packing

Daniel's RTW Packing List

Welcome to my obligatory packing post. Before you get too far into it, make sure you've checked out Jordan's. I was amazed at the amount of stuff we were able to cram into little 40L REI Lookout backpacks (REI refers to them as daypacks). The goal with the packs was to never need to check them. Mine weighs just over 26lbs.

We'll probably replace the laptop with a MacBook Air, but we haven't settled on that just yet.

Enough with the platitudes, without further adieu, I present all the items I'll be using to live for 1.5 years on the road.

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From top to bottom, left to right we've got:

  • MacBook Pro 13"
  • Kindle Touch
  • iPhone 4s
  • Passport, Vaccination Card, Credit Card
  • Rain Shell
  • Jacket
  • Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt
  • 3 x short sleeve tshirt
  • Tripod
  • Camera Bag
  • Moo Cards
  • Shoes
  • Ankle Brace
  • Towel
  • Silk Sleep Sack
  • Frisbee
  • Rubik's Cube (lubed, I need something to fiddle with)
  • 2 pairs of pants
  • Gym Shorts
  • Toiletries/Misc Packing Cube
  • Electronics Packing Cube
  • Sandals
  • Stuff-it Sack
  • 3 Pairs of Exofficio underwear
  • 3 pairs of socks
  • 1 hat

Here's the packing cube break down:

photo
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Camera Bag:

  • Sony NEX 5 with 16mm lens attached (love this camera)
  • Sony SEL-18200 18-200mm telephoto lens
  • Sony SEL-1855 Kit Lens
  • 3x16GB Class 10 SD Cards (with one more in the camera)
  • 1x4GB SD Card

Electronics Bag:

  • Travel Power Strip
  • iPhone cable and brick
  • 1TB WD Hard Drive (identical to Jordan's)
  • Camera Battery Charger
  • Kindle Cable
  • Mini USB Cable
  • USB 3 Cable
  • 2 Spare Camera Batteries
  • Universal Plug Adapter
  • GPS Tracker
  • Headlamp
  • Headphones
  • Laptop Charger

Toiletries/Misc Cube:

  • Deodorant
  • Patches for my backpack
  • Spare Glasses
  • Razor
  • Qtips
  • Glycerine Bars (for laundry)
  • Toothbrush
  • Croakie
  • Sunglasses
  • Lock
  • Rubber Bands
  • Razors
  • Eye Glass kit
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All of that fits in here:

...except for the shoes. I wish I could get the shoes into the bag, but I wouldn't be able to get anything else in there. The tripod isn't really visible in the picture, it is stuffed in a side pocket, I'm not sure that there is anything we could do to get it into the bag.

I don't have much in the way of candidates for what will leave first, but I'd put my money on the Rubik's Cube.

So that was the last of the packing lists, if you can think of anything we've forgotten please let us know.

Jordan's RTW Packing List

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EDIT: I have updated my packing list since being on the road for 4 months.

The packing post! It's here! I have been looking forward to writing about this for weeks. I've been asked numerous times what I am taking on the trip, and my response is usually along the lines of "not much". I decided on using a 40L pack long ago and narrowed down the list until it became feasible. The employees at REI got a good laugh out of Daniel and I scouring the daypack section for the perfect bag. We've endlessly obsessed over our gear for months. Well folks, here it is. Everything I am bringing is pictured above.

The breakdown:

  • 1 Shorts
  • 2 Pants/Capris
  • 1 Running Shorts
  • 1 Running Shirt
  • 2 T-Shirts
  • 2 Tank Tops
  • 1 Light Hoodie
  • 1 Thick Hoodie
  • 1 Waterproof Shell
  • 1 Bra
  • 2 SportsBras
  • 3 Underwear
  • 3 Socks
  • 1 Swimsuit
  • 1 Running Shoes
  • 1 Keens
  • 1 Hat
  • 1 Towel
  • 1 Silk Sleep Sack
  • 1 Travel Pillow
  • 1 Moneybelt
  • 2 Headbands
  • 1 Pack of Hairties
  • 1 Sunglasses
  • 1 Lock
  • 1 Sewing Kit
  • 1 Sink Plug
  • 1 Clothesline
  • 1 Bag of Plastic Bags
  • 1 Headlamp
  • 1 Collapsible Daypack
  • 1 Toiletry Bag
  • 1 Medical Bag
  • 2 Notebooks
  • 1 Pen
  • 1 Deck of Cards
  • 1 Passport
  • 1 Vaccination Record
  • 2 Credit/Debit Cards
  • 1 iPhone 4s
  • 1 iPad
  • 1 Kindle (unpictured)
  • 1 Headphones
  • 1 1TB Hard Drive
  • 1 USB SD Card Dongle
  • 1 Garmin Forerunner 110
  • 1 Purse
  • 1 Compression Sack
  • 1 40L Backpack

A Peek Inside the Medical Bag:

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  • Malarone (enough for a small army)
  • Transderm-Scop (motion sickness)
  • Azithromycin (traveler's diarrhea)
  • Acetazolamide/Nifedipine (altitude sickness)
  • Clindamycin gel (acne)
  • Hydrocortisone cream
  • Chapstick
  • Naproxen, Sudafed, Immodium, and Benadryl all mixed in one container*
  • Unpictured: Neosporin, bandaids

*I am the worst pharmacist ever.

Inside the toiletry bag:

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  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Floss
  • Conditioner
  • Shampoo bars
  • Hairbrush
  • Soap
  • Diva Cup
  • Tweezers
  • Ear Plugs
  • Nail Clippers

Inside the miscellaneous tiny electronics bag:

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  • Garmin with charger
  • Headlamp
  • Kindle cable
  • iPhone/iPad cable
  • Hard drive with cable
  • USB Dongle
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...and there she is all packed up!

I must say, the compression sack and small packing cubes are what made using a 40L pack possible. I ended up having plenty of room to spare. In the above picture, the side pockets and large front pocket of my bag are completely empty. I am curious to see what I will end up ditching and if there are any omissions that I pick up along the way. A few obvious things that are missing from my list (including camera and laptop) are going to be carried in Daniel's bag. My prediction is that the money belt, sewing kit, and travel pillow will be the first to go.

There you have it! Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions about my packing list are welcome.