mobility.

Fortunately, most locked mobile phones can be unlocked to work with any Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network provider. However, even if you manage to unlock it, the phone may not support features of your new carrier. And, of course, you’ll void any warranty you have with your provider.

But hey, when’s the last time anyone used their warranty? I sure haven’t.

Pack Light, Optimal Clothing

You want to look nice on your trip, but you likely can do this with less clothing than you think. I suggest you pack enough for about a week. You’ll probably overestimate and pack for two anyway.

The key is to pack gear that can be used for multiple functions. Get a sweater or two that looks nice for semi-professional occasions but is genuinely warm and can be a strong base layer in cold climates. I’m talking about nice wool or thick-knit cotton crew neck. Neutral colors.

We’re also blessed to live in the era of tech gear. North Face, Patagonia, Arcteryx, Columbia, this kind of thing. High quality, breathable garments that function well in both sports and as casual wear. Uniqlo is one cheaper provider I suggest to anyone.

Basic Garments

This list is skewed towards men as this is my area of expertise but I think many of these can apply for the ladies too.

I strongly advise every explorer to get an Under Armour type long sleeve thermal shirt as well as some sort of leggings. These are great because they can be used for physical activity and also are amazing to wear under your clothes in cold weather. If you layer right with: 

• An Under Armour base layer
• A thick sweater on top
• A wind breaker over everything else

Then you’ll be able to endure pretty cold weather, even slightly below freezing. This can save you from needing to pack a heavy winter coat unless you’re going to an extreme climate.

I would also suggest:

• A durable pair of joggers (not fuzzy ones, get them in some kind of polyester sweat wicking material)
• A strong pair of blue jeans or slacks that are fashionable, relatively windproof, and easy to move in.
• A raincoat
• Some type of tough, warm, windproof jacket
• At least one pair of good wool socks
• A flannel button-up shirt
• Esp. for guys, some polyester underwear that doesn’t chafe your thighs while walking. Any underwear that rides to your thighs will chafe after a couple miles if you have any meat down there.

Shoes

Get:

• A pair of shoes you can walk in and wear them into the ground
• A pair of solid rubber sandals you can walk in
• A pair of comfortable casual shoes

Many travelers kill all the birds with one stone by getting hiking boots. I personally find most hiking boots ugly as sin and make do by having one pair of athletic shoes and one pair of casual, quality leather shoes. Both of these options look better in a casual setting and don’t scream “I’m a backpacker.”

Leather shoes are also slightly water resistant and will serve you well provided you don’t wade out in a downpour. In tropical climates like Vietnam

Again, remember to pack slightly less than you need. You’ll likely pick up some things on your trip you’ll wish you had room to pack out down the line.

Pack Everything Into Carry On

You’re not bringing much so you need to pack light. Fortunately, you’re afforded a decent amount of space in carryon. There’s a whole art to purchasing and packing a good carryon bag.

The general size in the US is 22 x 14 x 9. Most international airlines follow similar standards so you don’t need to pull out the ruler for other regions.

Your choices are going to be either a classic, two-wheel canvas bag or a four wheel hard-shell.

While four wheel hard shells are fashionable, you need to make sure that they have large enough wheels. I’ve bought hard shell bags with tiny wheels and they require way too much effort to move. They also only work well on smooth, even surfaces and many countries don’t offer much of that.

You’ll notice most flight attendants pack on the cloth, two-wheel variety. They are generally faster to move and sources say you can pack more into them due to the expansive nature of cloth.

Hopefully, this is enough for you to get started. I plan to interview more travelers and keep this article updated down the line.

Happy exploring!