Deciding what to pack for a long-term trip is no easy task.  You essentially have to distill your belongings down to bare basics and pick and choose even further from there.  We’ve gone back and forth a number of times, packed, repacked, and cut things out to make sure everything fits.  Bridgette will likely be doing a separate post outlining her pack; there’s some differences between a guy’s and a girl’s pack, but there is a lot of overlap.  Here is what I’ve ultimately decided to carry with me around the world:

Click to get a better view of the numbers.  I seem to have forgotten #13, which was unintentional, but maybe that means good luck?

Clothing

• (#7) Buff Scarf – You may recognize this item if you’re a Survivor fan; it’s an extremely versatile item that can be used as a scarf, headband, armband, towel, or even a shirt in a pinch.
• (#8) Underwear x5 – I’ve opted for the ExOfficio line of travel underwear; they’re light, comfortable, and they dry quickly, which is important given that we’ll be washing and drying our clothes in hostels frequently.
• (#14) Long Sleeve Button-Up Shirt – A thin button-up to wear on cooler nights or when trying to dress up a bit.
• (#15) Sweater – A thin sweater to wear on the even cooler nights.  Layers are key.
• (#16) Socks x6 – Thin, light socks similar to these athletic ones.
• (#17) Short Sleeve Button-Up Shirt – A very thin, light (you may be noticing a theme at this point) short-sleeve shirt that’ll be useful when going out at night.
• (#18) T-Shirt x3 – A few t-shirts that will be used for day-to-day wear.  As these wear out we may toss and replace them along the way.
• (#23) Tank Top x2 – Sleeveless shirts useful for quick trips to the store or when hanging out at the beach.
• (#24) Pants – One pair of khaki pants.  These will be useful either when going out at night or when on hikes or other outings where the potential for bug bites is high.
• (#25) Shorts x2 – Two pairs of shorts that will part of the usual daily ensemble.
• (#26) Swimming Trunks – For… swimming.
• (#27) Baseball Hat – Hopefully won’t look like too much of a tourist wearing this.
• (#28) Nicer Hat – I like hats, ok?
• (#31) Windbreaker/Raincoat – It’s light and folds up into itself, and will be invaluable in some of our more tropical destinations.
• (#32) Pajama Pants – Silky pajama pants for sleeping without getting too warm.
• (#33) Towel – Yes, believe it or not, that is an entire towel.  Microfiber towels are much thinner, take up less space, and dry much more quickly than a large cotton one.  We went with this one, but there are a number of different options.
• (#40) Hiking Shoes – Teva hiking shoes similar to these ones.  These shoes will be worn for any outdoor activities and possibly around town as well.
• (#41) Hiking Sandals – These sandals are good for light hikes, and also for wandering around town on a day-to-day basis.
• (#42) Flip-Flops – These cost about five dollars, and will only be used as shower shoes since we’ll be sharing bathrooms when staying in hostels.

Entertainment/Gadgets

• (#3) DSLR Camera – My first fancy camera that I’m still learning to use.  It’s a Nikon D3200 with just a single 18-55mm lens.
• (#6) Nintendo 3DS + Games – To get that gaming fix on long bus rides.
• (#11) Nook E-Reader – Loaded up with a few dozen books, this is much lighter and more portable than carrying around paper versions.
• (#19) Journal – Just a paper journal so I have something to jot in when my computer is unavailable.
• (#21) Point-and-Shoot Camera – More of a daily use camera that’s much more portable than the big one.  It’s a Canon PowerShot S120, which doesn’t appear to be for sale anymore, but the newer versions are probably even better.
• (#34) Deck of Cards – Never a bad thing to have on hand.
• (#44) Power Converter – Different countries have different outlets and voltages to plug in your devices.  The LOOP power converter (or any of the hundreds of alternatives) allow you to charge your devices anywhere in the world.
• (#47) External Battery x2 – These little guys are incredibly useful; they allow you to charge any USB device while you’re walking around, on a bus, or sitting on the beach.  These ones hold enough charge to fill up a phone two or three times, but they’re constantly coming out with bigger, better ones as well.
• (#48) Laptop + Case – I’ll be using the laptop to write this blog, pick up freelance work periodically, and for general entertainment purposes.

Bags

• (#1) Backpack – The Tortuga Travel Backpack is the main pack that I’ll be lugging around.  It has a large compartment, straps to support itself better on your back, and a number of smaller organizational pockets.  I also like that the front opens up rather than the top, so it’s easier to find something inside without going on an archaeological expedition.
• (#2) Camera Bag – This holds the DSLR camera as well as a variety of accessories; memory cards, tripod, transfer cables, and spare batteries, among others.

Miscellaneous

• (#4) First Aid Kit – We’re bound to get some bumps and scrapes at some point, so this should help us bandage up any minor wounds without having to run to a pharmacy.
• (#5) Sunglasses – Because it gets bright other places too.
• (#9) Laundry Bag – Useful for keeping dirty clothes separate from clean ones within the backpack.
• (#10) Waterproof Document Bag – We have a variety of documents and copies that will be important for border crossings, car rentals, and hotel reservations.  This bag ensures that even if our packs get soaked, these vital documents won’t be destroyed.
• (#12) Passport – A bit important.
• (#20) Passport Wallet – This will be useful for occasions where we’ll need our passports with us while we’re walking around; it hangs under your shirt so it’s less likely to get lost or stolen.
• (#22) Rib Brace – Just in case one of our strenuous activities tweaks my back a bit.
• (#29) Sleeping Bag Liner – This is a thin sleeping bag style pouch that will be useful in case our accommodations aren’t quite up to par in the cleanliness department.
• (#30) Money Belt – This is a mundane-looking belt that has a hidden zipper on the back where you can slip in a few bills or copies.  I’ll probably try to keep a few twenties hidden in here just in case we get robbed at some point so we still have some backup cash to get us back to the hostel.
• (#35) Headlamp – This will be useful to navigate hostels at night without disturbing too many people, as well as for more outdoorsy excursions where light may not be as prevalent after sundown.
• (#36) Razor – To keep the beard nice and trim.
• (#37) Vitamins – It’ll be good, especially at first, to keep the immune system up to par.
• (#38) Eye Drops – We’ll be in a lot of dry climates so having eye drops on hand should be useful.
• (#39) Earplugs – Hostels, especially the more party-oriented ones, can get loud at night.
• (#43) Carabiner x2 – These have numerous uses; I’ll be using one to clip the hiking shoes to the outside of my backpack, and it doesn’t hurt to have a spare lying around.
• (#45) Combination Lock – A lot of hostels have lockers available to secure your belongings, but often do not provide locks, or charge a fee to lend you one.
• (#46) Wallet – This will actually act as a dummy wallet containing just a few dollars and expired cards.  In the event we get robbed or pickpocketed, this will hopefully be all we lose.

Not Pictured

• Fitbit – Should be fun to see how our steps fluctuate across various activities.
• Toothbrush – Because I’m not gross.
• Deodorant – Ditto.
• Chargers – A variety of wires and cables required to keep our devices charged up.
• Eye Mask – When sleeping in hostels or on buses, light from people coming in and out or passing cars can be an obstacle for sleep.

20 Minutes of Packing Later…

It all fits!

A few months from now I’m planning on doing a followup post outlining how my pack inventory has changed over that time.  I’m sure I’m bringing some things I’ll never use and forgetting some things I’ll need.  We’ll also be slowly changing our contents as the weather changes and we need more winter clothing, as well as picking up a few things once we’re on the ground like shampoo and sunscreen.  Hopefully, however, this will be a good start!