If you are anything like me, packing was one of the most stressful parts of preparing for the race. I was the girl saying, “PLEASE!!! GIVE ME A CHECKLIST!!!” The current AIM checklist is good. So, use the AIM list and here’s my two cents from experience. Feel free to comment or message me if you have any questions! The most important thing is that THIS IS YOUR RACE: PACK WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT YOU WILL USE!
Paper/Important stuff: 
· STUDENT ID!! (I got SO many discounts, mainly in Europe, just for having this. A lot of people wished they’d thought to bring theirs. You’ll have free days to sight see occasionally, so if you have one, BRING IT!)
· Passport holder/wallet (Your preference; I thought the money belts were tacky and a waste of 5 bucks, but some people used them all year. Something that will hold all your important stuff is key! Finance people: you should consider having a separate wallet for team money. I brought a flat pencil-holder zipper pouch, and it worked great for team finances. )
Camping stuff:
· Sleeping mat. (I bought a Thermo-rest and it was GREAT. I bought a tent/mattress repair kit because I’m overly cautious like that… but I never used it. Murphy’s Law: do what you want.)
· Pack. (I had an 85L internal frame, and it worked great for me but I don’t know if I’d get it again. One of my teammates had a rolling duffle that also had back pack straps, and it made living out of it WAY easier. With my pack, most everything just came out of it in each country and was in a pile on the floor to access everything. PRACTICE PACKING IT!! It’s amazing how much less will fit if you pack it badly! Also, an “airporter” or a fitted lightweight duffle to go over your pack is really nice for keeping the straps on your pack in good shape so they don’t get broken on the airport conveyer belts. It’s also handy for stuffing a few extra loose things inside when you’re traveling!)
· Mess Kit: DON’T BUY ONE!!! Seriously. You will need something, but this is definitely an area that you should consider the amount of space it takes up in your pack. I had a really nice mess kit that I borrowed from my dad, but it took up way too much room in my pack, and would have tossed it if it wasn’t my Dads. If I were going again, I’d probably just bring a Frisbee. Fun, bowl, and plate all in one! And it packs flat. Some people had those plastic fold-up bowls and they seemed to work well. If you’re a coffee drinker, you will definitely want a mug. I brought a tumbler and used it all the time. I bought an REI multi-utensil, but it broke in month 3 so I just bought a small silver fork and spoon and it was great the rest of the year. I honestly wouldn’t spend any money on this. Just bring something cheap you already have from home. So: pack utensils, a bowl, and a mug.
· Water bottle. (Purely choice. I brought a nalgene, and I used it all year, but if I were going again I would leave it at home and just buy water bottles/soda bottles to re-fill along the way. Nalgenes get nasty. You can clean them with bleach, but why bother when you can just buy another water bottle along the way? You’re going to buy water or soda anyways. Plus, it’s one less thing to pack up on travel days. Purely your preference.)
· Pocket knife (Only one or two per team. If you don’t normally use one and don’t carry it on you… chances are it will stay buried in your pack all year when you would need it, and your teammates will gladly share.)
· Sleeping bag liner/sheet (I bought a sleeping bag liner, and loved it. It was almost as good as a mosquito net in the hot places, and I would just sleep in it on top of my sleeping bag. Totally your choice though; not a necessity by any means. If you don’t have money, just bring an old sheet.)
· Pillow/ pillowcase (bring what you will use! Some people brought their big fluffy white pillows and were totally glad all year. Some people got sick of carrying them and threw them out. Many people had the REI compressible pillows and loved them. I brought a mesh pillow with the little white balls in it and loved it. I also bought the thermo-rest blow-up pillow, which was great because it didn’t take up much space in my pack. I eventually threw out my travel pillow because it was falling apart, and my blow up pillow was great. If you don’t have money to buy a smaller travel pillow, just bring what you have, no big deal. BRING WHAT’S COMFORTABLE! Keep in mind that most countries have pillows you can buy for pretty cheap, so if you are not happy with what you brought, you can always find something else.)
· Net sac (This is just my recommendation, but I LOVED having a net sac for my dirty clothes. It virtually takes up no space, and came in handy when dragging clothes to be cleaned. Some people just used their sleeping bag cover, tent cover, or random plastic bag for dirty clothes. You CAN get creative, but I just really loved having mine!)
· Water purification system (This is referring to the one Ashley talks about at training camp: we never needed to use ours; but we did leave it for a village in Africa. Totally up to you; but not necessary. I also bought a steri-pen, and I didn’t need it. I used it a few times just because I refused to come back to the states having NOT used it, but I wished I wouldn’t have spent the money. )
· Water purification tablets (I brought them and never used them. Totally your call, but I wouldn’t bring them if I was going again!)
· Clothing line (I got the REI little clothing line and it worked great for me. Some people just brought a rope and it worked fine too. If you want to save money, this is definitely a place to cut corners and just find some thin, strong rope around the house to bring. You WILL definitely be hand washing/drying clothes at some point, though!)
Electronics:
· Computer (I had a netbook and it was great. Lots of people had their Macs and loved it too. I would recommend having your own for blogging, skype, etc. A few went the race without it, but most wished they’d had one. If you don’t have one and don’t have the money for one; don’t stress about it. It’s definitely possible to do the race without it; just not preferred by anyone.)
