10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia
Honestly? I used to pack my suitcase as if I were going to live for about six months without the opportunity to buy anything. But after a couple of trips to Southeast Asia — Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, the Philippines — I realized that I simply didn’t need more than half of the things I packed. Here’s my list of what I gave up — and what I replaced it with. Perhaps it will come in handy if you, like me, don’t want to lug around a storage unit
Paper guides
Yeah, I thought Lonely Planet was cool and travel-friendly too. I even bought it in a bookstore in Kyiv before my trip to Bangkok. I read exactly one chapter on the plane, and that was it. Then I downloaded Maps.me, a couple of Google Docs, and started googling on the go, because local advice or Reddit posts work much better.
What I replaced it with: offline maps (Maps.me), Google Docs with notes, Telegram channels like “Siam on the minimum”.
A bunch of adapters and tees
I once took 4 adapters with me: for Europe, for the US, for the UK, and one “just in case”. As a result, most guest houses had universal sockets, or I just borrowed them from the reception. Now I take one, maximum two, and even more for peace of mind.
What I replaced it with: One universal adapter (I took it in Chiang Mai for 90 baht), and the rest was decided on the spot.
Camping Towel
Those microfiber things dry great, but have you ever tried to dry yourself off with them properly? It’s like hugging a plastic tablecloth. Almost everywhere I’ve stayed, there were towels. Even budget hostels. And if it’s really bad, you can buy a bath towel at your local 7-Eleven for $2.
What I replaced it with: I just take a small beach towel. Everything else is there.
DSLR
I took a Canon 70D with me on my first big trip. I carried it around like a lemur on my back. I got fed up. In the end, I still took 90% of the photos on my phone, because it’s faster, easier, and doesn’t attract unnecessary attention.
What I replaced it with: iPhone 13 Pro + Lightroom. The photos are fine, and my shoulder doesn’t fall off.
Too many things
When I went to Cambodia for a month, I took 17 T-shirts. SEVENTEEN. As a result, I washed them every 4-5 days and wore the same things. Now I travel with a 40-liter backpack, where only the necessary things are: 5 T-shirts, 2 shorts, 1 pants, a swimsuit, and a raincoat.
What I replaced: The minimum set + laundries on every corner (in Hanoi — 15 thousand dong per kg!).
Cash for every country
At first, I withdrew cash at airports (the dumbest idea ever) and also exchanged currency in the city. Then I realized: with a Wise or Revolut card, you can simply withdraw local currency with a minimal commission. And almost everywhere in Asia, you can now pay with your phone or card.
What I replaced it with: Wise card + a little cash (I exchange $50–100 when necessary).
SIM cards for each country
Here I stepped on the same rake. Flew to Thailand — stood in line for a SIM card. Flew to Cambodia — again search, buy, activate, configure. And so every time. Until I accidentally came across the TooSim app in Kuala Lumpur. Bought, downloaded the profile, and that’s it — it works. Since then, I have switched completely to eSIM, especially since now you don’t even have to wait — everything is done online in 2 minutes.
What replaced: eSIM for Asia, for example, you can buy eSIM for Asia, starting at $3.96/GB. TooSim Works in most countries in Southeast Asia. No hassle.
Lots of chargers and cables
Previously, I used a separate cable for each device — phone, headphones, camera, power bank… All this quickly turned into a tangle of wires in which it was difficult to find anything.
What I replaced it with: Now I get by with one universal 3-in-1 cable and a small charging unit with two ports. This is enough for all gadgets. Plus a compact power bank — it saves on long journeys, especially on trains in Vietnam, where not all seats have sockets. Fewer wires — less confusion and excess weight.
A first-aid kit like a hiker’s
I was carrying bandages, iodine, activated charcoal, throat lozenges, ointments for bites, and a bunch of other stuff. And then I realized that you can buy everything you need at any pharmacy, and doctors in Asia are much more accessible than at home.
What I replaced it with: Bandages, paracetamol, something for the stomach — that’s it. I buy the rest on the spot, if necessary.
Conclusion
Every trip to Asia taught me something new, including the fact that half of the things I considered “essential” were getting in the way. The less luggage, the easier it is to move forward — both literally and figuratively. You worry less, adapt faster, and feel freer.
