Solo Female Traveler: A Complete Packing Guide
The Solo Woman Traveler
Traveling the world, bracing into new adventures and enjoyment anywhere on the planet can be done by anyone. Exploring alone as a solo female traveler is no exception, though some extra preparations need to be considered.
Vagabonding as a solo female traveler with a single backpack can seem like a daunting proposition. But anyone can manage it with a focused packing list. While one backpack might not seem like enough, a 40 liter carry-on piece of luggage is sufficient for indefinite travel.
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Pack Light As Possible
As always, the secret to long-term traveling is to pack light. Don’t overburden yourself with unnecessary gear and prioritize the equipment and clothing you need above all else.
Long-term travelers tend to gradually shed gear, letting their bag get lighter and easier-to-manage as time goes on. If you need to purchase any new gear before your journey (which, aside from a backpack, generally isn’t necessary), look specifically for lightweight items which are durable enough to last a lifetime.
The following lists are all a female traveler needs to see the world.
Empty Space
Sometimes, it’s tempting to cram your backpack with everything needed for every possible contingency. But traveling is more about practice, habits, awareness and mental flexibility than the things you bring.
Always leave a fair amount of empty space in your backpack. This space is useful if you need to carry food from place to place or you find a souvenir worthy of sending back home. Additionally, while this space is empty, it’s not taking up any weight, making transit much easier.
If your bag is bursting at the seams, remove everything, lay it out on the floor, and find a few items you can live without.
Travel Documents
Generally, the most important things needed to get into a foreign country are your travel documents. Aside from actually allowing entry, these documents can add security, verification and help you out in the event of an emergency. Keep your documents in a secure case and make additional copies (both digital and printed).
Be sure to bring
- Passport
- Passport Card (if applicable)
- Driver’s License (and international driver’s license, if applicable)
- Plane, train or bus tickets
- Senior or student ID’s for discounts
- Health Insurance Card
- Emergency contact information (name, number and email address)
- Travel visas and extra passport photos (often needed to obtain visas)
- Forms of payment, including cash, debit cards, credit cards and prepaid cards
- International vaccination certificate
- Contact information of local friends in an area
- Contact and address information for embassies and consulates in the country you visit
Consider wearing a Travel Money Belt or a Crossover Passport Hidden Pocket to protect your most important documents as you travel from place to place.
Fireproof/ Waterproof Doc Case
When carrying around important documents such as visa paperwork, medical documents and more, protection is needed. This case fits snugly in suitcases and backpacks while halting heat and water damage.
Med-Kit
Vital for travel, a first-aid kit is a safety requirement. Always build your own first aid kit so you can accurately know what’s inside.
Furthermore, review how to use each item in a first-aid kit. Having a trauma pad doesn’t help anyone if nobody in the room knows how to use it. Consider taking a first-aid class before traveling.
Solo Female Traveler Med-Kit
- Gauze Pad
- Bandaids – Both butterfly and standard
- Adhesive tape – Preferably electric or duct tape
- Blister protection plasters
- A trauma pad
- Antibiotic antiseptic cream
- Painkillers – Clearly labeled to avoid issues while flying
- Water purification tablets
- Topical disinfectant
- Antibacterial pills
- Qtips
- Condoms or birth control – If you think there’s a chance you’ll need them, be sure to bring them. Make sure to keep these somewhat hidden. In certain extremely conservative parts of the world, these are sometimes looked at with disapproval.
- Disposable gloves
- Tweezers
- Safety Pins
- Stomach medicine – Both for constipation and upset stomachs
- Prescription drugs and printed prescription list
- Cash – I always recommend hiding some cash at the bottom of a med-kit for security
- Medical procedure cards – These can be printed off from the internet. These cards outline emergency procedures such as the Heimlich Maneuver and CPR
When making your first aid kit, the vast majority of supplies needed are probably already in your medicine cabinet at home. Just check the expiration dates and make sure all medical supplies are in a single, convenient bag which can be moved to your day-bag or purse easily.
Travel Clothing Requirements
Your clothes take up more space than anything else in your backpack. Fortunately, clothes can be packed tightly and are fairly light. Rolling clothes can help you pack things more tightly, but this will wrinkle the fabric when you wear it.