· External Hard drive (SO GOOD!! You’ll be taking tons of pictures, getting your friends pictures, plus mini videos that everyone’s created all year. Plus, it’s nice to have a few movies downloaded for those long travel days!!)
· Small flash drive (sometimes you have to use computers at an internet café to upload blogs, and it just makes it ten times easier to have one.)
· Outlet/voltage converter (YOU NEED IT! I got the set from wal-mart and it was great for the year.)
· Ipod/mp3 player (If you have one, BRING IT! There’s so many times when you will want to get away from everyone, and this is the best method of finding alone time!!! )
· Extra headphones (I used the same pair all year, but all my teammates had at least one pair of theirs break, and my two extra sets ended up with them!)
· Camera (whatever you have! If you’re way into photography, bring your nice one. If you’re not, just get a nice digital and don’t stress over it. If you’re into video making, you may want a flip or a camera that makes video clips. My Nikon Coolpix took pics as well as video, and it was great for making little videos for my blog. It was nice having a camera that had rechargeable batteries, but if not make sure you bring extra batteries! Even if you have a rechargeable battery, you may consider buying a spare.)
· Extra memory cards (I had one back up; and I used them both all the time! It also works as another thumb drive when necessary!)
· Alarm clock! (Something small, but something that works! Mine broke; I bought another one in Bangkok and it broke, too. Maybe I just have bad luck. Whatever the case, learn how to set the alarm before you come! So many people had annoying alarms going off because they didn’t know how to work theirs!!)
· Watch (whatever you’re comfortable with and will actually wear. You WILL want this! Most of you won’t have your phone to check the time this year!! Waterproof is nice, but not a necessity at all. Maybe your watch will have the alarm clock, too!)
· Small calculator (it’s nice for converting currency numbers, but I was a finance person. If you’re not a finance person, I probably wouldn’t bring it.)
· Batteries/chargers! Survey your electronics, and make sure you have everything to charge them/connect them to your computer!
Clothing (Really look at the temperatures you’ll be in over the year! I was in summer most of my race. The AIM Packing list does a good description of what to pack; but here’s my two cents for the girls:)
· Light weight scarf (great for hair wraps as well as those few cool days you’ll hit!)
· 6-7 tops (I brought 10, but you’ll probably buy more! You won’t be able to help yourself; it’s too cheap! The squad free pile will also be available; I acquired many new outfits from swapping with other racers! I also left lots of clothes along the way. I know it’s hard to leave home with only that amount of tops, but just do it.)
· 2-3 skirts (I brought one floor length and two knee length, and I wore them a lot.)
· 1 pair of jeans! (You’ll want to look and feel like a normal person sometimes, and not a backpacker. You won’t be in the rugged outdoors all the time!)
· 2-3 capris/shorts (I brought one pair of long shorts and a pair of zip-off-at the knee-pants, and wore them both a lot.
· Swim suit/board shorts (I brought my fav tankini and board shorts and loved it. Make sure it’s appropriate and comfortable!!)
· Hat/bandana (if you’re not a hat person now, chances are that won’t change. However, a bandana or a hat is nice to have when it’s really hot and sunny; or just when you’re doing goofy videos/skits!)
· Underwear: I brought 18 pairs!! (Okay, here’s the deal: I’m okay with wearing the same shirt for 5 days in a row, but having clean underwear makes me feel clean all over. I LOVED not worrying about needing clean undies all the time. Many of my teammates constantly had to wash their undies. I’m just sayin; they pack small, and then you won’t feel bad about throwin’ any out if they’re worn out. It was the best decision I made. Your choice.)
· Bras : (I brought 3 regular bras and 3 sports bras and wore them ALL regularly. Two went bad along the journey, and being left with 4 was fine. It was perfect for me.)
· N
ice Sandals (okay: here’s the deal. Everyone said to get some Chacos or Tevas or some kind of outdoor sport sandal. I tried on a million pairs of the thick clunky strappy styles, and hated the way they looked on my foot. I know, it’s totally superficial, but if you won’t wear them in the states, you WON’T wear them overseas! Many people mailed them home or left them somewhere because they never wore them and they’re really heavy to keep toting around. However, if you love them, then BRING THEM! Don’t spend the money on them if you don’t want to. However, if you’re a flip flop person, get some good soled flip flops. I got the chaco flips, and I LOVED THEM after breaking them in! Many people brought their Rainbows, Teva Flips, or other comfy flip flops and were fine. It was nice having some arch support when walking for miles around the villages each day!
· Sarong! (I used mine as a skirt occasionally, and as a back-up towel. It was also great for a light sheet or a random costume! )
· Towel (I got the large sized REI travel towel, and loved it! Just make sure you don’t pack it wet, or it will smell nasty for the rest of your trip. That’s why most people who complain about the travel towels didn’t like it. Also: some girls used their sarong as a towel all year, and it was just fine. Some people ended up buying regular towels along the journey. Your choice! You just got to get everything to fit in your pack! J )
· Wash cloth (Not a necessity for you ultra-light packers, but I LOVED having mine!)
