Before the Race I read blog after blog telling me which tent to get and what toiletry item I couldn’t find abroad. I read about the necessity for chacos and the importance of trusty electronic devices. I planned and re-planned. I organized and re-organized. I stressed and fretted. I worried what I chose wouldn’t be right or wouldn’t be enough. I lost sleep and shed tears along the way.
After six months on the Race I am here to tell you a few things I wish one of the packing blogs would have told me. So here is my list of random thoughts and perspectives that I hope might just help you as you prepare for the Race. If I did the Race again these are the things I would consider…
Chose almost everything based on the weight it will add to your pack. You will buy clothes and various other items along the way. Start light. Get everything into your pack before you start the Race. You drop items but you gain quicker than you realize.
Get a compression sack for your tent and sleeping bag and shove them at the bottom of your pack. Put the poles along the back of the pack and fit everything else in around it.
Chose a light tent!!! This is usually one of the heaviest items and the lighter you can get the more flexible you can be with other things. Also consider how many people on your team are bringing tents. Your ministry and country will greatly influence whether you need a tent or not so you won’t know until a few days before you get in country each month. Consider whether you need a tent: some of my squadmates have sent their tents home because they haven’t used it yet. If you don’t bring a tent I would consider forgoing the sleeping pad as well but make sure to bring a 2-person hammock with a bug net. Of the first 6 months I had beds 4 of those months. Two months the beds were thin, hard sleeping mats so I used my sleeping pad to add cushion but if you can sleep on almost anything I wouldn’t worry about it. I have used my tent two months but really enjoyed the privacy and personal space it provided. If you like those things a tent is probably a good choice for you. If you do get a tent look for one that is more mesh than fabric as that makes it lighter but make sure the fabric goes high enough that rain won’t bounce in. One door is plenty as the rain fly for two doors is bigger and adds weight. Every ounce adds up to a pound and every pound you have to carry.
Bring a sleeping bag that will correspond with your normal body temperature. If you are hot at night I would recommend 30 degrees or higher should be sufficient (many have 45 degree sleeping bags and have been fine) as it will pack down super small and is much lighter. If you are normally cold at night try to find one that is lighter but still well insulated. I have a 20 degree sleeping bag and have never been cold but it takes up more room than most and weighs a pound or two more than others bags. If you can go lighter, go lighter.
Pick your electronics wisely. You need less than you think. If you only use your phone for a camera back home I wouldn’t spend the money on a camera unless you want to work on photography this year. I brought a camera and barely use it. I plan to send it home with my parents because it is easier for me to only carry around my Iphone and not both. Get a nice case for your phone (lifeproof) or get an Ipod touch and use it for photos and videos. I recommend getting an Iphone or Ipod touch for the Race. Facetime is amazing and usually works in places Skype won’t but having both options is awesome. The money you spend on an Ipod touch will definitely be worth it as it can serve as your ipod for music, podcasts, etc; your camera; GPS device; and means to text and facetime other Iphone/Ipod users back home. You can Imessage and Facetime using the internet regardless of where you are.
Consider whether you want to bring a computer or whether a tablet with a keyboard will be sufficient for you. A few things to keep in mind.
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Do you plan to blog a lot? If so, would the keyboard with the tablet be sufficient?
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If you just bring the tablet look for a keyboard that has a USB port. You will want this for external hard drives and USB transferring of documents.
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Look into wireless SD cards to be able to transfer your pictures straight from your camera to your computer or tablet.
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Remember storage space is limited on tablets so an external hard drive is a must.
Get a 1 terabyte durable hard drive. You will want it to backup music, movies, and photos. This is definitely a must!
Bring a portable battery charger for your devices. It is the worst when you are an individual prone to motion sickness and your devices all go dead during a 26 hour travel day. Always charge your devices fully before travel days but things happen so a back-up is always a good idea.
Get headphone splitters! They are super cheap and the first thing I have lost on the Race and am sad about not having. The more the merrier. I had a 4-person and it definitely came in handy way more than 2-person splitters.
Headlamp is a great decision. You WILL use it so get a decent one or preferably two.
Do not bring large toiletry containers, trust me you will regret it come travel day. You can find items everywhere you go (with a few exceptions) so it makes much more sense to buy as you go instead of lugging around extra weight. Stick deodorant and applicator tampons are hard to find in Asia. Most face and body washes have whiten effects added to them in Asia but you can still find products without this just make sure to look at the labels! Contact solution is expensive and hard to find most countries. Sunscreen is expensive in Central America and Asia. With all of those things said I still default to the little extra money once you run out of your small-medium portion sizes as the best option space, weight, and sanity wise.
