Eleven and a half months ago, I was struggling to fit my entire life into a 70-liter backpack. With a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and pillow already crammed tightly into my Gregory Diva pack, I puzzled over how to fit my clothes inside. I literally repacked my bag 10 minutes before going to the airport, where I discovered that my pack was still five pounds over the maximum weight limit. By the end of the World Race, I was a smidge wiser when it came to packing, and my pack weighed about 15 pounds lighter by the time I came home (and, I still had my tent, unlike most of my squadmates, who had given theirs away or sent it home).
With several future World Racers preparing for their upcoming launch in September, I thought I’d share one Racer’s packing advice. Of course, the wisdom I can offer only comes from our experiences in the countries we visited (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, China, Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova), but I will do my best to share what I’ve learned.
I do not claim to be the best packer in the world, but I am definitely one big pack rat.
First of all… The “important” things in my pack that other people thought were non-essential, but that I would pack all over again:
· A vegetable peeler. Yes, I carried one around the world with me, and I used it in nearly every country. Well worth it when you are trying to eat an apple or carrot on a travel day and don’t have a ton of water to wash the skin.
· Chopsticks. Okay, granted, you have to know how to use them, but chopsticks are multifunctional utensils – and, except for eating soup (which you can usually slurp up anyway), they take up far less space than a whole set of utensils.
· Tide-to-Go Pens. I brought three and used all of them. Especially handy for odd spills that you might not be able to wash for a few days (weeks).
· Favorite face wash (Aveeno foaming wash) and deodorant (Secret). I brought 2 bottles of face wash and 4 thingies of deodorant. Other Racers may disagree with me, as you can buy face wash and deodorant in most countries, but if you have sensitive skin or want to be sure you have a deodorant that works, I’d recommend carrying at least a decent supply of your favorites.
· Travel–sized bottle of Febreeze. You will encounter many odd smells on the World Race, often when your clothes or towel don’t dry well enough. I was glad to have my bottle of Febreeze with me and actually wish I’d had two.
· Taco Bell Hot Sauce, or a small bottle of your favorite spice. I raided our local Taco Bell’s sauce counter right before leaving and had a small baggie of Roasted Chipotle and Fire sauces to help spice up my food.
· Tea and a small tea cup. I am a bit of a tea snob, so I brought a baggie of my favorites from home and picked up others along the way. I had a metal cup with a lid but would recommend any type of lightweight mug.
· Ziploc Baggies. I brought an assortment of sizes all rolled up, from a couple of 2-gallon bags, a handful of gallon bags, and a dozen or so quart-sized/snack-sized bags. You would not believe how often I ended up using these along the race.
· Scarves. I had two multi-colored lightweight ones that matched with most of my clothes and one heavier one for colder days that doubled as a thin blanket for air-conditioned buses.
· Favorite Earrings. Earrings are pretty small and lightweight, but fun for those occasions when you want to feel pretty. I brought a few pairs of dangly earrings and a pair of studs.
· Pencil Case with pens, colored pencils, markers, scissors, tape, and small pieces of paper. I packed this in my daypack (except the scissors) and was always glad to have it. I bought a few small pads of paper along the way, which were great for love notes to teammates.
· Sharpie markers. Important for labeling, especially when you and your teammates all have the same towel or H&M t-shirt.
· Hair Conditioner (at least, if you’re starting in Africa first). So, I am a bit foo-foo with my hair, but we started in Africa, where most shampoos are not designed for western/Asian hair anyway, and without my small bottle of conditioner, my hair would have been a ball of knots by the time we arrived in Asia in month 4.
Okay, now the Core Basics:
· Two-Person Tent: I used mine for a total of 12 days the entire Race. There are rumors that AIM might phase the tents out, but until that is official news, I’d recommend to go light-weight and water-proof, with a footprint. I had a 2-person Quarter Dome from REI but wish I had had a slightly taller roof. It wasn’t a big deal, overall, though.
· Mattress Pad: Spend the money to get one that works for you, and definitely try it out a few times before the Race. I bought a Big Agnes insulated mattress pad that was about three inches thick when fully inflated, but it would take me twice as long to blow it up as those with self-inflated mattresses. It was smaller and lighter than the self-inflated ones, but I would have gone with a self-inflated mattress pad if I had had the space initially.
· Sleeping Bag: I brought the REI Halo goose feather down mummy bag. Lightweight, comfortable, but deliciously warm on cold nights. So worth it.
· Sleeping Bag Liner: I would recommend bringing one, especially for warmer climates when a sleeping bag might be too hot. I brought a small silk one because of the weight, but a cotton one, while slightly heavier, would have been easier to wash. To save money, you can make your own liner with your favorite sheet material.
· Pillow: I used a Therm-A-Rest compressible pillow with a sarong or t-shirt as a pillow case. It worked well enough for me and was especially great for long bus rides on travel days.
