Travel Therapy Packing List: What to Pack for Your Travel PT Contract
Before you dive deep into this travel therapy packing list, I want to be very clear that you should travel with less than you think you need.
While you’re packing for your next travel physical therapy contract, I want you to channel your inner Marie Condo. Consider what items will actually bring you joy vs. throwing it all into your vehicle and deciding later.
You’ll thank me later!
Most furnished housing options will have most of what you need to live – e.g. bedding, kitchenware, towels, etc. – think about an AirBnB set-up. If they don’t, you can make a quick run to Walmart, the dollar store, etc. to snag whatever else you need.
There’s no sense in carrying a U-Haul full of stuff. We’ve met travelers who’ve gone this route and they’ve all regretted it.
I recommend traveling with no more than you can fit in your vehicle. Better yet – no more than you can fit in your trunk. Then thieves won’t be tempted to bust your window and steal your belongings from your back seat while you’re moving cross-country.
This lifestyle has given us some real perspective on material things. We started traveling with just one vehicle – bringing only what would fit in our Toyota Camry.
Jazz – The QUEEN of Car Tetris packing our Toyota Camry back in 2018. See those textbooks? DON’T bring them and thank me later.
We’ve found that even that small amount of stuff was too much stuff. We were still wearing less than half the wardrobe we brought and hauling a bunch of stuff around that we never even touched.
We now live in a mere 60 square feet in our self-renovated campervan. Some would say we’ve fully embraced the minimalist lifestyle at this point. 🚐💨
I encourage you to take each travel physical therapy contract as an opportunity to re-evaluate your belongings.
If you don’t end up using/wearing something during an entire assignment, I encourage you to either
Donate it
Mail it back home (we do this with our Halloween costumes for future use 👻🎃)
No sense in dragging it along with you! It’ll only slow your adventures down!
That being said, there are certain material things that have really leveled up our travel experience.
My goal with this blog post is to dial it down to the absolute essentials. For fun, I’ll throw in some BONUS material things that bring us a lot of joy and value during my travel physical therapy contracts.
We’re hoping that this list can take out some guesswork before you hit the road.
And we’ll continue to add to it as we enter year 4 of our travel physical therapy journey!
Apps
Before we get into material things, here are some of my favorite apps that have helped me:
1️⃣ Stay entertained during long road trips and commutes to/from work
2️⃣ Prioritize my mental health & wellbeing while we’re away from friends, family, and everything we’ve ever known
3️⃣ Make daily learning a priority for my own personal and professional development (lifelong learner right here 🙋🏼)
4️⃣ Connect with other travelers while on the road
1.) Scribd
The best way I can think of to describe Scribd is that it’s like the Netflix of digital books and audiobooks.
For just $10/month, you get access to their entire library of books/audiobooks.
The only catch is that they have a rotating library of books. So you don’t technically own the book and if a book rotates out of their library, you’ll no longer have access.
This doesn’t bother me since I rarely read the same book twice…unless it’s absolute 🔥🔥. But if that’s the case, I’m gonna buy the book anyway!
Since just one book is $10-20 on services like Audible, I think Scribd is a much more reasonable price. And if you start a book you aren’t really vibing with, NBD! Move onto the next and you aren’t out any money.
If you want to try Scribd before you buy, use this link to get 60 days of Scribd for free!
2.) Blinkist
Blinkist provides short “blinks” that summarize the main ideas / key points of popular books, audiobooks, and podcasts.
As a lifelong learner, I LOVE listening to these bite-sized book summaries on all sorts of topics like personal development, finance, mindset, and psychology.
I use Blinkist while getting ready for work, while on a run/working out, while doing chores like dishes and laundry, and during my commute.
3.) FitMind and Calm
If you’ve worked in healthcare at any point, I already know you need to make mental health a priority. Especially in these pandemic times.
No matter how much you love your job, it’s undeniable that it’s exhausting to pour into other humans all day, every day.
You can’t fill from an empty cup. So be sure to fill your own.
FitMind and Calm are two of my favorite apps that I use to fill my cup.
Calm has many awesome features including guided breathing and meditations, sleep stories, and mindfulness exercises with specific goals like developing self-love, gratitude, or improved sleep.
As a healthcare professional, you’ll love the scientific explanations FitMind provides. It’s structured into modules, almost like a course. And it gives you guided lessons paired with each training.
These research-backed lessons explain the WHY of meditation/mindfulness instead of just running you through an exercise you know nothing about.
I’ve loved learning more about why meditation/mindfulness is beneficial to me. And knowing the WHY has helped me stay more commited to consistently doing these practices.