Local markets, night buses, budget airlines — all this is much easier when you are not dragging a bunch of unnecessary things around with you. And if you need something, you can almost always buy it on the spot, and often at a cheaper price than at home. Travel is not about how many things you take with you, but about how many impressions you take back.
Follow the rest of the Top Experiences series
- TOP TWENTY THINGS TO DO IN EGYPT
- WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT MALTA
- TOP FUN THINGS TO DO IN HAMPI
- 10 HISTORICAL PLACES TO ROAM ACROSS THE WORLD
- 10 HISTORICAL MARVELS OF ITALY
- 10 BEST SHOWS IN EUROPE YOU MUST SEE
- DUBAI THRILLS: 7 MUST-DO ACTIVITIES
- 10 HISTORICAL MARVELS IN TURKEY TO ENJOY WITH KIDS
- MOST ENCHANTING PALACES IN EUROPE
RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE
FAQs
What are 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia?
The article (which actually walks through nine specific items despite its title) lists: paper travel guides, extra plug adapters, a microfiber camping towel, a DSLR camera, too many clothes, cash withdrawn at airports, physical SIM cards, multiple chargers and cables, and an overstocked hiker-style first-aid kit.
What are the must-see picks among 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia?
The most impactful swaps the author highlights are ditching the DSLR for an iPhone with Lightroom for lighter, faster photography, switching from physical SIM cards to eSIMs for instant connectivity, and cutting a bulky wardrobe down to a minimal 5-T-shirt rotation supplemented by cheap local laundry services.
Which Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia are top rated?
The author rates the eSIM switch and the minimal clothing approach as their most valuable changes — both directly reduced hassle and weight while barely affecting the quality of the trip, unlike heavier gear like the DSLR which they used only 10% of the time compared to their phone.
Which of these should not be missed?
The clearest takeaway not to miss is the shift to a Wise or Revolut card for withdrawing local currency with minimal fees, replacing the author’s earlier habit of withdrawing cash at airports, which they call ‘the dumbest idea ever’ in hindsight.
What makes this list of 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia worth following?
It’s grounded in real, repeated experience across multiple Southeast Asian trips (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, the Philippines, Cambodia), with the author naming specific replacements for each item they cut, rather than offering vague minimalist advice.
Can you recommend a well-rounded list for 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia and explain why each pick made the cut?
Skip paper guidebooks in favor of Maps.me and on-the-go Googling; bring one universal adapter instead of several; use a small beach towel instead of a microfiber camping towel since most accommodations provide towels; shoot on your phone instead of a DSLR for speed and lower profile; pack a minimal 5-shirt wardrobe and rely on cheap local laundry; use a fee-light card like Wise or Revolut instead of airport cash exchanges; switch to eSIM instead of physical SIM cards; carry one universal 3-in-1 cable instead of several; and pack a slim first-aid kit rather than a full hiker’s kit.
Which item from 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia would you personally prioritize if time were limited?
If you can only make one change, switching to eSIM stands out as the highest-impact swap — the article notes it now takes just two minutes to set up online, with Asia-wide plans starting around $3.96/GB, eliminating the hassle of sourcing local SIM cards in each new country.
What criteria make something worth including in 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia?
Each item made the list because the author found it added unnecessary weight, hassle, or cost without meaningfully improving the trip — and in each case they identify a specific, tested replacement that solved the same need more efficiently.
How would you rank 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia for someone visiting for the first time?
For a first-time visitor to Southeast Asia, the article’s ranking implicitly favors first cutting the DSLR and paper guides (biggest weight and bulk savings for the least downside), then addressing SIM cards and currency exchange (biggest hassle savings), and finally trimming clothing and the first-aid kit once you’re more confident in what’s actually available locally.
What’s an underrated pick within 10 Things I Stopped Packing While Traveling Around Asia that most people overlook?
The camping towel swap is easy to overlook but genuinely useful — the author points out that microfiber travel towels dry the body poorly compared to a regular towel, and that towels are provided almost everywhere they stayed, even at budget hostels, making a bulky dedicated travel towel largely unnecessary.
