So different people do these packing blogs differently. So here is a concise list of everything in my pack month 8, things I have, things I’ve lost, things I don’t have, and things I wish I had.
Clothes I still have that I brought from home:
T-shirts x3
Tank-tops x4
Long-sleeved shirt
Favourite hoodie
Cardigan
Athletic shorts
Yoga pants
Maxi dress
Underwear x13 (though I’ve lost all but 9 and have had to restock)
Ankle socks x6 pair
Wool socks
“Real” bra
Sports bras x4
Headbands x4 (I’ve lost all but one)
Swimsuit
Scarves x2
Rain jacket
Tennis shoes
Chacos
Clothes I have that I bought/acquired on the Race:
Long-sleeved hooded shirt (China)
Nicer t-shirt (Teammate)
Zip-up sweatshirt (Romania)
Cardigan (Teammate)
Maxi skirt/dress (Cambodia)
Jeans (Malaysia)
Fleece-lined pants (Japan)
Thai pants (Thailand)
Calf-length socks x2 (Japan/Turkish airline)
Gloves (Japan)
Leg warmers (Japan)
Warm coat (Japan)
Flip-flops (Malaysia)
Slippers (Japan)
Boots (Japan)
Miscellaneous things I brought from home:
65-Liter internal frame backpack + rain cover
Airporter
22-Liter daypack
Synmat sleeping pad with hand-pump (folded at bottom of my pack to save room)
North Face sleeping bag
Kelty 2-person tent (packed with rain cover into much smaller stuff sack than original)
Footprint/tarp for under the tent (folded at bottom of my pack to save room)
Compressible bags for storing clothes
Passport (important!)
Extra passport photos for visas x6
Record of vaccinations
Proof of travellers health insurance
Drivers licence
Capital One Journey credit card (Though most people are happy with Charles Schwab card)
Emergency cash hidden throughout luggage
Bed sheet
Compact travel pillow + pillow case
“Quick-dry” towel
First-Aid kit (chock full of bandaids and meds)
Water bottle
Razors/epilator/facial hair remover/tweezers
Finger nail polish x5
Hair brush
Ponytail holders x100 (might be an exaggeration, but I’m down to 4, so bring a lot)
Earrings x4
Hand sanitizer x5
Bug spray (get a really good one)
Sunscreen
Toothbrush
Toothpaste x2
Deodorant x2
Contacts
Contact cases x2
Contact solution x2
Glasses
Sunglasses
Makeup
Chapstick x3
**For women** Diva cup + wash x2
Multi-tool knife
Duct tape
Headlamp
Flashlight
Bible
Notebooks x2 (I use large ones and write small so I don’t need more)
Pens x3 (bring as many as possible, this is what I’m down to)
iPod
Headphones x2
Camera
Kindle
Laptop
Laptop sleeve
Multi-converters x3
Family photo
Miscellaneous items I bought/acquired on the Race:
Purse (China, realized very quickly month one I would want it)
Water bottle
Earrings x2
Soap
Shampoo
Face wash
Airline blanket
Eye mask (Turkish Airline)
Ear plugs (Turkish Airline)
Chapstick x2
Finger nail clippers
Malaria meds (I got some extra from a teammate but you can also get them cheaper without a prescription overseas, as long as you don’t need them for month 1)
Windows Surface tablet (Malaysia, after my computer and kindle broke beyond repair in Cambodia)
Headphones x4
Batteries x30
Things I brought that I lost/broke/realized I don’t need:
Kindle – broke
Laptop – broke
Water bottle – broke
Headphones x5 – broke
Flip-flops x2 – lost
Sea to summit spork – lost month 1, have not missed it yet
Collapsible plate/bowl – never brought, but have never wanted it yet
Water purification tablets
Magnesium fire starter
Waterproof matches
Pepper spray
Breathing mask (though this item will change spots on this list if I ever actually need to use it for CPR lol)
Things I didn’t bring, but wish I had:
Frequent flyer miles – ok, not something to bring, but definitely worth signing up for pre-race. I keep forgetting and now it’s too late to rack up enough miles to get a free flight home from re-entry location
School ID – you can get discounts even overseas sometimes
Photocopies of passport/ID
More nicer shirts
More jeans
Belts
Hat
My rings
Hair straightened
Bobby pins x100 (seriously what was I thinking when I decided not to bring these???)
More “real” bras
More socks
Coffee tumbler
Rain cover for daypack
More carabeeners
Pack scale
Extra iPod chargers
More pictures of family/friends
Most regrettable purchases/items brought:
Compact travel pillow– not comfortable! You can get some good ones, mine just has no support
“Quick dry” towel– does not dry fast, always smells like mildew, wish I had a normal one
Cheap, flimsy bras from Target – seriously, take care of yo’self
Best purchases/items bought:
Bedsheet – can be used in place of sleeping bag liner to keep sleeping bag clean (you’ll be dirty, much easier to wash sheet than bag), also when warm can be used in place of sleeping bag
Pillow case – keep your pillow clean
Synmat sleeping pad – mine is a bit small, but that’s ok because I’m small. This is something I’m definitely glad I splurged a bit on, because a comfortable bed makes ALL the difference some nights
Large first-aid kit – I’m like a walking pharmacy!
Multiple Ziplocs – quick water protection
Multiple converters – didn’t think I would need more than one but decided to bring them anyways, was a good choice because they can get burned out after a few months of use sometimes
Chacos – seriously the best shoes ever
I say all this to give you a glimpse into the backpack of a Racer, month 8, but the reality is that every Racer’s pack is very different. It will depend on your route (but don’t count too much on that, because it could still change drastically even after you leave). For the “everyday items” apart from your packs, tent, sleeping pad, and such, I basically just recommend that you write down everything you use/wear in a week, and bring that. If you wear makeup at home, you’ll want it on the race; if you straighten your hair everyday at home, you’ll want to on the race; if you always wear large bows in your hair, you’ll want them on the race; if you really love to yo-yo, you’ll want that on the race… get the idea? You’re not changing your identity, just your location.
