Digital Nomad’s Packing List for Traveling With a Dog

Looking for more? My dog travel guides hub pulls together every resource in one place.

Packing shifts a little when you travel by train, so my guide to taking a dog on trains covers what changes.

Packing right matters even more on longer EU trips, like the ones in my guide to traveling to France with a dog.

Packing for a Spain trip? Pair this list with my full guide to taking a dog to Spain.

Then I got Puglo, a rescue pug who has since become my permanent travel companion and the reason my packing list got a little more complicated.

My home base test for all this gear is Mexico, and my guide to taking your dog to Puerto Vallarta shows it in action.

Traveling with a dog means a carrier, a document folder, medications, flea prevention, and more treats than I ever thought one small animal could require. I don’t travel quite as light as I used to, and I’ve made my peace with that.

What I haven’t made my peace with is unnecessary weight. When you’re moving as frequently as we do, bouncing between countries and time zones and rental apartments, every single item in your bag has to earn its place. That philosophy hasn’t changed just because I now travel with a dog. If anything, it’s made me even more ruthless about what makes the cut, because the gear I carry now has to pull double duty for both of us.

Here’s the tech stack and travel setup that has survived five years of carry-on-only nomad life and is still holding up across 17 countries with Puglo in tow.

Minimalist Tech Gear

When you’re moving every few weeks and one of your travel companions weighs 20+ pounds and requires his own dedicated bag, every pound in your tech setup is a pound you’re going to feel by the end of a long travel day. The goal isn’t to have less gear for the sake of it, it’s to have gear that does more than one job and doesn’t make you resent your bag every time you have to carry it up four flights of stairs to yet another Airbnb with no elevator.

After years of testing and trimming, this is what made the final cut.

Laptop. A slim 14-inch or under is the foundation of the whole setup. I use a MacBook Air M3, which handles everything from writing and editing to video work, and finding the best dog-friendly hotels.

Portable monitor. With the help of a Mobile Pixels portable monitor, you get a dual-screen setup that weighs almost nothing.  It attaches directly to my laptop lid or props up independently, weighs under two pounds, and gives me a full dual-screen setup anywhere I can find a flat surface. For content creators working on the road, the difference between one screen and two is the difference between a frustrating work session and an actually productive one.

Portable SSD, 1TB minimum. Video files and RAW photo files fill up faster than you’d expect, and you cannot rely on café Wi-Fi in most of the places worth traveling to for cloud uploads.

DJI Mavic Mini 3 drone. Compact enough to fit in a small pouch and light enough to slip into a carry-on without drama, the Mavic Mini 3 is one of the best lightweight drones out there.

Insta360 GO. Small enough to clip onto a collar, a bag strap, or just about anything, the Insta360 GO is the perfect vlogging camera for a minimalist setup.

Noise-canceling earbuds. The difference between being able to work from a noisy café and being completely unable to focus. Worth every penny, and they double as a sanity-saving tool during long flights with a restless dog carrier at your feet.

DJI Mic. Clean audio is the thing that separates watchable video content from content people click away from in the first ten seconds, and it’s the detail most creators skimp on longest.

Universal travel adapter. One of those things that feels too obvious to mention until you’re in a hotel room in Southeast Asia at midnight with a dead laptop and the wrong plug. A single good universal adapter covers you everywhere without having to think about it.

Global eSIM. Pangia Pass is the one I recommend for most countries because it covers the widest range of destinations under a single plan, which matters when you’re crossing borders frequently and don’t want to think about swapping plans every time you land somewhere new. You can get one here in 2 minutes.

VPN. Non-negotiable for anything involving banking, account logins, or sensitive work done on public Wi-Fi, which is most of the Wi-Fi you’ll use as a nomad. It also quietly solves a number of other problems that come up when you’re accessing streaming services and booking platforms from countries they weren’t designed for. I use and love NordVPN.

Dog Gear That Earns Its Place in the Bag

Traveling with a dog means accepting that your packing list now has two columns. The goal is to keep the dog column as lean as possible without cutting anything that actually matters for Puglo’s comfort and safety, because a stressed or uncomfortable dog makes every part of travel harder for both of you.

Here’s what has survived the edit after 17 countries together.

Soft-sided airline-approved carrier. The foundation of the whole setup. It needs to meet the under-seat dimensions for the airlines you fly most frequently, which is worth double-checking every time because carriers vary by aircraft and route. We’ve been using the Sherpa carrier for years without issues.

