The secret to light packing for long-term travel lies with laundry. With wardrobe choices designed to go the distance, the logistics can be less challenging than you might think.
CONTAINMENT: Workout wear, smelly socks and even damp swimsuits need to be compartmentalised and stored away from clean travel clothing until laundering becomes an option. For lightly soiled items, carrying a simple drawstring bag from a discount shop will do the trick. For a slightly stronger scent barrier, plastic shopping bags provide a free solution.
Water also needs to be contained in order to make the hand washing of intimates and other lightweight clothing a viable option. At a hotel with up-to-date plumbing fixtures, this is as simple as closing the sink or tub drain. Under more rustic conditions, you'll need to get creative.
One item I carry with me wherever I go is a universal sink stopper. Available from specialist travelling websites and shops, it is a flat rubber disc that stops water flow regardless of drain size anywhere in the world. If you are taking your car on a camping trip and have to use water from an outdoor tap in order to clean your clothes, then packing an inexpensive bucket in your vehicle can give you a laundry solution when you need it and organised boot storage for loose items when you are on the highway.
INFRASTRUCTURE: While tucking in a full-sized scrub brush can be problematic, packing a medium-bristled nail brush is a piece of cake. Provided you pack one that's at least four to six rows wide, it should be large enough to get the job done when it comes to washing socks in the shower and scrubbing out cosmetic stains from the collar of your dress shirt.