Toiletries: (know that you can replenish toiletries in any major city!)
· Deodorant (I’d bring enough for the whole year; I went through 2 sticks, and I don’t use it much in the states! You CAN find it overseas though; just probably not your brand. Your choice!)
· Hair scissors (NOT a necessity, but I used mine to trim my hair and other’s hair often. If you don’t cut hair, don’t bother.)
· Razor (I brought my Venus Razor with a new blade head for each month, and it was wonderful. Some people brought a cheap razor and bought more along the way. You can definitely find cheap razors everywhere, and nice razors some places. YOUR CHOICE!)
· Eye-makeup remover (I know… it’s the world race… but if you plan on wearing makeup and you normally use it anyway, it’s SO nice! I just brought a small bottle, and it was GREAT!!!)
· Cotton balls/circles and Q-Tips (YOU WILL WANT Q-TIPS!! You can find them, but go ahead and pack a bunch to leave with. You’re ears just get really nasty on this trip.)
· Sunscreen (Consider talking with your team and only having a couple people pack this. It’s needed, but it’s silly for everyone to pack it.)
· Baby Wipes/Facial Wipes are SO handy!
· Make-up (whatever you normally use. I went several months without using it at all, but there were other months when I wore it more frequently. It’s safe to say you won’t wear it everyday, but you will still want it if you normally wear it!)
Other Stuff:
· Spices/seasonings for cooking (My team cooked our own food 4 of the months on the race, but it’s just the luck of the draw of your ministry contact each month on how much you’ll be cooking. I brought a little multi-seasoning container and we used it up; although you can find basic seasonings everywhere in the world. You may not be able to read the labels, though… so have fun with that! If you’re obsessed with a certain seasoning like Tony’s or something, just bring a small thing of it. )
· Duck Tape (Don’t bring more than one roll per team- it’s just a waste of space in your pack.)
· Ear Plugs (I never used them before the race, but they were a HUGE Blessing to me on the race! Between roosters crowing, goats baaah-ing, and roommates snoring, YOU WILL WANT THEM!)
· Zip lock bags (I brought a bunch of extra to put all my liquids in when traveling, and it was very handy because many people had lots of spills, but mine always stayed in the bag! It was also nice for occasional food and other stuff.)
· Laundry soap (I brought a tiny bag of it… but you can buy it anywhere so don’t bring any more than for a load if you choose to initially bring any at all.)
· Safety pins (they’re small, just throw some in- they came in handy).
· Jewelry (I just brought a few things, and I’m glad I did. However, you’ll love to buy stuff along the way… so don’t bring a ton, that’s just silly.)
· Journal: (I journal a lot. Aside from Asia, I had a hard time finding nice journals. Just a heads up; if you find a place you can buy one, it’s not a bad idea to have the next one waiting on you. If you don’t journal much, then don’t worry about it. )
· Pens/pencils (I’m a crafty girl. I love making cards, writing notes, yada yada. I brought a gallon-sized ziplock that I called my craft bag, complete with small scissors, stickers, a glue stick, tape, my multi-colored skinny sharpees, a few large sharpees, and lots of extra pens. I loved gluing little things in my journal along the way, and had extra construction paper on me at all times. Most people thought I was nuts, but I’m just saying; if you’re THAT girl like me; it’s okay. Your team will love you when you can bust out thank you cards for your contacts and make cute birthday cards and posters for random holiday celebrations. This is TOTALLY one of those “make your race your own” type things. I could never go a year without my colored sharpees, you know? 😉 )
· Bug Repellent with DEET (You can find some type of bug repellent in most countries, so just pack one container of whatever type you want.)
· Afterbite: It was a life-saver for mosquito bites!! I would recommend bringing 2 sticks! (I ended up buying the version for chigger/ticks on accident, but it worked almost better than the regular mosquito kind! Whatever kind you get, it will be VERY handy.)
· Medication: I bought garlic pills because it was recommended, but never took them. Don’t bring anything you don’t normally use. I did bring vitamins, which were nice when we didn’t have the best nutritional food some months. Cold Meds and advil were good too. Packing tip: put you’re your meds in ziplocks and then label them; it saves a lot of room! JUST BRING WHAT YOU WILL ACTUALLY TAKE!
· Bible with Concordance (I LOVED having my study bible. Some people wished they’d had theirs. When you don’t have Biblegateway.com at your beckon call, it’s nice to be able to look things up the old-fashioned way!)
GIRLS ONLY:
· Pads/tampons (okay ladies… most people on my squad laughed at me and thought I was nuts, but I brought enough mini-pads, regular pads, and tampons for the entire year. I put a month’s worth into quart-sized zip-locks, and they packed perfectly around the little crevasses of my pack. Yes, you can find pads in any country, but not necessarily Always with wings, you get my drift? Tampons: if they have them, they only sell OB’s. YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING TO USE in any country. I’m just saying: I was perfectly comfortable in the personal hygiene department and do not regret this decision at all!! Plus, each month that went by, I had another zip lock I could use, plus a tiny bit more room freed up in my pack. It was brilliant, I think. YOUR CHOICE.)