K9 Sport Sack backpack carrier. For any situation where you need your hands free and Puglo needs to be off the ground, whether that’s a crowded market, a long walk through a city, or a hike where the terrain isn’t pug-friendly.

Collapsible bowls. Silicone, fold completely flat, take up essentially no space. There is no reason to pack full-sized bowls.

A familiar toy. One small toy from home does more for Puglo’s anxiety in a new environment than almost anything else. It’s the one item that signals to him that even though everything else is different, something is the same.

Small blanket for their spot. A lightweight blanket that goes down wherever Puglo is sleeping or resting, whether that’s in the carrier, on a hotel bed, or across my lap on a long flight. It keeps the hair contained to one surface, which every Airbnb host quietly appreciates, and gives him a consistent spot that smells familiar no matter where we’ve landed.

GPS tracker. On the collar, always. If Puglo ever slipped his leash in an unfamiliar city I would want to know exactly where he was within seconds, not be posting frantic stories hoping someone recognized him. The Tractive collar has better range and battery life than an AirTag for active travel situations, which matters when you’re in areas with inconsistent cell coverage.

Medications and flea and tick prevention. I get the flea and tick prevention through a vet because the formulations available internationally vary. Keep a 30 to 60 day supply of any medications your dog takes regularly, because sourcing specific prescriptions abroad is not a problem you want to be solving in a country where you don’t speak the language.

CBD dog treats for travel anxiety. These were helpful when Puglo was first adjusting to frequent flying and new environments. He doesn’t need them anymore now that travel is just his normal, but if you’re starting out with a dog who finds airports and planes stressful, they’re worth having on hand for the adjustment period.

Whatever airline you fly, a secure harness keeps your dog calmer at the gate. For flat-faced breeds I always point people to the best harness for pugs so their airway stays protected.

A few pee pads. For long travel days, extended layovers, and any situation where getting outside isn’t an option.

Toothbrush and dog toothpaste/wipes. Puglo hates this with a passion, but regular teeth brushing is one of those things that saves you significant vet bills down the line.

Earth Rated wipes. An absolute lifesaver when you’re hiking with a pug who has no sense of self-preservation around mud, puddles, or anything questionable on a trail, being able to do a quick wipe-down before getting back into a hotel room or an Airbnb is the difference between a relaxed evening and a full cleanup situation.

Dog shampoo. A small travel-size bottle for proper baths when we’re traveling.

Clothes for Puglo. This is the one category where I’ll admit the line between necessity and pure indulgence gets a little blurry, because there is nothing cuter than a pug in an outfit. That said, dog clothing does serve a real practical purpose when you’re traveling across climates, and pugs in particular feel the cold more than most breeds. A lightweight sweater or jacket is worth packing if your itinerary includes anywhere with cooler temperatures.

Pet Travel Documents (Don’t Skip This Section)

The paperwork side of international pet travel is complex, it varies by country, it changes without much notice, and missing a single requirement can mean your dog gets denied boarding or held at customs on the other end. I teach you everything you need to know about traveling internationally with a pet in Dog Travel Academy, but here are some of the essential documents you might need.

Start building this folder at least 60 days before any international trip, not the week before.

Health certificate from a licensed vet. Most countries and airlines require this to be issued within 10 days of travel. In the US, many destinations also require a USDA endorsement on top of the vet signature, which adds another step and another few days to the process.

Rabies vaccination record. The original certificate with your vet’s stamp, plus a digital copy saved somewhere you can access without cell service.

Vaccination history beyond rabies. Distemper, parvovirus, bordetella, and leptospirosis records are increasingly requested, particularly in Europe and Southeast Asia. Keep the full vaccination history in the folder, not just the rabies certificate.

Flea and tick prevention records. Some countries require proof that your dog has been treated for fleas and ticks within a specific window before entry, so keeping a record of the product used, the date of treatment, and the dosage is worth adding to the folder alongside everything else.

Worming treatment records. Several countries, including the UK, require proof that your dog has been treated for tapeworm by a licensed vet within a specific timeframe before arrival, typically no more than five days before entry.

Microchip documentation. Many countries, particularly in the EU and across Asia, require an ISO 11784 or 11785 compliant microchip as a condition of entry. If your dog was chipped in the US, confirm the chip number matches the number on all of your other documents because discrepancies cause problems.

