GaiaGeek

When it comes down to it, there are only three things you need to travel to another country: your passport, money and the clothes on your back. While it may seem crazy to get on an international flight with nothing but your passport, wallet and the shirt on your back, the truth is it’s totally possible to travel this way - especially if you like to shop.

If you’re headed to a country where the exchange rate makes everything relatively cheap with your money, and especially if your destination is some warm, tropical beach, I speak from experience when I say that all you need to make it through a week is a bathing suit, sandals, a few t-shirts, a towel or sarong, toothbrush, toothpaste, contact lenses or glasses, and maybe a good book. Except for your contacts or glasses (which you’d be wearing on the plane anyway), all of these things can be bought on arrival for a fraction of what you’d pay for them back home. Since shopping usually goes hand-in-hand with traveling anyway, you can use your time to pick out a new wardrobe for the trip while you’re on your trip - and buy a cheap bag to everything home in.

While I’ve not done this (yet) and I don’t expect you will either, it brings up two excellent points to consider when packing for a trip:

- If you don’t pack something and need it, you can almost always buy it there.

- The less you bring, the easier your travels from point A to point B well be.

Now, being a little more realistic but still keeping it light, let’s consider traveling only with carry-on baggage with a look at the GaiaGeek Ultralight Packlist.