I am often asked what I put in my bag to have only between 7 and 8kg of luggage. After 6 months of traveling and extreme temperatures (from 2 degrees in New Zealand to 42 degrees in Qatar), I finally have the ideal bag with exactly what I need, I stabilize between 7.3kg (when I wear the trail shoes on me) and 8kg (when I wear the sandals and leave the trail shoes in the bag).

For the contents of JB’s man bag, it is here.

Note: my everyday backpack can be stored in my main bag at any time. This is especially useful when there is a risk of theft (in India or South America) where having too many bags can attract attention.

Note 2: Anything that can be used by 2: shampoo, soap, first-aid kit, …JB is the wearer (yes, he is twice as big as me). My bag contains only my personal belongings.

Note 3: I wear size 36 and my clothes oscillate between XS and S, it has its importance in the volume and weight of my things.

I’ve put some pictures (with my hand on it to give you a scale). Here is the list of things to bring for the women to go around the world :

Brief video summary :

Part 1: Bags & Pockets for storage

• My main backpack : Osprey Mira AG 26 which I have discussed at length here. Yes, it’s 26L in total, so I have to be reasonable in my purchases. I’m very happy with my purchase, really! I know that this model is hard to find now, but the Deuter Gröden 30L, 1.14kg looks a lot like it, with spacious pockets to store your shoes.

• My everyday bag: Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack Backpack Poppy Orange, 10L with storage for a water bottle (I wear it on my stomach in the photo). It can be stored in the backpack when I need it. Folded, it isn’t larger than an apple.

Let’s move on to the storage pockets now:

• Compression pocket (mine is no longer on sale): For all summer clothes. I have more summer clothes than winter clothes, of course, it doesn’t fit in an Eagle Creek. As I have little space, I opted for a compression bag, one of the best decision of the trip (in orange on the picture). An equivalent that I like a lot, but more expensive too, is the Exped model, which is both pressure bag but waterproof. I bring it with me when I have to go snorkeling, to protect my dry clothes.
• Eagle Creek Pack-It Quarter Cube: For lingerie & socks (the black one on the picture)
• Eagle Creek Pack-It Half Cube: For all winter clothing (except fleece) – blue on the picture
• Plastic compression pouch: Great tip shared with me by a traveler. This bag is used to store dirty laundry. As it can be vacuum packed and compressed by hand, it can be mixed with clean laundry, save space and not dirty clean clothes (bottom right on the picture)

Next, let’s move on to the storage kits:

• Transparent, slightly rigid MUJI toilet bag: for checked luggage
• Semi-transparent fabric toiletry bag: for the products I take with me every day

Part 2: Clothing

Note: on the picture, half of my summer clothes are dirty, so the orange pouch should normally be 50% bigger

Click on the pictures to zoom

1. Summer clothing

I prefer covering clothes because I understood that the more you cover yourself, the less you burn your skin and the less you attract mosquitoes. Furthermore, I hate the tan lines left by clothing. I prefer to tan in bathing suits.

You can see that I bring quite a lot of clothes in cotton, a very pleasant material for warm countries. Many travelers hate cotton because it doesn’t dry quickly. However, in a good part of the countries, I don’t do laundry and don’t dry my clothes in the hotel bathroom. Usually, I get the laundry done for very little money. Then, in hot countries, cotton dries super fast. When I know I’m going hiking, I wear merino wool (yes, it is worn even in summer, and I won’t stink like that).

Avoid white clothes that get dirty quickly, prefer colors, patterns (no Buddha on the T-shirts please it is super badly seen in Thailand) or stripes. But also avoid black clothes which absorbs heat.

1. A summer hiking pant that can be converted into shorts: super important because it can be used for both summer and winter and has zipped pockets. Bought at Decathlon. I’m wearing it on the picture at the top of the page. For more comfort, choose the Saturday Trail II from Columbia (Amazon link), detailed notice here
2. Long and loose cotton pants: bought in India, they are really pleasant to wear. It can be replaced by alibaba type pants on sale everywhere in Asia. Can be used as pyjamas. Choose one with pockets.
3. A long dress with 3/4 sleeves in cotton: bought in India too. It is very important to have one like this to travel in countries where you can’t reveal anything: neither legs nor arms nor shoulders. To visit the temples, it is the ideal clothing to cover up without dying of heat.
4. A long cotton skirt: ideal for the hot countries, one isn’t hot and one does not burn oneself either. I use it as a beach dress too. Indeed, I pull it up to the chest and it turns into a beach dress. For those who do not wear a skirt, replace it by a second convertible pants.
5. Shorts (optional): for the beach and Southeast Asia where you don’t need to cover your legs
6. A technical top with short sleeves (in merino wool) for hiking (or on days when you can’t take a shower). It can be used as pyjamas or as a base layer for winter
7. A short sleeved organic cotton t-shirt: Double use: Perfect for hot countries because you can easily burn your shoulders under the Asian sun; or for India where you can’t go out with a sleeveless t-shirt. It can also be used as pyjamas. Organic cotton does not stink. Instead of buying cotton, you can opt for a 2nd technical short sleeved merino wool top.
8. A 3/4 sleeves blouse in cotton or merino wool: Idem, to protect yourself from the sun, to go to temples, to visit Muslim countries. It can be worn also in winter.
9. A pretty dress (optional): I like to wear it when I squat in 5 star hotels. If you are pretty well dressed, you can enter any 5-star hotel to visit.
10. 2 swimsuits: a 1-piece swimsuit (for swimming, diving, swimming with sharks), a 2-piece swimsuit (tanning)
11. A microfiber towel
12. Lingerie: All cotton, skin color or black (easier to combine with different clothes) – I recommend the brand Uniqlo
    1. 3 bras
    2. 7 briefs
13. A long circular scarf that also serves me as a beach dress (or pyjama) (optional)
14. Real pajamas with long pants to avoid mosquito bites (optional because other clothes can already be used as pajamas)

