packing for 4 months In SOUTHEAST ASIA
We spent the last 4 months traveling around Southeast Asia as part of an extended honeymoon and had an amazing time! Prior to the trip one of the things that stressed me out the most was having to figure out what to bring in a backpack that would last me 4 months and many different climates, from Indonesia to Japan. I thought I would compile a list of what I took, the things I found most useful (and not) and what I would change next time to help some of you out there who are planning for similar long-term trips. I’ve linked the exact items as well in case you’re interested. I carried a 52L backpack just FYI.
CLOTHING
These were essentials during the trip and I love Everlane both for quality and for being ethically sourced.
5 TANK TOPS (navy, grey, peach, black, one athletic)
I ended up wearing the navy one as a sleep shirt because it was so soft! The two Madewell tanks were in regular rotation. The black tank was useful if we were going out to dinner and I wanted to dress up a bit without having to pack dresses or being too revealing for some of the countries we visited. I wore it with a bralette. The athletic one I’ve had it for years in purple and love it because it’s so lightweight/cool and dries almost instantly. I’m sure they still make something similar. *I probably could have taken 3 tanks and been completely fine*
1 PAIR JEANS
you really only need this if you are going somewhere colder, I only wore them in Japan. You don’t need if you are sticking to Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos/Indonesia
1 PAIR BLACK LEGGINGS
useful and would take again, usually I wore these on plane/train/bus rides but also if it was chilly at night for whatever reason
1 PAIR TWILL PANTS [not recommended]
I ended up leaving these behind a few weeks into the trip because they took up a lot of room and did NOT dry well. Also you really don’t need these since once you reach SE Asia you can buy yourself some awesome elephant pants for less than $5 which are more comfortable and on trend!
3 PAIRS SHORTS (denim, cloth, and athletic)
I took an old pair of jean shorts I had and bought the other two. The AE ones were great since they were so light. The black shorts from Patagonia I love, love, love – both so comfortable and also have the running underwear inside which means one less day of underwear that you have to haul with you everywhere!
2 SPORTS BRAS
This one is my fav at home and for travel too. Good for any hiking days/adventure trips and obviously if you want to work out while away.
2 REGULAR BRAS, 1 BRALETTE (+SOCKS and UNDERWEAR 1 wk supply)
Bralette because some days you just don’t want to wear a bra because it’s so freakin hot (#cambodia) and some shirts just look better with a bralette. I have this one in black. If I could do it again I would take one more bralette because it was AWESOME. For the other bra I opted for nude so I could wear with anything.
1 SKIRT [not necessary but may want]
Nice to have if you want to go out for dinner and dress up at some point, but not necessary. It’s also easy to buy skirts once you are over there and all the clothing in SE Asia is super affordable! The one I took I’ve had for years but it’s similar to this in color and style.
2 SWIMSUITS
Whatever you like but I would recommend 2 just so you can have some variety, especially if like us you are going for 4 months.
I ended up taking two bikinis that I bought at Aerie prior to the trip.
I simply took this one because its what I already had in my closet. I have an older version of this. You could take anything, and there are probably better ones out there for backpacking, etc. This came in useful in Indonesia mostly since it rained the entire time we were in Yogyakarta, Java.
1 LIGHT HOODIE/SWEATSHIRT
I just found this at Target a few days before we left. Just enough warmth for nights, but realistically again I used this mostly in Japan. Everywhere else stays warm day and night. You could take any lightweight hoodie.
Recommend. Useful for colder countries and also for throwing over your shoulders at night, covering your legs, you name it. I have the teal one and its beautiful.
These are sooo comfy!! Also trust me on this one – you are NOT going to want heavy pajama pants once you get over there!
SHOES
1 PAIR SNEAKERS/RUNNING SHOES
1 PAIR STURDY WALKING SANDALS
1 PAIR FLIP FLOPS
I used all 3 pairs of shoes. You can buy more flip flops if you need as you go along, they are cheap.
If you are planning on doing a lot of water sports you may want to consider waterproof walking sandals like Tevas, but I opted for the Birkenstocks instead because of the comfort! There was really only 1 time in the 4 months of traveling I wished I had water shoes. Otherwise the Birks were perfect!
TOILETRIES/OTHER
First Aid Kit – we use a weekend backpacker one from REI
Camera
Ipad Air – useful for the trip for reading and to store and edit photos
Kindle – definitely take one, you have plenty of reading time on buses/trains/car rides and lighter than taking books along
Iphone / earbuds
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Insect repellant
Toothbrush/toothpaste. Also toothbrush cover to avoid the toothbrush getting gross/smelly- these are great!
Contacts/glasses (I packed lots of spares since I’m pretty blind without them!)
Small hair brush/hair ties
Deodorant
Razor
Chapstick
Travel size shampoo/conditioner/soap – you can buy more over there, no point lugging a full size with you
Travel towel (we used our backpacking ones)
Passport-sized photos – you need these for any visas you have to get at the borders rather than ahead of time, take at least 5
Baseball Cap
I think that’s it! Hope this is helpful to you ladies in the shopping and packing process! Let me know how your adventures in Southeast Asia go!