**Updated this list post-race, and added strikethrough to things I really could have lived without and WOULD NOT pack if I could go back and do it again.**
Hello friends! I am finishing up my seventh month on the race, and I thought I’d give you an update about all the stuff I’ve been lugging around so far. I think that I am a pro at this point about gear, packing, and dropping stuff you don’t need.
So FUTURE RACERS- take note! I know there are a gazillion packing lists out there and you are probably going back and forth about a ton of things. You may be like me and have gone through and compiled them, pared down what you think is necessary (and not), or maybe you are just setting out, or are planning to come up with your own list.
Whether you know me and are curious about what I currently own, or you are a future racer looking for insight, I’ll share my halfway-through experience with you.
Everything in blue is what I currently have in my possession right now. At the end, in black will be things that I originally left my house in Texas with, but (remember that I) dropped either at launch with my parents, or along the way in 5 previous countries. I will also make special notes in purple next to stuff my parents are bringing or refilling when they come to PVT in 6 days.
WUTEVENIJUSTCANNOTIMSOEXCITED!
Osprey aura 65L big pack (buy the smallest pack you can get away with. SMALLER IS BETTER)
North face recon 28L day pack (see above note about size)
Kavu rope sling bag purse (I fold this up and stick it at the top of my big pack or in my airporter on travel days)
Highlander Airport (TRASHED- do not buy this brand…see below) Parents are maybe bringing me a new one
REI 2.5 inch camp bed (it’s ridiculous and huge…but it is the best purchase I made!!!)
REI tent with rainfly, footprint in compression sack and poles***
Patagonia black hole toiletries bag contains:
toothbrush and cover (parents are bringing new ones)
toothpaste (parents are bringing new big tube)
floss
face wash (parents are bringing more)
microdermabrasion face wash (gold)
tea tree essential oil
lavender essential oil
small container of bobby pins
q-tips
razor (I am picky about number of blades- parents bringing more)
deodorant (originally brought 2, parents are bringing 2)
body spray (picked up in Thailand)
bumble and bumble dry shampoo powder (gold- girls, splurge on this)
contacts and solution (have found everywhere and replaced along the way)
clearasil pimple gel (worth it to bring)
tiny travel shampoo and conditioner
allergy eyedrops
small cinch bag with tiny hair elastics-picked up in Thailand
1/2 gallon sized plasticized zip bag (holds all the weird stuff that doesn’t fit another category)
assorted ziplock bags
water bottle cleaning tablets
collapsible bowl and titanium spork (used these during all squad month only)
nail clippers, cuticle trimmers, and nail file
motion sickness bands (still waiting to use them…)
scissors (replaced in Thailand because original pair broke)
toothbrush used to clean my watch and chacos (trust me….)
small sewing kit
duct tape (pack more than you think you need, but take it off the roll and roll it around itself or a pencil)
extra treasurer receipt book
dryer sheets (you may have a dryer at some point BONUS, otherwise it’s great to toss in with clothes in your packing cubes)
small container of assorted coins from different countries
Small first aid kit contains
neosporin
hydrocortisone
assorted bandaids (parents are bringing more)
blister block stick
Benadryl itch stick
medicated lip balm
Small eagle creek packing cube contains:
3 pens (parents are bringing more)
2 bible highlighting twist up crayons (picked up somewhere from free table)
2 pencils
12 water color pencils and sharpener (picked up in Thailand)
glue stick
3 sharpies
small notepad to write answered prayers (picked up in Nepal)
5 journaling markers
2 big and one medium eagle creek packing cubes that contain:
11 pairs of undies (this has been a great number and I have not regretted my choice!)
4 sports bras
1 regular bra (picked up in Vietnam on the free table, sending home with parents)
**Bring what you wear at home. I wore mostly sports bras at home, so that’s what was comfortable for the race.**
2 pairs of fun crew socks
1 pair of short athletic socks
1 pair of sweater socks (parents brought 3 pairs of wool socks for cold weather months)
Bathing suit
Head buff
Sarong (picked up in Thailand at the beach, sending home with parents)
Flannel shirt (picked up Vietnam for Christmas!)