4.) MedBridge
I got a MedBridge subscription for free during my first travel PT contract.
I’ve been happy to pay for an annual membership ever since because I love the product so much.
All for less than the price of a weekend course, you get:
Unlimited CEUs – earn them anytime, anywhere on your phone or laptop
A beautiful and user-friendly HEP builder – including a free app your patients can download to watch videos of their exercises to walk them through proper technique
Educational patient handouts to reinforce things like post-op precautions, use of assistive devices, stair management, etc.
And so much more!
Read this blog post to give you a more in-depth look at why MedBridge is so worth it as a travel (or perm) therapist!
5.) Social Apps – MedVenture, EventBrite, Meet-Up, Facebook Groups/Events and More!
Traveling can be lonely — if you don’t know where to look, that is.
Check out this blog post to learn how to make friends and find fun in a new city.
Bathroom
The Essentials
Spill-proof toiletry bag to hold all these essentials
Toothbrush / toothpaste / floss
Deo for the B.O.
Shampoo & conditioner
Soap/body wash
Face wash
Lotion & skin-care products
Makeup
Hairbrush & any other hair essentials (curler, straightener, etc.)
Contacts, contact solution, glasses
Sunscreen & bug spray
Medications
Bonus Items
Foldable Squatty Potty
IYKYK.
I’ll spare the details, but just know that squatty potties are LIFE-CHANGING.
Once you use it for a week, there’s no going back.
And this collapsible squatty potty folds up flat so it takes up hardly any room at all.
Toiletry bag
You’re gonna be adventuring far and wide on the weekends and between your travel PT contracts. You gotta keep that deo for the B.O., mouthwash, contact solution, etc. somewhere.
I recommend a tolietry bag that’s waterproof so if something spills, it doesn’t ruin everything else in the bag (speaking from experience).
Bonus points if it has a built-in hook to hang on for those awkward AirBnB bathrooms that don’t have any storage space.
Electric toothbrush with a case
We have Sonicare toothbrushes and we love them! It’s got a charging stand that holds the toothbrush upright. I’d also recommend getting a case to keep it clean while you’re on the run.
Kitchen
Essentials
Check if your short-term housing situation provides these items before bringing them along to save packing space
Bowls & plates
Silverware
Cups & mugs
Pots & pans
Spatula and ladle
Spices
Cutting board & at least one cutting knife
Bottle & wine openers
Hot pads/oven mitt – we love these multipurpose trivets to grab hot pots/pans, to grab things out of the microwave, and they make a pretty great coaster, too!
A way to make your morning coffee. See Aeropress below for a simple solution that you can also take camping.
Tupperware to take your meals to work. Save space with collapsible tupperware & other collapsible kitchenware – more on this below.
Bonus Items
Crockpot or Instant Pot for easy meal-prep
Cooking is one of our least favorite chores, but the Crockpot makes meal-prep seamless.
It’s our go-to food prep appliance because it is super easy to cook meals in bulk. You can also opt for an Instant Pot to make your meal prep even quicker.
Using the Crockpot is as easy as 1-2-3:
Google a meal
Buy the ingredients & chop them up
Throw the ingredients in the pot, turn it on, and let it cook for the designated time.
We usually cook 1-2 meals in the crockpot over the weekend. Then we alternate between the two meals throughout the week for lunch/dinner so we don’t get too bored.
Clean up is also easy, which is a huge plus.
Pro-Tip: Store your spices inside your crockpot while moving from travel PT contract to contract to save room.
Collapsible kitchenware
We got tired of buying Tupperware at every assignment. It was never worth the wasted space between assignments, and we felt extremely wasteful buying more and more plastic everywhere we went.
We were stoked when we found all kinds of collapsible kitchenware, like:
They all collapse flat so they’re easier to take on-the-go.
Be sure to buy ones that are made of food-grade silicone so you can avoid off-gasing.
These save a ton of space while moving and have proven to save valuable drawer/cabinet space in our campervan.
Aeropress for coffee on-the-go
The Aeropress makes BOMB coffee, it’s easy to use, and it’s easy to take anywhere. You can even have your coffee while camping/car camping! Don’t forget to get yourself an electric tea kettle or a propane stove to heat your water before pouring it into the Aeropress.
Bedroom
The Essentials
I don’t really have many essentials here, because your bedding will most likely be provided if you opt for furnished short-term housing.
Sleep is VVVV important to me, so we bring our own comforter, pillows, and sheets for travel PT contracts! More on this below.
Bonus Items
Bedding
I (Skip) am extremely serious when it comes to my sleep (I can see Jazz rolling her eyes as she reads this 🙄🤣).
