Packing Advice
An Interview with Rose Ernst of The Autistic Traveler
Question (Unruffled Travel): Hi Rose, thank you so much for sharing your packing tips with the Unruffled Travel community! Please tell us a bit about yourself and your experiences traveling and packing as an Autistic explorer.
Answer (Rose Ernst) : Hello! I’m a full-time traveler, nomad, and late-diagnosed autist, writing to inspire and inform autistic travelers in navigating nomad life, sensory issues, minimalist packing, and house sitting. My autistic realization happened after becoming a nomad four years ago, so I decided to share all the ups and downs of travel from that perspective.
I’ve always loved packing, organizing, tiny things, and minimalism. My mind is a maximalist, so my external minimalism helps me create calm inside and outside. Up until recently, my possessions all fit in a 35-liter backpack and a smaller 20-liter backpack. Then I transitioned to a 35-liter rolling suitcase and my 20-liter backpack. Packing is a process of constant experimentation and refinement. Even now, after four years, I still occasionally ask myself, “Where is my X?” Yes, I still cannot find things even though I own so little!
I find the ritual of packing and unpacking almost every month is one of my autistic routines, which shows that you can still have a sense of stability even when you’re a slow full-time traveler.
Q (UT): What are some tips you can share with our community on ways to pack more efficiently?
A (RE): I’ve been living out of a backpack/suitcase for over four years, and I’m still amazed by how much I continue to learn about packing and minimalism.
Instead of discussing the usual advice, here are a few points you might not have considered:
1. Beyond the basics: Most packing advice concentrates on clothing and toiletries (which is important!). But as an autistic person, I rely on creating sameness as anchors when I travel. That’s because everything around me is changing, so my routine or rituals become even more vital.
From a packing perspective, I need to consider what will help create that sense of continuity. Food, for example, is one of those things. I pack my favorite tea, coffee, and coffee pot. I bring enough snack food from one place to another with me, so it helps my mind – and digestive system – feel more at ease.
Packing food is tricky because it can add a lot of weight, but even having just a few small items can make the difference, like a Ziploc bag full of your favorite teabags and two bars of your favorite chocolate.
Food is just one example of these rituals. Perhaps you love writing in your journal each morning but can’t pack a heavy journal. Bring a small journal with you just for the trip, or plan on buying one as soon as you get there (though I think bringing it with you is probably the point). Or maybe you have a special piece of jewelry that also doubles as a fidget device. Conventional packing advice would tell you to leave it at home, but if it makes you feel grounded, then bring it.
2. Doubling-up items: Try to focus on packing things with more than one purpose. For example, a dress can be both a nightie and a dress during the day. Also, instead of packing a cord for each electronic device, check out whether you can get by with one or two since they take the same plug.
3. Sensory items: This is fast becoming conventional advice for Neurodivergent travelers! But it’s so important to consider. This includes things that can turn down the volume on sensory experiences (e.g., earplugs, sunglasses, or a tiny fan), as well as things that soothe you, such as a particular scent or clothing that is extra comfortable.
4. How you pack and organize: This will vary widely depending on whether you’re an ADHDer or autistic or both. Something that can quite easily provoke a meltdown or shutdown when you arrive somewhere and are already overloaded is the inability to find something you packed or the feeling that your suitcase is a mess. For some, the ability to see everything might be important, in which case you might want to avoid using packing cubes, especially ones that aren’t transparent. For others (like me), the most important thing is that everything is organized, which makes packing cubes a fantastic option.
If you’re not sure which of these strategies works for you, think about your daily life: do you like to have everything out on the counter, just where you can see it or do you prefer to have it organized in a drawer, out of sight? Use this to guide your packing strategy.
Q (UT): Are there any particular things you wouldn’t leave home without?
A (RE): Since my home is my suitcase, I’ll tell you a few interesting essentials for me.
1. Everything ears: over-the-ear noise-canceling corded headphones, QuietOn non-Bluetooth noise-canceling earplugs, Bluetooth earbuds for walking, and old-school corded earbud earphones. As you can tell, my auditory environment is important!
2. Tiny USB fan: I use this to keep the air flowing when sleeping and to create white noise (ahem, someone snores next to me 😉)
3. Silk sleep sack: No more detergent or scratchy bed linen! This sleep sack dries quickly, packs into a ball, and regulates temperature when I sleep. Plus, it helps me mentally deal with any questionable bed linen.
4. Sunglasses: I used to buy cheap ones, but then my eyes got burnt one day. A definite must, even though I’m currently spending most of my time housesitting in the UK.
5. Warmth: I run very cold, so I bring lots and lots of layers. If you run hot, layers will work well for you, too (but I’m jealous that you’ll need less of them!)
6. Phone: It probably goes without saying, but this is essential.
Q (UT): What if, the unfortunate happens and you forgot something, but don’t realize it until you’ve reached your destination. How do you Cope?
A (RE): If I can’t find it in the new location or order it, I try to get creative. I ask myself how someone just like me who lives in this location would cope. For example, if Ibuprofen is the only thing that really helps my cramps. It’s much harder to find that in Europe, and it’s more expensive. They often use paracetamol, so I’ll use that if I run out of Ibuprofen. Not as good, but it’s definitely better than nothing.
Q (UT): What are some strategies for managing tech while traveling?
A (RE): It’s easy to let tech get out of control when you pack. I find simplifying is better. Since I work while traveling, I bring a laptop, phone, and e-reader. As I mentioned earlier, I try to limit the number of cords I bring, because there’s nothing worse than trying to sort through a tangle of cords in the dark when your phone battery has died.
If you’re traveling from your home country with a MacBook of sorts, make sure you buy a separate adapter plug especially made for that country’s electrical system. Otherwise, it will fry your computer if you use a regular adapter (not designed for a MacBook).
Also, I pay for a cloud backup service. This eases any concerns about possibly losing a device while traveling. It’s worth it!
Q (UT): Are there any other words of wisdom you’d like to share with our Neurodivergent Explorer community?
A (RE): When you’re packing, it’s so easy to be carried away with neurotypical packing advice. For example, the advice that “If you forget it, just buy it there!” is well and good, but it really doesn’t work for me. What’s in my bag actually acts as an anchor for a calmer mind and body. If I have everything I need with me, I know I can face the challenges of the road and focus instead on the incredible sensory feast around me.
Happy traveling!