As a member of the DFB Team, I work remotely. I’m also single, and I love a good road trip, so earlier this year I decided to try out the “digital nomad” lifestyle.
I gave up my permanent residence, sold almost everything I own, and started traveling full-time. I house-sit, stay in Airbnbs, and in hotel rooms for an occasional night or two.
So far, I love this lifestyle. What I need to carry with me has been a learning experience, though! Because of the wide variety of accommodations I use, I pack some things I never would have guessed I would need, and they might surprise you, too!
Scissors
You will never realize how many things you used scissors for until you DON’T have them!
Any basic pair of scissors like these from Westcott will do, but you may also want to pick up a sheath for your scissors to make them safer to pack in a bag.
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Throw blanket
Yep, I’ll acknowledge this is a weird one and may not be for everyone. But my blanket people out there know what I’m talking about here.
When you want to cozy up on the couch, you want a throw. And I want MY OWN throw, even when some might be furnished where I’m staying. This Unhide Lil’ Marsh blanket is the faux-fur cozy I love in a small size that doesn’t take up too much room in the car (it’s 34 inches by 44 inches). I’m a short person, though, so you might need to go for the full-size Marshmallow blanket if you’re taller.
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Coffee maker
One thing that has surprised me about staying in so many accommodations is the WIDE range of coffee situations I have encountered. Who ARE you monsters with no coffee maker in the house?
After arriving at places with Keurig machines while I brought ground coffee, homes with no coffee makers, and homes with coffee makers so complex I would need to spend an afternoon figuring them out, I decided to just bring a coffee maker with me. They make travel French Press devices, but I decided the best solution for me was this 4-cup drip coffee maker with a reusable filter and a stainless steel (non-breakable) carafe.
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Can opener
I do some cooking in most places that I stay, and sometimes — like the coffee maker situation — the can opener situation is a little weird. I have never been good at making electric can openers work, and I did stay in one house where I was all ready to open a couple of cans of tomatoes and couldn’t find one at all.
So, I started carrying my own simple can opener with me. Again, it’s just easier that way! And I have a built-in bottle opener when I need one, too.
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Camp chair
I should have thought from the very beginning about this one, but I did not! I carry a folding camp chair — the kind that come with a bag for carrying — with me these days.
I enjoy spending the first moment of my day outdoors (with my coffee!), and you never know what the outdoor seating situation will look like at many houses and Airbnbs. In addition, I love to take advantage of festivals, concerts, etc. going on in the areas where I visit, so I use this chair almost every weekend!
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Extension cord
As a remote worker, I of course bring my laptop, a wireless mouse, and a Bluetooth keyboard on all my travels. But I had not initially thought about the need for an extension cord.
While many of the places I stay have a desk or a workstation, not all set-ups are equal. This extension cord has been a lifesaver more than once.
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Reusable food storage bags
As I said earlier, I do shop for groceries and prepare most of my own food in the places I stay. I did not consider — at first — how to move the leftover food I might have to my next place.
I picked up some of these reusable food storage bags for that purpose. They are easy to wash and dry for reuse, and I’m wasting less food.
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Water filtering pitcher
Like the coffee maker situation, water filtration is something that varies so much from home to home. Some people have filtered water dispensers in their refrigerators, some people drink bottled water, and everything in between.
I will be the first to tell you that this is not the best solution — but I try to avoid using disposable water bottles when I can, so it’s the solution I came up with for now. I carry one of the smaller Brita Pitchers with me for personal use wherever I am staying. This way, I can filter the water for my coffee and for refilling my emotional support water bottle I carry everywhere, without questioning the water filtration situation at my accommodations.
This is not a great “portable” solution, but the filtered water bottles don’t quite fit my needs, either. I’m still looking for the right answer to this problem, though, so if you have suggestions, I would love to hear them in the comments below this post!
So, there are some of the surprising things I carry with me as a full-time traveler! Stay tuned to DFB for lots more travel news!
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I had no idea you did this. How absolutely exciting. Something to really think on for when Abe leaves the nest. I am excited to watch your adventures!
I don’t know what I think about this. I do know I’m impressed someone has the guts to just drop it all and go out and move from place to place like this. I know I couldn’t do it. Do you think this is a one year type thing or a long term plan? Again, I just don’t know what to think.
re: filtering water
You may find a more travel friendly options in the world of backpacking water filters. Assuming that I’m not allowed to post urls in comments, I’ll just suggest that you peruse the water filters on REI’s website.
I’ve never used my for “normal” travel (only backpacking in the wilderness), but it seems like they would be a much better option that a Brita.
The types I’ve used…
UV – this is really awesome for its simple convenience and they often have accessories for Nalgene water bottles where you can just leave it to filter a Nalgene bottle’s worth of water without having to hold it yourself for the 60-90 seconds that it requires. You’re probably already carrying a water bottle anyway.
Gravity – Great for “groups” and, therefore, it may be a bit much if your travel party is smaller.
Squeeze filters – These pack down nice and small. They often come with their own bag for the “dirty” water and you just squeeze it into a bottle. More effort than the two above, but this is the most minimal option that I’ve used.
I am an empty-nester who does travel healthcare so I was interested in your list. I agree with everything on this short list! My plastic “travel” tub contains everything on your list (except the coffee maker because I am one of those animals!!).
Reading the comments, I saw someone suggesting backpacker water filtration. As a backpacker myself, I have several water filtration options for camping/backpacking. However, I find the filter pitcher is more convenient and generally less hassle. Packing it to move on has been my only issue, but it has its own place in my plastic tub of essentials now, so problem solved for me!
Enjoy your travels and I can’t wait to hear more from you!