The Ultimate Long-Haul and Packing Survival Guide

The short version

Long-term travel is won or lost before you leave the house. The suitcase you pick decides how much you can carry, the way you organize it decides how fast you check in and out, and the small comfort kit in your backpack decides whether a 12-hour flight wrecks the next three days.

This guide pulls together everything I’ve bought, used and reviewed for packing and long trips. Every item links to its full review, and the list at the bottom keeps growing as I review more.

“You’ll be limited by weight before you’re ever limited by size. Buy light luggage.”

Reggie R.

1. Luggage: weight is the real limit

Most people never fill their suitcase by volume. They hit the airline’s weight limit first. That one fact changes how you should buy luggage.

I moved to the LUGGEX 3-piece hard-shell set from a premium brand that everyone seems to carry. It’s sleek, affordable, holds up well and, most importantly, it’s very light. Size for size it’s lighter than many competitors, and that saves you real pounds before you’ve packed a thing.

My best luggage tip: don’t buy the extra-large size. Buy the smaller case and stuff it. You’ll hit the weight limit before you run out of space, and the smaller, lighter case gives you those pounds back as packing allowance.

Two small things protect every bag:

• A rechargeable luggage scale. I bought around ten battery-powered scales over the years, and they always died right when I needed them. The travel inspira rechargeable scale costs a little more and actually works. It saves a lot of money at check-in. Watch out, friends and family will try to keep it.
• Tracker tags in every bag. AirTags work, but they aren’t rechargeable and I kept rebuying them. UGREEN Finder Duo tags work with iPhone and Android and recharge over USB-C. I put one in my crossbody bag, day bag, backpack and every suitcase. The peace of mind is huge.

Moving countries with a lot of luggage? Shipping it ahead with Luggage To Ship beats dragging three cases through airports.

2. Organizing: pouches beat cubes

Packing cubes are popular, and they help. A cheap 8-piece cube set does the job for a fraction of the price; I keep mine all black and organize by size rather than color.

But my real secret is mesh zipper pouches. They weigh nothing, they’re see-through, they’re cheap, and I find them even better than cubes. I use them for toiletries and cable management. They’re one of my best travel hacks.

The other bag I never leave without is the Nanobag XL. I’ve bought over 20 packable bags over the years, and Nanobag is by far the best. It folds to almost nothing, holds 25 liters, and lives in my day pack for groceries and overflow. Skip black and pick a pattern: it hides the wrinkles, so it never looks like a trash bag when you pull it out.

Don’t over-protect. People pack bags inside bags inside bags and end up carrying more bag than gear. Protect what actually breaks, nothing more. My DJ controller travels in a suitcase under a snap-on dust cover wrapped in clothes, not a heavy case.

3. The long-haul sleep kit

A long flight is a sleep problem more than a seat problem. This kit fits in one pouch:

• Earplugs: I’ve tested a lot, and Mack’s Slim Fit are the best to actually sleep in. They balance comfort and quiet better than anything else, and the little clip-on case is great on a plane.
• Eye mask: the Gritin blackout mask has deep eye cups, so there’s no pressure on your eyes, and it’s wide enough to block every gap.
• Seat comfort: the BreezCamp inflatable cushion packs tiny and makes hard seats bearable.
• Pillows for long stays: the packable OPTP cervical roll adapts any rental pillow; a contour memory foam pillow is worth the space only on month-long stays.
• Arriving fresh: a compact water flosser for the day you land and the room isn’t ready.

For the flight itself, I rate ANA economy from Seattle via Tokyo Haneda highly: a calm 787 cabin and a smooth connection. Pay for the seat on a long-haul flight.

4. What to wear and carry

Fewer, better pieces. Wear the bulky ones on the plane.

• Shoes: the Rockport Classic Penny Loafer has been my go-to for close to two years. I first bought them at Neiman Marcus last minute before meeting a client, expected them to fall apart walking all over Rome, and they held up so well I bought a second pair. Comfortable with or without no-show socks.
• A warm layer: planes, buses and malls run the air-conditioning hard. A cheap fleece hoodie taught me a lesson: it looked worn after a few washes. Spend a little more on the layer you’ll live in.
• Clothes care: steamers beat travel irons, and hotel irons can stain your shirts. The travel steamer I bought is bigger and heavier than I expected, so I pack it only when crisp clothes matter.
• Grooming: Black & White Pluko pomade, which a friend from university put me on. One tin lasts months and holds up in humidity.

5. Food and supplements on the road

Some things are hard to find abroad, or expensive. A few light, sealed items make long trips easier:

• Electrolytes: LMNT Watermelon Salt is by far my favorite so far. It’s pricey per serving, but the stick packs travel perfectly.
• Creatine: protein can be hard to find and expensive while traveling, so if I pack one supplement, it’s creatine monohydrate. Pure, cheap and simple.
• Protein and coffee add-ins: Sunwarrior or Truvani plant protein, and unflavored collagen in coffee.
• Formats that travel: capsules and sealed tablets beat liquids. If you use a liquid, pick shelf-stable ones like the liposomal glutathione I use, which doesn’t need refrigeration. Supplement reviews on this site cover format and value only; ask a doctor about what’s right for you.
• A tiny pantry for rentals: Atlas olive oil, Celtic sea salt and hibiscus for iced tea make rental-kitchen meals feel like home.

The packing order that works

1. Weigh the empty suitcase. Know your real allowance.
2. Clothes into cubes, rolled.
3. Cables, chargers and toiletries into mesh pouches.
4. Sleep kit and one change of clothes in your personal item.
5. Trackers into every bag.
6. Weigh again the night before you fly.

The mistakes I see most

• Buying the biggest suitcase. You’ll hit the weight limit first.
• Disposable-battery gadgets. Scales and trackers that need coin cells always die at the worst moment. Go rechargeable.
• Bags inside bags. Protect what breaks, not everything.
• Cheap versions of the things you use daily. Spend on what you wear and sleep in every day; save on what you rarely touch.

FAQ

What’s the most useful cheap packing item?

Mesh zipper pouches, closely followed by a Nanobag foldable tote.

Should I buy a large or medium suitcase?

Usually the medium. Most travelers hit the weight limit before the size limit.

What helps most with sleep on long flights?

Good earplugs and a contoured blackout mask, together.

Keep going

Once you’ve arrived, the Remote Work Travel Guide covers setting up a workspace, and the Digital Nomad City Guide covers where to stay, eat and get around.

More travel guides

• The Remote Work Travel Guide: Set Up an Office Anywhere: Chargers, stands, mics, lights and the apps that turn any room into a workspace.
• The Digital Nomad City Guide: Where to Stay, Eat and Get Around: How to pick a base city, book a stay that works for calls, eat well and get around without a car.