A Packing Blog by a Month 11 Racer

This one is for all the future Racers out there – specifically you All-Asia route Racers (called ‘AARs’ for the rest of this blog) leaving in September!

I’m Natalie and I’m a Month 11 Racer on the first ever All Asia route. This is to say that while I’m not an expert on YOUR packing style or what YOU specifically will need on your 11 month journey – I am one of the most experienced Racers on the field. And if you DO happen to be on the All-Asia route (an ‘AAR’) and a lady, then there’s a pretty good chance you’ll want to hear what I have to say. So here’s to hoping this blog helps you out!

Back in September (on the plane to my first country), I wrote and posted a packing blog – listing all the items that made it into my packs. Today, I’m going to go back through that blog and comment on what I loved having, what I didn’t need and what I should have brought (otherwise known as what I bought while overseas). So without further ado…

**If you want to know what brands I used – just leave me a message or shoot me an email! I’m here to help! And I have not only MY experience but my squad mates’ as well at my disposal.**

In the large 70L pack:

GEAR

• 2 person tent with footprint and rainfly (in a compression sack): I used this only twice in 11 months – both times for “fun” one night trips into the mountains (Nepal and China). AARs: my advice is to pick a teammate and share a tent – you get to share the weight and we’ve never not been able to cover someone, even through team changes.
• Sleeping pad, sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner (in a compression sack): I loved having ALL of these and I don’t regret bringing them! Some months like Nepal and Mongolia were chilly and I used my bag and liner; other months were HOT like Thailand and Philippines and I only used my liner. The compression sack was key!
• ENO hammock with slap straps and a bug net: I wasn’t a hammock user before the Race – so I shuffled these off to my squad mates who wanted to use it in Month 2 and haven’t looked back since. If you love a hammock, bring it. If you don’t currently use one, a trip with limited bag space isn’t the time to start in my opinion.
• Osprey airporter (the bag you stuff your big pack in to check on airplane) with travel lock: I would 100% recommend not using Osprey brand – get something with backpack straps. Because one day you might find yourself walking a mile through Ho Chi Minh and wish all 50 lbs wasn’t resting on your one shoulder that whole time. A note on the lock: I know that people see them as pointless – but I’ve used it to keep my valuables safe from kids/strangers where I’m living. Things happen and I’m glad I have my lock.
• Rain cover: I used this once in 11 months and it was the day we had to walk to the four blocks to the subway in Beijing when it was raining. It’s lightweight so it won’t cost you much to bring one just in case – but frequency of use is low. I’m still glad I had it)
• Headlamp with extra batteries: This broke in Month 2 – and I never replaced it. It’s nice to have but not absolutely necessary for AARs. I never felt like I wish I had another one after the first broke…
• Collapsible bowl and spork: I broke the spork in Month 2 and sent the bowl home in Month 3. My opinion for AARs: skip the bowl (everywhere we stayed had at least SOME kind of dishes to use) and bring a metal spork (I broke 2 sporks in a jar of peanut butter…).

