Permanent sitters - what's on your packing list?

What an exciting journey you’re considering @topcat!

We had a similar plan 5 years ago, sold and donated 95% of our belongings, gave up the keys to our apartment and our car. We’re from the US but took off for a year in Europe. We did 18 house sits, visited 23 countries and 60 cities in that year. We loved it so much that we didn’t stop and have continued to be full time, digital nomad house sitters ever since.

As you mentioned, we’re ‘onebaggers’ and travel with a 36 litter backpack apiece. We started with it jam packed and quickly realized that it wasn’t sustainable. We now travel with extra space on our bags, keeping them around 15lbs (7 kg). It’s incredibly easy to move around and we rarely feel that we’re sacrificing!

Our biggest tip is to keep in mind that you can purchase small things along the way. For example, most house sits will welcome you to use a bit of their spice, but if they don’t have what you want, spending a couple dollars to buy what you want and then leave it behind might be worth not packing it. The same goes for toiletries, we pack about 1-2 ounces and then buy what we need when we arrive to a new spot. For us, it’s the cost of doing business :slightly_smiling_face:

We also pack our standard wardrobe, but for winter months we make a stop at a thrift store (charity shop) or department store and purchase a jacket, gloves, beanies, and thermals as needed. We donate everything once the weather warms up.

We do carry a few must have items that might not be considered must haves for everyone. Sergio travels with a video game controller and Shannon with a full-face set of makeup.

We have more information on our gear and packing lists, and happy to send a link to our series on how got rid of 95% of our belongings (and then even more once we started traveling), and tips on DIY packing cubes and travel containers :slight_smile:

We look forward to hearing more about your travel plans and how it works out! Happy travels!

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