You’ll find cheap, uncomfortable bedding at a lot of short-term housing travel therapy options.
Down comforters are an AMAZING bedding option for all types of weather. They keep you cool in the summer months and warm in the winter months.
Comfortable pillows are also an absolute MUST to keep you rested for your upcoming adventures.
You can use vacuum bags to compress all these items to save room in your trunk while moving from contract to contract.
Sleep Mask & Blackout Curtains
Your short-term housing won’t always have blackout curtains.
As an alternative, you can block out the ambient light, light from electronics, etc. with a sleep mask to make sure you get a great night's sleep.
I also make sure to pack a mask for plane rides and weekend excursions.
Clothing
The Essentials
This obviously depends on what you enjoy. If you like to go out, bring clothes to go out in! If you’re more of a hiker, be sure to bring your boots and water-resistant attire! Whatever you do, just bring less than you think you need!
Scrubs and/or dress shirts, polos, slacks
I switch between hospital and clinic settings and make sure to vacuum bag what I’m not wearing during a contract to save space
Comfy shoes for work and for play (try to keep it to 4-5 pairs)
Work out clothes
Going out/more formal clothes (think work holiday parties)
Underwear & socks (try not to bring more than a week’s worth – you can always buy more)
Location-dependent
Hats/beanies
Rain gear & umbrella
Swimsuits
Ski/snowboard gear
Hiking boots
For Work
The Essentials
Coffee mug
Clipboard
Pens, highlighters
Notebook to take notes during orientation
Important Documents
You’ll want to make sure to have a hard copy and a digital copy of each of the items listed below.
Use a free app like CamScanner to easily create PDF copies of all your important documents. You can protect them with a password on the app as well.
The Essentials
Driver’s license
Passport
Vehicle registration
Vehicle insurance policy
BLS card
Each state license you hold
Important medical records e.g. immunization history
Electronics
Portable device charger / Portable power station
When you’re out on a hike, hanging on the beach, or out on the town, you’ll want to keep a portable charger with you to keep your phone, and camera charged.
You can get a heavier/bulkier charger that holds more charges or opt for a less powerful but lighter/more compact charger. We’ve got one of each!
If you like to camp/car camp and need some extra juice to last you the weekend, you might want to invest in a portable power station like this one to keep all your devices charged.
Laptop, iPad, or Tablet
I prefer a large screen and full keyboard when I’m looking for jobs, writing social media & blog posts, and coaching therapists into successful travelers.
Some of you could get away with just your cell phone, but I highly recommend bringing your laptop for one of my favorite past-times – coffee shop mornings.
Spending mornings in a new coffee shop is one of my favorite past-times while traveling.
Plentiful phone chargers
We all know the struggle of finding and keeping phone chargers around.
I recommend getting a variety of different phone charger sizes including longer chargers because you never know where your outlets are going to be in your short-term housing. And then you can have separate chargers for work, vehicle, and home use.
You’ll also need to remember your laptop/tablet charger, portable speaker charger, and all your other device chargers.
Use a charger organizer like this one so you know exactly where all your chargers are and so they’re easy to access.
A quality camera
For a long time, we thought our iPhones were a good substitute for a professional camera.
Once we bought this camera we like, “Okay, that’s a load of B.S.!”
Pictures never match the epic views we see with the human eye.
But having a good camera comes much closer to capturing those moments than your iPhone does!
One of our favorite dispersed camping spots we’ve ever stayed in our self-built campervan. We had an epic view of the Grand Tetons.
GoPro
Planning on spending time underwater or hiking in the rain? Get a waterproof GoPro to document these moments!
There have been so many times that we want to bring our camera along but weather didn’t permit.
So we grab our waterproof, durable AF GoPro instead!
Snorkeling with manta rays on Nusa Penida Island during our nine-week honeymoon (yes, you read that right). All made possible by the flexibility of the travel physical therapy lifestyle.
Gym/Workout
Adjustable dumbbells
These adjustable dumbbells have been a complete GAME CHANGER for my health & wellbeing on the road.
Sometimes, I land travel PT contracts in more rural areas. Or there isn’t a gym a reasonable distance from where we’re living/my workplace.
I love bodyweight workouts. But as a PT, I’m also a big advocate for resistance training.
Adjustable dumbbells give you the best of both worlds.
They allow you to have a full set of dumbells from ~5-50 lbs. And they also take up very little space.
They’re pricey, but as a therapist, you know your long-term health is one of your most valuable assets. And if you consider the cost of individual dumbbells or a couple of months of a gym membership, they’re more than worth it!
They’ll also make a fantastic addition to your future home gym!
