What up, guys?
I am Kristin from Be My Travel Muse, and today we are talking about what to pack when you
come to Southeast Asia.
I have spent a cumulative two years in Southeast Asia, split up over five different journeys,
and over that time I have learned a lot of about what you should bring with you when
you come and what you should leave at home.
Over the time that I've spent here I've made a lot of packing mistakes and have learned
a lot of really helpful tips along the way.
For the first year that I was in Southeast Asia, I did it all carry-on only, so this
is also a minimalist packing video to help show you how to get a lot of variety into
your wardrobe without having to sacrifice a ton of weight on your back.
So let's get inside, shall we?
And I will tell you all about my Southeast Asia essentials, and the other good news is
that it's air-conditioned inside.
I'm face sweating like a beast. Let's go.
Okay, let's get this mess under control.
First of all, I just want to point out that Southeast Asia is actually a bit more conservative
as far as the way that people dress, and the other thing to take into consideration is
it is really hot and humid year round in almost all of Southeast Asia, so trying to cover
up while also not totally sweating through everything you're wearing can be a little
bit of a juggling act.
So everything that I have here is really lightweight and it all serves a purpose, even though I
try to be really fashionable with it at the same time.
I have four pairs of shorts here.
Second of all, I always leave a little bit of room in my bags so that I can make purchases
when I'm in Southeast Asia, because you can buy really lightweight cotton things like
these shorts or these elephant shorts, and I really love these pants here.
I just feel like the fashion is kind of getting really cute over here.
Lightweight pants like this are a lifesaver, as is a nice scarf.
I can just throw it around my shoulders if I'm visiting a temple, which will require
that you have your shoulders and your knees covered up.
The other thing that I find really helpful are lightweight dresses.
So, yeah, normally I'm not really a dress person, but I'm totally covered up when I
wear it.
Another long dress as well as a long skirt and a couple of beach cover-ups.
Also, I have a short-sleeved shirt here and a long-sleeved cover-up shirt.
So I've got a total of three tank tops, and two shirts, two pairs of longer pants.
This one is super thin and lightweight.
It's nice to wear on plane flights, and this is more like exercise workout pants.
And I have four bathing suits with me.
Because they're tiny, they don't take up much space, and I like to have variety, and I also
bring like 10 pairs of underwear, and 2 bras as well as a sports bra, and 3 pairs of socks.
In the past when I've posted packing lists, people say that it's way too much stuff and
that they only bring like three pairs of underwear.
Personally, I really don't want to do laundry, like, every other day, so I bring a lot of
the small stuff.
Trust me, all of this is going to fit into my packing cube.
To make it work I highly advocate the roll and stuff method.
Alright.
This absolutely will fit into a carry-on.
Yes, if you want to bring variety, if you want to bring four dresses, if you want to
bring four swimsuits, it can be done.
So let's talk about some of the other essentials, shall we?
Kind of like my swimsuit habit, I also like to bring a lot of different sunglasses with
me, and, again, I don't sweat the small stuff, because I can fit so many of these into my
backpack without it mattering.
Other stuff that would be good to bring from home, I don't know about you, but I'm really
particular about my skin care routine, and I just want to keep it consistent no matter
where I go.
So I bring enough face wash and also solar moisturizer, and I really like this DeVita
brand.
I like that it keeps me safe from the sun.
Speaking of, I always bring a hat along with me.
If you also do not want crow's feet or a leather face, bring a hat with you.
A deodorant.
I kind of need, like, extra strength deodorant, so I usually bring out these two sticks from
home.
Razors.
I wouldn't count on finding Venus razors, so if you really like to have nice razors,
bring these from home.
I also recommend a DivaCup.
It's a menstrual cup.
Obviously, this isn't relevant to the dudes, but if you are a lady, it is a much easier
way of dealing with everyone's favorite monthly visitor.
Just Google it.
This is a wire mesh bag protector.
Most of the time you're going to come across lockers, or if you're staying in higher-end
places, they have safes, or if you're staying on a beach, and it's a little bit more basic,
and it's only got bamboo bungalows, which I've come across a lot in Southeast Asia,
and it's usually some of my favorite places to stay.
But I do have my computer and my camera gear with me, and, you know, my passport, so this
just makes me the most annoying person to rob.
That has been enough so far.
Next, I just want to talk about my makeup bag.
I don't know why I brought that with me.
Yes, I'm a month in, and I'm just kind of laughing at myself now, because there's no
way I'm putting that on.
Things like shampoo, lotion, conditioner, you can replace all of that on the road very
easily.
I've never had a problem replacing things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, basic toiletries.
Okay, next, I have a pair of flip-flops made out of yoga mat fabric.
Those are outside, because they're really sandy and gross.
I also bring some fancier sandals.
Actually, they end up pretty small, so I do have room for them.
A lot of people debate whether they should bring hiking boots with them to Southeast
Asia.
I can't really answer that question for you, but I just use these guys.
Have a sarong handy.
You can buy that here if you want to.
I also highly recommend bringing a packed towel with you.
I also bring a dry bag with me, and we are seeing general in Southeast Asia you are probably
going to be on boats sometimes, whether it's in transit or an activity, so this is super
small, it folds up really easily, and I think I paid like, I don't know, 15 or 20 bucks
for it, so, yes, it's called a dry bag.
This is the stuff that sort of goes into my day pack.
I have a wallet here that has spaces for multiple currencies, and, obviously, you can go a lot
smaller, but I just really like this color.
I also really like that this comes off, and then I can attach this within my purse.
So even if someone were to get all the way in and try to take it out, they wouldn't be
able to.
I also stick my passport in here and my unlocked iPhone, which I highly recommend.
I always get local SIM cards when I'm traveling.
It helps me get out of pickles sometimes if I'm lost or if I'm just really bored, and
I paid like 20 bucks for 16 gigabytes of data here in Thailand, so that's really useful
to me if working on the road.
Some big cities like Ho Chi Minh City and also Phnom Penh in Cambodia, it's really common
for motorcycle thieves to come by and try to snatch your bag, but they usually don't
go for you unless you're an easy target.
So, if you've got something that is difficult to slash and it's worn across your body, then
they're probably just going to go for an easier target.
In case I go hiking or I just need space for a little bit more stuff, I bring a string
bag that's really small, really easy to just throw things into.
Finally, I bring a Kindle along with me, which I obviously need to charge, because books
take up a lot of space, and I always like to have a lot of books with me for those long
journeys.
Those are basically my Southeast Asia essentials, so let's put it all together in the backpack,
and I will prove to you that it all works.
All right, and now I'm good to go.
Speaking of the great debate between suitcases and backpacks, I really think that traveling
with a backpack is a lot easier in Southeast Asia.
I have walked on so much uneven pavement, so much lack of pavement.
I just highly advocate going and trying one on with weight on it.
If you live in the U.S., REI is a great store where you can do that.
It just makes life so much easier.
So that is my essential backpacking in Southeast Asia packing list.
I hope that you enjoyed this video.
If so, give it a thumbs-up, share it with your friends, and don't forget to subscribe
to new videos every Wednesday.
And let me know in the comments below if there's anything that you're wondering about or need
help with for your traveling that I could make a new video on. Thanks for tuning in, guys. Bye.