Packing for a weekend away can be hard, so naturally packing for an entire year is even tougher. Especially when there’s no going back to your closet to grab more clothes or put something back.
I created a packing list for a year abroad in Australia because I wasn’t sure what to pack either. Since living in the country for over year and a half—through different seasons and regions—I’m sharing the best list of what to pack.
I designed this packing list for Australia’s, because its climate is pretty unique. When I was in Victoria in February (end of summer), it got as high as 38 degrees. Then, June in western New South Whales (winter), days were around 20 degrees and nights often dropped below 0 degrees.
This is my own tailored list to my needs, but it can be used as a baseline to help others pack as well. Below the list I explain the reasoning to what I brought.
Table of Contents
Packing list for a Year in Australia
Luggage
- Backpack: 65L Osprey Ariel Backpack (this comes with a small day pack too!)
- Daypack: WANDRD PRVKE (perfect camera backpack, or good for everything)
- Packing Cubes: About 5 Packing cubes
Clothing
- 5 T-shirts – Patagonia
- 4 Tank tops
- 2 Sweaters
- 2 pair of pants
- 2 Leggings – Patagonia
- 4 Shorts – Patagonia
- 10 Underwear
- 10 Pairs of Socks (long and short)
- Rain jacket
- Down Jacket: Kathmandu Hooded Down Jacket or Synthetic down jacket
- Bathing suit: Rip Curl Women’s Long-sleeve (for sun protection)
Toiletries
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste (or travel sized for airplane)
- Face lotion
- Hairbrush
- Travel-sized shampoo
- Deodorant
- Menstrual hygiene products (tampons, menstrual cup, etc.)
- Hair elastics
- Face wipes or baby wipes
- Small mirror
- Tweezers
- Razor
- Chapstick
- Nail file
- Nail clips
- Ibuprofen
- Years-worth of any prescription medication
Footwear
- Runners: New Balance Women’s Fresh Foam 1080 V8
- Flip flops/thongs: Havaianas
- Comfortable sandals: Arizona Birkenstocks
- Boots: Blundstones
Other Gear
- Sleeping Bag: Mountain Warehouse Extreme Down
- Sleeping Pad: Klymit Insulated Static V Lite Sleeping Pad
- Polaroid Camera: Instax Mini
- Compact Coffee Gear
- Hammock: Eno Hammock with Atlas straps
- Journal: The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal
- Compact Microfibre Towel: BOGI Microfiber Towel
- Laptop with charging cable: MacBook Pro 13″
- Electronics plug converter: Canada/USA to Australia/China/New Zealand Plug Adapter
- USB wall plug: Two USB wall plug
- All charging cables for devices
- Travel cable organizer: Bagsmart Travel Cable Organizer Case
- Unlocked smart phone: Unlocked iPhone
Packing List Explained
My packing list for a year in Australia has been dependant on spending lots of time outdoors and travelling. Anyone living in a van will likely need to pack more than someone living in an apartment due to the weather variability, but things should be compact.
I found in the summer all I wear is shorts, whereas in winter I wear leggings. I’ve also never been very concerned about fashion when travelling. I’d rather splurge on outdoor gear from Patagonia, than a nice dress from Zara. So again, packing for a year or more abroad is really dependant on each person’s needs.
I travelled with just my 65L backpack and a day backpack as a carry on to travel light. Inside my large backpack I used five large Ziplock bags to carry my shorts, pants, shirts, underwear and socks each.
I decided on more T-shirts than tank tops to cover my shoulders from the intense sun. I only brought one pair of jeans because I can’t put mine in the dryer, and in humid weather jeans dry very slowly. For leggings, two are synthetic material (Girlfriend Collective) and the other is cotton. I find them more breathable versus warmer. I brought lots of socks and underwear. This was in case I’m not able to do laundry for longer than usual, but I try for once a week.
Toiletries was the most complicated for me. I don’t wear makeup but I do use a bunch of unique beauty products, so here I’ve just outlined what people may need. No need to bring loads of sunscreen as it’s cheap in Australia. Same goes for full sized products like shampoo and toothpaste. As for shoes, I’ve always worn Blundstones in the winter, they’re waterproof, great for bush walking and warmer than sneakers. I keep my runners for busy city days, or Birkenstocks in the summer. Flip flops are a must for anyone going to hostels, or using public showers—to avoid foot funguses.
Finally, for the other gear. I love good coffee, and invested years ago on quality, compact gear for making it. I also brought my sleeping mat and sleeping bag as they’re both tiny when packed up and I wasn’t sure if I would need them. For me, it was cheaper to bring these than buy them new in Australia. The same idea goes for my hammock—which is great for relaxing.
For buying clothes or anything else in Australia (including work clothing for myself) I stick to op shops (thrift stores) as they’re everywhere in Australia and super cheap.
Planning Your List
Any packing list depends on your unique needs and wants when travelling, along with the focus of the trip. Before creating a packing list for a year in Australia it’s important to know some details of the plan. Such as:
- Will you be living in an apartment?
- Travelling and living in a vehicle?
- What access will you have to laundry, or other stores?
- Do you plan to live in a metropolitan area, or somewhere rural?
- How much luggage will you travel with?
- Will you be working, or just traveling?
It’s not necessary to have all of these questions answered, but it can help to pack your bag. Overall, just remember to pack things you already wear or will. This way your luggage space won’t go to waste!
Heading to Australia soon? I created a guide on how to get started in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. It includes everything from options for accommodation to the best jobs to find as a backpacker.
