Packing for our South East Asia trip was actually, quite enjoyable.

We researched dozens of great travel blogs looking for ideas and inspiration.

We’ve both packed and re-packed and below is the final version.. I hope!

I’ll let you know what we should have left behind.

Both of us took less than 10kgs in weight.

My backpack weighed in at 8.5kgs which I think is pretty decent for 3 months away.

If I get bored I might list exactly what we’re taking, but you can see for yourself now.

One thing we have done is to take a neck pillow, empty the inside, and fill it with a towel and some clothes.

Update

Here are the items that we were glad we took and the ones we could have left behind:

Essential Items:

1. Osprey Farpoint 40L Men’s Travel Backpack – These backpacks were perfect for us. Lightweight, comfortable, secure. If you’re travelling and looking for a backpack, get one of these! Not the cheapest, but you certainly get what you pay for.
   
2. Osprey Fairview 40L Women’s Travel Backpack – Susan loved hers. Just as well coz it was her Christmas present!
   
3. Philips One Blade – My go-to electric shaver/trimmer. Another game changer for men’s grooming.
4. SALOMON Shoes Supercross 4 – we both bought the same shoe – men and women’s. We wore them loads for walking, running, nights out etc. Still going strong and looking good after we returned home. We even had them cleaned by a young lad in Ho Chi Min!
5. 2 Pack TSA Approved Luggage Locks
6. ECOHUB 5 Set Compression Packing Cubes – These packing cubes are a revelation! They make travelling so much easier and organised.
7. Quick Drying Beach Towel – Extra Large – 200cm by 145cm  – Used this towel loads! Packs small, and perfect for the beach.
8. Lightweight Trousers – essential for visiting temples and great for public transport
9. Banana Boat Spf50+ Sport Ultra Lip Balm – 100% essential and 2 sticks lasted the 3 months.
10. Jungle Formula Maximum Insect Repellent 90ml – Another absolute must! We hardly ever got bit when we had this on.
11. Suncream Spf50+ – Take enough to get you going, but easy and cheap enough to buy out there.
12. Anglers Only Fender Shirt – Men’s Long-Sleeve UPF 50+ UV Sun Protection – This was a great buy, recommended by a travel blog. I wore it loads. Very light and looks pretty good on.
13. Fitflop Women’s Lulu – Can be worn day and night. Dress up and dress down.
14. Wet wipes – Very handy for travelling. Get the biodegradable ones.
15. Goggles – With so many swimming and snorkelling opportunities a good pair of goggles is a must. I’ve used ‘Zoggs’ for years now, and are the best pair of goggles I’ve ever had.
16. Laptop – Any lightweight laptop is useful. We used ours a lot.

Items we could have left behind: (BIT= Buy It There)

1. Power Bank, Portable Charger 10000mAh – Great device, but there were always somewhere to plug in your phone/laptop.
2. Universal Travel Adapter 2 Pack
3. Scarf – I think I only wore it once or twice and it was bulky.
4. Shower gel – BIT
5. Shampoo – BIT
6. Only needed 1 pair of long trousers
7. T-shirts – BIT

The great thing about the essential items is we will use them again for our next trips.

If you have any other essential travel items you recommend, please let us know.