Packing for Travel -

Aside from budgetary concerns, another issue that seems to come up regularly is how once can carry enough “stuff” to last for months of traveling. I had actually promised my aunt, who talks about coming to travel with me for a month later in the year, that at some point I would give her a list of everything in my backpack.

So for her and for others who are considering long-term travel, here is that list.

Big Backpack:

Clothing:
4 T-Shirts, 3 of them Solid Black.

(Only one looks particularly dingy, and I’ve had it since before March.)

3 Pairs of Pants with Zip-Off Legs.

(Especially convenient for hot places with temples that don’t allow shorts.)

Two of these match, while the third does not, has holes, AND is missing the legs.

1 Pair of Soccer Shorts

(Sleeping and Exercise.)

1 Breathable Long-Sleeve Shirt

(For sleeping and windy nights on beaches.)

1 Quick-Drying Towel

(The kind used for camping.)

4 Pairs of Hiking Socks

(Half of which are developing holes by now.)

4 Pairs of Underwear

(I’m personally a boxers kind of guy.)

1 Fleece Pullover

(Unnecessary at this point, and kind of bulky. Will likely ditch soon.)

1 Beanie (warm headwear)

(Also unnecessary, but much smaller to pack.)

1 Pair of Flip-Flops

(For hostel showers and beach towns.)

1 Pair of Hiking Shoes

(Breathable is better.)

1 Belt

(Durability is key. Aside from the obvious use, I’ve also used this several times to tie closed a bathroom door that didn’t have a lock.)

Electronics

(While all of this is unnecessary I find that it makes my life easier or more enjoyable)

1 Netbook

(Acer EEE; cheap, lightweight, and portable.)

1 Sony DSC-HX1 Camera

(A decent super-zoom. If they weren’t so large, I’d already own a DSLR. Perhaps someday.)

1 120Gb iPod Classic

(Sanity-saving on busses, trains, and flights.)

1 Cell Phone

(Picked in China on the cheap. Good for staying in touch both with locals and other tourists, as well as calling ahead at hotels.)

5 Associated chargers, converters, and connectors.

(These actually take up as much as or more room than the items themselves.)

Personal Hygiene

1 Bag Laundry Detergent

(Because sink-washing saves money. Also, 4 clothespins.)

2 Sticks of deodorant

(Can be difficult to find in Non-Western countries.)

1 Grooming Kit

(Tweezers, Nail-cutters and file, etc.)

1 Small bottle of Baby Powder

(Good for stinky shoes or sweaty hikes.)

1 Electric Razor

(Currently in use only for top-of-head hair. I want a sweet beard to happen. Any day now…)

1 Bottle of Betadine

(Antiseptic and wound sealant, because open wounds in tropical places get infected quickly.)

1 Bag of Q-tips

(Needs to be replenished soon.)

1 Small bottle of Ibuprofin

(At the suggestion of Nurse Aunt, different from Travel Aunt.)

7 Off-Brand Band-Aids

(Unused in 9 months of traveling. By the brand, probably purchased in Hong Kong or Macau.)

1 Adidas Body Wash

(Small, easily replaced when empty.)

1 Toothbrush and Toothpaste

(Also small, because it can be replaced anywhere.)

Luxuries

Things I don’t really need, but that make me happy. This is constantly a trade-off between size/space and necessity.

3 Books

(This number varies with the availability of replacements for books I’ve read. The best hostels all have a book swap, though, so quantity stays somewhat constant even if quality doesn’t.)
Currently: – Hard Times – Catch 22 – Fever Pitch

1 Day-Planner

(Extraneous because of the computer, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to mail it home yet. Good place to stash extra cash and either the credit or debit card as well.)

1 Organizer Folder

(Flight info, Law Schools stuff, SCUBA log, etc.)

1 Yellow Legal Pad

(Where else is a man supposed to make lists?)

3 Passport Photocopies

(Tucked away in different places, just in case.)

15 Passport Pictures

(Extras from dealing with Chinese bureaucracy, but necessary for visas in lots of countries.)

Stuff Currently Taking Up Space That I Can’t Wait To Mail Home

1 Bag of Assorted Souvenirs

(Bottle caps for a special project, some art from Uzbekistan, Spices from Dubai, CD from Uzbekistan, presents for Grandma and Sister, a pair of warm gloves that I like but are now unnecessary, Russian-English dictionary, and propaganda about Islam.)

1 Hookah

(Can’t wait to get out of my bag. I’m going to keep this through Indonesia so that Greg and I can have it for post-SCUBA enjoyment, but after that it has to go. This is by far the largest and heaviest thing in my bag. Also assorted Shisha and Coals that are necessary for its use.)

Daypack

This, obviously, is the day to day stuff that I’m almost never without.

1 Moneybelt

(Quite uncomfortable to wear, so zipped into an interior pocket of my backpack. Includes debit or credit card, passport, most of my local currency, a bit of easily converted cash [usually USD], a USB drive, a list of Star Alliance airlines, and a Hong Kong Metro card.)

1 Pair of Sunglasses and Case

(Bought for ~$1 in Dubai)

1 Book

(Book of the moment. Currently the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.)

1 Journal/ Diary

(Good for writing down important info, linguistic aids, and of course records of travel that I don’t want to put online.)

1 Nalgene Water Bottle

(Currently from Centenary Homecoming 2005.)

1 Small roll of Toilet Paper

(Necessary in all but the most developed countries.)

1 Deck of Cards

(Made by Tiger Beer and gifted to me by my friend Rachel in Shenzhen. Hard to tear and waterproof, so great for traveling.)

1 Set of Dominoes

(Small and made of plastic, the whole set is about the size of three dominoes laying together. Especially nice for lazy afternoons on tropical islands.

1 Bottle Opener

(Because beer is cheap and delicious.)

2 Cigarette Lighters

(Useful for Hookah, candles when power goes out, as well as other random occasions that pop-up. Even non-smokers should have one.)

3 Pens

(I constantly lose these things or they mysteriously stop working. If you ever want to send me a present, a Pilot G2 Pen is one of your easiest bets. Sadly, my last one was borrowed and never returned by the band’s singer in Uzbekistan.)

1 Headlamp and Spare Batteries

(Good for power outages or poorly-lit towns.)

1 Compass

(Good for getting oriented in a new city as well as for actual hiking.)

Concluding Thoughts

Though some of it could go, this list represents the best balance of weight/size and comfort for me. I would consider getting an E-Book Reader and ditching all but one of the paper books. I could also do with less clothes, but doing laundry every day or two is no fun so I keep what I’ve got. When something gets too old or worn down (one t-shirt and half of my socks spring to mind) it usually isn’t too hard to replace them in larger cities.

I’ll hopefully be mailing the souvenirs from Indonesia or Malaysia, and Greg will be taking the hookah back to Beijing with him. The only thing I can think of that I don’t have and need is a swimsuit, and that should be easy to find the day after I fly to Bali to meet up with Greg. I’m considering buying a set of snorkeling fins and mask/snorkel, but with the removal of the souvenirs and hookah this should fit easily into the pack.
Honestly whether traveling for two weeks or nine months, this list doesn’t change that much. The only time I’ve traveled with less has been to take trips of a day or two, with only a change of clothes and a camera.

That’s all it really takes. Anything that is truly a necessity can be picked up wherever you are. Anything else can wait until you find it.