This blog post is inspired by my older sister, Karen. In a recent email, she said “I’d be curious to hear more about the logistics of your traveling, and I bet other people would too.” And being a good younger sister, I have answered all of her many questions. We’ve been traveling since July 19, 2021 – East Coast of the USA, Denmark, Sweden, Kenya, and Egypt. If you’re curious about how to make long-term nomadic travel happen for you, below are some tips on what we’ve been doing.
Ed and I love hearing from you, so if you have questions or comments, please feel free to reach out!
Jayne’s email: fitnessbeyond@aol.com
Ed’s email: etrost@gmail.com
Karen: I’d be interested to see your list of items that you are carrying with you:
Jayne: We are traveling with one roller bag and a day backpack, so efficiency and flexibility are key.
Jayne’s List:
Clothing:
Basically packing a weeks worth of clothing-
Here’s my list:
- 1 x pair Prana Travel Pants (I wear these on the plane and in colder climates)
- 1 x lightweight cotton “harem” pants
- 1 x pair long black Athleta pants, lightweight and can be dressy
- 1 x pair lululemon studio long pants
- 1 x long skirt
- 2 x pair capri length pants
- 2 x pair shorts
- 1 x tankini bathing suit top
- 1 x bathing suit shorts
- 1 x bathing suit bottom
- 1 x pair boardshorts
- 6 x t-shirts – I have lightweight wool shirts from IBEX (they can be worn multiple times without washing as they don’t smell)
- 4 x lightweight blouses (¾ length sleeves)
- 3 x tank tops
- 1 x longsleeve bamboo ¼ zip top from Tasc
- 1 x small/packable windbreaker (by Marmot) It’s about the size of a deck of cards
- 1 x puffy vest that packs down small
- 1 x Patagnonia lightweight puffy jacket
- 1 x Patagonia Full-Zipper Sweater
- 1 x REI Goretex rain jacket (this is a GREAT investment)
- Undies for one week
- 2 x lightweight bras (pads can be removed and shared)
- 4 x sports bras
- About 4 x pairs socks, mostly wool or bamboo and either anklet or just about
- 1 x pair compression socks for flying
- 1 x broad-rimmed hat
- 1 x baseball cap
- 2 x scarves (one super lightweight and one pashmina)
- Sleep attire-t-shirt & flannel PJ bottoms
- 1 x pair ON Cloud Running shoes
- 1 x pair Keen Whisper sandals
- 1 x pair Birkenstock slip on sandals
All of these fit into 4 packing cubes of various sizes: One larger rectangular one, 2 long/thin rectangular, and 1 small square. The exceptions are the hats and jackets which fit into my roller bag.
Non-clothing:
- One lightweight laptop (the Lenovo Yoga 6)
- One DSLR camera body + 3 lenses (wide-angle, telephoto & macro)
- One lightweight tripod
- Camera accessories-charger, extra batteries, lens cleaning cloth, filters)
- Toiletries
- A year worth of supplements (finding a good multi-vitamin is a good idea) & medications
- Small first aid kit
- 2 compact clotheslines, concentrated laundry detergent (for in-sink hand washing)
- A Neti pot (which I don’t use in Third World places due to the uncertainty of the water unless I use bottled water or can boil it)
- One large and one small microfiber towel
- A Bamboo cutlery set
- Extra toilet paper
- Small, powerful flashlight
Ed’s List:
Basically packing a week’s worth of clothing:
- 1 x pair Prana travel Pants
- 1 x pair linen pants
- 1 x pair Marmot pants
- 3 pair shorts
- 7 pair underwear
- 1 x bathing suit
- 6 x crew neck short-sleeve shirts
- 1 x longsleeve bamboo ¼ zip top from Tasc
- 2 x long-sleeve sweatshirt
- 1 x Patagnonia lightweight puffy vest
- 1 x North Face rain jacket (this is a GREAT investment)
- 1 x North Face puffy jacket
- 3 x pairs sport socks, couple of “no-show” socks
- 1 x pair heavy hiking socks
- 2 x pair compression socks for flying
- 3 x baseball caps
- 1 x pair Keen sandals
- 1 x pair Olukai flip-flops
- 1 x pair ON sneakers
Jayne: Since traveling I have bought a “Kikoy” which is a cotton sarong type wrap, a Galabiyah (like a mu-mu), and two pairs of lightweight cotton pants. These suit the hotter climates and meet with appropriate attire for visiting more conservative countries (knees and shoulders being covered)
Karen: What you would change on that list now that you’re several weeks into your travels?
Jayne: I would not bring the Tripod (I haven’t used it enough) and I would leave behind my Macro lens. I would also consider a more compact DSLR camera/lens as the quality is quite good these days. It just depends on what you want to lug around.
I would bring one less pair of shorts and would’ve switched out a pair of capris for a lighter-weight pair.
I have worn everything that I have brought with me and the temperature range has been as low as 53F/11C and as high as 102F/38C.
Some say to pack even less and buy clothes along the way as needed. Seeing as I had many options before I left without having to buy new, I brought mainly what I already owned. And I still feel like I could be traveling with less clothing
Karen: How have you been doing in finding food that meets your needs?
Jayne: Seeing as my preference is to be a gluten-free, vegetarian I have had to be as flexible as possible. I have eaten more gluten over the past 2+ months than the previous 15 years. What helps is that I found an enzyme called Z-Gluten that I can take before eating gluten and that seems to help. I also try to not eat it in the first place if possible, but I certainly enjoyed the Danish Pastries! It’s easier to be vegetarian than gluten-free but it does depend on where you’re in the world. Multiple vegetarian options when we were in Scandinavia, decent in Kenya, and a bit more limited as I write this from Egypt.
