Never miss out on all the essentials for your long-term trip with this ultimate travel packing list!
Last updated: 7 October 2026
It’s easy to book a flight and reserve a hostel stay, but the most daunting part of it all is hands-down packing for the trip, especially when you’re planning a long one. There’s nothing worse than constantly feeling like you’ve forgotten something, but can’t put a finger on it!
We know how important it is to have a checklist, so here’s one for you — not just to make the process a whole lot less painful, but also give you assurance that everything you need is packed and ready to go.
For your reference, we’ve even designed a handy, print-ready checklist for you at the end of this article — FREE of charge! And no fine print, okay? 😉
Also read: 10 Pre-trip Budget Travel Hacks All Travellers Must Know to Maximise Your Savings
Personal Essentials
1) Spacious (preferably theft-proof) Daypack
A good daypack is essential to get around with and keep everything in one place, while still having both hands free to navigate with ease. Plus, you don’t want to be that friend who has to keep asking other people to hold your things 😛
While we believe the world really isn’t as dangerous as it seems, solo travellers who want peace of mind can opt for bags with slash and theft-proof features, like the Bobby backpack (pictured).
2) Poncho / Umbrella
Don’t let inclement weather rain on your parade! We definitely recommend a proper raincoat poncho as opposed to an umbrella, since it’s usually more compact and you won’t be as affected by strong winds.
3) First-aid Kit
You never know when you’ll be hit by a bout of cold, or worse, diarrhoea from eating something wrong. Pack over-the-counter meds like Panadol, antihistamines and charcoal pills.
There’s also the risk of getting surface wounds on long-term trips, especially if you’re doing outdoor, adventurous or water activities! Trust us, we’re veterans in surfing, hiking, and even walking mishaps.
Aside from band-aids, we recommend packing scar protection products to ensure proper healing on long trips. With consistent use, they help flatten, soften and fade scars — even those that are red or raised.
CICA-CARE Silicone Gel and CICA-CARE Silicone Gel Sheet from Smith+Nephew aids with healing while keeping new or existing scars5,10,11 protected. The former is more suitable for harder to reach areas like your face or between your fingers, while the latter covers larger surface areas. Plus, they’re aesthetically discreet so the scars won’t be as noticeable on your travel photos!
4) Immunity Boosters
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but immunity boosters last way longer and are easier to pack. The bare minimum you should have is vitamin C tablets (slow-release ones are best), but other great immunity boosters include probiotics and garlic tablets to keep viruses at bay. These are pretty common in pharmacies, so you can always buy more on the go.
5) Wallet Essentials (Student, ATM, Credit Cards)
It’s common to activate your ATM and credit cards for overseas use nowadays, but many tend to leave their student cards at home subconsciously — don’t!
In some countries, you can save immensely on museum entrance fees or even get meal discounts, even if you’re not a student in a university there. Just make sure your matriculation card states the date of your enrolment. If it doesn’t (like NTU’s), bring your university-issued transport card along.
6) Tissues & Wet Wipes
You might chide your friend for being too auntie for bringing these, but you’d wind up needing to use them more than you think, be it to wipe surfaces, stains, or even sweat.
7) Photocopy (and Digital Copy) of Passport
Regardless of where you leave your actual passport, you never know what could happen to it, so it’s always good to keep both a hard and soft photocopy should any problems arise. We all want to travel for a long time, but we wouldn’t want to delay our return that long when we get detained.
8) Refillable Water Bottle
Photo credit: Vapur.us
Little costs can add up, and that includes the $1 or so that you would spend buying a bottle of water. In most countries, boiling tap water at the hostels to fill up your bottles is good enough, and free! Even better if you get compact foldable bottles like the Vapur anti-bottle pictured above.
9) Waterproof File for Important Documents
Though everything is becoming electronic, including your flight itineraries and such, hard copies act as an insurance in case your phone (touch wood) dies, or gets misplaced/stolen.
Apparel
10) 5 Days’ Worth of Clothing
The general rule of thumb is to pack at most five days’ worth of clothing, preferably in dark, neutral colours that go well with one another. You can always pack less for a lighter bag, in exchange for more laundry runs.
To save even more space, I generally rotate between two pairs of jeans (and maybe pack one pair of shorts for warmer days) — they go a long way without washing!
11) 1 Set of Dressier Clothes for Clubs
If you’re up for some partying any time during your trip, packing one set of clubbing attire for the occasion would suffice.