2. Fall/Winter clothing

If you’ve ever hiked before, you know that the secret is to have several layers of clothing, not just one warm, heavy piece of clothing to save you from the cold. The same principle applies to clothing for a trip around the world: it’s better to have several layers of clothing, so you’ll have enough to wear for both fall and winter.

1. A high MC in merino (already mentioned above)
2. A blouse with 3/4 sleeves in cotton or merino wool (already mentioned above)
3. A UNIQLO zipped fleece
4. A waterproof DECATHLON windbreaker (the one I’m wearing on the picture above) – since then, I replaced it with the excellent Pocketable Parka from Uniqlo, even lighter and really waterproof
5. An ultra light downcomforter: UNIQLO Ultra Light Down which I’ve talked about at length here
6. The same summer hiking pants quoted up there (and the long skirt quoted up there), to be worn with
   1. A black tights : This same black tights can be used with the pretty summer dress for the cooler evenings; You can also wear it with the summer shorts when it’s a bit cool.
   2. Heattech leggings from Uniqlo: for cool evenings (in New Zealand, South Africa, Patagonia). These leggings can also be used as pyjamas when it is cold
7. 2 pairs of hiking socks: one high, one short (don’t buy normal socks, you really need more comfortable hiking socks that stink less) 😀
8. A woolen cap (optional): buy it only when you need it, don’t bother to carry it around for several months.
9. A scarf with invisible zipped pocket to hide money and passport (ideal for Bolivia or Peru where it’s a little crappy and moreover it’s always a little cool). I made it myself, the tutorial is available here

Part 3: Footwear

1. TEVA sport sandals (Amazon link): for warm countries and easy hiking. Mine can still be worn with skirts/dresses and are water resistant
2. MERREL Gore Tex trail shoes (Amazon link): for difficult hikes and cold countries. I put inside anti-perspirant leather soles from Minelli.
3. Flip-flops: to be used especially in hotel rooms and/or at the beach (Amazon link)

The shoes are stored in the large front pocket of the Osprey bag. I always put them in a plastic bag so as not to dirty the inside of my backpack.

Part 4: Toiletry bag

I always take too much and test local cosmetics in each country, but I finally found my ideal toiletries kit. Be careful, there are still quite a few products because when we travel, the skin is constantly attacked by the sun, dust, the permanent change of environment (water, weather, food). It is necessary to pamper it as much as possible. It looks like a huge toilet bag, but if you buy small Muji pots and you pour the products in these small pots, you can even carry it in your hand luggage.

Prefer international brands to replenish your products more easily abroad (The Body Shop, Clarins, L’Oréal…)

Above: My ideal toilet bag. Yes, everything will fit in this kit, there is even room for a few purchases during the trip
Bottom: My kit that I bring with me every day in my daily backpack

1. Skin cleansing :
   
   
   1. A small jar of oil-based makeup remover balm to remove all dust and sunscreen
   2. A low pH cleaning gel
   
   
2. Hydration of the skin :
   
   
   1. Moisturizing serum with hyaluronic acid (for hot countries where you really can’t moisturize your skin otherwise)
   2. Aloe vera gel: to moisturize, soothe burns or stings – replace with a moisturizing cream when going to cold countries
   3. Paï rosehip oil or Tahitian Tamanu oil: to moisturize, soothe the skin, improve the complexion. To be used with aloe vera gel at night as a night cream, whatever the country.
   
