The Nomad Gear List: What's Actually Worth Packing

A lightweight laptop, a genuinely good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and a compact universal power adapter cover 80% of what matters. Skip the gadget-of-the-week purchases.

A local eSIM (Airalo, Holafly) as backup internet is worth more than most gear — coworking wifi goes down, cafés get crowded, and having your own connection saves video calls constantly.

A portable battery pack and a compact padlock for hostel/coliving lockers round out the list. Everything else is genuinely optional — pack light, buy what you're missing once you land.