Don’t bring a ton of toiletry items. Bring the essentials or things you use every day. Make sure to pack it in a bag or two that aren’t too bulky. A hanger for it is nice to help keep you organized and all of your stuff in one area.
Forgo the $40 quick dry towel from REI and get a beautiful or solid colored sarong to use as a towel, blanket, and skirt. Trust me the weight you will save and the added functionality of the sarong is well worth it. Beautiful sarongs are all over the place in Asia. You will want two but can buy one along the way. The men on my team attest to the importance of this trade out.
Bring clothes and shoes that you will wear at home. Bring comfort items but not your favorite unless you only want a few more months use out of it as it will get worn much more than you wore it at home. Pack flowy shirts! When it is hot and sweaty out the last thing you want is something sticking to you. Bring a lightweight short sleeved coverup so you can wear it with tank tops in Asia. Many countries tank tops are not acceptable for ministry but a light coverup would increase your wardrobe tremendously. Bring some lightweight pants that you can wear for ministry but also for hiking. Bring headbands or cute hair accessories. Bring a few cute clothes as you will have days you want to dress “normally” and will miss your plethora of cute clothes back home.
Bring clothes, accessories, and items that make you feel cute. You are not doing physical labor all the time, you are living life for a year. If you wear it or use it all the time at home bring it. Bring a nail polish or two that you really like. It’s one of the few ways to feel girly on the Race: you will want it. But know that you will want to buy stuff along the way so start with less rather than more.
Bring a rain jacket and rain cover for all of your bags especially if you are in Asia during rainy season!
Get an airporter that you can still use your straps for. Some say it was the worst decision of the race to get the Osprey airporter with only a sling strap. Get the Sea to Summit airporter and decorate it so you know which one is yours.
Some blogs and some Racers would recommend bring some underwear and socks to open mid-Race. I personally do not feel as though I need to rotate things out yet so it was a waste of space for me but I had 3 pairs of smart wool socks (great choice, check them out!) and 25 pairs of underwear. I usually wash clothes every 7-10 days so even if you work out everyday 15-20 pairs would be enough. I have 6 bras (4 sport bras and 2 regular) and I would not go with less because you sweat a lot in these hot countries.
Only buy/bring chacos, tevas, or keens if you know you will wear them. I didn’t bring any (instead I brought flip flops and croc sexy flops) and haven’t regretted it once. Others on the squad live in those shoes so know what you want normally and bring those shoes.
Bring meds that you would use on a normal yearly basis but don’t go overboard. You can get medicine for everything anywhere you are and it will be way cheaper than in the states. Bring enough to get you to the pharmacy (Benadryl is a great choice) and enough to share a few times as you do live in community; sharing is caring!
Collapsible bowls (1 medium sized), plastic utensils, Swiss army knife, working gloves, etc., are all items that you might use a lot one month and not use at all the next two months depending on your ministry. These items have been great to have when I need them and would still make the cut for my pack but may not be as important to you.
Ziploc bags are extremely rare so bring many! A pack of baby wipes is a great choice.
Consider using plastic water bottles you pick up along the way for your water bottle. This has served me great on the Race as I don’t have to worry about leaving it anywhere, packing it if I run out of space, or cleaning it since the option for another is always there.
Dress Code for Ladies in Central America:
You can wear almost anything you wear in America and be seen as appropriate. Thicker tank tops are okay for ministry here but don’t expect to where spaghetti straps. A light multifunctional cardigan is a great option. Shorts do not have to touch the knees but modesty is best so try to find longer shorts. Short shorts aren’t acceptable anywhere.
Dress Code for Ladies in Asia:
Shorts are not appropriate for ministry unless they are clearly at knee length and even then they are not appropriate. Make sure to have pants or mid-full length skirts for ministry. Showing shoulders is not acceptable so no tank tops regardless of width are allowed. You will really want a cardigan or two here or your wardrobe is limited. Flowy shirts are optimal as it gets really hot and sweaty in Asia. The markets sell really cute pants in Thailand (and I saw some in Laos as well) that can be worn for ministry and serve as lounging pants. They are approximately $5-7 each and serve as a great souvenir as well as a wardrobe piece. Close toes shoes have been requested on multiple occasions so light flats wouldn’t be a bad idea.
*Disclaimer: this blog was written with my own opinion as well as some input from Team Hálas. Everyone has different “necessary” items and things these want with them: double check everything you bring for necessity and functionality.
Bottom line: You are living life for a year, bring stuff you would wear or use back home but keep in mind you will want to and can buy things along the way. Every ounce turns into a pound and every pound you have to carry. Remember God will provide your needs whether through other Racers, ministry contacts, or the free pile! If you leave and feel you absolutely need something you don’t have, pray for it. I have done so and all 3 times the item appeared in the free pile! God is good! 🙂