· Towel: I used the Extra Large multipack towel from REI and made sure to hang it in a place where it would completely dry after every use. The pack towels are known to smell if you’re not careful, but they do dry quickly and work well in general. Some people like to use sarongs instead. It’s completely up to you, but I would recommend something that is lightweight and dries quickly. Normal towels just don’t work as well.
· Clothes: Here’s where people will probably differ the most. Some people prefer to have fewer clothes and lots of underwear; others have a balance of both; a couple of my teammates brought two pairs of underwear and washed them every other day, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Here’s what I would pack (for girls… guys, you can modify this for your own needs):
o 7-10 pairs of underwear; some people prefer ExOfficio’s but I like my comfy cotton ones
o 3-5 bras/sports bras; some girls prefer to wear sports bras for the entirety of the race, but I was glad to have regular bras, even though they got stretched with washing.
o 3-4 pairs of socks; you can always buy more if you need them
o 4-5 everyday t-shirts (light-weight cotton or synthetic; pick something that will dry quickly, but you don’t need to splurge on expensive quick dry shirts unless you normally wear those); I would say plain colors are easiest to mix and match
o 1-2 shirts you can dress up or dress down;
o 1-2 sleeveless shirts, tank tops, or camisoles (You probably won’t be able to wear these out much, but I’m glad I brought my camisole for layering purposes and sleeping in when it was hot);
o One long-sleeved t-shirt
o 2 skirts (one long, one knee-length) and 1 dress (modest, with sleeves, or one that you can wear a shirt under or cardigan over);
o A cardigan or button down shirt if you wear these at home (they’re great for layering);
o 2-3 pairs of pants (I had jeans, a pair of black khaki-like pants, and a pair of black yoga pants that I usually wore for pajamas or travel days);
o 2-3 pairs of shorts (I had a pair of almost knee-length athletic shorts, a pair of bicycle shorts for wearing under my skirt, and light-weight capris)
o A hooded fleece with a zipper up the front and good pockets
o A raincoat (I bought a good quality one from REI and used mine every day in Africa since we were there during the rainy season; I even used it as a paint smock when we were painting, as the paint then washed off easily).
o A tankini (two-piece modest) swimsuit; perfect for bathing outdoors
o A good pair of walking/running shoes (get a pair that will last you the whole year; if you have arch problems, like I do, invest also in a pair of insoles)
o A pair of sandals (a lot of racers have a love/hate relationship with Chacos or Tevas; I brought a pair of Jambu Planet Mary Jane-looking sandals that were good for walking but dressy enough for church)
o A pair of flip-flops (I brought the Reef flip flops I’ve had for five years; best investment I’ve ever made).
Other Important Stuff:
· Bible (duh) – some people have suggested a study Bible, but I didn’t want to carry the weight. I just loaded study materials onto my ipod (as well as Bibles in different languages) and brought my small, travel-sized NIV.
· Journal (really good for processing, even if you’re not usually a writer)
· Passport, Driver’s License (I drove in three countries), Immunization Records, and Emergency Cash; I packed these in a passport case/belt that I wore under my shirt on travel days.
· ATM card – be sure you tell your bank what countries you think you will be going to, and keep a copy of their emergency number somewhere else than just on your bank card. Visa is more frequently used outside of the US than MasterCard.
· Headlamp with extra batteries – mine had several different brightness settings, which was especially helpful when walking to the squatty potty, alone, in the dark.
· External Hard Drive (I brought a 500GB one with me, which was perfect for storing movies and pictures)
· Digital Camera (I brought both a small Canon Powershot, and then my big Canon DSLR with its manufacturing lens. The DSLR weighed pretty heavily in my daypack, but the pictures were worth it); bring an extra camera battery and/or several SD cards if you can.
· IPod or Musical Listening Device with charger and extra set of headphones (Necessary. There will be days you’ll want to plug your ears and drown out everyone else, even though you really do love them. I loaded all sorts of music, books, movies, games, and simple reference tools (Bible concordance, Bible translations in other languages, calculator, dictionary, alarm clock) on mine that were really handy and didn’t require internet accessibility).
· Headphones splitter. Great for watching movies with a friend on buses or trains when it’s loud around you.
· Laptop Computer (here is where people will also differ; one of my teammates did not have a computer for the first three months of the race and got so frustrated about having to share our computers that she ultimately asked her parents to send her one. I looked at netbooks, but ultimately decided that a Toshiba Portege was about the same weight as a netbook but with way more memory space, a CD/DVD drive, a webcam, an SD card slot, longer battery life, and a larger screen for movies. I haven’t had a single problem with it. Apple laptops were popular among our squad, but I heard more people have problems with them than with PCs).
· Electronics Plug Adapter: I had a very small, travel-sized one that had all of the different plug types. It also had a small USB port so I could charge my camera battery and ipod at the same time. Most electronic devices can withstand voltage variations of 110-240 volts, so unless yours does not, you probably will not need a voltage converter.
