Packing for overland and sea travel for extended periods is about flexibility, simplicity, and being prepared for extreme changing climates along the way. One thing we didn’t have to worry about was weight except that we would be carrying our luggage sometimes.
What you pack matters — but the luggage you choose can make an even bigger difference on a long journey.
Choosing Luggage
For our five-month trip, Russell and I each travelled with one large suitcase and one smaller bag, which many of our friends couldn’t believe. In the end, it proved to be a manageable combination for trains, ships, hotels, and long travel days.
Here are a few things we learned when it came to choosing luggage:
- Choose luggage with four good-quality wheels. We were sometimes pulling cases over cobblestones and uneven surfaces on the way to accommodation, so sturdy wheels made a huge difference.
- Hard-case suitcases that zip around the middle need to open fully flat, which can be awkward in tight spaces such as train cabins or compact hotel rooms. Many luggage racks are better suited to top-opening cases. If you choose this then we suggest ensuring one side has a zipped cover.
- Make your luggage easy to recognise by choosing distinctive cases or adding ribbons or tags so you can quickly spot it when disembarking and collecting bags.
Packing Cubes — Yes or No?
Some of our friends love packing cubes, so I decided to try them, although Russell didn’t feel the need to use them. After five months of travel, I’m still undecided. They definitely helped with organisation, but I’m not sure I used them to their full advantage.
Our trip took us from tropical heat near the equator to snow and freezing temperatures, and we sometimes stayed in older buildings with no lifts or long narrow staircases. There were times we left our main luggage in the car and only carried in what we needed for a night or two, which was when the packing cubes became particularly useful. What I found useful about packing cubes:
- separating summer and winter clothing
- keeping dirty laundry separate
- organising underwear and smaller items
- packing complete outfits together for short stays or quick overnight stops
I can see why many travellers love them, but whether they suit you probably depends on your packing style and the type of trip you are taking.
Thermals—Worth It?
Before leaving, we were told we would definitely need thermals for travelling through the UK and Europe in winter, so we packed them. In reality, Russell brought his home with the tags still attached, and although I wore mine occasionally, I often found them too warm.
The coldest temperature we experienced was around -3℃, which wasn’t too different from winter temperatures at home, so whether you need thermals may depend on what climate you are used to and the type of travel you are doing.
For our trip, we weren’t hiking or skiing — we were mostly sightseeing, travelling on trains, and moving between heated buildings and air-conditioned transport. Often, once indoors, thermals became uncomfortably warm.
One thing we did learn is that you don’t need to spend a fortune on them. Affordable options from places like Aldi and Kmart were more than adequate for our needs.
Choosing a Coat
Russell chose a waterproof coat that covered his bottom and included a hood that tightened around the face, thumb catches to stop the sleeves riding up, and zips that opened from both the top and bottom. It also had zip compartments on the forearm large enough to hold a passport, wallet, or boarding pass. It was an Aldi jacket and turned out to be excellent value for money.
I chose a feather jacket that also covered my bottom. It was lovely and warm, but it didn’t have a hood, so I relied on a beanie instead. That worked well until we encountered sleet and rain, when I quickly realised a hood was far more practical. While visiting the Christmas markets, I bought a beautiful longer waterproof coat with a hood, which proved to be a much better option in wet weather. My original jacket was excellent in the cold — as long as it wasn’t raining or sleeting.
Another thing we learned was that bulky coats can take up valuable luggage space, especially on a long journey covering different climates. Jackets that compress or roll into a smaller size, such as lightweight puffer-style coats, were much easier to pack and carry.
Our advice is either to take what you already have and buy something more suitable once you experience the conditions, or choose a fully waterproof jacket with a hood rather than one that is only showerproof.
Clothing for a Five-Month Journey
Packing clothing for a five-month journey without flying — across different climates, forms of transport, and types of events — was one of the biggest challenges. Take too much and you have to drag it around everywhere; take too little and you may miss out on experiences or occasions you want to enjoy.
Because we were going on five cruises — some of them quite long — I insisted Russell bring a suit for formal evenings. In the end, he only wore it a handful of times, but it was still worth taking. While visiting Blenheim Palace, I even bought him a Winston Churchill bow tie, which he loved. Of course, this also meant packing a second jacket — a formal one — and suddenly the suitcase was filling very quickly.
Neither of us feel the cold too badly, so for the most part we packed our usual clothes for the earlier stages of the trip, then added coats, warm socks, snow shoes, and formal shoes for the colder parts of the journey. Russell’s smaller suitcase effectively became home to his formal clothes, shoes, and winter jacket, meaning he didn’t need to rummage through it every day.
Before leaving, we decided that if we needed something else, we would simply buy it along the way. However, we also agreed that if we bought something new, something else probably needed to go.
Then there were the shoes — something some of my girlfriends would probably struggle with! I mostly travelled with a pair of snow boots, one pair of joggers, a dressier casual pair, nude formal shoes that matched the three formal dresses I packed, and a pair of Archie thongs (flip-flops elsewhere in the world). Although, I must admit, I also bought a pair of black Guess slingbacks from Macy’s… and no, I didn’t throw anything out to make room for them.
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