I feel like I work best under pressure. I left for my two-month trip on October 29th 2015, so obviously I started packing the night of October 28th, 2015! To circumvent any major freak outs and panic attacks I would avoid waiting until the night before to pack for a two-month trip in four countries and extreme weather climates at any cost. The combination of nerves and the fact that I could fit literally one-fourth of everything I planned to bring with me caused a few CAN’T SEE THROUGH THE TEARS-SNOT RUNNING INTO MY MOUTH minor breakdowns. Thank god for my little sister who helped me with the daunting task of narrowing down 4 tank-tops to 3. I am not kidding when I say that every little bit of weight and space matters. DO NOT BRING ANYTHING YOU WILL NOT USE.
Every person’s packing list is going to be a bit different. A lot of it will depend on what time of year you are going and what types of terrain you will be traversing. My boyfriend and I planned a trip that started in the Bahamas and then skyrocketed over 15,000 ft into the Peruvian Andes. That was followed by 10 days in the mosquito ridden rain forest only to be followed by more beach time. We then sprinkled in some city life and topped the whole trip off with a 5-day trek at the bottom of the world in Patagonia. Needless to say we had to plan for every type of weather. We planned for heat, snow, rain, wind, mosquitoes and every single thing I was bringing had to fit in my “perfect” itty-bitty little 45L Redwing bag.
When choosing what clothes to pack, I want to make you aware that wear and tear is a great factor. You will literally be wearing the same 5 shirts over the course of your journey and they will constantly need to be washed…how much depends on how comfortable you are with being the stinky kid. You want to make sure the items you are bringing are of good quality and will dry quickly. Jeans, for example, take a very long time to dry. Layering is also very important. The weather can change very rapidly and you want to make sure you are prepared for everything. Another thing to be cognizant about is choosing clothing that can be used for a dual purpose. For example, I bought a lot of clothing that not only I could hike in and get dirty but would also look cute if I threw on my flats and added some cheap jewelry. A website that I loved was Kate Hudson’s FABLETICS. She offers a ton of cute workout clothes at a relatively low cost that doubled well as “going out” clothing when we got to the bigger cities.
I am going to be completely honest, I wanted to be practical but I also wanted to look fucking amazing in my photographs!
I would dare to say that the most important item that I brought with me was my hiking shoes. If you like to explore and walk, you will be spending A LOT of time in these shoes. Make sure they fit and make sure they are extremely comfortable. In case you didn’t know, your hiking shoes should be about a half size to a size too big so that your toes don’t get smashed. Make sure you break them in before you go and also make sure they are waterproof. Goretex is the way to go! Inevitably you will probably lose a toe-nail or get some blisters at some point, so make sure you pack a little emergency kit.
Since my hiking shoes took up half the space in my bag, I didn’t have much room for anything else. That being said, here is a tentative packing list. Obviously traveling is very personal so use this as a guide to maybe get a few ideas of things you should bring or leave behind. I also want to remind you that I am packing for all types of terrain and weather. I was very pleased in that everything I brought, I used regularly.
What you will learn after traveling around the world only living off the items that you can carry on your back, is that material things don’t define you... your experiences define you.
Clothing:
1 fleece sweater 1 T-shirt
1 quick dry long sleeve zip up 1 white thin cotton long-sleeved
3 quick dry racer back tank tops 1 denim long-sleeved button up
2 pairs of black leggings 1 pair of black quick-dry work out pants
1 pair of jeans 1 quick-dry jumper
1 pair of jean shorts 5 pairs of regular socks
2 sports bras
2 pairs of hiking pants (that were cute enough to dress up)
10 pairs of quick-dry underwear (don’t skimp on these!)
Beach Wear:
1 sun dress 2 swimsuits
2 swimsuit cover-ups
Cold Weather:
1 pair of thermal socks 1 beanie
1 pair of mittens 1 Rain/Wind proof jacket
Shoes (I wore them all!):
Hiking Shoes (remember to get something at least water resistant)
Small black flats (comfortable and perfect for any occasion)
Sandals (make sure they are easily slipped on and off)
Water Shoes (these were perfect for the rainforest and for swimming in rivers and lakes)
Toiletries:
Glasses Contacts
Contact Solution Mascara
Blush Lip Gloss
Moisturizer Face Wash
Sunscreen (bring lots of this-so expensive in other countries!)
Sea to Summit Trek and Travel Shampoo Biodegradable Shampoo and Conditioner (think about minimizing your carbon footprint)
Sea to Summit body wash Chap stick
Toothbrush Toothpaste
Wilderness Wipes Make-up Removers
Deodorant Razors
Hair Ties Ear Plugs
Floss
Electronics:
Tablet Head phones
Phone Charger Power Outlet Adapters
Flash Light Head lamp
Extra batteries Kindle
Medicines:
Tylenol Stool softener
Pepto bismol First Aid Kit
More-skin for blisters Tums
Aloe Vera Tampons
Mosquito spray and creams!! (Permethrin for pretreating clothing, 75% deet spray, Ultrathon Insect Repellents which was a cream that we LOVED)
Dramamine (sea-sickness)
Anti-Diarrhea Antihistamine
Acetazolamide (Altitude Sickness) Ciprofloxacin (Diarrhea)
Atovoquone-Proguanil (Malaria)
Other Stuff:
Sleeping bag liner Quick dry towel
Deck of playing cards Small sewing kit
Duct Tape Binoculars
Journal with Pens Crazy Glue
An Itinerary folder that also contained extra copies of my passport and travel insurance.
Bonus Tip: I packed using travel cubes. This was a great way for me to keep things separate and pack up very quickly!
“To Move, To Breathe, To Fly, To Float,
To Gain All While You Give,
To Roam the Roads of Lands Remote,
To Travel is to Live”
Hans Christian Anderson