· Flash Drive: Great for transferring pictures with squadmates, especially if you have different operating systems that might not let you transfer onto an external hard drive (Mac vs. PC).
Miscellaneous Other Items:
o Water Bottle (I brought a 1L Nalgene on a carabineer and used bleach to clean it out every now and again),
o First Aid Kit (Sudafed, Benadryl, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Neosporin, Dramamine if you get motion sickness, band aids, tweezers, nail clipper, and Tiger Balm (Chinese muscle rub that you can find at most health stores, which also helps with mosquito bites; I got my squad hooked)),
o Clothesline (cheap nylon Wal-Mart line with maybe a handful of clothespins),
o Toiletries (hairbrush/hair ties, toothbrush/toothpaste, face wash, deodorant, etc; I brought a few eyeliner pencils for days I wanted to look better; chap stick; one roll of two-ply Toilet Paper if you think you’ll miss it(this stuff is a luxury item in most places); travel-sized tissue packets; enough pads/tampons/pantiliners to get you through a month or two, insect repellent (I liked the smell of Kid’s OFF best), sunscreen)
o Key rings – I used these to close up the zippers on my daypack to dissuade pickpockets from attempting to get in. It worked.
o Ear plugs and eye mask – I didn’t use them at all, but some people used them nightly.
o Collapsible bowl – I didn’t use mine too often but was still glad I had it for the times I did need it.
o Pocket Knife with a can opener – My knife ended up getting stolen, but I was definitely grateful for the can opener feature on more than one occasion.
Packing Tips:
· Packing cubes are a wonderful investment. I had two: A double-sided, 10.65-liter cube for t-shirts, pants, shorts, and skirts, and a double-sided, 4.9-liter “half” cube for underwear, swimsuits, and scarves. Some people prefer the REI compression stuff sacks; it’s really up to you. Just fold and roll up your clothes and they should fit nicely. Add a few Bounce fabric softener sheets if you want your clothes smelling laundry-fresh at least for a little while.
· Travel-sized bottles – I wish I had brought two or three to fill up with shampoo/conditioner/body wash at the end of each month. I didn’t want to throw away the bottles I had bought, but they were often too large and cumbersome to carry with me.
· Emergency Envelope – I had one with US cash and photocopies of my passport, driver’s license, and immunization records sealed and hidden in my pack.
· Put aside personal spending money for each month, even if you don’t plan to spend much. There were travel days when our budget barely covered a bottle of water in an airport, so supplementing from personal money was necessary. I recommend $50 to $100 per month, with a little extra reserve to cover medical bills, if necessary.
· In your daypack, pack your valuables (electronics), travel-sized toiletries and deodorant, and a spare change of clothes. You never know when your baggage might not arrive at your destination with you.
· I used an REI pack duffel to cover my hiking pack whenever we flew. While it protected my pack and folded up nicely into itself whenever I wasn’t using it, I would probably buy a different one that has backpack straps for easier carrying.
· Purse or collapsible bag. I found a LeSportSac one that folded nicely into itself; it was large and sturdy enough to carry my laptop and other goodies with me on day trips but easy to pack away.
A Few Recommended Do’s and Don’ts:
· DON’T buy everything you need at REI; you should be able to find a lot of your basics at Wal-Mart or some other discount store. However, DO spend the money on the important things that need to last, like shoes, your hiking backpack, daypack, mattress pad, and tent.
· DON’T buy a bunch of camping stuff. I had bought a portable broom, Dr. Bronner’s all-in-one soap, and the concentrated liquid laundry/dish soap before leaving for the Race. I ditched the broom before I left for the airport, the Dr. Bronner’s stuff made my skin sticky, and we found dish/laundry soap everywhere. DO bring at least a small supply of the things that you tend to use on a daily basis right now (for me, that was my face wash and deodorant)
· DON’T go for weeks without taking a shower. Really. You will have access to water in most places, even if you have to walk to a well or jump in a stream to get it. DO bathe when you have the opportunity to. It honors your local contact and those with whom you will be interacting, and it changes the bad reputation some World Racers have left about poor hygiene practices.
· DON’T be so attached to your things that you can’t let them go. Things do get stolen or lost on the Race, but it will be okay. However, if you are like me and have a fear of losing your photos, DO back up your pictures as much as you can, either by placing them on an external hard drive, sharing them with teammates, or loading them online when the internet connection is consistent enough.
I know it may seem overwhelming to look through this list, but if you don’t have everything when you leave, relax. Breathe. It will be okay. As long as you have your basics, you should be able to find most of what you need overseas. When you return home at the end of the World Race, you may end up doing what I did and freak out when you see the kind of “stuff” you have in your room at home. It’s amazing that, even though you feel like you’re simplifying your life, you probably still have more in your pack than many of those you will meet along the way.
Remember, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (II Corinthians 9:8)
Bon Voyage!