12) Comfortable Walking Shoes
We all want to look good for those Instagram photos, but backpacking seriously involves a lot of walking. Singaporeans travelling for the first time don’t tend to realise this because everywhere is so near for us.
If you’re travelling around Europe, it’s further exacerbated by high public transport fees and attractions generally clustered around one area anyway. Sturdy and waterproof hiking shoes would be ideal, but sneakers you don’t mind wearing out or getting dirt on would work well too, while still staying relatively stylish.
With that said, don’t forget to bring along a good number of socks too — about four to five pairs.
13) Stylish Shoes for Clubs
If you want to pack extra light, find shoes that are comfortable to walk in and dressy enough for the clubs. Or don’t go clubbing at all.
14) Slippers
If you’re staying in hostels, slippers are a must-have around the showers and other common areas!
15) Pyjamas / Sleepwear
For people who like sleeping more comfortably and/or don’t want to crumple their daywear by sleeping in it, pack a set or two of pyjamas — I usually go for oversized tees and cosy sweatpants.
Grooming
16) Hanging Toiletry Bag (with Toiletries)
Hanging toiletry bags might seem like a money-grabbing product made to capitalise on travellers, but the main benefit of bringing one for long-term travel is its aerating properties — imagine having moisture trapped in a fully sealed ziplock bag for extended periods of time. Yuck!
Besides a breathable bag for that reason, it’s best to get one that prevents spillages from seeping out too. Plus, you have the added convenience of staying organised, and a hanger so you won’t have to place it on grimy surfaces.
17) Microfibre Travel Towel
Budget hostels rarely provide bath towels to guests for free, so always have one packed in case. Microfibre towels roll up to be extremely compact and are quick-drying. You can even use them at the beach!
18) Individual Grooming Needs (Retainers, Contact Lens, etc.)
I once forgot to bring my retainers on a two-week trip — oh the nightmare! What’s worse if it’s a trip lasting more than a month?
Never forget to include your spectacles, contact lenses and whatnot in your packing list, especially if it’s hard to get replacements overseas.
19) Travel Detergent
Doing laundry on the go is a no-brainer, and easy-to-pack laundry sheets are convenient. Alternatively, you can keep detergent from your home in plastic bottles too (army trick, heh).
20) Multi-purpose Ointments (e.g. Vaseline, Papaw)
You don’t realise how much Singapore’s warm humidity protects your skin till you experience dry climates overseas. Always pack body lotion to apply at least once a day, and carry lip balm with you at all times — cracked lips hurt way more than you think!
21) Dry Shampoo
For those taking sleeper trains that often come without shower facilities, dry shampoo can make your journey a whole lot more comfortable without the sensation of annoyingly greasy hair.
22) Facial / Make-up Remover Wipes
Washing up is way easier with facial wipes while on the go. You can also achieve two in one with make-up remover wipes, which refresh and remove make-up after a long day.
Plus, you don’t have to carry additional cotton wool with the bottled liquid types — not the best idea if you don’t plan on checking in baggage!
Electronics
23) Power Banks (+ charging cable)
The batteries on your smartphones, cameras, etc, tend to deplete faster in extreme temperatures (especially single-digit temps and below). The last thing you want is to have your phone suddenly die mid-day, especially when you rely heavily on apps to get around.
Planes allow up to two carry-on power banks, which you can use to charge your phone and camera simultaneously at the destination; Sony cameras charge fine with just power bank juice (tried and tested!).
24) Camera (+ charger)
How else are you going to capture those awesome memories in crystal clear quality?
25) Smartphone (+ charger)
Unless you’re planning to be on a digital detox, this is a no-brainer essential.
26) Global SIM Card
Depending on your destination(s), you can get SIM cards that extend beyond the country itself. For example, most European carriers provide coverage across all EU countries, where you can even top up credit online. Having a local phone number will also come in handy.
Alternatively, you can get an eSIM for more convenience — especially if you’re paranoid of misplacing your local SIM card.
Read also: The Ultimate Guide to eSIM Cards When Travelling
27) Travel Adaptor and/or Extension Cord
You don’t need one travel adaptor for every device you have to charge. Innovative devices like the palm-sized MOGICS Power Bagel can double as a travel adaptor and extension cord, allowing you to charge up to seven devices at once. And it’s so tiny!