Try to avoid denim, which wrinkles easily and retains moisture. Most of your clothes should be made of synthetic, wrinkle-resistant material. Try to ensure all clothes can be matched with all others so there’s no point in your journey where you need to jigsaw outfits together. Finally, make sure clothing is culturally appropriate. Solo female travelers should be aware of cultural features, depending where they visit. Many outfits acceptable at home attract unwanted attention when visiting highly conservative cultures.
Generally, men travel with fewer articles of clothing but a solo female traveler have the advantage of outfits which are lighter and smaller. A few extra articles of clothing are okay.
Solo Female Traveler Clothing List
- 4-6 pairs of quick-drying underwear
- 2 travel bras – Sport bras work best
- 1 strapless bra
- Lightweight pajamas – Soft shorts and a tank top should be fine. They take up very little space.
- Bathing suit
- Wrinkle-free, washable long pants – Avoid jeans as they retain moisture. Long pants are needed to visit temples, churches or mosques
- 2 pairs of shorts
- One pair of running shorts
- Wrinkle-free long travel skirt
- 2 wrinkle-free washable blouses – I recommend one long sleeved blouse and one short sleeved blouse
- 3 pairs of travel socks – Darn Tough Wool makes the best travel socks of all time
- A set of casual sandals – I recommend yoga sling-sandals as they’re very light and easy to pack
- Sarong – An incredible useful article of clothing. It can be bought while abroad traveling.
- One set of thermal underwear
- One thermal merino wool lightweight sweater
- One lightweight fleece all-purpose jacket – I recommend getting one with a hood
- Large, lightweight poncho – Make sure it can cover you and your backpack if needed.
- Infinity scarf with hidden pockets – The hidden pockets are extra security
- One magic scarf or buff – This versatile piece of clothing works as earmuffs or a headband, depending on the weather
- Compression Packing Cubes – These help easily organize and store clothes.
- One set of workout clothes, such as yoga pants and a jogging top
- A pair of trail runners as everyday shoes – Test these thoroughly before heading out
- Travel Money Belt or crossover passport holder – This should be worn under a shirt to protect your passport
Strictly speaking, a person can travel with a little less. This list is for a full-time all-season traveler. If you’re heading to a tropical climate or a place where open-toed shoes won’t be comfortable, you can remove these and other items from your list.
Toiletries and Personal Items
Make sure your toiletries kits are always well-sealed against water. Avoid bringing liquids whenever possible, instead opting for their solid equivalents. For example, it’s much better to travel with a bar of soap, rather than dealing with the potential spillage of liquid body wash.
Solo Female Traveler Toiletries
- Grooming Kit – Nail clippers, tweezers, nail file, disposable razor, comb or hairbrush
- Antibacterial bar soap – Dr. Bronner’s bar soap is excellent in all regards
- Shampoo and conditioner – Also recommended in bar form to make boarding flights easier
- Moisturizer cream or bar
- 30 SPF or above sunscreen
- Toothpaste and lightweight travel toothbrush
- Dental floss – This is the world’s best multitool. It can be used to sew, stitch, cut soft foods, tie things together and clean teeth
- Microfiber Towel Set – A mini towel is good for washing your face and a large one can be used for beach days and drying off
- Deodorant stick – Try to pick a brand which doesn’t show on clothes and doesn’t melt in moderate heat
- Lip balm
- Hair clips
- Tampons or hygiene products
- Contacts, eyeglasses and contact solutions
- Bug repellent
- Disinfectant wipes
Solo Female Traveler’s Repair Kit
The following list is your cheapest and lightest packing list. The items here are endlessly useful, cheap and can be found anywhere in the world. It is likely most of these are already lying around your home.
- Super glue
- Ziploc bags
- Safety whistle
- 3 meters of paracord – This can secure equipment or be used as a clothesline
- Two ultralight carabiners
- Small spool of copper wire
- Safety Pins
- Signaling Mirror – For emergencies, but a standard cosmetics mirror works fine
- Mini sewing kit with thread
- Rubber Doorstop – A safety tool for traveling, this can prevent people from entering your room, even if they have a key or the lock is broken
- Sink plug – This is handy for washing clothes, taking baths or filling up water sources in emergencies. Many drains around the world don’t have plugs available
- Electric tape
Eating Kit (Optional)
When traveling, most pots, pans and knives will be provided for you at hostels and Airbnb’s. However, if you’re going to a part of the world which is developing or you’re visiting wilderness, a small eating kit is a good idea.