Pet import permit if required. Some countries like Thailand require these to be applied for weeks or months in advance.

ESA or service animal letter if applicable. If you travel with an emotional support animal letter, keep it current and stored digitally in at least two places. Many airlines will require your service dog training certificates, always check with the airline what they need to see.

Personal Gear

The personal side of my packing list follows the same philosophy as everything else: everything has to earn its place.

Reusable water bottle (extra large, for me and Puglo). Staying properly hydrated becomes a much bigger deal when you’re moving through different climates and elevations frequently, something I was reminded of fairly dramatically during a recent trip through the Peruvian mountains with Puglo.

Sleep mask and earplugs. Overnight buses, red-eye flights, thin-walled Airbnbs in cities that don’t sleep, and anywhere Puglo decides he wants to snore particularly loudly. These cost almost nothing and have saved more nights of sleep than I can count.

Passport holder. Keeps your passport, key cards, and a backup card together in one place that you can grab without thinking when you’re rushing through an airport or a border crossing. The RFID blocking is a bonus rather than the main reason to have one, but it doesn’t hurt.

Lightweight daypack. My main bag stays at the accommodation while I explore, and a packable daypack is what makes that possible without having to carry everything everywhere. It folds down to almost nothing when not in use and handles everything from beach days to city walks to a surprise hike.

7 to 10 days of clothes. Laundry is available everywhere. The key is packing for versatility rather than specific outfits. Neutrals that mix and match, fabrics that don’t wrinkle badly or take forever to dry, and a nicer option for dinners or brand meetings that can be dressed up or down depending on the context.

Toiletries. The approach here is the same as everything else: carry-on sizes only, and only what you can’t pick up at a pharmacy or grocery store in most countries. Most of the world sells shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and toothpaste, so there’s very little reason to weigh your bag down with full-size versions of things you can replace easily when you land.

I travel very light on makeup, which has been one of the more liberating evolutions of long-term travel. At some point the effort of maintaining a full routine on the road stops feeling worth it and you realize that a solid skincare base and a few versatile products get you through almost everything.

Footwear. This is where the carry-on philosophy gets the hardest, because shoes are bulky, they don’t compress, and they take up a disproportionate amount of bag space relative to everything else. I travel with three pairs: a pair of hiking shoes to handle trails, a pair of sandals to cover beach days, hot climates, casual exploring, and every situation where you need something you can slip on and off quickly, and a pair of normal shoes that are clean and versatile enough to wear to a dinner, a meeting, or anywhere that hiking shoes would look out of place.

Is traveling carry-on with a dog possible?

Traveling carry-on only for five years taught me that freedom and stuff exist in direct opposition to each other. That philosophy didn’t change when Puglo came into the picture, it just got tested a little more creatively.

The reality of traveling with a dog is that you will always be carrying more than you did before, more gear, more documents, more responsibility, more treats. But the answer to that isn’t to abandon the minimalist approach, it’s to be even more intentional about every single thing that makes it into the bag.

A setup that is lean, functional, and built around gear that earns its weight means that Puglo and I can keep moving the way we want to, between countries, between continents, between whatever comes next, without being slowed down by things we don’t actually need.

My Dog Travel Packing List at a Glance

After 19 countries with Puglo, my packing has gotten ruthless. Here is the short version I actually run through before every trip, sorted so nothing important slips through the cracks. If you only screenshot one thing from this post, make it this table.

Don’t Forget the Documents

Gear is easy to replace on the road. Paperwork is not. Before I fly internationally I double check the entry rules on the USDA APHIS pet travel site, and I pack a printed copy of everything, not just a phone photo. For the security line itself, the TSA small pets guidance is worth a two minute read so you are not fumbling at the belt. If you want the full paperwork walkthrough, I break it all down in my guide on how to travel with a dog internationally and the specifics of the dog rabies titer test.

Traveling with your dog? Check out these posts!

• 9 Tips for Taking Your Dog to Europe
• 9 Airlines That Allow Large Dogs in Cabin
• 9 Tips for Flying With Your Dog in Cabin
• Airlines That Allow Dogs in Cabin: The Ultimate Guide
• How to Get a Dog Rabies Titer Test for Travel
• How to Travel With a Dog Internationally