Handy Tools
28) Carabiners
I personally love using carabiners as portable hooks and hangers whenever needed, like using one on my daypack’s handle to hang my water bottle for easier access.
29) Duct Tape
Sorry, army boys with black tape PTSD — duct tape really is useful as a temporary solution to anything that breaks along the way.
30) Padlock
For hostel lockers that don’t provide a lock — these are a lot more common in South East Asia, but always good to have a spare padlock around.
31) Swiss Army Knife
IMPORTANT: always check in your baggage if you’re bringing a Swiss Army knife. There’ve been one too many stories of backpackers getting their expensive knives trashed at airports!
Packing Aids
32) Packing Cubes
You may think packing cubes are just commercial fluff, but they can go a long way in organising your backpack for your own convenience. Some packing cubes nowadays even have vacuum seal capabilities for extra compression!
33) Plastic Bags / Ziplock Bags
Things you can find in your own home, they’re useful for storing soiled clothes, different currencies for organisation, and other miscellaneous items. They can even act as a basic waterproofing layer for electronics.
34) Disposable Shower Caps
Here’s a simple hack to store extra shoes: pull disposable shower caps over the base of each shoe to prevent dirt from getting in your bag. No need for dedicated shoe bags or air-trapping plastic bags!
35) Proper Backpacking Bag
Last but not least, invest in a proper, durable backpacking bag. Aesthetic aside, a proper backpack is designed to alleviate weight on your shoulders, distributing it across your back and hips instead, so you won’t experience aches or pain.
We personally love the 44-litre Cabinzero bags, some of which have waist straps, and are suitable as both carry-on and check-in baggage. It can most definitely store all your essentials, and has a neat, minimalistic design to boot. Not sponsored hor!
Also read: 7 Tips to Pack Light: How to Travel with only a Cabin Bag
Other Considerations
Travel Insurance
If we could all accurately predict that “nothing would happen” to us, insurance wouldn’t be a thing. I was once able to claim the full value of a luggage that cracked during check-in, and you can be compensated for flight delays.
Many people pass travel insurance off as a non-essential, but it’s really a small expense to travel with peace of mind.
3 Useful Mobile Apps to have BEFORE your trip
Let’s be real, if you don’t download these mobile apps before your trip, you wouldn’t want to waste precious data, or bank on slow WiFi to download them when you’re already there.
TL;DR: Download these apps before you fly!
1) Google Offline Maps
Download the maps of the countries you’re visiting from the Google Maps app (iOS / Android) itself, so you may refer to them even when you’re unable to get connected.
2) Country-specific Transport Apps
Do your research because Google Maps doesn’t work perfectly everywhere — places like South Korea use separate map apps like NAVER Maps (iOS / Android) and Subway Korea (iOS / Android). These apps are not only helpful for planning your journeys. In some countries like Finland, you can even buy transport e-tickets from the app itself and store them there.
3) Money Budgeting Apps
Tracking your spending helps keep tabs on your wallet so you can keep watch on impulsive purchases.
You might think it’s a hassle (let alone the fact that it’s technically snooze-inducing “administrative work”), but these apps are wondrous at keeping you in line with your budget. It’s whether you want to make the effort or not!
TTI Recommends: Trail Wallet, Trabee Pocket, Tricount
Also read: 2-Month Budget Europe Itinerary: Backpack Around 10 Countries Under S$5K with the Eurail Pass
Download the TTI Ultimate Travel Packing List PDF
Want to print out your own checklist for reference? We’ve packed everything in this list into a single A4 sheet here for your convenience!
Let us know in the comments what other must-bring items are in your list!
Disclaimer: 5. Rahman R, and Brown, S., . An Investigation of the Use of Cica-Care in the Treatment of Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars: A Clinical, Histological and Immunohistochemical Study. 2000. STR/ST214/CT9606. 10. Quinn KJ. Silicone gel in scar treatment. Burns. 1987;13:S33-S40. 11. Donald L. Comparison of 2 Types of Silicone Gel Sheets. Australian/New Zealand Burns Association(ANZBA). 1995;14:10-11. 31.
I totally love this list. Super useful!
Helpful article.
I’m going to traveling as soon as possible. Thanks for your content. Go ahead.
Great! One of the better lists I’ve seen
Was so helpful. Thank you
A very comprehensive list. Covers everything
Very nice and well written
Thanks for sharing