The Great Debate: Backpack vs. Suitcase for the Modern Nomad
The choice of luggage is deeply personal and depends entirely on your travel style. There's no single right answer, only what's right for you and your current journey.
The Travel Backpack: Ideal for the rugged adventurer. If your itinerary involves rough terrain, chicken-buses in Central America, or hitchhiking across continents, a backpack is your best friend. It keeps your hands free and navigates crowds and uneven streets with ease.
The Rolling Suitcase: Perfect for the city-hopping professional. If you're flying between international business hubs like Lisbon, Dubai, and Singapore, a hard-shell rolling suitcase offers superior protection for your gear, better organization, and a more professional look. It saves your back in airports and hotels.
My own journey reflects this evolution. I started as a die-hard backpacker, but as my online business grew—requiring more photography equipment—and my life changed with family travel, I transitioned to a suitcase. It simply became the more practical tool for the job.
The Strategic Three-Bag System for Perpetual Travel
For maximum flexibility, I travel with a modular three-bag system. This allows me to adapt to any situation, from a business trip in a major city to a multi-day trek in the mountains.
The Fortress (Rolling Suitcase): This is my primary bag. A lightweight, hard-shell suitcase with strong locking zippers and durable 360-degree wheels. It protects my main gear and is usually checked. The key is its ability to hold my hiking backpack laid flat inside, creating a single piece of checked luggage.
The Adventurer (Travel Backpack): A lightweight, comfortable hiking and travel backpack with full front-zipper access for easy packing. For most trips, it stays packed flat inside the suitcase. When a trek or adventure calls, I pull it out, load it up, and it becomes my main bag for that leg of the journey.
The Mobile Office (Camera Daypack): This is my non-negotiable carry-on. It holds the lifeblood of my business: my laptop, camera, lenses, hard drives, and passport. It's designed to double as a day-hike pack, with room for a water bottle, jacket, and even a tripod.
A note on checking bags: The nomad community often preaches a 'carry-on only' gospel. While that’s great for short trips, for long-term travel with professional equipment, it’s often impractical. In over a decade of constant travel, I've had a bag delayed only a handful of times, and it almost always arrived the next day. Don't let the fear of a lost bag compromise your ability to carry the tools you need to live and work effectively.
The Nomad's Essential Gear List
These are the core items that form the foundation of my packing list for every single trip.
Basic Travel Essentials
Filtered Water Bottle: Saves money and reduces plastic waste. A must-have.
Packing Cubes: The single best tool for organization. Keep your clothes compressed and easy to find.
Leatherman Multitool: Invaluable for unexpected repairs. Remember to put it in your checked luggage!
Travel Neck Pillow, Earplugs & Travel Scarf: Your long-haul flight survival kit.
Toiletry Bag & Refillable Bottles: Stay organized and compliant with liquid restrictions if you decide to go carry-on.
Passport Wallet: Keep your most important document, cards, and a bit of cash secure and accessible.
Portable Luggage Scale: Avoid surprise overweight baggage fees at the airport.
Packable Duffel Bag: Essential for bringing back souvenirs or separating gear.
Travel Headlamp: For navigating dark dorm rooms, late-night reading, or unexpected power outages.
The Minimalist Nomad Wardrobe
Focus on high-quality, lightweight, wrinkle-resistant, and multi-functional pieces. Think layers and neutral colors.
Pants: 2 pairs (e.g., one pair of durable travel pants, one pair of nicer chinos)
Shorts: 2 pairs
Shirts: 5 t-shirts (merino wool is excellent), 2 long-sleeve/dress shirts
Layers: 2 sweatshirts or fleece sweaters
Underwear & Socks: 5 pairs of each (quick-drying fabrics are key)
Shoes: 1 pair of comfortable, stylish shoes for walking; 1 pair of sandals (like Luna Sandals)
Other: 1 swimsuit, 1 travel blazer (for a professional look when needed)
The Mobile Office: Tech & Camera Gear
This is your business in a bag. Protect it accordingly and invest in quality.
Universal Travel Plug Adapter: One adapter to rule them all.
Portable Battery Bank: Keep your devices charged on the go. Crucial for long travel days.
Kindle E-Reader: An entire library in a tiny package.
Noise-Canceling Headphones: Essential for focus in noisy cafes, airports, and co-working spaces.
Laptop: A Macbook Pro or Air is the standard for a reason—powerful and reliable.
Unlocked iPhone: Allows you to use cheap local SIM cards for data everywhere you go.
Portable Hard Drive: For backing up your work and photos. Never rely on just one copy.
Travel Camera: A high-quality mirrorless like the Sony A7 series is a perfect balance of power and size.
Action Cam & Drone: A GoPro and a DJI Drone (like the Mavic Air 2) for capturing unique content.
Travel Tripod & Camera Clip: For stable shots and quick camera access.
The Adventure Module: Backpacking & Camping Gear
For nomads who mix client work with mountain peaks. Keep this gear light and compact.
Backpacking Tent
Backpacking Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Backpacking Stove