Part of the experience is to try local cuisine and Ed is certainly more adventurous than I am, but he still avoids red meat most of the time.
We enjoy trying different coffee and teas from the various places.
Karen: Have you been using many local products for toiletries, etc.?
Jayne: We have definitely restocked here in Egypt with body lotion, deodorant, and some medications/band-aids, etc as they had a decent selection. It seems you can find what you need. Kenya had less available but we didn’t get too many mall-type places. It’s easy enough to find toothpaste and the like in most places. One of the challenges is finding them in smaller sizes which is better for travel, so no giant Costco-type body lotions or mouthwash!
I decided to not travel with a hairdryer and very few cosmetics. I got a great haircut before I left which is growing out nicely. I use a facial cleansing bar from Osmia Organics (travel size) and then apply moisturizer and sunscreen. That’s about it. Simple!
I’m also traveling with 3 pairs of earrings, a favorite ring, and my wedding ring. I figured I may buy some jewelry along the way (which I have…1 bracelet & a pair of earrings)
I also have a couple of headbands (like BUFF) for keeping things under control.
Karen: Which have been the best sites to book lodging, trips, airfare, etc.?
Jayne: For flights-Skyskanner.com will search for the airfares/flights and link you to the different sites. For Egypt, I used Trip.com for flights and that came through Skyscanner.
For accommodation– AirBnB, Booking.com, Hotels.com
Tripadvisor is a great site for feedback and ideas.
Karen: Can you easily arrange to have items sent to you through Amazon or other websites?
Jayne: We haven’t tried to have anything other than a compromised credit card sent to us. We don’t have a need for anything beyond what we currently have and I would suggest finding things locally before using Amazon as overseas shipping rates and reliability may be high and unreliable.
Karen: What tech gear are you carrying with you, and how is it working for photography, email, etc.?
We each have an Apple iPhone which seems to be a necessity and works in all countries (thus far).
Ed is using his iPad and I mainly use the laptop, although Ed posts blogs from the laptop.
I also use Lightroom for photo-editing, all on the laptop, although they have mobile versions for iPhone/Android, etc. I like the laptop as the phone is too small for detail.
We are not carrying any physical books and have all of our reading on the Kindle App.
We bought a plan from Google Fi for phone service, use WhatsApp, Messenger, & FaceTime to stay connected. Since we’re in Egypt for almost a month, we purchased two SIM cards and have access to the internet from our phones and can use them as hotspots with our other devices. It was cheaper than buying internet access when cruising on the Nile and we figured it was worth the investment.
For phone stuff, Messenger and WhatsApp have been great, except for WhatsApp in Egypt where we can only use it for texting.
Four Vital Items:
- Noise-canceling earbuds (for flying and not wanting to listen to other people)
- Earplugs for sleeping
- Eye cover for sleeping
- Waterproof rain jacket…as mentioned in our clothing lists.
Other good things to have:
- Swiss army knife (in checked bag only)
- Inflatable pillow
- Essential Oils – my favorite travel oils are Lavender, Tea Tree & Sandalwood
- Neck Travel Pillow for long flights
- Our travel “gym” – elastic tubing, Spri band, yoga strap & Yoga TuneUp Balls
Karen: Have you had any issues with language barriers or any areas where you have felt physically unsafe?
Jayne: About 98% of people spoke English in Scandinavia, so no issues. Most people in Kenya spoke English. A small percentage of people in Egypt speak good English, but we haven’t had any issues finding someone who can help us out. We also use Google Translate and can type in a word/sentence and have ourselves understood.
Thus far we haven’t felt unsafe at all. We are mindful travelers and I am careful not to step out into potential situations by myself which might be risky. We ask people if it’s safe here and they’ll let us know. We did have two escorts in a certain part of Cairo and we were with our guide. He said it’s basically to reinforce the locals want us to be and feel that it is safe here. We have not felt unsafe or at all threatened.
In some of the tourist areas we do get “hassled” by touts trying to sell souvenirs, offer a taxi or horse carriage. We have learned the phrase “no thank you” if they’re persistent, which they are!
Karen: Are you maintaining US medical insurance, and how does that work when you are traveling for extended periods of time?
Jayne: I am not maintaining US medical insurance (too expensive) and have Travel Insurance with World Nomads. I have used them many times before for other trips and they cover a wide range of things. My current policy is for 6-months (which is the maximum they’ll offer) but it can be renewed even if you’re outside of the US. They won’t cover anyone 70+ years, so Ed has a short-term policy with IMG Travel and still has Medicare, although it’s no good overseas. He also bought an emergency medical evacuation policy with TravelEx.
We had heard and found to be true so far that medical care is much cheaper anywhere outside of the US. For example, Ed had a visit to a Nairobi hospital for a Doppler and it cost $80USD which included some medication (cream). We have been able to get some prescription medication in Egypt without a prescription (antibiotics), antifungal cream, etc which is inexpensive.
Unexpected Expenses:
We are tipping frequently here in Egypt, small amounts for small services, and large amounts for guides and drivers.
Bonuses:
Thus far, when we have a local guide it makes a WORLD of difference. We learn so much more and seem to navigate markets and touristy places more easily. They also have helped us find things such as medical assistance. It adds cost to the travels but it has been more than worth it.
I realize that this may prompt more questions and I hope you’ve found the above information helpful. If you have questions or comments, send us an email at the addresses above.
Happy Trails and good health to all!