Jeans (same as above)
6 shirts (5 of the ones I started with, picked one up in Vietnam, parents bringing some to swap out the stinky ones)
3 pairs of shorts (jean, long athletic boy-style, nike)
1 dress (picked up in Thailand, parents bringing a new skirt)
Spandex shorts (worn under dresses and skirts-chub rub is real)
Bug cream (picked up in Cambodia)
**don’t bother bringing deet higher than 50%- it just melts through all your stuff**
Sunscreen (picked up from the free table in Vietnam)
Foot buffer thing (feet get gross after a while-picked up in Cambodia)
Johnson and Johnson cocoa lotion (picked up at the beginning of this month at debrief -my skin has been SO dry// parents are bringing aveno eczema lotion)
On guard essential oil–great for when you’re sick
Febreze (great for when hand washing doesn’t get your clothes smelling super clean, or perfume. No judgement here!)
Extra small bottle of contact solution (picked up somewhere…?)
Essential oil version of Vick’s vapor rub
Diva cup (gold) (mine isn’t that brand, but same idea)
**girls if you can figure it out, it is worth it. Saves so much money and space in your pack! (Message me if you want more info or have questions!)**
Dehydrated towels (tiny vacuum sealed tablets that turn into giant baby wipes with water)
**great for when if can’t find baby wipes, but I’ve found baby wipes everywhere…even in village markets in Africa**
BABY WIPES ARE GOLD (see note above about buying abroad)
4 $1 plastic zippy bags from Walmart (organize things like first aid kit, hair stuff, medicines, etc.)
Small makeup bag from Walmart contains:
powder
mascara
eyeshadow
tweezers
eyeliner pencil
concealer
Book (fun to exchange with teammates, picked up somewhere from free table)
journal (picked up after first one filled up at a cool bookstore in Thailand)
notecards (see note above)
small jewelry pouch (picked up from free table in Ethiopia)
Letters from home (sent home a considerable amount along the way)
Sea to summit Stuff sack contains:
extra contact lenses
travel packs of tissues
spare epi pens (bring 4 if you have severe allergies)
chapstick (sold everywhere, but if you’re picky, bring a few extras from home)
zicam swabs (shortens the life of colds and other respiratory junk)
Marmot trail shoes (I’ve used maybe 5 times. I would recommend bringing a cheap, lightweight pair of tennis shoes. No need to splurge on anything special because I wore Chacos 90% of the time.)
Rumpl puffy camp blanket (in lieu of a sleeping bag)
**I am claustrophobic and hate sleeping bags…especially mummy bags. I exchanged my original sleeping bag for this blanket and have not regretted it yet. I pair it with my sleeping bag liner and pants and socks when it’s cold outside**
Sleeping bag liner (my original one is cotton and is so so gross, parents bringing a new one made of stink-proof fabric)
drawstring bag contains:
headphone splitter (used once maybe…under the impression this would be gold…meh)
batteries (can find in many places. Didn’t end up needing a ton. Only changed headlamp batteries once.)
an extra pair of headphones
**bring extras-I lost a pair in Thailand and still have not recovered from the loss…have been using an extra pair I brought and don’t love)
1 headphone adaptor for my life proof phone case
Chacos
Rain jacket (folds into it’s own front pocket)
Bible
Benadryl (gold)
**Use this for everything: motion sickness, sleep aid, allergies, etc**
Zyrtec (I’m allergic to everything)
Dramamine (picked up in Vietnam…? For like $1)
Fisherman’s friend throat lozenges (everywere in asia, gold)
Sudafed
Anti-diarreal (only used the first week in India-let it come out! It will be over faster)
Diflucan
**if you’re a girl and you will be taking antibiotics or malaria meds-ask your MD for a few of these…trust me, you’ll likely need it for yeast infections**
A few oral rehydration salts (used for if you get really dehydrated)
Singulair (for asthma control in high altitudes)
Albuterol inhaler (that asthma life, tho)
Probiotics
Malaria meds
**ask your doctor and get whichever you think are right for you. I’m taking Malarone with no weird side effects**
Your travel doctor may not tell you this-but it is exceedingly easy to procure meds in other countries (Asian countries in particular). You can find just about everything you could need over the counter for very cheap, usually $5 or less. My whole team somehow ended up with worms month 4 and I bought two rounds of deworming meds for everyone for less than $1 each.