CLOTHES

• Teva sandals, Nike tennis shoes, and Croc sexi flip-flops: So here’s the deal on shoes – I went out and bought a pair of Teva sandals because I figured flip flops all year just wouldn’t cut it. And I was wrong. I got rid of my Teva’s in Month 5 because I never wore them. I bought a cheap pair of flips and that’s that. Now – if you love your Chaco’s and swear by them, bring ‘em. Cause I have a LOT of squad mates who ONLY wear their Chaco’s. As for the Croc sexi flips – they broke in Month 3. I loved them (warning: these are not a “lemme slip on my shoes real quick, take a shower in these, wear them in the rain” type shoe; you will slip, and you will fall, and stub your toes and it will hurt) but I don’t know that they have the stamina to stand up to 11 months on the Race. In summary – I’ve been living off two pairs of shoes for the majority of the Race and on travel days that makes me very happy.
• 3 pairs of socks: I lost two pair somewhere – but Asia has AWESOME cute socks. I’ve just bought some as I need them.
• 8 pairs of underwear: I bought Ex-Officio’s and I don’t regret it one bit. I don’t know that they’re really ALL that different from regular underwear – but for what it’s worth, I’ve enjoyed my E-O’s.
• 3 sports bras, 1 regular bra: I still feel like this was a good decision. No complaints here.
• 2 pairs of athletic shorts (basketball and running length): Another good decision. I also bought another pair of cute shorts at H&M in Kuala Lampur.
• 1 skirt: Got rid of my skirt in Month 2 and I’ve not needed one at any point on the AAR. Unless you like to wear skirts – don’t bother. I did pick up a cute dress from a squad mate off the ‘free table’ a couple months back – so that’s been nice to wear to church. My advice: buy a cute dress somewhere along the way!
• 5 pairs of pants/capris, 1 pair of black skinny jeans: If I had to do this all over again, I’d probably stop at 2 pairs of capris pants and some jeans of my choosing. I found that I had a favorite pair of pants that I ended up wearing all the time anyway – and I was able to buy some really lightweight, loose-fitting pants at the market in Cambodia. Jeans are nice for a night out, but they’re on the heavier side. AARs: I think jeans are totally worth it on this route.
• 1 pair of leggings: I’d probably bring two pairs of leggings – they’re my go-to travel, lounge and chilly weather clothes. And if you only have one pair – you don’t have anything to wear on washing day… Also, in my experience on the Race – leggings get holes in them all the time. Month 1 I sat in a wicker chair and BAM – holes in my leggings. I was able to buy a new pair at H&M in KL and picked up another pair from a squadmate in Mongolia.
• 4 tank tops, 5 t-shirts, 1 long sleeve shirt: AARs: bring less shirts. Seriously. At this point in the Race, I have two of these original shirts still with me. Some became “paint day” shirts and got left behind in various places. Some just got gross looking and were thrown out. I just bought shirts in pretty much every country we went to – souvenir shirts, dressy shirts, etc. and sent some of them home so they’re nice and pretty when I get back. I will say – I brought a Nike Fit long sleeve shirt and that was a good decision. It’s great for layering, working out on chilly mornings and staying warm at night.
• Swimsuit: I’ve had two beach months on the Race and our Month 4 debrief was in Pattaya, Thailand – so I’ve had ample opportunity to wear my swimsuit. Some squad mates just wore a sports bra and shorts – but I brought my tankini and it worked well all Race.
• Rain jacket: AARs: bring it. It’s great for layering in cooler weather and it actually rains/mists quite a bit in the morning in a number of the countries on this route. I also had a regular light jacket with me all Race (not sure how I forgot to add it on here the first time around) that I literally bought at Wal-Mart the day before leaving. It’s probably one of my favorite items. Just sayin’.
• Scarf: Don’t bother. Scarves are cheap and they’re in EVERY country.

**AARs: I would bring enough clothes to get you to your first cool city and then I would just switch stuff out as you go. There’s all kinds of markets (for cheaper, souvenir-y stuff) and H&M’s (for cuter, dressy stuff) everywhere in Asia. No joke. Seriously. For real. Listen to me.**

**And for the plus-sized ladies reading this who think that only the skinny girls who can wear Asian size clothing will be able to find clothes that fit… wrong again. I’ve found clothes to buy and wear in EVERY country. You just have to be willing to look around. Don’t worry.**

TOILETRIES

• Hanging toiletry bag
• 2 quick dry towels
• 3 sticks of deodorant
• Travel size shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, body spray, mouthwash, face wash, astringent and face lotion
• Toothbrush, toothpaste (one regular, one extra fluoride) and floss
• Bar of soap, loofa, pumice stone, Q-tips, cotton pads, travel tissues and baby wipes
• Tweezers, nail clippers, razor (with 6 replacement blades), contacts with solution and Diva Cup
• Hair brush, hair ties, bobby pins, headbands and mascara
• Hand sanitizer, bug repellant lotion, sunscreen and chapstick

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with how I packed my toiletries. Running down the list, I absolutely recommend a hanging bag. It’s not 100% necessary – but it was nice to keep all my stuff off the ground when possible. I bought the REI quick-dry towels and haven’t had any issues with them. Yes – they don’t dry you as well as a normal towel… but honestly, you’ll step out of the shower in many countries and you won’t know if you’re wet or sweating. My opinion: as long as you let the towel dry completely (no showering right before you pack!), you shouldn’t have any problems with smelly towels halfway through the Race. I haven’t.

Bring “travel-size” everything (except body spray – I brought a regular size one and it’s lasted ALL YEAR). You can find anything in Asia (just make sure it doesn’t have whitener in it… a lot of things do – lotion, face wash, etc.). For deodorant, if you prefer a stick, bring 3-4 of them with you. In Cambodia, buy more (it’s one of the only places I found men’s Degree stick deodorant). Surprisingly, Mongolia actually has really nice import stores that aren’t all that expensive. Buy up some toiletries there as well!  

