Nomads, modern hobos, wanderers, explorers – they go by a myriad of names and who are they? People who are homeless by choice, who travel full-time with little to no money in their pockets to see the world and not let life slip through their fingers – to die without regrets.
Photo credit: srikanth_jandy / Source / CC BY
“The most important thing I used to carry was my brain, but I lost it somewhere during my travels. Because of that, I don’t carry anything valuable anymore! More seriously: I think my tent is quite important as it solves accommodation problems. The rest I don’t count as necessary because I know I can buy whatever I need on the way.” – Tomasz
“The most important thing would be a sleeping bag. If you have a good waterproof one you can use it almost anywhere including outdoors in nature. I have been traveling for 5 months and I’m always happy I decided to carry one.” – Robert
“Passport, because, come on…” – Vincent

Photo credit: Kitty Terwolbeck / Source / CC BY
“The most important thing I carry is my credit card because no matter what I forgot to pack, I can buy it somewhere. It is not really the idea of travelling on a budget, but you asked for my opinion, haha…. I’ve been travelling since I was born and on my own since the age of 15.” – Markus

Photo credit: steve phillips / Source / CC BY-ND
“A couple of things I pack on every trip: headlights, a pocket knife, earplugs and a sarong. Oh, and my mp3-player, the only thing I would ever miss from back home is my music. I’ve been on the road for 8 months now.”
“Passport, because it is your entrance ticket to other countries.” – Voodoo
“Passport and a bankcard. Without it you cannot travel or get access to money – the rest is by definition, extra.”
“A water filter, because in some countries potable water is not an option unless you pay for a bottle and it can get quite expensive on the long run. I also enjoy wild camping and sometimes drinking from rivers and other bodies of water is necessary.”

Photo credit: Nick Bramhall / Source / CC BY-SA
“I have this massive blanket/towel type thing and ever since I had it, don’t go anywhere without it. Kept me warm during Yellowstone Nights, used it as a towel on the beach, it was my whole camping gear during EXIT & Sea Dance festivals, I’ve even worn it on some occasions and it is great” – Jesse
Anything else you’d like to add to the list? We’d love to hear about it, so leave it on the comments section!
Updated: April 24, 2015