I personally have PowerBlocks because they’re stackable (better to store in our campervan, and probably in your trunk too).
But I also love these BowFlex adjustable dumbbells. I can vouch for their quality and durability because I’ve used them in an outpatient PT clinic.
They’re quicker/easier to adjust than the PowerBlocks (you just turn the dial and lift), but they’re also bulkier and you can’t stack on top of one another. So they’ll ultimately take up more room.
TRX Bands
These bad boys have been on my wishlist for a while now. They store compactly so they could be a great option to bring along during your travels. All you need is a good place to anchor them.
I want to install a pull-up bar on our van exterior so we can use TRX bands to work out anywhere, anytime. But we haven’t gotten around to it yet.
I love using these for my own workouts and in the clinic!
Therabands/Theratubing
IYKYK as a traveling physical therapist. We use these ALL THE TIME in the clinic/hospital.
Therabands, theratubes, or “booty bands” are not only easy to store, but they’re low cost and can be used for a large variety of workouts.
Pro Tip: if you’re working, you can probably just snatch a couple from work. 😉
Volleyball, basketball, football, etc.
We love playing sports, and we like to keep a volleyball with us at all times. You can choose your own favorite to keep with you and deflate it to save room while moving.
Miscellaneous
Vacuum bags
If you’re like me and work in multiple settings, vacuum bags are a Godsend.
While I’m working an outpatient contract, I’ll put my scrubs in a vacuum bag. And while I’m working a hospital contract, I’ll bag up polos and khakis.
They also open up SO MUCH space in your trunk while you’re moving.
We use them to compress bulky items like our bedding and pillows as well.
OneWheel vs electric scooter vs. bike (great for cities)
We have OneWheels which are sooooo much fun to ride and a great way to explore a new city.
Still waiting for the day when I have a short enough commute and good enough weather that I can commute to/from work on my OneWheel!
If a OneWheel isn’t in your budget, they make affordable electric scooters that can fold up compactly and fit in your trunk.
If you don’t want to depend on a battery for your transportation, you can always opt for a good ol’ bike.
But fair warning –bike theft is a pretty common occurrence on the road, especially in the city. So be sure to secure yours!
Bluetooth speaker
We’ve used our bluetooth speaker everywhere. From kitchen dance parties → house parties → our campervan → the beach → home workouts.
I’d recommend a speaker that’s waterproof and durable so you can take it anywhere without worrying about damaging it.
A do-it-all backpack
Fun fact: we are obsessed with backpacks. Out of anything, this is the material item we struggle with most in our pursuit of minimalism.
Every time we go to REI, we b-line it to the backpacks.
But we’re always in search of the “perfect” backpack for all our adventures.
Our friends and fellow full-time travelers, Kim and Erran G, have designed a backpack made specifically for travelers that checks SO MANY boxes.
We’ve taken The Travsessed Backpack everywhere from hikes → coffee shops → the beach → work → the airport for domestic & international travel and everywhere in between.
It’s made of super-durable ripstop material, has tons of compartments for your gadgets, sunglasses, etc, a water-resistant lining, and RFID-safe pockets on the straps for easy access to your passport and credit cards/ID while you’re traveling.
This Osprey backpack (men’s version, women’s version) is our favorite backpack to take on international travel trips.
It has a detachable daypack that zips onto/off of the larger backpack for day use.
This bag also zips open from the front for easy access to everything inside unlike the typical top-loading backpacking backpack, where you have to unpack almost all your belongings to get to what’s at the bottom.
Good outdoor chairs
Most foldable chairs are large, clunky, and have to be carried over your shoulder.
These Cliq chairs are about the size of a large water bottle, so you can easily fit several of them in a backpack
They’re also easy to set up/break down within seconds, which is a huge plus for portability.
Enjoying our van camping spot with our comfy Cliq chairs and our Moonshade awning that can fit any size of rig.
Quality water bottles
We opt for water bottles like these to stay hydrated throughout all our adventures.
If you have a Costco membership, check them out because they always have good water bottle/tumbler options for super cheap.
Handheld vacuum
Your short-term housing may or may not provide a vacuum to keep your place swept up.
We’ve loved keeping a handheld vacuum around to keep our campervan and short-term housing tidy.
Bonus points because you can also use them to keep your vehicle clean.
Car phone mount
With as much driving as you’re going to be doing, you’ll want a durable phone mount that will hold up to repetitive use.
You’re gonna need the GPS when you’re driving around new states/cities and jammin’ to music.
We’ve finally found a phone mount that doesn’t sag or break with heavy use. It holds our phone firmly in place, even on rough roads.
As long as you have a flat surface in your vehicle to adhere it to, you should be golden!
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