A couple of my best decisions: the pumice stone and the Diva Cup. For the pumice stone, feet get NASTY on the Race… and many countries in Asia are particular about your feet (where they point, if they’re clean, etc.). It’s been a REALLY good decision to have a pumice stone. Every once in a while, just scrub your feet and you’ll have 90% of your squad mates beat in the department. And ladies – the Diva Cup. If you’re not familiar, look it up. But I saved a good amount of money and packing space over the course of the Race with it. I have found tampons in some countries, but sometimes they don’t come with applicators – and I just don’t know what to do with that (except laugh with your teammates over it). Give the Diva Cup a chance. It’s worth it.

Next, a few things I didn’t need: special toothpaste (all the pastes in Asia have fluoride), razor with a lot of extra blades (just buy them as you go), bug repellant (some of my teammates needed this desperately; I just don’t get bit. At. All. If you do, bring it.), sunscreen (I just don’t wear it and I didn’t really spend hours and hours outdoors any month), and contrary to popular belief – I went practically all Race without baby wipes. I know Racers swear by them. Maybe I shower more than the average Racer or maybe I just don’t need to use public restrooms as much, but I never really needed baby wipes. You decide.

Finally, something I wish I had brought from home : make-up. I don’t wear make-up everyday at home (mostly out of laziness and because I have nice skin anyway), but I ended up buying some make-up in Cambodia because I just wanted to feel more put together. At some point on the Race, you WILL want to look normal. Make-up does that for a lot of people. Just my thought.

**AARs: in general, it’s my opinion that you can look more normal (i.e. clean, not a dirty backpacker) on this route. I only had to bucket shower twice all Race – some of the showers were really sketch and rudimentary, but they worked. And to be honest, people dress fairly fashionably in Asia – particularly in larger cities like Kuala Lampur, Ulaanbaatar, Beijing and Seoul. You’ll start to feel self-conscious about looking like a slouch when everyone else dresses normally. I’m not saying you’ll necessarily care – but I’m telling you the reality of it all.**

MEDICINES

• Malaria meds for 11 months
• Cipro and Immodium
• Tums
• Multi-vitamin and probiotic
• Melatonin
• Ibuprofen
• Dayquil/Nyquil
• Anti-itch cream
• Dramamine

Of all the meds listed above, the ones I would recommend are Cipro, Ibuprofen and Dayquil/Nyquil pills. I haven’t touched my malaria meds – at all. Feeling like it’s not worth the risk to go without? Wanna take mine off my hands? Message me. Haha. But really though. 

I think I’ve taken my Cipro once or twice. My squad mates have used mine more than I have – but they’re nice to have around when you or someone around you just can’t stop going. As for the ibuprofen and D/N pills, they’re just good to have. You’ll get achy and sore and sniffly from time to time on the Race. It helps to have medicines that you can actually read the label and understand what you’re putting in. For everything else – there’s cheap pharmacies EVERYWHERE in Asia. And the pharmacist will get a kick out of your epic charades game trying to get what you want.

Everying else listed… I just didn’t ever use. I gave some of it away (mostly melatonin to my poor squad mates who can’t sleep sitting up) or left it behind with a contact.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Copy of passport: this is a must-have; you just never know.
• Pocket knife multi-tool: Try to find one that has a can opener on it; a lot of cans in Asia aren’t “pop-tops”.
• Dryer sheets: I got rid of these in Month 3 so I wouldn’t bother.
• Mesh laundry bag: This is so worth it when you’re having to walk your clothes to the laundromat.
• Extra Ziploc bags: I started the Race with probably 10 extra bags in various sizes; I think I have one left somewhere. Maybe. 
• Crystal Light and Starbucks Via packets: Starbucks Via packets – if you’re a coffee lover, bring a French press tumbler and buy coffee beans. Past that, these packets are the next best thing. Coffee can be expensive or non-existent (except in 3-in-1 variety, which you will still come to appreciate because it will satisfy your caffeine craving). I could have left the Crystal Lights at home – no one likes to clean their Nalgene.