- Narrow cooking pot with handles and lids – These are good for cooking, drinking hot chocolate, working at a stove or campfire and boiling water
- Eating utensils – I use a pair of screw-together chopsticks and an ultralight stirring spoon, but an ultralight titanium spork works fine as well
- Travel water bottle – A plastic water bottle is fine, but the 18 ounce hydro-flask is another good option
Fire-Maple 1L Hard Anodized Aluminum Pot
This cooking pot is perfect for single meals. I use it in hostels, apartments and on camping trips. The narrow shape lays down flat in my bag and the material is very light. The folding handles make it a good tool for making hot chocolate on cold mornings
Entertainment Kit (Optional)
A few lightweight items provide endless entertainment during long layovers, bus rides and flights. If your bag is already overpacked, these should be the first things removed.
- One 52 card deck of waterproof cards
- A set of 5 dice
- A miniature notebook – Great for journaling, notes or scorecards
- A pencil stub or no-leak pen – Pens are recommended to fill out arrival information when landing in a foreign country. Pencil stubs are better in terms of weight and durability
- Inflatable sleeping pillow
- Eye mask and ear plugs – Great for sleeping in noisy areas or on planes
- Book, Kindle Reader or Kindle Reading App on your phone – This is generally a better option than physical books, since they don’t take up much space. Libraries across the United States offer a free borrowing program through systems like Libby and Overdrive.
Electronics
Part of traveling in the modern era involves the use of technology. The following electronics should be included in every travel kit. If you’re working abroad as a digital nomad or you’re interested in taking photos and high-quality videos, this list may be longer.
- Your phone and a decoy phone – A decoy phone is a backup device to be used in unsafe public areas. It isn’t necessarily needed, but it’s nice to have
- A Universal Adapter
- Charging cables – Try to make sure all devices use the same port type
- Emergency Info Encrypted USB – This protected device should have scans of all your important documents
- Extra micro-USB – This is good for using computers and printing out documents in foreign countries
- Headlamp – Generally, you’ll want both hands in the dark. It’s better to have a headlamp rather than a flashlight when traveling
- Headphones or earbuds – Make sure to get a noise canceling brand that continues to block sound even while off)
- Spare external battery or power bank
Keep in mind that there are plenty of good apps to download to your devices before traveling. This includes navigation apps like Map.me, offline maps, translation software, emergency update apps, rideshare apps local to a country, secure communication apps like Signal and Telegram and a decent VPN (Virtual Private Network).
Other items
The following are the last few items which should also be considered.
- A crushable hat
- Jewelry – Keep this stored in your bag while in transit for safety
- Travel locks – Two mini locks to lock your backpack and one large lock for hostel lockers
- Sunglasses – Either invest in a strong, invincible pair or buy cheap ones while you travel, replacing them as needed. Always get sunglasses with reflective lenses to prevent unwanted eye contact
- Day bag or day purse – This bag is for daily use. It should fit inside your main backpack easily
- Decoy Wallet – A wallet or purse to throw on the ground in case of mugging. It is also useful to put a daily amount of cash inside to stay on budget
- Sleep Kit – This is only necessary if you’re spending considerable time camping or in transit. A sleep kit can include an ultralight yoga-travel mat which doubles as a sleeping mat, and an ultralight sleeping quilt or sleeping bag.
Fully Packed Backpack
Keep in mind, this list is not comprehensive or universal. A solo female traveler may decide certain items on the list are unneeded for your journey. You may also decide that there are some things you can’t live without, such as a favorite watch or shirt.
If you’ve overpacked for your trip, shed gear and repack as many times as needed. Remember, your backpack should have some additional space inside once everything is oriented.
The goal is to get everything into a single 40 liter backpack to make traveling from place to place easier and more flexible, while also avoiding check-in baggage charges with airlines.
Once you’ve practiced packing a few times to ensure your backpack has everything you need, try wearing it around your neighborhood for short walks and journeys. Make sure your footwear is comfortable, the weight distribution is good and you can move well without feeling aches.
Once everything is packed and the list is finished, any solo female traveler can wander off to being exploring the world.
Good luck on your travels.
Best regards and excellent trails.