   
3. Skin protection :
   
   
   1. A sun cream index 50+, to be applied every day. I can tell you that when I forget to put it on, my skin takes revenge by making a few brown spots appear that I take weeks to get rid of :'(
   2. An anti-insect cream
   
   
4. In case of imperfections :
   
   
   1. Duo+ by La Roche Posay (for buttons)
   2. Cicalfate (for burns and pimples)
   
   
5. Others :
   
   
   1. A lipstick, to be chic in 2 seconds
   2. Depilatory cream (to be purchased when needed)
   3. A pair of tweezers
   4. A nail clipper (+ a file which is still in my survival kit)
   5. An exfoliating glove (optional)
   6. Sugar: A small sachet is enough to make an exfoliation every 2 weeks. To be taken in a coffee shop or at the breakfast of the hotel
   
   
6. Other essentials (but it is JB who wears):
   
   
   1. A toothbrush – mine is electric and runs on a battery, the kiff
   2. Toothpaste
   3. Mini-shampoo and mini-soap
   4. Deodorant : Dove Original (the version that looks like a mushroom) is the best deodorant in the world, very important when traveling in hot countries
   5. The first aid kit/pharmacy
   6. Swiss Army Knife
   
   

In my daily backpack/purse I always put, in a fabric pouch (see photo above)

1. Sun cream
2. Anti-insect cream
3. A lipstick (optional)
4. Cleaning wipes (optional)

Optional

1. A mirror
2. A miniature perfume
3. A mini skin cleansing brush (10€ at Sephora, the purple thing on the picture below) – very useful when traveling in polluted countries
4. Dental floss

Part 5: For more security

• My survival kit, which is always in my daily backpack
• Eagle Creek pouch to wear permanently around the neck: it contains the passport, the credit card (be careful, it is the old version that is needed). There is another version, smaller, to hang on the bra, but I do not find it very practical, especially in hot countries

• Reclosable car abiners: I love these carabiners that can be closed very easily via an ingenious system. I use them for all the zippers of my bags: in the case of the main bag, so that the zippers don’t open by themselves; and in the case of the daily backpack, so that no thief can open it easily.

• A bike code padlock: that I use to close with a single padlock all the zippers of my bag. Thanks to the very long thread of the padlock, I can even hang it on a bed or a table. This is the solution we choose when the hotel doesn’t have a safe or locker. All the precious belongings are put in my backpack, attached to the bed. Since my bag is already locked with the padlock, I don’t need an extra code padlock for the locker.

• A survival blanket
• A scarf with a secret zipped pocket to hide money and passport (I’ve already talked about it above)
• For girls who travel alone and have to sleep alone in a hotel, buy this door stopper with alarm. But the best is to sleep in an inn (dormitory) or a hotel equipped with a doorstopper.

Part 6: For more comfort

1. Transport kit: inflatable pillow, removable cover, with a small pocket to store an eye mask and earplugs. The inflatable part can be taken out of its cover to make a buoy at the beach (hihihi)
2. A portable charger for phone (it also makes flashlight)
3. A portable fan, to be connected to the phone or charger (optional)
4. A plastic fan (yes yes I know, it’s redundant, but I’m putting all the chances on my side not to get hot)
5. Sunglasses
6. Swimming goggles (optional): I like to swim a lot
7. A bob, covering well the nape of the neck
8. An umbrella (indispensable !!!) : I can’t count the number of times I’ve used it – in Japan, I could get my hands on a 70g model only (WPC brand)
9. A poncho (essential!): to buy in Asia, prefer the light version (as thick as a plastic bag). It’s very practical to visit the waterfalls by boat and for walks in the rain
10. A big plastic bag: to give dirty linen to the hotel
11. Always a little PQ on you
12. Sanitary napkins: I know I know, it’s stupid to bring them from France but I swear that Asian sanitary napkins are super thick and not very absorbent. And I hide money between 2 sanitary pads, nobody will have the idea to rummage through them. Tampons fans will be able to save even more space. Note: since 2018, I’ve been using THINX ruler panties, not perfect but a little more pleasant than pads
13. Contraception pills for 12 months: I asked my gynecologist for the version that allows me to have as few periods as possible, so I can enjoy the beach to the fullest

Part 7: High-tech

• An iPhone 5 that takes pictures not super pro but does the job
  
  
  • with indispensable applications such as Kindle (where I download my travel guides), Dropbox, Drive, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, Société Générale (I check my account regularly), MosaLingua (to learn Spanish)
  • the photos are then transferred to JB’s computer (which he carries). It is also JB who takes pictures of all the passport stamps and synchronizes all his photos on Evernote. In case of loss of passport, we will have at least all our passport scans & photos of the entry stamps.
  
  
• The iPhone 5 charger
• The headphones

Here, I hope this list has helped you in your preparations.
If I may give you three pieces of advice, I would say:

1. Limit purchases, especially clothing. In general, you already have most of the stuff I’ve listed here.
2. Think about weight first. Between 2 objects (or 2 clothes), there is always one more fashionable/beautiful than the other; but you have to take the lighter one with you. When we go around the world, we forget very quickly that we are dressed like a bag. However we feel the weight of our bags on us, every day. Indeed, the priorities change, really.
3. Except the very specific objects (backpacks, merino wool clothes, Swiss Army knife), everything is abroad for a ridiculously low price, it is better to leave with few things and to complete progressively. Otherwise, you can simply give your objects away (leaving them in the hotel room with a note, or in a plastic bag on the sidewalk with a note)