A Year in Asia: What I Brought With Me

I successfully spent a year in Asia with nothing but a carry-on - so I thought i’d show you what I brought with me! NEVER did I expect to be a person who could live out of a 40L backpack. But I did, and loved it most of the time. I carried the Osprey Fairview backpack through six countries and it stored clothing for every type of occasion - from dancing in upscale beach resorts, to hiking a mountain and sunbathing on a new beach every other day. It’s wild to think I could fit it all, so here’s a breakdown.

Clothing

• Pants

  • 1 pair of denim shorts

  • 1 pair of denim jeans (purchased in Vietnam as sitting on a bike all day in shorts isn’t a pleasant experience)

  • 1 pair of leggings (also purchased in Vietnam - please see the above reasoning)

  • 2 pairs of patterned cotton drawstring shorts

  • 1 pair of dark green cotton shorts

  • 2 pair of embroidered shorts

  • 1 pair of long cotton pants (for temples!)

  • 2 pairs of patterned cotton pants (you guessed - for temples!)

  • White cotton pants (purchased while abroad!)

• Tops

  • 4 crop tops (1 white to match everything and 1 maroon + 2 more that I purchased while abroad)

  • 3 short sleeve white t-shirt (2 were purchased while traveling)

  • 1 off the shoulder white ruffle top

  • 1 white long sleeve shirt/hoodie

  • 1 oversized muscle t-shirt to act as pajamas

  • 1 going out blouse (purchased while abroad)

• Shoes

  • 1 pair of white Nikes

  • 2 pairs of sandals - 1 white and the other brown

• Other

  • 10 days worth of underwear and 1 bra. Laundry services are easy to find!

  • 3 maxi dresses (purchased while abroad!)

  • 1 sports bra and biker shorts (purchased abroad as I didn’t think to bring them with me)

  • 1 jumpsuit (not super practical but I fell in love with it while abroad and HAD to have it!)

  • 1 crochet vest

  • 4 bikini (3 were bought in Bali because it’s hard to have willpower)

  • 1 short dress

  • 1 beach cover up

  • 1 scarf (also for temples!)

  • 1 sweater (purchased in Vietnam because ya girl didn't know it could get THAT cold)

  • 1 tote bag

  • 1 pair of sunglasses

As you’ll see, I purchased a few things along the way which I added to a mid-sized duffel bag and was easy to carry with me. I brought this bag from home and it was completely empty, along with some space I left unfilled in my backpack. Everyone has different shopping habits, but I would plan on picking up a few things here and there. I personally needed a bit of a refresh while in Bali, and thought it’d be a good time to invest in some pieces that I know could fill some holes in my wardrobe! I love crop tops since they take up so little space, and white shorts match everything!

Along with clothing, toiletries are also needed. Everything I brought is listed below!

• Toiletries

• Shampoo/Conditioner bar

• Dry shampoo

• 1 bar of soap

• 1 toothbrush and toothy tabs

• A small selection of medicine - some midol, Tylenol and cough syrup

• Hairbrush

• Tweezers

• Nail Clippers and file

• Contacts, mini contact solution and eye glasses

• Charcoal skin cleansing bar

• Coconut oil (perfect for your hair and can be used as a makeup remover/moisturizer for your skin!)

• 1 body spray

• 1 deodorant

• Makeup (see here for the full breakdown!)

And as for the odds and ends, I also brought along a laptop, iPhone, needed chargers and a converter, 1 waterproof case, headphones, a journal and pen, travel documents and a travel wallet.

I do hope this helps! Just remember while packing, you want as much to match as possible. I chose a color palette and stuck with it - NO black, a lot of white and neutrals with a few bits of color here and there.