***I am dropping my tent because I have not opened it one single time since I packed it up two days before launch at home in Texas. I have prayed and agonized over this decision for months and I feel comfortable moving forward without a tent. I feel confident that if my team ends up somewhere and needs to tent, I can share or borrow one from another squamate who isn’t using theirs (we have a huge squad of 46 people) Please listen to AIM leadership if a tent is still on the packing list for your route. Many of my squadmates have used their tents, and I have a handful of WR friends who used their tents for the majority of their months. Use your discretion!
Macbook air and charger (also waterproof bag and padded case)
**Only bring a laptop if you already have one. Please do not feel you NEED one. You can use a phone for most everything, and then borrow a laptop from someone when you post blogs. I already had a macbook and I’m glad I brought it, because a handful of squadmates used it too.**
iPhone 6s in life proof case and charger
Small power strip
Plug adaptor kit (you don’t need a converter because chargers have power conversion built in now)
Glasses case
Passport, case, and yellow fever card
Wallet
Deck of cards
Epi pens
External hard drive (with movies and music) and padded case
Sad note: I had a Kindle Paperwhite but it was stolen in Cambodia 🙁 ABSOLUTELY worth buying, as long as it doesn’t get stolen!
Things I sent home at the end of month 5 (my sweet alumni squad leader shipped stuff home for me!) and things I’m sending home with my parents this month:
Assorted clothing
Assorted souvenirs for my family
Sand and seashells from beaches I’ve visited
Drawings from kids, notes, and letters from home that I’ve opened
Completed journals (3)
Bendy camera tripod thing
Usb drive
Ipod shuffle and charger
Assorted knickknacks and perfume in a glass bottle
Tent and its accoutrements
Ukulele (I love it, just don’t have time to really learn how to play)
I’ve dropped a ton of stuff both at launch and along the way in each country. I recommend holding loosely to your belongings and having an attitude of “it’s just stuff.” Dropping things is your best option to not carry around a zillion pounds of stuff. Also, often international airlines have weight limits on bags. Shoot for 45 pounds (or lighter) and you’ll be golden!
Okay, that’s everything I can think of. Thanks for hanging in there. I’ll end this with some encouragement for you future racers.
You can buy soap, toothpaste, and even baby wipes in every country I’ve been to so far (India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Rwanda, *(updated to include: Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia)*. I feel confident you will find what you need in every country you go to. If you forget something at home, there is a very slight chance you WON’T find it somewhere abroad. I have been to some pretty remote places but we have always flown into major cities that had grocery stores, and places to buy pens, clothes, and laundry soap. I always had what I needed. And then some!
Bucket showers are the norm, but are not all that bad. You really do get used to them. (And cold water)
Hand washing clothes is also the norm, but it’s really not the end of the world. Your clothes may not smell super clean, but you’ll become a pro at getting dirt and stains out! Also, just ask the locals. They will laugh at you but will be so happy to show you how to do it.
Horde tissue, those wipes they give you on international flights, and toilet paper when you get it. TP is the one super spotty/rare thing. International airports only sometimes have it, and almost no public restrooms have it. Stock up! BUT you will always have it or be able to buy it at the place you stay each month. Also, not having it is NOT the end of the world. You live.
Sleep when you can, both on travel days and during the month. You need to be well rested. Buy the fancy, thick, obnoxious-to-carry sleeping pad. Everything else you can go cheaper on.
Don’t think you have to buy name brand anything. Walmart really does sell great varieties of almost everything you need. Don’t break your bank to prepare yourself! (This is something I did wrong.)
YOU’RE DOING IT! YOU’RE LEAVING THE USA. YOU’RE GOING TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY!!!
Momma, Dad, Sue, LB, AJ, and Skout- thanks for all your input on my stuff. Thank you for buying stuff for me, going on preparation hikes with me, and for patiently enduring my panic tears as I prepped for this year. In hindsight, all the panic was for nothing. There are stores everywhere and I have never gone without anything vital. I love you guys and am so grateful for your support and love!