In my 22L “daypack”:

• Change of clothes: my pack got lost twice by airlines on my Race and sometimes the extra clothes in my carry-on was all I had until I got my big pack back (the first time my bag got lost was for 11 days in my first country – India. It happens.) – so I’m a BIG supporter of carrying at least an extra pair of underwear in my daypack on travel days
• Quart bag of travel size toiletries: see reason above – I see no harm in doing it
• Thermarest pillow with homemade pillow case: LOVED my pillow – I got a size Medium and it was good for sleeping and traveling.
• Nalgene water bottle: I got rid of my Nalgene in Month 7. It just started smelling bad. The last few months, I’ve just been buying a 1.5 or 2L water bottle in each country and using it for the month. I’m still alive.
• Wallet (containing money, passport, debit/credit cards, driver’s license, extra passport photos (for visas, if necessary)): I started off my Race as a Treasurer. If this is you, just make sure your wallet has different sections so you can separate team money from personal money. Also, wait to buy a coin purse in country – they’re cheap and make a decent souvenir when you’re done.
• Electronics (including Surface tablet, iPhone with headphones, Nook, camera, external hard drive, flash drive, and chargers for all) with power strip and plug adaptors: I sent my Surface tablet home in Month 8 because it stopped working and no one in Asia works on Microsoft stuff. If you have a laptop, bring it. I’ve also loved having my iPhone and I brought my real Beats headphones – don’t regret that one bit. And unless you’re into photography, I wouldn’t spend any extra money on a point-and-shoot camera – just use your phone. Unless WR bans smart phones – and then I don’t know what to tell you. For my Nook, I loved having it with me! I’m a pretty avid reader (I’ve read 40+ books while on the Race) and it’s small, light and fits in my purse. An external hard drive is almost essential. I came on the Race with zero movies – and now I’ll leave with hundreds shared by squad mates not to mention all the pictures I’ve taken while I’ve been gone. They’re good for back-up if/when you’re computer decides to fritz (see first sentence of this paragraph). I also brought a Belkin power strip and it’s pretty much the one my team uses at all times. Asia doesn’t usually have more than one or two plug-ins in a room – so maximizing is best. I like the Belkin because it has USB ports as well. Finally, I wish I had brought a headphone splitter. There were a few times where I wanted to watch a movie with teammates but we had to go on the hunt for a splitter because it was a situation where not everyone in the room wanted to hear it.
• Bible, journal, pens/pencils, playing cards: I don’t regret bringing my bigger, study Bible with me at all. To me, it was worth the weight to keep sowing into the one I’ve had since I became a Christian a few years ago. For the journal, I didn’t really start journaling until the end of the Race – but there are journals you can buy in every country. They make fun keepsakes and a nice place to keep all those tickets and things you want to save. Bring a glue stick! Pens and pencils disappear like hotcakes on the Race. Bring lots of your favorite kind and you might make it through to the end. Finally, I didn’t play cards coming onto the Race – but I’ve learned AT LEAST 10 card games since then. And now I carry two decks. True life.
• Sunglasses and prescription glasses: Buy cheap sunglasses (Ray-Bans) in country; don’t bring any nice ones with you.
• Watch: I’m THAT girl that likes to keep people somewhat on time, whenever possible. I loved having a watch – just be sure you know how to work it (I’m looking at you, Allie!)
• Baseball cap: this was useful while I was painting ceilings in Nepal – otherwise, I haven’t wore it and I think I dropped it a month or two ago.
• Folding fan: yeah, no.

And there you have it! A more detailed version of what I brought and how that worked out for me! At the end of the day, I’m sure I’m forgetting something or in my attempt to be funny, I came off confusing. If that’s the case, PLEASE PLEASE ask me. It’s my hope to be helpful to future Racers in their packing endeavors – and to give a more realistic picture of what packing specifically for the All-Asia route looks like. Obviously, I’m just one person on my squad – and we’re all different. But I hope this blog helps you in some small way prepare for one of the greatest periods of change and growth in your life.

No matter what route you’re on or who you are, I have two pieces of advice for you: the first sounds impossible but really try – don’t freak out over what you’re gonna pack! You’ll find anything and everything you need either at the store or in your teammates’ packs! That’s community life at its finest. My second piece of advice is “YOU DO YOU”. If you like to paint and that’s how you seek God, then freaking bring your paints and brushes. If you don’t want to carry a tent, sleeping bag, or other seemingly necessary pieces of gear in favor of bringing more clothes than will fit in your dirty clothes hamper, then BE FREE (Steff – I love you and your crazy fashion; it brightens my day to see what new combos you come up with). 

That’s a wrap!

For His glory (and future Racers sanity and ease of mind),

Nat